If I have Nothing (Absinthe Series 5)

Kabanata 18

Naiiling siya sa akin. Her aging face manage to broke out a dinky smile. Bumakas tuloy ang kaniyang wrinkles sa ilalim at gilid ng mata.

After a few talk, nagmano na ako at nagpaalam na aalis na. I also hugged Juniper and bid my goodbye.

Naabutan ko si Rhett na tumitingin sa mga litratong nasa maliit na bulletin. Noon pinapabayaan lang itong maexpose sa hangin, ngayon ay nakaglass na ito at pwedeng mabuksan kung sakaling may magdadagdag ng iilang litrato o palamuti.

Nakapamulsa at parang iniisa-isa ng mga mata ni Rhett ang nakikita. There were actually a lot of pictures there. Mula noong ipinatayo ang lumang paaralan hanggang sa naging orphanage na ito. Lumalawak nang lumalawak ang sakop ng bulletin sa paglipas ng panahon.

Napangisi ako nang makita ko ang litrato naming dalawa ni Juni noon. Parehong naka bestida at may bulaklak sa tainga.

I was five that time. Iyon ang araw bago ako kinuha nina Mommy sa Orphanage. There was actually a celebration that day. Juni and I participated as part of the program kaya pareho kami ng damit at kahit na ang bulaklak sa tainga. I remembered us singing and dancing to a children's song.

"No one knows about your parents?" basag ni Rhett sa katahimikang bumabalot sa amin. Napalingon ako sa kaniya. Nakita kong ang tingin ay nandoon pa rin sa bulletin.

Ibinalik ko rin ang tingin doon. "No. Someone handed me to Sister Martha saying she didn't know my parents either," bumuntong-hininga ako, "The giver said she couldn't provide for me either so she left me here."

"Do you have plans on meeting them?" Napalingon ulit ako sa kaniya. This time, he was already facing me sideways. Ang mga matang malalim at malamig ay nakatitig sa akin.

"Honestly?" my lips tugged at the corner, "I want to. I was abandoned and I have lots of questions. If there's a chance that I could meet them, I'll probably grab that chance." Tumingala ako sa iilang litratong nandoon. Years passed but the happy memories of my stay here are still vivid in my mind.

"When do you plan on doing that?"

Marahan akong umiling. "I don't have any resources. I won't use the Costello's money for that. I might...find them on my own. Saka na kapag...kaya ko na," unti-unti kong sinabi. Si Rhett naman ay nakatitig lang sa akin at parang binabasa ako.

Tinalikuran ko na siya. "Let's go? I'm starving."

I walked through corridor and I heard his footsteps, signalling that he was following me. Nang makalabas kami ay pinagbuksan niya ulit ako ng pinto. I can't help but sigh. Naninibago talaga ako sa turing niya sa akin kahit na matagal ko namang napapansin. Maybe, I just need to get rid of what Marriam said to me. Masyadong napag-iisipan ko iyon nang malalim.

He drove his car silently with an alternative rock music playing on his stereo. Napansin ko ang pagbagal ng kaniyang takbo kaya napalingon ako sa kaniya mula sa pagkakatingin sa bintana.

"Where do you want to eat?"

"Kahit saan. Pwedeng sa fast food na lang." I shrugged.

He ended up parking in front of a fast food restaurant. Magkasunod lang kaming pumasok. I told him that I'll be the one to order our food. Pumayag naman siya. He was too lazy to speak, anyways. Sinabihan ko na lang na pumili siya ng mauupuan namin habang nasa pila pa ako.

There were a lot of customers, dala na rin na Linggo at maraming nagsisimba kaya ganoon ang senaryong madadatnan. Marami iyong pamilya na umuukopa ng mahabang mesa. May mga magkasintahan din naman.

Ngumiti ako sa cashier na lalaki nang ako na ang sumunod na oorder. He was actually good looking and tall, too. He looks like he was about my age. He was also all smiles while he encode my order to the monitor. At noong marami ang aking kinuha ay nagpresenta pang tutulungan ako.