Letters for Cali

14

CALI

Last day na ng month ngayon kaya pagkatapos ng klase ko pumunta ako agad sa window number 4 Cashier's office para kunin yung monthly salary ko as student assistant. And as always pagkakuha ko ng sweldo ko, dumiretso na ko sa National Bookstore.

I'm currently busy scanning the shelves when someone bumped into me. Nalaglag yung isangkaterbang dala niyang libro.

"Oops! Sorry, I didn't mean to." nag sorry ako agad sabay yuko para pulutin yung mga books na nalaglag ng nabangga niya.

Nice

It was good to encounter people who has good taste in books. I saw that the title were mostly by Haruki Murakami, John Green, and Neil Gaiman.

"It's alright. Hindi rin kasi ako nakatingin sa dinadaanan ko." wait parang familiar yung boses.

Napaangat ako bigla ng tingin. Nagulat ako ng makita ko si Jett sa harap ko. "You! What are you doing here?"

He just laughed. "Public place ang National Bookstore, Cali." Inayos niya yung books and inabot yung kamay ko para alalayang tumayo.

I pout. "Sorry na. I was under the impression na mas trip mong magpunta sa store ng gadgets instead of bookstores. Actually, you're the last person na ine expect kong makakabangga ko dito." I gave him a shy smile when I remembered that I had bumped into him.

"Speaking of banggaan, again, I'm sorry for not being careful." He just gave me one of his gorgeous smiles which never failed to make my heart beat erratically.

I secretly pinched myself. Ang landi ko kainis.

"As what I've said, okay lang. It's no big deal. Sanay na ko sa yo. Oo nga pala, namimili ka
rin ba? I'll wait for you if you want." nakangiti akong tumango sa kanya. Ikaw kaya, may ganon ka gwapo at ka gentleman na nag presintang hintayin ka. Okay lang naman sigurong lumandi sa isip diba? Hahaha.

Una kong pinuntahan yung shelf ng Tagalog fiction.

"Nagbabasa ka pala ng Filipino Fiction?" sabi ni Jett habang may tinitignan akong mga libro.

Nang tinignan ko siya, gusto kong tumawa sa mukha niya.

"Of course. Nakakagulat ba 'yon? I really love reading. Kahit ano, binabasa ko. Filipino man or English."

"Sa pagkakaalam ko kasi, kapag tagalog romance puro bed scenes ang laman." nakangiwing sabi niya.

Hindi ko na napigilan tumawa AHAHAHHAHAHA.

"You know what, kung dala ko lang ang Voice recorder ko, ganito ang sasabihin ko: Jett Elordi is a literary snob."

Nakita kong namula si Jett, which made him look so cute. I don't know pero natutuwa talaga ako pag nakikita ko siyang nag ba blush. Maybe because I rarely see guys who blushed. Actually, si Jett lang pala yung lalaking nakita ko na nagba- blush.

Tumingin ulit ako sa shelves. "Alam mo kasi, nagiging judgemental lang talaga yung mga Filipino. Hindi porket locally made yung book, panget na. Hindi pa naman kasi nila nababasa. Yung iba nagkakaroon sila ng generalization. Porket may nabasa silang hindi kagandahan, iniisip nila na ganun na lahat. For me, every book has its own value."

Nang makita ko na yung hinahanap kong libro, kinuha ko ito at nakangiting binigay kay Jett. "Here, favorite ko yan. Try to read it, then tell me what you think of it afterwards." hindi ko na siya hinintay sumagot. Pumunta na ko sa english fiction novel.

"A Wild Sheep Chase or The Bell Jar?" tanong ko sa sarili ko.

"Nabasa mo na yang A Wild Sheep Chase diba?" tanong sakin ni Jett.

"Well, yeah. Pero hiniram ko lang kasi yun. I'd like to have my own copy." I answered him absentmindedly. Pero biglang nangunot yung noo ko. "How did you know that?" If I'm not mistaken, hindi pa kami nakakapag kwentuhan about sa books. Not that I don't want to. Mukha lang kasing malayo sa interest yun ni Jett. And besides, wala talaga akong maalala na sinabi ko yun sa kanya.

Umiwas siya ng tingin sabay kamot sa batok niya. "Hinulaan ko lang. Ano kasi, diba you love to read, so I guess nabasa mo na rin yan kasi matagal na rin yang book."

nagtaka lang ako sa reaction niya for awhile. My instincts were telling me that he was lying. That he was hiding something from me. But in other thought, why would he lie to me? With that thought in mind, I just shrugged. Then binalik ko na yung attention ko sa books.

•••••

:)