Us, This Time

•Chapter 8: Unexpected Person•

"Miss, okay ka lang po?" I asked habang nakatingin sa sahig at naglalakad.

"Yes" she said.

"Galit ka po ba sa akin or what?" I asked at tumingin sa kaniya.

"No" she said in a cold tone.

"Eh bakit ka po ganiyan? Okay naman tayo kagabi ah", sabi ko sa kaniya.

"Nothing's wrong" walang ganang pagkakasabi niya.

"Sure ?" Tanong ko.

"Yes. There's nothing serious about last night. I'm still your professor and you're my student" mahabang sabi niya kaya natahimik ako.

I'm still your professor and you're my student.

Tama nga naman. Hahaha, lumagpas ata ako sa boundaries ko. Hindi na ako sumagot after that.

Since we're walking about an hour now, napagpasyahan na namin umuwi.

"Let's go. We need to do some practice" she said at tumalikod sa akin.

I was about to follow her nang may tumawag sa akin.

"Sky! Cousin!" Sigaw ng kung sino kaya napalingon ako. I was suprised nang malaman ko kung sino 'yon.

"Jess!" Masayang tawag ko sa kaniya. Tumakbo ito sa akin at niyakap ako.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Tanong nito sa akin nang kumalas ito sa yakap.

"Kasama ko si Miss Klea, professor ko. Need namin tumingin ng gown for the pageant" sabi ko at lumingon kay Miss Klea na ngayon at papunta ulit sa amin.

"Klea? Klea Luna?" She asked kay napakunoot ako ng noo.

"Oo, kilala mo?" Sabi ko sa kaniya.

"Miss Valeria, what taking you so long?" Inis na sabi ni Ma'am.

Napalingon si Jessica sa likod niya. She was shocked. Pero mas nagulat ako sa sunod niyang sinabi.

"Love!" She said at niyakap niya si Miss Klea.

Love?

Love? Like girlfriend?

Well, wala namang love sa pangalan niya.
Klea, Luna, Klea Luna. Oh ,'di ba wala.

"J-jessica? Love?" Takang tanong ni Ma'am. Tumingin ito sa akin at tumingin pabalik kay Jess.

"You're my cousin's professor?" masayang tanong ni Jess sa prof ko.

"Yes" sambit niya kaya tumingin ito sa akin pero iniwasan din ako niyo ng tingin.

"Wow, small world" sabi niya at humarap sa akin.

"Cous, this is my girlfriend, Klea" sabi niya kaya natahimik ako. All I can feel is pain.

Girlfriend..

Nakatitig lang ko sa prof kong iniiwasan ang titig ko.

"Hey, cous?" She asked kaya napabalik ako sa realidad.

"Ah, oo. Congrats" ngumiti ako ng peke.

"L-love, kailan ka pa nakabalik?" Tanong ni Miss Klea.

Napayuko ako nang maramdam kong may luha na gustong tumulo sa mata ko. Fuck, it hurts.

"Kanina lang, Love. I was about to call you nga sana eh" malambing na sabi ni Jessica.

"Hey, cous, you okay? Why are you crying?" Tanong ni Jessica kaya pinunasan ko agad ang luha ko.

"N-nothing, Jess. I just miss you. Ikaw pa naman pinaka close kong cousin" she said.

"Aww, i missed you too, my baby sky" she said kaya niyakap ako nito.

While hugging her, napatingin ako kay Miss Klea, pero napaiwas din ako agad ng tingin. Bakit ba ako ganito?

"Jess, where are you living now?" Ni Miss Klea kaya napabitaw sa akin si Jess.

"Uuwi ako ng Manila. Sa condo ko. Kayo ba?" Jess said

"Sa resthouse namin. Why not, doon kana muna?" Miss Klea said.

Please say no..

"Oh sure, i miss you my love" sabi ni Jess.

"I'll wait for you two at the house. Medyo sumama pakiramdam ko" sabi ko at umalis na.

I can't take that anymore. It's torturing me.

Miss Klea called me pero hindi ko na ito pinansin. I walk as fast as I can to get away from them.
Walking distance lang naman ang resthouse at picnic grove kaya malapit lang.

Pagkapasok ko sa resthouse ay dumiretso ako agad sa loob ng kwarto ko. I locked the door and dumapa sa kama. Before even stopping myself, hindi ko na nagawa pang magpigil at umiyak na ako. I saw myself crying hard dahil sa sakit. It's breaking me into pieces.

Why is it so painful? I just like you.. why?

I can't stop crying. It's painful as fuck. I don't even know why. It's tearing me up into million pieces na hindi ko alam paano ko bubuoin. As if it was like, the missing pieces of myself will always be missing kahit hindi ko alam kung ano 'yun.

Ano ba ang masakit? The fact that Miss Klea has a Girlfriend? Of dahil si Jess ang girlfriend niya?

Both.

The inner me answered my own question. Nakakatawang isipin na nasasaktan ako because of that.

I heard a car outside. Maybe that was them. I remain in my current position. Still crying like a baby.

After a couple of minutes, i heard someone knocking at the door.

"Sky? Are you okay? Masama pa ba ang pakiramdam mo?" I heard Jess asking me. Pero hindi ako sumagot. I feel like i'm too tired to respond.

"I guess she's asleep" she said. Mukhang si Miss Klea ang kausap niya.

I heard multiple footsteps na papalayo sa kwarto ko. As soon as nawala na sa pandinig ko ang mga yapak na 'yon ay umiyak na naman ako. And still, i kept on asking myself..

Why are you like this, Sky?

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