"Seriously?" gulat na usal ko nang makita ko ang oras sa aking cellphone. It's already past ten in the morning and I have just woken up. Due to the physical exhaustion which piled up over the last week, my body seemed to have ineluctably taken the time I had last night sleeping to recuperate the strength that I lost.
But while I didn't set the alarm for today, I didn't expect to be waking up at this late hour. And to be fair, I shouldn't be feeling bad about taking time for myself because I badly needed that rest. However, I have a cat outside of my room who's probably hungry and grouchy now, and I need to attend to him as soon as possible.
Mabilis akong umahon sa hinihigaan at pinatay ang aircon.
Nang maligpit ko ang aking higaan, kinuha ko ang cellphone at lumabas na ng kwarto.
As I mentally foresaw, a grumpy cat welcomed me behind the door. He's looking up in my direction while meowing insistently. The sound he's making became more high-pitched as each second flies. And his blue eyes are glaring at me murderously.
Hindi ko mapigilang makonsesnya habang pinagmamasdan ko siya. Marahil ay gutom na gutom na siya. At sa tingin niya sa akin, malamang ay galit na rin ito.
"Sav," I cooed, falling on my knees while trying to appease him. "I'm so—" before I finished my sentence, he turned his back from me and walked straight to his food tray.
He completely ignored me. But before doing that, he waited for me to fall on my knees to prove a point. When he reached his dining area, he sat like a boss and stared at me while waggling his tale. His impatient glare was demanding for speedy obedience from me.
Napailing ako. My cat sure has an attitude.
"Okay, okay," I muttered in full surrender. Hindi ko na inuna ang paghihilamos. Dumiretso ako sa kusina at binuksan ang cabinet sa ibaba para kumuha ng kaniyang cat food. Bago ko ito isalin, hinugasan ko muna ang kaniyang food tray.
Para bang amo na hindi masaya sa gawa ng kaniyang trabahador, inismiran niya ako nang kaunti ang pagkain sa kaniyang food tray. Hindi pa naman kasi tapos ang aking pagbuhos. Tumigil lamang ako dahil naramdaman ko ang pag-vibrate ng aking cellphone. Nag-text si Tita George at nangungumusta lamang. Sinabi ko na ayos lamang ako at galing ako kay Ahia kahapon para sa birthday ni Basti.
"Here you go," mahinang usal ko pagkatapos kong mag-reply. Nagbuhos pa ako ng karagdagan niyang pagkain.
A little while after feeding Sav, I took a bath.
When I came back from the shower, I received another text message from Tita George. Tinanong niya ako kung ano raw ang kaniyang pwedeng mairegalo kay Basti. Naubusan na raw kasi siya ng ideya. Sinabi ko na hindi naman niya kailangan na gawin iyon. Ngunit mapilit siya at hindi pumayag. Wala tuloy akong nagawa kung hindi ang mag-isip ng pwede niyang maibigay.
Mabait si Tita George kahit kanino. Maging sa mga tenants nga na nakatira sa building ay palagi siyang nagbibigay ng mga kung anu-ano. Kapag nalalaman niyang birthday nila, nagpapabili siya sa akin ng cake. Minsan naman kapag nabalitaan niya na nagkasakit, bulaklak o kaya ay prutas. Iyon nga lamang ay ako ang nagbibigay dahil hindi naman na siya nakatira rito. Wala tuloy akong magawa kung hindi humarap sa mga taong iyon kapag hinihingan niya ako ng pabor.
She's also this nice to people she barely knows. That's why it's not a surprise that her kindness becomes even more excessive when she knows the person on a deeper level—like my friends. Hence, the reason why she's persistent in asking me to think of a birthday gift for Sebastian.
And honestly, I know that the reason why she's doing this is because she's grateful for them. They're my friends and they're taking care of me, especially Ahia and Ysa. Tita George knows that it has always been a challenge for me to build relationships with people. That's why she looks after those who take good care of me.
