Lethal Attachment

Chapter 30

Muntik ko nang maitapon ang dala kong juice nang bumukas lalo ang pintuan at bumungad sa akin si Rojan. Mukha siyang naiinip habang nakatingin sa akin. Nakakunot pa ang kanyang noo.

"Kanina ka pa nakatayo riyan," puna niya. "What's taking you so long?"

"Uh... Wala lang," sabi ko na lang.

Bahagya siyang umatras upang makapasok ako sa opisina pero bago pa ako makalagpas sa kanya, kinuha niya ang pitsel at ang baso mula sa tray na hawak ko. Dumiretso siya sa may coffee table at inilapag ito roon.

"Para kay Charity sana itong inumin pero umalis na siya kaagad. Nakasalubong mo ba siya?" Nag-angat siya ng tingin sa akin pagkaupo sa couch.

Lumabi ako at unti-unting tumango.

Kita kong napaangat ang gilid ng kanyang labi. Tinapik-tapik niya ang kanyang tabi upang sabihin na umupo ako roon.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit ako sumusunod pero ginawa ko ang kanyang gustong mangyari. I sat properly beside him, and he gave me a glass of juice that I made.

"You can drink it..." he said.

Muli akong tumango at tahimik na sumimsim sa juice.

Bigla akong nakaramdam ng hiya. Everytime his voice and his words would play in my mind, I couldn't help but to feel bashful. It's just too overwhelming that he still thinks of me that way.

Why did he has to be good with words?

Kahit dati pa ay hindi lang ang kanyang titig ang nagpapatunaw sa akin, kundi pati na rin ang kanyang mga salita.

"Anyway, can you please plot this on my schedule?"

Iniabot niya sa akin ang invitation na sa tingin ko ay binigay ni Charity kanina. Binaba ko sa coffee table ang juice bago kinuha mula kay Rojan ang invitation.

Walang hiya ko itong tiningnan at binasa dahil sa kuryosidad. Hindi naman ako pinagbawalan ni Rojan kaya nagpatuloy ako.

It's going to be a charity art exhibit. It's also printed here that all the funds and earnings that will be collected from the exhibit will be donated to the following beneficiaries that were listed here. There's a lot. There were ten beneficiaries, all in all.

It's going to be held by the end of the month. Medyo malapit na rin. Ito siguro ang kanyang dahilan kung bakit nasabi niyang busy siya.

"Si Charity ang naghost nito?" pagkukumpirma ko kay Rojan.

He casually nodded. "She likes to paint and everyone loves her work," he said. "She's doing this charity art exhibit annually which is funded by her own money but also, with the help of her sponsors. She will sell her paintings, and all the earnings will be donated. Padami nang padami ang mga tinutulungan niyang mga organisasyon. Last time, there were only eight beneficiaries and now, she has ten organizations to help."

I bit my lower lip while re-reading the invitation.

She's not just kind, she's an angel. Her passion to help other people in need was overwhelming. Nakakatuwa na mayroon pang tao na bukal ang puso sa pagtulong sa kapwa at walang sawa itong ginagawa. She's not doing this in vain and to gain more riches, she's doing this to donate. She's truly living up to her name.

"It also became a habit of me to buy one painting in her exhibit to help," Rojan continued. "Sarto also has beneficiaries that we've been helping, but it's nice to know that I could still help more. We have enough and even more. Walang mawawala kapag tumulong pa ako gamit ang sarili kong pera."

I know the Sarmientos, especially Rojan, have a good heart, pero hindi ko pa rin maiwasan ang mamangha.

"If the government isn't properly spending my taxes for its supposed purpose, I'd rather do something directly to help those who are in need," he explained. "Donating and supporting charity events are some of the things I can do."