Let Me Know (Epistolary)

KABANATA 5

Halos mabitawan ko ang phone ko sa kaba. It's really him! Hindi ko alam kung bakit tuwang-tuwa ako ng makita ko ang interest na 'yon. What a small world! Talaga namang nakausap ko pa siya! I couldn't hide my smile as I saw him typing. Why do I get so happy over the smallest of things?

stranger is typing...

More like, Chase is typing. Baka sa sunod ay makausap ko na rin si Quinn! Maybe I'll finally get to have friends online and talk to them casually. Magiging masaya na ako ng sobra doon.

Stranger:

hi

Why is he so formal? Nakalimutan niya na ba?

You:

chase!

Stranger:

excuse me...?

i'm looking for chase ?

hindi ba ikaw si chase?

My face dropped when I read that. Hindi ko alam kung bakit nagbago kaagad ang masaya kong mood kanina. Why am I so affected? Does that mean everyone he talks to is like that? Lahat ba ng nakakausap niya ay sasabihan niya ng parehong interest?

And here I thought I could actually talk to him again. I thought I was the only one. 

You:

oh

okay

i'm not chase

Stranger:

kinausap ka rin ba niya?

shit naman

kinikilig na sana ako e!

ano ba yan bye

stranger has disconnected.

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I frowned, the huge smile I had earlier just suddenly disappeared. Nakakainis, akala ko may makakausap na ako! I turned my phone off, annoyed by what I just found out. Hindi ko rin maintindihan ang sarili ko kung bakit ako naiinis. Akala ko naman kasi may makakausap na ako! 

I almost dropped my phone when I heard knocks on my door consecutively. Binitawan ko ito at naglakad papunta doon para buksan ito. I saw Ate Mae outside, smiling at me. 

"Nariyan na sa baba ang mga magulang mo, hinihintay ka nila," she informed me before leaving. 

Hinihintay pagalitan.

Abala silang lahat ngayon dahil dumating na sina Mama. They know everything has to be perfect. They can't make a mistake. My parents are perfectionists, kaya laging takot sina Ate dito kapag umuuwi sila dahil napapansin nito lahat. Agad kong inayos ang sarili ko bago bumaba, I was wearing my comfy terno purple pajama, okay na rin siguro 'to, gabi naman na. Nakakatamad bumihis para lang sakanila. I hope they won't scold me for this. 

Agad akong nagmano sakanilang dalawa ng makarating ako sa baba, nakahanda na ang iba't ibang klase ng putahe sa hapag kainan habang nakapalibot sa amin sina Ate Mae at ang tatlo pang nandito na nagtutulong sa bahay. Binigyan ko sila ng isang tipid na ngiti bago umupo, my body stiffening. Hanggang ngayon ay kinakabahan parin ako kapag nandiyan sila.