"Spencer and I just turned out to be really good friends kasi paano ba naman.. parehas kaming nawalan ng kaibigan? Sino pa bang magdadamayan kundi kami lang din?"
I happened to accidentally peaked at the mirror and I wasn't sure if I just caught him roll his eyes at that. But.. there was something else in his expression now though. I can't.. pinpoint it. Nor.. put a name on it. All I can say is that it is somehow.. different.
Although he isn't totally sporting a pleasant expression right now, I just knew it was different.
Lumunok ako. "Tsaka.. anong flex flex sinasabi mo sa instagram eh ang tanda ko lang naman na pinost kong picture namin ay nung birthday niya.. Bukod dun wala naman nang iba,"
I don't know what else to say. Sinilip ko siyang muli sa rearview mirror. He was still staring outside the window. Not saying anything.
I sighed. There, I think I already said what I have to say, atleast for now.
Nang ihinto ang sasakyan sa tamang lokasyon ay binalingan ko siya.
"I'll just.. wait for you here," marahang sabi ko.
I'm not sure but I think I just saw him gave me a soft and single nod.
Habang naghihintay sa kaniya ay pumunta na muna ako sa nadaanang convinience store kanina. Nilakad ko na lang iyon. I suddenly felt thirsty so I got myself some drinks. Binilhan ko na rin si Zaid kahit pa tingin ko'y hindi niya naman tatanggapin. Hindi ko inaasahang medyo mahaba ang pila kaya medyo nagulat pa ko pagtungo sa cashier. Gayunpaman, ay sumunod na ako sa nasa hulihan.
Halos kakalabas ko pa lang sa convenience store ay agad ko nang binuksan ang inumin. Habang naglalakad ay binawasan ko na iyon. Pagkasara ko sa bote ay dumapo na ang tingin ko sa naiwang sasakyan. I was surprised to see that Zaid was already there. I guess his business here wasn't that long then.
Habang papalapit ako ay napansin ko ang mga paggalaw ng ulo niya. Even his eyes were tensely roaming around too. It looks like he was looking for something.. for someone.
My heart skipped a beat. Shit. Nang marealize na baka ako ang hinahanap niya ay binilisan ko na ang lakad.
"Zaid," I called him.
His gaze abruptly turned to me.
I was taken a back by how intense it was.
For a while, it looked.. nervous and... anxious.
But as it darted on me, something else slowly registered.
It looks like.. relief and.. solace.
YOU ARE READING
Every Flight Counts
RomanceSIS (Social Issue Series) #3: Gender Inequality Men and women in the 21st Century still aren't able to totally get free from the socially defined roles. They are expected to act in certain ways just because they are male and female. Lalake ka raw ka...
Kabanata 32
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