Friday
Matute University of the Philippines
Accountancy Building
Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan
I’m pretty sure we all have those kind of memories that were perfectly embedded on our minds… & sometimes, even in our hearts. Na kahit pa ata pumiti pa lahat ng buhok natin sa katawan ee kayang-kaya natin ikwento ng paulit-ulit. As in kahit in perfect detail pa. Pati nga ata yung kulay ng suot mong damit nung araw na yun, pati medyas o underwear mo ee tandang-tanda mo pa din… kasi ito yung mga tipo ng pangyayari sa buhay mo na kung pwede lang ee ipapamana mo pa sa mga kaapo-apuhan mo… kasi para sayo, those were the best moments of your life that were worth sharing.
Ako? I, too, had my own collection of unforgettable moments… Kung meron nga lang time machine, I would keep on going back to those instances… & play it over & over & over again… aba, bakit hindi? Lalo na yung mismong araw na tumayo kami nila Borge ng higit 8 hours sa Shangrila Plaza para lang makita si John Lloyd Cruz. Haha. At yun mga kaibigan, yun ang unang pagkakataon na nasilayan ko ang LIKURAN ni Lloydie!! Haha.
And then… there was that time, too… actually, yung KAGABI lang… sa may Ascend… Sobrang nag-enjoy talaga akong kakwentuhan at kabiruan ang mga kaibigan ni Sef. Hindi mahirap pakisamahan ang mga circle of friends niya. Madali akong naging comfortable sa kanila. Katulad nila Borge, nila Japo… WAGAS din sila kung makapang-asar!!! But last night, si SEF naman ang inaasar nila sakin!! Hahahaha. At ang saya pala ng ganun, yung SIYA naman yung tinutukso-tukso sa akin… at grabeeeeee… yung itsura ng ASAWA ko habang inaasar siya… Kukunot ang noo, ngingiti ng konti tapos babaling ng tingin sa malayo habang namumula ang mga pisngi. Hahahaha.
As I continued reminiscing that night, especially Sef’s priceless expressions… bigla tuloy akong napangiti habang pinipigil-pigil kong wag mangisay sa kilig sa upuan ko. As usual, hindi ko nanaman naririnig ang lecture ng professor ko sa Accounting despite the fact na sobrang importante ng lesson niya ngayon. Next week kasi Final Examination na namin! Pagkatapos nun… BAKASYON NA!!!! Wooooohoooo!!!
“La la la la~~” I hummed happily inside my head. I probably looked like a 6 year old girl as I rested my chin on my both hands & went back to recalling that night.
Haaaaaaiiiiii, lechugas ka naman Ellie, mahigit sampung oras na ang nakakalipas hindi mo pa rin makalimutan yung mga pangyayari sa Ascend??? Eehhh, bakit ba? Hindi pa din ako maka-get over!!!! I just can’t get over the fact na pinakilala ako ni Sef sa mga kaibigan niya!!!! HAHAHA. I have to admit I just love the feeling of me being introduced to Sef’s friends… pakiramdam ko kasi parang ipinapaalam na niya sa mga kaibigan niya at sa buong mundo na PAGMAMAY-ARI KO NA SIYA NGAYON!!! Oo mga kaibigan AKIN NA SI SEF!!! Wahahahaha. Animales ka Eleonor, tamang angkinin si Sef? At over ka sa exaggeration aa? KAYO NA BA?? HA? HA? HA? BOYPREN mo na ba yang sira-ulo na yun to freely claim that HE’S ALL YOURS? At higit sa lahat, ALAM BA NIYANG… SAYO NA SIYA???!?!
Tss. Super dali naman ng solusyon sa prublema mo Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan. Isang simpleng OOlang naman kay Sef at IYONG-IYO na talaga siya!!
T-Teka… HUWEYTTTT!!!!! HUWAT THE MADAPAKING SHEET!!!!! Are you really effin’ insane??? Asan na napunta ang mala Pinoy Henyo mong brain cells??? ANAK NG SAMPUNG PANOT, WAG MONG SABIHING… YOU’RE ACTUALLY CONSIDERING THE IDEA OF SAYING YES TO HIM???? HOY, HIJA… SI SEF YAN!!! SI SEF!!! Hindi si John Lloyd!!!!! Pinakilala ka lang sa mga kaibigan niya feeling mo naman mahal ka na nung tao???
GUMISING KA NGA!!! IMBES NA NAKIKINIG KA AT NAGKO-CONCENTRATE SA LECTURE, KUNG ANU-ANONG WALANG KWENTANG BAGAY ANG INIISIP MO????
Unti-unting nawala yung ngiti ko… Kung kanina pakiwari ko kabilang na ko sa lahi ng mga MULAWIN, pakiwari ko ngayong unti-unting nalalagas ang mga pakpak ko’t dahan-dahan akong bumabagsak… that feeling like I crashed hard back down on earth.
KAINISSSSSS!!!! GRABE!!! BAKIT BA SOBRANG KILL JOY NG UTAK KO???? BUTI ALAM MO!!! GAWD. Darn you, Ellie!!! Darn you & that brain of yours!!!!
Tssss. You’re hating me? Ee totoo naman sinasabi ko… Sige nga… NAG-I LOVE YOU na ba sayo ang kumag na yun??? Hmp, kahit nga I LIKE YOU wala ee… tapos ngayon sasabihin mong IYONG-IYO na siya?!?! Hahahahaha. Ellie, that’s a bull made out of sheet!!!
Teka nga, why are we back to that same argument??? Akala ko ba, your cousin, AJ already cleared that out to you last night… di ba ayon sa kanya, ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS? That actions matter the most?? That Sef doesn’t actually need to SAY it???
ARGH… I know AJ has a point… pero masisisi niyo ba ako??? I can’t toss this nagging feeling away… Hindi naman niya kilala ang isang Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde eh… I mean, kahit naman ako eh, I don’t know how that head of his works… ni hindi ko nga alam kung papano siya mag-isip eh. And all AJ wants me to do was to rely on Sef’s actions??? Dios mio, eh dinaig pa ng lalaking yun ang DA VINCI CODE dahil alam naman nating lahat kung gaano kahirap ispelengin ang utak nun!!! And besides, iba pa rin syempre yung pakiramdam pag narinig yun diba??? GAAAAAAAHHH!!!
OH SHEEEET!!! BAKIT BA PURO SEF NA LANG ANG NASA ISIP KO??? Naka-drugs ba ko??? Dios ko Lord, bakit niyo po ako pinaparusahan ng ganito??? ARGH. ELYONOR!!! ANO KA BA?!?!? FOCUS!!! MAG-ARAL KA NA LANG ULIT HIJA!!! There are a lot of things that are worth thinking of, tulad na lang ng Amortization, Depreciation, Deferred Income at Interest Expense na kailangan mong i-solve ngayon!!!
“Oi.” A low voice, coming from the seat next to me, snapped me out of my reverie. It was Max!!! Ahy oo nga pala!!! Kita niyo na!! Dahil sa sobrang lutang ako, I barely remembered na pumapasok na nga pala ulit si Darren Max Sanchez after one week of bed rest. “Kanina ka pa tinitignan ni Sir, baka mapalabas ka nanaman.”
Gulat akong napatingin kay Max. “Ahy, sorry.” I mumbled & thoughtlessly started turning the pages of my book kahit hindi ko naman talaga alam kung anong page na kami. Paker naman kasi si SEF ee!! KAINIS!! GGGRRRRRrrr…
Darren Max Sanchez then scooted his seat closer to mine. “Page 238.” He whispered pero siya na rin mismo yung naglipat nung book ko sa tamang page. I’m just glad we’re back to normal – well, sort of. Kasi kahit papano, I still feel a pang of guilt whenever he’s being kind to me – tulad ngayon. I’m unusually nice to him too. By nice I mean hindi ko na siya masyadong inuutusan at hindi ko na din siya masyadong inaasar/ bully! Hehe. Pero I’m quite relieved kasi hindi na namin ulit yun pinagusapan… I mean, that same topic we had back in the hospital. Sa totoo lang, I was scared that he’ll never talk to me again… But I’m really thankful that Max is… still Max.
Napatingin ako sakanya but he had his attention fixed on the lecture. He took his calculator and started pressing it, following the process written on the board. “50,000 net loss.” He muttered the answer with the rest of our classmates. And when he realized that I was actually staring at him, he then instinctively pinched my nose like what he usually does. “Makinig ka nga!” And just like that, he sounded like my older brother again.
I removed his hand, wincing. “Oo na! Oo na!!” I frowned. Somehow, exactly at that moment, I managed to say a little prayer: ‘Lord, thank you.’ Madalas talaga ganito ako… when something happened & it made me uncontrollably happy & made me feel blessed in so many ways… bigla ko na lang sinasabi yun, ‘Lord, thank you.’ Probably out of habit or just the fact that I was actually being grateful for a lot of things. Right now, I’m just really glad that Max is still right here and that he had recovered fast. Hindi na niya ko dinededma, hindi na rin siya cold sakin unlike dati bago siya maaksidente.
Wow… I just feel like everything is going my way.
Yeah, everything – except na lang yung mga bagay that concerns a certain Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde!
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIII… Kainis naman kasi… kelan ba niya sasabihin yung ‘I LOVE YOU’ ng masagot ko na siya??? Hahaha. TOINKS!! Tengeneng yan Ellie, demanding ka teh?? Kung narinig yan ni AJ malamang bumaliktad ka na sa sampal nun. Haha. Sasabihin nun sayo, “Ang kulit talaga ng lahi mo, cuz!!! Sinabing wag ka ng maghintay ng I LOVE YOU na yan eh!!! Sa mga ganyang sitwasyon, sinasagot na lang agad!!!” Grabe, gusto kong tumawa dahil sa mga iniisip ko… but no matter how tempting it was to laugh , I’d rather stare down on my accounting book, trying with all my might to focus… pero kung anu-ano pa din yung pumapasok sa isip ko ee… This time, it was Sef’s face that kept getting in my head. Tapos… tapos naimagine ko yung moment na sasabihin niya sakin yung… 3 words na yun.
I then blinked & felt my cheeks went hot… I was blushing!!!! THE HELL YOU ARE!!! Kung anu-ano naman daw kasing iniisip mo hija!!! Alangya, could you snap out of it already??? You’re making me sick!!! EE bakit ba??? LIBRE NAMAN DAW MANGARAP… AT MANAGINIP!!! Hahaha.
Sa kaka-daydream ko hindi ko tuloy namalayang nagkakagulo na pala sa paligid ko. My classmates started to stand up & the room was filled with excited chattering as they started grouping themselves.
“Ellieeee!!!” Jill called, grinning earnestly. She then occupied the seat in front of me, hawak-hawak yung notebook at ballpen niya. “What’s our plan?”
WHAT THE HELL. ANONG NANGYAYARI???
“Oh, anong racket natin?” Meg asked, pulling a chair as well.
“Are we going to sell food?” Tanong ulit agad ni Jill.
“Malamang.” Borge answered in a teasing tone. “Ka-grupo natin si Ellie ee. Pagkain yan for sure.”
My crazy friends started to circle my place. “Huh?” My mouth dropped. “Pagkain?”
“Paker.” Tumaas ang kilay ni Meg, inaatake nanaman ng pagiging masungit niya. “San ba lumilipad yang isip mo? Hindi ba talaga uso sayo ang makinig sa klase?”
“Ahahaha.” Nauna agad ang lakas ng tawa ni Japo sa gilid ko. “Alam ko yan, Ellie!!” I glared at Japo. At ano naman ang alam niya??? “In love ka nuh?”
At ako naman ang napa- “PAKER!!” I growled defensively pero sa sinabing yun ni Japo… isang pangalan lang ang agad na pumasok sa isip ko – SEF. Anakshutaaaaaa!!! I felt my cheeks burned hot & the blood was slowly creeping up my face. Anakshutang animales Ellie, kapag ba sinabing LOVE, kailangan si SEF agad???? Hindi ba pwedeng si John Lloyd muna??? Hahahaha.
Nanlaki pare-pareho ang mga mata ng mga kaibigan ko… ALL THEIR EYES WERE ON ME. Gulat na gulat na kala mo merong tumutubong pakpak sa likod ko.
“Namumula ka Ellie!!!” Borge literally pointed my face before laughing so hard. “Hulaan ko, kay SEF nuh?” Gusto ko tuloy sipain papalabas ng classroom itong si Borge!!! Lechugas!!! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! Parang naalala ko tuloy si Sef nung pinagtutulungan siyang asarin sakin ng mga sarili niyang mga kaibigan. Kung pwede, palit na lang kami ng barkada kahit ngayon lang!!
“Yun yun oh!!” Ken butted in. “For the first time, hindi dahil kay John Lloyd!!! Hahaha.”
Sumimangot ako lalo sa kanila, trying to conceal the blush that was dominating my cheeks. Pero kahit anong inis ko… WALA AKONG MASABI KUNG HINDI PURO PAKERRRR LANG!!! Kung alam lang nila… kaka-BREAK UP lang namin ni Lloydie kagabi. Haha.
Pero, normal ba talaga sa barkadahan ang mang-asar ng bonggang-bongga??? Tss. Wag ka ngang magmalinis Ellie!! Ikaw din naman kung mang-asar WAGAS!!!
“CLASS!” Sigaw ni Sir sa harap at agad nanahimik ang buong klase. He looked obviously angry. Yung classroom kasi parang sasabog na sa sobrang ingay. “I don’t remember telling you to be noisy!”
“Ayan kasi.” I hissed particularly at Japo. “Pag-usapan na lang kasi natin yung pinapagawa ni sir!”Then I put on a frown, trying to recall. “Ano nga ba ulit yun?”
“College week kasi natin this week Ellie, Monday next week ang start to be exact.” Jill began explaining.“Eh di ba, tradition na ng 4th year students to put up a booth every year as a part of our final grade on Marketing Strategies?” Ahy. Oo nga!!! Bago nga pala mag-exam may college week pa muna kami!!! At sa pagkakatanda ko, GRADED ang booth na ito… at ang grade ee base sa kung magkano ang profit na mage-generate namin. HAHAHAHA. Ooooohhh… PERA!!! Parang mas perfect timing kung ngayong titirik ang mga mata ko in Jose-style.
“Sabi ni sir, group yourselves daw according to friends ee.” Japo added. “So, I guess any number of members will do.”
“Friends?” I repeated. Ee bakit parang kulang kami??? “Si Sara?” I asked & out of habit, napatingin ako agad kay Max. He looked serious as usual but he seemed to avoid my gaze.
“Ayun oh, kanila Peter!” Japo exclaimed, pointing at Sara’s direction. She was sitting & discussing with another group. She had her back against us & she was animatedly laughing & seemingly enjoying herself with the company of our other classmates.
“What’s wrong with her?” Borge asked, her voice was full of concern. “Hindi ba siya sasali sa atin?”
I saw the way Meg & Jill exchanged glances. Of course, they knew something!!! Si barkadahan namin, Sara preferred to open up first to Jill or Meg.
I threw a worried look at Max. It was then that I realized na simula ng na ospital si Max, hindi na kami nag-usap ulit ni Sara at ang higit sa lahat… She wasn’t there with Max when he left the hospital which was so unlike her. Was she avoiding Max or… ME??? My chest contracted & I felt something lurched in my stomach… Para kong biglang tinaga sa likod… HINDI KAYA DAHIL TALAGA… SA AKIN???
I blinked. Pakiramdam ko bigla akong SINAMPAL. My head was spinning… Anakshuta ka naman Ellie, why are you assuming na SAYO galit si Sara? Pwede namang kay MAX lang diba?
Max’s brows furrowed to an angry frown. His eyes glued on me. It was as if he was reading my mind. He knew how my friends affect me & he knew I was getting upset.
“I will talk to her.” Max muttered. “Tapusin na lang muna natin itong tungkol sa booth na ito.”
Diiiing ~ Dong! Diiiing ~ Dong!
Sino ba namang estudyante ang hindi maeexcite sa tuwing naririnig ang dismissal bell na yan? Madalas, sa mga ganitong pagkakataon, I would be the first to jump out my seat & stormed out the room with MY FRIENDS. Syempre, wala talaga sa dugo namin na diretso uwi pag tapos ng klase, kami yung tipong tatambay pa muna sa kahit saang sulok ng MUP – kakain, magkek-kwentuhan, magtatawanan. Mga walang kakwenta-kwentang bagay pero importante para sa akin.
We just love the MUP Campus. Sobrang addictive ang ambiance nito. Minsan, kapag nahatak kami ni Borge, sa may MUP field kami uupo habang kumakain ng paborito naming rice in a box o kaya pizza o kaya umiinom lang kami ng milk tea. Minsan din naman sa may MUP library kami mahahagilap –syempre hindi naman para mag-basa o mag-aral. Haha. Magpapalamig lang kami doon, tahimik na isusuot yung earphones habang nanonood ng movie sa laptop ni Japo or sa iPad ni Borge. Kung minsan din naman, napapag-tripan naming magbabarkada na kumain sa labas ng dinner. O kaya naman, trip-trip na magkukulitan lang sa may MUP benches, gagawa ng mga music videos at ng iba’t iba pang klase ng kalokohan.
Sa totoo lang, sa mga ganoong simpleng bagay MASAYA na ako… Basta mga barkada ko kasama ko, kontento na ako…
Pero sa pagtunog ng dismissal bell ngayon, parang iba ang ihip ng hangin… Nagkakapaan kaming magbabarkada as Sara Louisa Dela Rama left the room without literally looking at anyone of us – kahit man lang kanila Jill o Meg. Wala siyang kinakausap ni isa sa amin, wala siyang ibang kasama buong araw kung hindi sila Rachel, Peter at yung gay naming classmate na si Richie. She didn’t even bother to wave good bye.
“Now, there’s a shock!” Borge said giving Max a meaningful stare as if to say, DO SOMETHING!
“She’s definitely mad about something.” Meg stated her observation. “Kausapin kaya natin?”
“Siguro wag muna ngayon.” Jill suggested. “And besides, I think… hindi tayo yung dapat na kumausap sakanya.”
With that, biglang tumayo si Darren Max Sanchez. He grabbed his bag with him, his chair screeching loudly against the classroom floor. His face was unreadable and he exited the room without another word.
Japo let out a long sigh. “Hm, so I guess uwian na tayo nito?”
Well, ano pa nga ba? Mukhang maaga ang uwian namin ngayon!!
Haaaaaaaaiiii… How ironic, kaninang umaga lang I was thinking that everything was going my way… and now here I am trying to figure out the possible reasons with Sara’s sudden aloofness. Hindi talaga mapapanatag ang isip at kaluluwa ko hanggang hindi ito naayos. This is one of my friends we’re talking about here.
Haaaaaaaiiiii, I glumly walked down our College building hanggang papalabas ng gate ng MUP. Then all of a sudden, as I reached the parking lot… I instinctively paused and expectantly looked around the lot na kala mo ba merong pilit na tinatanaw… T-TEKA, BAKIT PARANG MAY KULANG???
ASAN YUNG PUTING PAJERO????
A-ASAN SI… SEF??
I felt my heart thumped. ANAKSHUTA… HINAHANAP KO SI SEF???? TAMA BA TOH?!?!?! Ano ba, Ellie!!! MASYADO KA NAMANG NASANAY!!! AMP!!!
My feet seemed rooted on the ground, takte ayaw gumalaw ee parang may balak pang maghintay!!! Ee kasi nga, masyado pa namang maaga… malay niyo, na-traffic lang… atchaka, baka masyado lang akong EXCITED!!
Ayiiiieeeeee, si Ellie… hinahanap-hanap na!!! Hahahaha.
Tamang asarin ang sarili?? Paker.
I frowned, mentally cursing & mentally hating myself. ANAKSHUTA, EE BAKIT KO BA KASI HINAHANAP YUNG WALA NAMAN DITO??? GGGGRRRRRRR… Kainis!!! MAKAUWI NA NGA LANG!!!
Atchaka, HELL-LOW!!! Wala namang sinabi si Sef na darating siya araw-araw para lang kitain ka nuh?? Tss. Wag kang feeling, miss!!! Okay. I rolled my eyes. “Uuwi na ko.” I huffed as though trying to convince myself na ihakbang ko na ang mga paa ko’t umalis na sa kinakatayuan ko.
I walked, practically dragging my feet hanggang sa may kabilang kanto – doon sa may sakayan ng jeep. Mga ilang minuto din ang nakalipas bago ako nakasakay. Ganito kasi dito pag rush hour, kala mo AMAZING RACE ang pagsakay ng jeep, bus o fx. Kaya rin ayokong umuuwi ng ganito kaaga ee. Hmp.
Pinagmamasdan ko yung mga katabi kong panay ang text at panay ang silip sa mga cell phone nila!!! ITXT KO KAYA SI SEF????
Napasimangot tuloy ako. Alam mo Ellie… konti na lang… oo, as in konting-konti na langMAGMUMUKHA KA NG SEF!!! Ee kasi naman, parang hindi na kumpleto yung araw ko pag… PAG ANO??? Ituloy mo Ellie. I DARE YOU!!! Eh kung nilulunod na lang kaya kita sa BAHA ngayon??? ANAKSHUTANG ANIMALES YAN!!! ARGH.
With this thought, pinipigilan kong wag sampalin ang sarili ko’t sabihan ng, “GUMISING KA ELLIE, GUMISING KA!!!” sa loob ng jeep. Wag naman dito hija, wag sa harap ng sambayanang Pilipino!!! Haha. Mamaya na lang pagdating sa bahay nyo!! Haha.
I took a deep breath. ALISIN MO SAYONG ISIP ANG MASASAMANG ELEMENTO KAGAYA NG LALAKING YUN!!! Tama!!! Dapat maigi ko pang prublemahin ee yung BOOTH na gagawin namin sa Wednesday!!! Tama, now we’re talking!!! At least yun, kikita pa ko ng pera. Hehe.
Hmmm… Ano kayang magandang ibenta ngayon sa school? Pagkain? Mm. Sushi? May alam akong bilihan ng isang bilao nun. Siomai? Tamang-tama may family business sila Meg ng siomai. Sobrang sarap pa nun!!! Grabe… parang bigla tuloy kumalam ang tiyan ko sa gutom. Haha.
“Sa tabi na lang ho!!” Sabi ko kay manong driver… at tamang-tama pag-baba ko sa kanto ng street namin, merong naglalako ng fishball!!! YUN!!! MERIENDA!!! Hehehehe.
“Oh, Ellie!” Bati sakin ni Kagawad Nonoy na siyang kumakain din nung fishball.
“Kagawad!” I smiled knowingly. Ganito naman sa barangay namin ee, magkakakilala ang isa’t isa.“Fishball ba pulutan natin ngayon?” Biro ko.
“Hahaha. Oo nga ee pulutan lang, walang pantulak.” He answered with a laugh.
Kumuha ko nung stick, namili ng ilang pirasong fishball na siyang niluluto pa sa kumukulong mantika, sinawsaw ito sa suka tapos doon sa matamis na kulay brown na sauce. Oo, doble-doble talaga ako kung mag-sauce!!! Naghahalo yung asim at tamis!!! HUWAWWW!!! SARAAAAAP!!! Wala talagang tatalo sa dirty fishball ng Pinoy!!!
Nagkekwentuhan kami ni Kagawad habang patuloy sa pagme-merienda. Alam niyo naman kapag Kagawad, parang walking TABLOID yan ee, alam ang samu’t saring tsismis sa barangay namin.
Maya-maya, sa gitna ng aming kwentuhan pati AKO sinimulan ng gisahin ni Kagawad!!! “Wooooh, wala daw. Ee madalas namin napapansin yung binatang may dala-dalang Pajero sa bahay niyo ah?” Ngisi ni Kagawad. Ito talagang matandang toh, biruin niyo pati yun NAPAPANSIN??? Kaya naniniwala talaga ako, DAIG ng mga lalaki ang mga kababaihan sa pagiging dakilang CHISMOSO!!!
Ano ba yan!!! Gusto ko pa sanang kumain ee, kaso lang NAWALAN tuloy ako agad ng gana!!! “Wala yun,” I pouted habang madiing tinutuhog nung stick ang panibagong set ng fishballs. Nakakainis, pinaalala pa ni Kagawad oh!! “Suki lang yun ni Papa sa talyer.” Hmp. Ite-take out ko na nga lang toh!!!“Oh siya, Kagawad!! Una na ho ako!” Wala akong balak makipag-kwentuhan tungkol sa lalaking yun!!!
“Ah, ganun ba? Sige. Sabihin mo pala kay Papa mo, daan ako bukas sa talyer niya. May prublema kasi yung gulong ng sasakyan ko.”
I nodded. “Sige po.” I walked in the direction of my house, kontentong kinakain yung tinake-out kong fishball. I was just about to throw the now-empty stick when I literally froze in place. Yung mga fishball na nguya-nguya ko pa ee agad kong nalunok!!! LINTEK!!! Kamuntik pa kong mabulunan… at yung puso ko biglang napahinto ng wala sa oras dahil lang doon sa PUTING PAJERO na naka-park sa labas ng bahay namin!!!
Si Lord talaga, kung makapagbiro din minsan WAGAS!! Hinahanap-hanap ko pa sa MUP ee samantalangSIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED pa pala sa mismong bahay ko!!! Hahahaha.
Tatakbo na sana ako papasok sa bahay when I noticed Sef making his way out the gate. Nakabuntot pa sakanya ang kapatid kong si Eddy. I frowned, my heart drumming wildly than ever. Hindi ko alam kung excited ba ko oh kinakabahan!!! ANO NGA BANG GINAGAWA NI MIGUEL MONTEVERDE SA BAHAY NAMIN???
They exchanged smiles while talking about something, tapos sinara na ni Ed yung gate while Sef round about the driver’s seat of his Pajero. Pero bago sumakay si Sef, he paused & looked in my direction kaya halos matunaw ako sa kinakatayuan ko… Lord, tingin pa lang yan aa!! Haha. Upon recognizing me, he gave me that arrogant, teasing SMIRK of his and it was enough to make me stop breathing. He must have been amused with how I reacted kasi napatawa pa siya saglit then went inside his car and drove away.
Nakasimangot ako as I watched his Pajero disappear in the main street. ANAKSHUTAAAAAA!!! ANO YUN??? & WHAT’S WITH THAT EFFIN’ SMILE??? HINDI MAGANDANG SENYALIS YUN ELLIE!!! ATCHAKA, SANDALI NGA… BAKIT SIYA UMALIS AGAD??? HINDI MAN LANG AKO KINAUSAP???
Si Lord naman… patikim lang pala!!! Hahaha.
“Oh, Ate!” Eddy greeted me with evident delight. Para bang over sa tuwa ang naramdaman niya nung nakita niya ko, which was very, very unusual para sa kapatid kong ito. Oo nuh, ee halos ipagdasal nga niya na araw-araw na wala ako sa bahay ee… pano, masyado daw kasi akong palautos!! Haha. Binuksan ulit ni Eddy yung gate.
“Anong… si Sef yun diba?” I asked, trying to hide my disappointment.
Nginitian lang ako ng kapatid ko.
“Anong ginawa nun dito?” I pressed on.
“Ewan ko.” Eddy shrugged, still smiling like an idiot. Ganyan yan pag nang-aasar ee!!! “Tanong mo kila Papa. Sila kinausap ee.” Parang bigla akong nabingi. KINAUSAP?? SILA??? PAPA??? I had to repeat these words in my head in order to comprehend. My heart nearly dropped on the floor. ANAKSHUTANG ANIMALESSSSSSS!!!
Ba-dump!! Ba-dump!!
Wala na si Sef pero yung tibok ng puso ko kala mo isang drum ng mantika yung minerienda ko ee!!! Ano ba… aatakihin ata ako sa puso!!!
I quickly went inside and realized na PRESENT ang lahat ng pamilya ko – including AJ!!! Naaamoy kong may kakaibang nangyari…
Em-Em was sitting by the sofa, yung mga school books niya nakakalat sa paligid niya tila ba seryosong gumagawa ng assignments niya. Ang magaling kong pinsan ee taimtim na nakatitig sa telebisyon, seryosong-seryosong nanonood ng pelikula ni Dolphy sa Cinema One. Meron pa ring maitim-itim na marka ng black eye sa mata niya. Si Papa naman, naka-upo doon sa dining table namin feel na feel ang pag-inom ng kape habang nagsasagot ng crossword puzzle sa diyaryo. Ang mama naman katabi ni papa sa may lamesa nagdidikdik ng bawang.
Wala ni isa sakanila ang nagsalita nung pumasok ako. Ni wala ngang pumansin sa akin ee. Mas lalo tuloy akong NAGDUDUDA!!! ANO BA TOH??? HUWAT THE MADAPAKING HELL IS GOIN’ ON???
Dumiretso agad ako sa may lamesa, sa harap ng mga magulang ko. Nilapag ko yung bag back ko sa isa sa mga upuan at marahang kumuha nung sandwich na nakahain sa lamesa. I HAD TO ACT NATURALLY. Parang wala lang. “Nakita ko si Sef sa labas ah?” I began. “Anong ginawa nun dito?”
“Wala.” My dad answered in an overly calm voice, naka-concentrate pa din doon sa crossword puzzle niya. Alam niyo yung WALA daw pero alam mong MAY SOMETHING TALAGA?!?!
I frowned suspiciously. “PA?!” I demanded, starting to feel uneasy. “Ano nga yun?”
“Wala nga.” He repeated more exaggerated this time. Tapos there was a smile that was threatening to come out at the corner of his lips. Si mama napatingin na sakin and I realized that her cheeks were redder than usual. Kahit si mama parang pinipigil na wag ngumiti.
“PA.” I said with more force to make it sound more commanding.
“Wala nga. Nakipagkwentuhan lang.” He answered, his words coming out slow. Parang inaatat pa niya ako. Haha. Bawat salita tuloy niya, lalo akong kinakabahan ee. “Atsaka, humingi lang samin ngpermiso…” I frowned. Permiso? My mind rattled. Permiso para san? My dad gazed at me and continued,“… aakyat daw kasi siya ng ligaw sayo.” My dad said it in a manner as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world. Parang WALA lang talaga. Like it wasn’t much of a big deal, that there’s NOTHING to get excited about.
Anakshutang animales… PWEDE BANG WALA LANG YUN?!?!?!?! Of course, my heart took it differently…
BOOM!!!
DIYOS KO LORD… DIYOS KO LANG TALAGA!!! HAHAHAHA. Grabe, kusang ngumiti yung mga labi ko… and as much as I tried not to SMILE… ayaw talaga mawala ee… ayaw maalis… And what’s worse?? I WAS LAUGHING LIKE CRAZY!!! Feeling ko nga ta-tumbling na ako papanik sa kwarto mamaya ee!! Haha. My chest felt like it was going to explode!!! Parang merong invisible FIREWORKS sa paligid ko… At sa oras na toh, pakiwari ko ako si WONDER WOMAN!!! Hahaha.
Actually, sa totoo lang, I had the tendency to break into a dance sabay kanta ng – ‘♫ OPPA GANGNAM STYLE!!! ♫’
“Totoo?” Was all I managed to ask despite the sudden turmoil that was going on with my heart. My voice was small, yung parang KINIKILIG NA EWAN?!?! HAHAHAHAHAHA. POOOOOOTEK ELLIE!!! Ang sarap mo lang itapon sa outer space!! HAHA. Sa pagkakataon na toh, I took the liberty to sit down & placed the sandwich back on the plate… nawalan agad ako ng gana kumain, at parang hindi kaya ng mga binti ko… mukhang mangingisay na ako!!! AS IN NOW NA!!!
My dad looked at me, his lips were in a tight line but his eyes were saying he was smiling inside. “Oy, Eleonor! Tapusin mo muna yang pagaaral mo bago ka mag-asawa!!”
Natawa ko lalo. Pero bago pa ako makasagot, naunahan na ako ng mahadera kong pinsan. “Ano ba naman yan Uncle!!!” AJ whined, his eyes rolling upwards. “Hellow, wala pa ngang boypren yang anak niyo… ASAWA na agad!!! Pwedeng mag-boypren muna diba?”
GO CUZ!!! WAAAAHAHAHAHA!! PANALO TALAGA TONG SI AJ!!! BONGGA!!! Pero ano ba, pwedeng mag-pakipot muna???
“Tsk.” I frowned at AJ, pero bakas pa din yung ngiti sa mukha ko. “Wag ka nga! BAKIT SASAGUTIN KO BA?”
“WWWEEEEEEHHH!!!” Sabay-sabay na nag-react sila Em-Em, Eddy at AJ, yung facial expressions pa nila eh pare-pareho.
“Teh, ngiti mo pa lang ngayon obvious na nuh!!!” AJ laughed, nagpipigil na wag akong batukan.
“Oo nga.” Em added excitedly. Napansin kong lahat sila ee nandito na nakapalibot samin sa lamesa.“Ganyan ngiti mo sa tuwing nakikita mo sa tv si John Lloyd ee!!!”
“Tapos balak mo pang bastedin si Kuya Sef?” Pasok naman ni Eddy. “Buti nga nagkamali yung tao sayo eh. Akalain mong sumagi sa isip niya na ligawan ka?!”
“T-Teka!! TEKA!! HUWEYT!!” I then said, raising both my hands in mid-air para mapahinto silang lahat. Papano, sabay-sabay na silang nagsasalita. Grabe talaga itong mga toh, parang sila yung liligawan nuh? Mas kinikilig pa silang lahat kesa sa akin!!! Hahahaha. Take note, ligaw pa lang yan ganito na sila mag-react, pano pa kaya kung KASALAN NA!!! Hahahahaha. AMBISYOSA KA NA NIYAN ELLIE!!! AMP!!!“Eh… bakit umalis agad yung loko-lokong yun?”
Sa tanong kong iyon bigla silang nagtinginan sa isa’t isa. Nagulat ako, ineexpect ko talaga kasi, mangaasar ulit sila. But they all stayed quiet… There’s something missing with the story… meron pa silang HINDI sinasabi.
“Hm. MA!” AJ shrugged sabay irap sakin.
Em started brushing her hand through her hair, marahang tinatakpan yung mukha niya ng buhok.
“Wala akong kinalaman jan.” My mom answered quickly.
“Ewan ko.” Sabi ni Papa, his eyes went back on his crossword puzzle. He looked GUILTY about something, tipong alam niyang IKAIINIS KO!!!
Exactly at that moment, biglang may bumusinang sasakyan sa labas ng bahay namin. Nabuhayan agad silang lahat!!! Their eyes rounded with sheer anticipation na kala mo si Santa Claus yung dumating.
“Ayan na!!!” Eddy said eagerly, kinakalabit si Em-Em sa balikat.
Em grinned elatedly. “Si Kuya Sef!!!” She shouted & literally ran out the door para buksan yung gate. Sumunod agad sakanya sila Eddy at AJ.
HUWAT?!?!?! SI SEF?!?!?! ULIT?!?!?! My heart dropped all over again. My question was all forgotten. Parang nabalot ng YELO yung buong katawan ko. WWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! Bigla akong nakaramdam ng PANIC… hindi ko alam kung magtatago ba ako sa kwarto, lulusot sa ilalim ng lamesa o tatakbo na lang palabas ng bahay!!!
Ba-dump!!! Ba-dump!!! Ba-dump!!!
OH MY LORD!!! HUWATS DIS??? HINDI KO PWEDENG HARAPIN SI SEF NG GANITO… MY HEART JUST WOULDN’T STOP POUNDING AGAINST MY CHEST!!! LOOOOOORD!!! PAPANO KO HAHARAPIN ANG LOKO-LOKONG YUN?!?!?!
SERYOSO, AYOKO NG GANITOOOOOOOOOoooo!!! Waaaaaah!!! Sasakalin ko talaga itong Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde na toh for making me feel this way!!! GGGGGRRRRRRRRRrrrrr… I HATE HIM! I HATE HIM!! I HEYT HIM!!!
Teka. I just realized… MALI pala yung tanong ko… hindi pala dapat bakit umalis si Sef… dapat pala, BAKITBUMALIK SI SEF??? Hahahaha. Sinasabi ko na nga ba eh… HINDI MATITIIS NG ISANG MIGUEL JOSEF UY MONTEVERDE NA HINDI AKO MAKASAMA’T MAKAUSAP!!!
WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. PAKYU ELLIE!!!
PAKYUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!! HAHA.
To be continued.