Air and Fire

16

Late ako ng gising kinabukasan. Sobrang bigat ng mata at pakiramdam ko. I look like a person who got stung by a bee! Magang-maga ang mata! Hindi ko na maalala kung paano ako nakatulog kagabi. Sarili ko na lang talaga mismo ang sumuko.

Puro texts at tawag ang phone ko from Fire. The audacity of this cheater! I'm a woman with no second chances, he asked for true love before, but look at what he did: tore me into pieces.

"Kumain ka na? Dalhan kita, gusto mo?" Boses ni Mixon sa kabilang linya ang narinig ko. Pinakiusapan ko siya na huwag sabihin sa iba ang nangyari kagabi—ayaw ko at wala akong balak.

"Huwag na. Wala rin naman akong gana. Saan sila Alein? Miss ko kayo..."

Siguro ngayon iiral ang katagang ang mga kaibigan ang laging nariyan sa kalungkutan. I need them!

"Pupunta kami riyan, sige. Wait for us."

At tama nga. After about thirty minutes, dumating na sila.

"Napapaano ka ba kasi? Wow, you look like a dying plant. Ang kaibahan lang ay you got stung by a bee. You look awful." Kaharap ko ngayon si Alein sa lamesa ng kitchen. They really went here and individually brought some foods.

"Nagpadala pa ng pagkain etong si Mixon. What's the tea, sis?" Curiosity is evident on her brown eyes. The color reminds me of someone that I shouldn't be thinking of right now.

"It's just that I'm stressed. Nothing more, nothing less." She just shrugged after hearing my answer, and approached Rex who's at the couch together with Angelo.

"You know you can trust me. What is it, really?" Kalreen suddenly shifted her seat near me and whispered.

"It's just that... Everything didn't go as we imagined it to be." I spun off the bottle of San Mig in front of me, maybe this can divert my thoughts away.

"Details." I looked at her and she placed her hand into mine, reassuring me that she'll listen and won't judge me in any way.

"Fire slept here the other night, then when I woke up the next day, he already left. Well, I tried contacting him but upon doing that, I realized that he left his phone..." I trailed off but she's still listening. Just by remembering the details, my heart aches.

"Mixon visited me, and we planned on going to his office, but as I entered my bed room, his phone was blinking due to numerous messages that it was receiving. I wasn't intending to open them, but the phone recognized my face." Huminga ako nang malalim bago ko tinuloy, dahil sumisikip na naman ang dibdib ko.

Tutok na tutok pa rin sa akin si Kalreen, waiting for the main reason of my grimace.

"It was from someone named Eprain, asking for Fire to go back to wherever they are, and that he can't find him. I became more worried, because at that time of the day, he should be back at his house. But you know what? What I wasn't expecting came. A message from Jaquiel containing a photo, like he captured the moment wherein he was kissing Alice and he also asked when is the wedding."

Kalreen's mouth formed a small circle due to shock. All she can do is to pat my back as I can feel the heat on the corner of my eyes, indicating that any moment from now, tears will start to fall.

"That Eprain called again and asked for me to answer the phone, and so I did. He said that I should try my best to believe Fire. Who is he to ask me that favor? You know I am not a fan of fucking chances. What was done can not be done for the second time." She nodded, because she knows my characteristic.

"After a few minutes, Fire suddenly showed up looking so wasted. He asked me a favor to let him explain. Ang sakit kaya ng ganoon, Kal. Namimiyok na siya at tumatangis habang ako napapakatigas. He said that he was fucking drunk, that it was not his fault. Then what the fuck, Kal? What type of excuse is that?" Kalreen frowned her eyebrows and was supposed to say something but Alein butted in.