Oxford

Chapter 05

Nagtama ang mga mata namin ni Oxford. I catched him watching me intently like I was being studied by him. I was about to asked him why he's staring at me when our server came back with our orders. Nakasunod din si Skan sa kanya at may dalang dessert para saming dalawa ni Oxford.

"The dessert is on the house, it's my way of saying thank you for coming over. Hindi ka palaging pumupunta dito Bills na may kasamang, kaibigan." May diin niyang sabi ng kaibigan, may malisya ang kanyang ngisi sakin saka umalis.

Pag-alis ni Skan ay saka nagsalita ulit si Oxford. "That restaurant owner and the bartender lady from earlier at the bar are quite nicer than the three other sisters." he said as he took his knife and fork.

"Hmm." I answered while nodding my head.

He's right but all of the five sisters were kind and thoughtful. They helped me and my mother to get into the ladder of hope, they helped us to moved onward from all the crisis we encountered. Financial problem ang pinakamahirap sa panahon ngayon pero may mga kaibigan kaming tumutulong samin.

Nang matapos kaming kumain ay lumabas agad kami at nagtungo sa car park, hindi na ako naka-hindi nang sabihin ni Oxford na ihahatid niya ako samin. Pangatlong beses niya na akong ihahatid sa apartment namin. Malayo ang pinarkingan ni Oxford dahil may kanto na para lang sa parkingan ng mga sasakyan kaya naglakad muna kami bago dumating do'n.

"That area is insane, look at those people hanging around. They're like zombies." ani Oxford na nakatingin sa mga taong nasa bandang Lopez street.

"Oo, kaya mabuti nalang at wala akong interes na magtagal doon. But they're all money for all the business people that has bars, restaurants, and coffee shops, etcetera-there."

"Hmm, I also could see money too." he murmured as a reply then he opened the side door for me.

I hopped inside of his car. Pumasok narin siya at pinaandar ito. Mahina ang paandar ni Oxford gaya ng pagpapatakbo nito sa dati kong kotse. Siguro kapag may kasama siya ay ang hina lang ng pagpapaandar niya pero hindi ko alam kung mabilis siyang magpaandar kung siya lang ang sakay.

"Mabilis ka bang magpatakbo ng kotse?" tanong ko dahil curious lang ako kung mahina lang talaga siyang magpatakbo.

"Hindi bakit?" Natatawa niyang sagot.

I shrugged my shoulders and bit my lower lip. "Napansin ko lang na ang bagal ng pagpatakbo mo."

"I drive moderately like how I drink moderately."

I looked at his Rolex. That's so expensive I could even buy a new house to my family. I shook the thoughts off from my head. That's crazy because the way he showed, the more I thought about working hard for my family. Like a motivation. Hindi ako naiinggit dahil may nakikita akong mayamang tao na kayang bumili ng kamahal-mahal na bagay para lang sa sarili, at hindi rin ako nag-iisip na dumikit sa mga mayayaman para lang maambonan ng grasya.

I thought meeting people like Oxford motivated me to work hard every day. Hindi din naman magiging mayaman si Oxford kung hindi niya pinagtrabahoan ang kung ano mang mayroon siya ngayon.

"Billie? You're still there?"

I blinked. I turned my attention to Oxford again.

"Ha?"

"Nagtatanong ako sayo kung ano ang trabaho mo? What do you do for a living?"

Napaayos ako ng upo bago siya sinagot. Medyo lumipad ang isip ko dahil kung saan-saan ako naglakbay.

"May patahian ako sa Lopez street."

"Mananahi ka?"

"Ah, parang ganun na nga." I humbly replied and shyly nodded at him.