"Please make yourself comfortable," he said as soon as I got inside his unit.
But that puts me in a pickle because I don't think I can do that.
A curt nod was all I could reply as I follow him.
True to what he said earlier, when I refused to agree to his proposal to have dinner, he threw ridiculously petty reasons why I should revoke my words. At the end of that conversation, I only got exhausted hearing all his nonsense and lost the will to argue with him. Hence the reason why I am here.
Besides that, I couldn't force Sav to go home yet. Earlier, when I tried to take a step back and attempted to leave my neighbor, he jumped out of my arms and sauntered going to the annoying guy's house.
I was so stunned. He seemed to have gotten himself used and familiar inside my neighbor's home. He only stayed here for two days but he's acting as if he's been here his entire life. He walked around and sat on the floor cozily as if this was his own house.
Seeing him like that gave me second-hand embarrassment.
"Ibaba mo muna kaya 'yang bag pack mo, neighbor? Para hindi ka mahirapan," aniya habang tinuturo ang aking likuran.
"Oh," I muttered when I snapped out of my trance and realized that, indeed, I haven't put down my bag. My mind was preoccupied with many things that giving my back some rest didn't even occur to me.
Because of that, I took it off and placed it beside me.
Nakangiti siyang lumapit sa kinauupuan ko. "Bakit ang bulky naman nito? Marami ka bang pasalubong sa'kin?" tanong niya habang tinuturo ang aking bag.
I only gave him a blank stare. I don't understand where all this excitement is coming from.
"Bakit ganiyan ka makatingin sa'kin, neighbor? Don't tell me nakalimutan mo ang promise mo na ipaguuwi mo ako ng pasalubong mula Tarlac? Grabe. Nakakasama naman ng loob," pagda-drama niya.
Kumunot ang aking noo. Ang dami na niyang nasabi.
"I didn't forget," I told him flatly after he finished speaking gibberish.
His sulky expression quickly ebbed and it was replaced by his wide smile. "Really?" he asked excitedly, completely veering away from his sullen face.
Tipid akong tumango kahit na hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit labis ang kaniyang galak. Sa pagkakatanda ko ay kausap ko siya kahapon noong magbitaw ako ng salita na dadalhan ko siya ng pasalubong galing Tarlac. Ngunit bakit para bang gulat na gulat siya ngayong sinabi ko na akin iyong tinupad?
I quietly reached out for my bag and was about to open the zipper when he halted my actions.
"Mamaya na 'yan, neighbor. Kain muna tayo," aniya at binuhat ang aking bag palayo. "Pambihira. Ang bigat naman pala nito, Calli!" reklamo niya nang mailipat niya iyon sa kabilang upuan. Kumunot ang aking noo. Wala naman kasi akong sinabi na kunin niya iyon mula sa akin. Ni hindi niya nga ako binigyan ng pagkakataon upang pigilan siya. "Huwag mo sabihing pinag-uwi mo ako ng graba mula sa Tarlac?" pang-aasar niya.
I briefly closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It's not as if I didn't hear him tease me yesterday through our video call, but experiencing it in flesh is still a different level of agony.
"Can I just give you what I brought and leave now?" I sincerely asked.
"Huwag gano'n." Mabilis niyang iniling ang kaniyang ulo. "Sige na. Hindi na kita aasarin." Tinaas niya ang kaniyang kanan na kamay, tila ba nangangako.
I mentally scoffed. What's the point of him promising that he won't tease me anymore when he straight-out fails every time he does?
Hindi na lamang ako sumagot.
