What We Used To

Chapter 1

She stopped the car in the parking space. I unfastened my seatbelt and open the car's door. Pagbaba ko ay nasa tapat ko na siya. Inilahad niya ang kamay niya kaya hinawakan ko ito. Sabay kaming naglakad pero agad din siyang bumitaw sa akin.

"Teka lang pala," she said before going back to where she parked the car. She opened the back of the car and took something from it.

"What's that?" I asked her when she went back to my side.

"A basket?" She joked.

I responded with a sarcastic laugh, "I know it's a basket. What I mean is anong laman niyan at anong gagawin natin diyan?"

"Food," sagot niya. "Don't ask too much, tara na!"

Parang bata siyang tumakbo habang hila-hila ang kamay ko kaya't natangay ako. I suddenly remembered how we used to do this when we were children. Pakiramdam ko bata pa rin kami. So nostalgic.

We stopped in a building. Ito na lang 'yong familiar na building. Medyo luma na ito at nasa pinakadulo pa ng school. Good thing that they still planted a lot of trees.

"Mas masaya siguro kung weekday tayong pumunta dito," I suggested. "There will be a lot of kids to play with."

"We'll do that next time, love. For now, tara mag-picnic muna tayo sa rooftop! Buti hindi nila pinalitan ang building na 'to. Matibay pa kaya 'to?"

"Ang daldal mo today, love." I smiled, seeing how happy she is right now put me at ease.

Umakyat na kami sa taas ng lumang building, may nakalagay na ditong restricted sign pero hindi pa rin 'yon pinansin ni Mikha. We reached the rooftop na hindi naman ganoong kataas dahil dalawang floors lang ito.

Inilapag niya ang basket at inilabas ang laman ng basket niya. Oh, pagkain nga ang laman no'n, meron ding mat, bottled water and juice at dried flowers. We're having a picnic and it excites me!

"Yes, pinaghandaan." I joked. She just smiled at me and started to fix the set up. Tinulungan ko na rin siya para mas mabilis ang gawain. I admit, gutom na rin ako.

"Hey, where'd you buy this? May ganito pa pala?" Gulat kong tanong nang makakita ng pack ng Choco choco na paborito namin no'ng mga bata. "Where's the partner?"

"Here," itinaas niya ang pack ng Marie biscuits na perfect pair ng choco choco.

Well, it really brings back memories. We are used to this. Low budget nga lang ang picnic namin dati every lunch break. Bukod sa mga baon naming lunch, we will buy Marie and Choco choco for our desserts. Good old days.

"Let's take a picture," I told her. Ngumiti naan agad siya nang itinapat ko ang camera ng phone ko.

"Grabe 'no? Ang tagal na pala simula no'ng nag-graduate tayo dito," she said while we were eating.

"Ang dungis mo pa no'n parati kasi palagi mong ka-luksong baka 'yong mga kaklase natin no'ng elementary." I reminisced. "Thanks to our parents, though. Good thing they enrolled us in a public school kaya na-enjoy natin ang childhood natin. Also, it taught us a lot of things in life."

Tumango siya, "akala natin dati simple lang pero may lessons pala na malalim na magagamit natin in real life 'no?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "Why suddenly became serious?" We laughed.

"You started kaya!" She said.

"Ay, ako ba?" Maang-maangan ko kaya nagtawanan na kami habang kumakain.

"May papel ka diyan?" Tanong ko.

"Oo naman!" Tawa ako nang tawa nang nilabas niya ang pad paper sa basket. Pumilas ako doon at kumuha ng isang Choco choco. We were laughing while we were putting Choco choco on a piece of paper. We folded it and we put in in the middle of the pad paper to flatten.

We finished our food while telling stories about our elementary experiences. Mga kalokohan, victories, pag-aaway and so on. A lot has really happened and changed, of course.

Naisa-isa din namin ang mga kaklase namin at naitanong kung nasaan nila. Well, I hope they're in a good place right now and they're doing fine even though we don't have communication right now. Ang iba nama'y connected pa rin sa social medias namin but some are not.

Nang matapos ang picnic namin ay nagligpit na kami. It's already night time and may pasok pa kami bukas since it's Monday kaya kailangan naming umuwi ng maaga.

"Thank you for today, love." She told me.

"No, thank you." One reason why I just can't let go of Mikha is this. She has always been by my side through my ups and downs. She always understands me and she never fails to make me feel how special I am. She always understands me, even in those times that even myself cannot understand me.

"Thank you, Mikha," I said, suddenly on the verge of crying.

"Always, love." She replied. "Tara uwi na tayo? It has been a tiring day."

"Tiring but fulfilling," I said. Today somehow made me forget my worries and it's all thanks to Mikha. Hindi ko muna siguro iisipin ang mga susunod na mangyayari.

The whole trip from home was silent but it was comfortable. With Mikha, everything became easier. Am I really feeling the right thing? Are my feelings really fading? Parang hindi ko kakayanin kung oo.

Hindi ko namalayang nasa bahay na pala kami, "thank you ulit."

She smiled at me, "Good night, love. See you tomorrow?"

I nodded, "see you tomorrow."