After the Twilight (Iska Series #1)

05

Buong linggo kaming nagkita ni Enzo sa oval. 

Doon naman kasi ako palaging tumatambay before my class starts in the morning. I enjoy watching the morning joggers, and I find tranquility and solitude being alone with nature and the cool air. 

Apparently, araw-araw din kasi nagjajog si Enzo doon kaya nagkikita kami. 

I never really saw him jog there before, pero siguro dahil hindi ko pa naman siya kilala noon. Now that we know each other, it just makes it easier for us to find each other. 

Sa nagdaang araw na nakasama ko siya ay unti-unting nawala ang hiya at ang ilang na naramdaman ko sa kanya noon. Magaan din naman kasi ang loob ko sa kanya. No matter how much I try to limit myself, lagi akong napapakwento kapag kasama ko siya. I don't know why, but I always find myself opening up to him. 

Everyone knows I barely talk. Tahimik na tao lang naman din kasi ako, the most I talk to are my close friends pero wala pa rin panlaban sa kakayanang magchika nina Leo at Demi. I'm more of a listener, an observer. 

But there's just this thing with him that makes me talk. 

Parang kapag kasama ko siya ay libre kong nasasabi lahat ng nasa utak ko. Kahit ano nalang kasi ang nakukwento ko, from my classes to my thoughts about certain issues. Tapos siya tahimiik lang na nakikinig sa akin, and then gives his own opinions and comments when I'm done. 

I find him very smart. We don't agree on everything that we talk about but we always manage to reach a decorum. 

Ewan, masarap siyang kausap. 

It's nice having smart conversations with someone.

Mornings with him seem to have incorporated itself into my routine. After he jogs he finds me at the usual bench I sit on and then I accompany him to Mang Nary's to eat. Kapag nakakaligtaan ko ang oras ay pumapayag akong magpahatid sa kanya sa klase para hindi ma late. 

Habang naglalakad panay ang pagloloko niya sa akin. He points out everyone whom he catches looking at me, and proceeds to tease me about my predicament of being inexperienced. 

However, I fee like more than me, mas may maraming nakatingin sa kanya. Kung hindi lang siguro seryoso at suplado ang itsura ay marami ng nag approach sa kanyang mga babae. 

"Those group of guys have been staring at you," he said the other day, motioning to the group of university athletes who were taking a break from their run. Mga varsity players ng basketball team ata. 

I groaned, shaking my head as I refuse to look at them longer. 

"Paano ka makakahanap ng boyfriend if you don't talk to boys?"

I let out a sigh, looking at him. 

"Can we stop talking about that? I'm not looking for a boyfriend, it was just my very irrational and partially insane drunk self talking. You've got to let that go, Enzo," sabi ko, napairap nalang sa kanya, "and I don't talk to boys."

"You're talking to me," he glances at me as we walk to the parking lot, his hands inside the pocket of his shorts. 

"Kaya lang naman kita kinakausap kasi pakiramdam ko may utang na loob ako sa'yo," I tell him playfully.

Pero totoo 'yon. I don't normally talk to boys unless it's for important matters like school requirements. If it's anything but school related, I don't really interact with many men. Lalo na kapag kasama ko si Leo. Minsan kasi napapagkakamalan siyang boyfriend ko, kung alam lang sana nila na boyfriend din ang hanap non.

I guess it's also a factor that I was raised in a very strict environment. I wasn't allowed to talk to anyone my father didn't approve of. When I was growing up, kapag lumalabas kami, madalas kausap ko ay si Nanay Libet, ang yayang nagpalaki sa akin. And when people come and talk to me, most of the time I gave them the preconceived and scripted answers that I was groomed to take.