Remedial Heart (LeAga)

thirty-four

They sit on the bench as they watch the sun hover around the horizon, making everything glow in multi colors — the combination of pastel yellow, lilac, deep red, orange.

Aga draws in a breath of the chilly Amsterdam air and pulls Lea close to him. She rests her head against his shoulder. She covers her mouth as she yawns "This place is so relaxing, Babes. Add the weather and the—"

"—the couch-y man beside you? Sarap matulog no?"

She laughs and playfully swats his arm "you're so hard on yourself!"

"Totoo naman ah!"

"No kaya. You're the sexiest man I knew, forget the hotness of my favorite Rugby superstars. They're nothing compare to you!"

"Bola mo Miss"

"Misis na po ako"

"Ha? di halata"

She smiles — a big, toothy smile "Sinabi mo 'yan ha! Sinabi mo 'yan!"

Aga spreads out the brochures the tour guide gave them and read some facts aloud to Lea "Do you know that Keukenhof is one of the largest garden in Europe? Obviously, yes diba? 32 hectares! That's a wow!  And according to this leaflet, it opens for short weeks lang like for this season, ngayon lang siya and then after three or four weeks close na. Look how lucky we are?"

"I know, I know" she looks at him while reading then pokes his dimple "I'm so lucky to have you"

He stops and looks at her, forcing not to smile with her sweet words but his dimples are showing off, he changes the mood immediately or else he'll surely kiss her torridly in public "A-And Keukenhof literally means—"

"—Kitchen garden" Lea answers right away

"How do you know?"

"I've read it, Babes. Nasa entrance po. You know what attracts me the most? Those history signages!" She said with glee

He nods "Oh, I see"

"Wow!" She answers with an exaggerated sarcastic voice "thank you sa respect ha?"

He can see the displeased look in his wife. Proud— now he can read her expressions "What? What did I do?"

"What did I do? No, 'what did I say?' 'yan ang tanong, Sir"

"Okay, what did I say?"

The heck, and he really did asked her 'what did I say?' She hisses. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Ang insensitive mo, Aga. She rolls her eyes "Why do you always open up a conversation then closes it immediately when I give my point or opinion?"

Aga is clearly clueless of what's happening. He squints "I did not. I am not. I will not"

"oh, I see?', 'oh, I see?' That's a closing statement. It means 'okay, I get it. You can shut up now'"

"Okay? I don't know that" he defends

"Tell me, what do you know?"

He went silent and looks at Lea for a moment "Ang moody mo! Kanina mo pa ako inaaway. Bakit mo ako inaaway?"

"Am I?"

"Is that how you treat your husband?"

"Is that the right question you will ask your wife?"

He laughs. A priceless feeling for him is teasing or annoying her. He pokes her flushing cheek "Ang pikon, talo!"

"I am not"