IT SHOULD BE ME & YOU

4. UNEXPECTED CONFESSION

After sending Melissa home,  the sound trip stopped.  Melissa was the only junior left so Ogie decided to shut the radio off when they dropped her to her home.  Susan, Helen, Ogie, Dawn and Richard were still in the van.  They were  heading to Susan’s house. Send her first, then Helen then Dawn.  The last one would be Richard because his house is nearer to Ogie’s. 

After a couple  of minutes,  the van stopped in front of a house inside the village,  then Susan bid her goodbyes.  Beso-beso was their way of greeting or bidding  goodbyes. Before she could go out of the car, she told Richard,

“Hijo,  siguraduhin mo’ng safe kayo. Lalo pa't parang pagod na ’yung driver. May mga babae pa kayong kasama.” Susan advised.

Before Richard could ask her what she meant, Susan already got out of the van leaving Richard in his messy thoughts.

What Tita Susan meant? Then he fixed his thought maybe Tita Susan was right. He should take Ogie’s place.

“Ogie, stop the car, please.” Richard commanded.

Helen and Dawn looked at Richard, curiousity built up in their minds. Ogie stopped the car and looked at Richard who was then on the first row with the women.

“Bakit, Richard?” Ogie asked, tiredness was evident.

“Ako na mag-da-drive.  Tama nga si Tita Susan.  Pagod ka na.  Ako nang bahala.  Matulog ka na lang muna riyan sa shotgun seat, ako na mag-da-drive.” Richard said.

“Sigurado po kayo?  Baka pagod na rin kayo. ” Ogie retorted and sighed.

“‘Di ’yan mag-vo-volunteer kung ’di niya kaya, Ogs.” Dawn butted in and smiled. 

Ogie finally agreed because he couldn’t deny the fact that he was totally tired.

—

After Helen left the van and bid her goodbyes to the three of them, Dawn was the only one left on the backseat.  She felt a little bit uncomfy and Ogie knew it. So he made a way.

“Ah, Dawn?” Ogie called.

“Yes, Ogs?” Dawn responded.

Richard was just intently listening to them.  Richard knew that Dawn was scared ‘coz she was  the only one left on the back.  When Ogie talked to Dawn, he knew that Ogie was the rescuer again.

“Pwede ba palit tayo pwesto?” Ogie suggested.

“Palit? Puwede ka naman dito tumabi saakin.” Dawn said and forced a smile.  She had something in mind what was Ogie’s up to.

“Hindi. Eh— ah-— kasi—,   pagod na talaga ako.  And, gusto ko na munang matulog.  Hindi ako makatulog nang nakaupo lang eh.  Gusto ko nakahiga.” Ogie reasoned out.

“Ah ganu’n ba? Lipat nalang ako sa likod.” Dawn said and was about to go to the second row but Ogie said something that creeped her out.

“I will turn off the lights, Dawn ha? Kasi everytime I sleep eh turn-off talaga. Sure ka talaga riyan ka sa likod? Ayaw mo dito? Madilim pa naman ang daan. Wala masyadong ilaw eh oh!” Ogie said and mischievously smiled in secret.

“A— an— ano?  You’ll  turn the lights off?” Dawn said and quickly looked at the window and saw nothing but darkness. 

“Swap na lang tayo ng upuan, Ogs.  Parang ayaw ko na ata bigla sa likod.” Dawn said, and she forced a smile, marked the scare tone in her voice. 

Ogie smiled mischievously.

Ogie knew that she was scared of darkness.  Someone asked her on the party about her weaknesses and she answered that one of her weaknesses is darkness.