And I was right. Nakatulog ako maghapon at nagising ako dahil kumakalam na ang sikmura ko. I looked at my phone and it was already seven in the evening.
I groaned. Makakatulog pa ba ako mamayang gabi nito?
I took a bath properly and ordered fast food on the way. Pagkatapos kong maligo ay ramdam ko ang ginhawa sa katawan ko. I wore my casual cotton pyjamas and white sleeveless sando.
I finished drying my hair with my blower when I heard a knock on my door. It must be my order. Kumaripas ako ng takbo at mas lalo akong nakaramdam ng gutom.
I was almost smiling opening my door but my supposed to be smiled quickly faded.
What is he doing here? And how did he find out my address?
Napahinga ako ng malalim. He is the boss, and he knows my personal number too. Bakit pa ba ako magtataka.
"Anong ginagawa mo dito?" May pagtataka at gulat kong tanong.
I looked at him from head to toe and somehow he kinda looked dirty? Like literally dirty. Hindi ko mapigilang mapangiwi sa itsura niya.
He didn't shave and even if his white cloth and maong pants looked clean, and his skin looked clean, there was something off about him.
I looked at his eyes and he was looking at me critically, as if he was thinking deeply about me for the past few days. And he kinda looked like he didn't have a proper sleep.
Huminga ako ng malalim. "What are you doing here, Sir?" I asked, more formal this time.
"I hate it when you call me Sir or Boss. I hated it so much." Naningkit ang mga mata niya sa akin.
I almost rolled my eyes to him. "Anong ginagawa mo dito?" Muli kong tanong.
"Did you rest well?" Sa halip ay sinagot niya ako ng tanong.
He tried looking at the inside of my apartment at bigla akong nakaramdam ng hiya. Compared to his own villa, my apartment is nothing.
"Yes, kagigising ko lang at kakain pa lang ako." I simply answered.
He looked at me again from head to toe in slow motion. Muling napatigil ang tingin niya sa bandang dibdib ko ulit. He licked his lips then looked at me again in the eyes.
"I haven't had my dinner yet. But I had my own take out." Tinaas niya ng kaunti ang paper bag ng isang mamahaling resto. Ngayon ko lang rin napansin na may hawak siyang paper bag.
Naging mailap ang kanyang mga mata ng muli ko siyang tiningnan.
Naging kririkal ang tingin ko sa kanya. He wanted to eat here?
Gusto niyang sumabay?
I should say no, right?
"I have to update you regarding the power plant…it's about work..." Then he cleared his throat. "I am here for work…" Nanatiling mailap ang kanyang mga mata.
"If it's about work, then can I just have it tomorrow?" I asked instead. It is already Sunday night at papasok naman na ako bukas.
Muli siyang napatikhim. "No...hindi na pwedeng ipagpabukas… you are a vital person in this project and you need updates." Mas naging formal ang tono niya ngayon.
He has a point. Pero pwede namang bukas diba? At gabi na, ano pa bang ginagawa niya dito? Ito lang ba sinadya niya? At CEO mag up-update sa akin? Wasn't it too much work for a CEO?
And I can just call Eng. Alfredo or Ma'am Ramirez and asked for an update instead.
Huminga ako ng malalim at tumingin sa seryoso niyang mga mata. He seemed so determined to talked about the project tonight.
With no choice, I nodded at him. Biglang nagliwanag ang mukha niya pero kaagad niya rin itong pinalitan ng pagkasersoyoso. Then he cleared his throat again.
Hindi ko ulit mapigilang magpakawala ng malalim na hininga. Kakain lang siya dito, bibigyan ako ng updates at aalis ng pagkatapos. I should be fine.
"Medyo magulo ang apartment ko dahil ilang araw akong wala dito." I explained as I opened my door widely for him.
Kaagad siyang pumasok at inilibot ang tingin sa maliit kong apartment.
My light brown sofa is on the corner at ang maliit kong tv na nakapatong lamang sa isang maliit na lamesa. Kitang-kita ang kitchen ko at isang maliit na lamesa na pang dalawang tao lamang.
"Your space still looks so clean…" May pagkamangha sa tono niya.
I was supposed to answer him again but someone knocked on my door again. Kaagad ko itong binuksan at tumambad sa akin si Kuya Nito dala-dala ng malaking paso ko ng dilaw na rosas.
Napalunok ako ng malalim ng maisip ang sitwasyong kinalalagyan ko ngayon. I looked at him sitting on the sofa comfortably at kaagad na nagtama ang mga mata namin.
Napaiwas ako ng tingin kaagad.
The yellow rose was the same rose he gave me years ago. Ang una niyang binigay na buhay na rosas.
Well, wala namang masama kung makita niya diba? I love roses and I took care of this one because that was the first time I have received an alive rose. There is no other reason for it, I guessed?
"Ada, inalagaan ko ito ng mabuti katulad ng sinabi mo." Binaba niya ito sa may labas ng pintuan ko.
Alanganin akong ngumiti. Si Kuya Nito kasi ang nag-aalaga nito kapag wala ako. He lives next door. He is a gardener and just like me, he loves plants.
"S-salamat po, Kuya." I simply thanked him as I thought of possible ways to explain things to him if Gaston starts asking questions about it.
"Oh, siya. Good night. At sabihan mo lang ako kapag kailangan mo pa ng mag-aalaga niyan." He smiled widely at me.
We bid goodbyes. I looked at him on the sofa again and he is still looking at me, umiwas ulit ako ng tingin at napatingin sa malaking halaman sa harapan ko.
"What is it and who is he?" Naramdaman ko na lamang ang presensiya niya sa aking likod.
Kaagad kong naisara ang pintuan ko pero nagulat na lamang ako ng bigla niyang pigilan ang pakakasara nito.
With his one hand on the top of my door, and with his little strength, tuluyang nabuksan ang pintuan ko at bumungad sa amin pareho ang malaking rosas na mamumulaklak pa lang.
Napalunok ako ng malalim habang nanatili akong nakatalikod sa kanya. Then I heard him gasped loudly at my back.
Wala na akong nagawa ng lumabas siya at tiningnan ang halaman. I bit my lips as he looked at it with amazement and amusement.
He recognized it. Of course, sa kanya ito nanggaling.
"You still have this?" Manghang tanong niya sa akin.
I continued biting my lips then nodded without looking at him. But my eyes went back to the front as I saw a motorcycle stopped right in front of my apartment.
Kaagad na nagliwanag ang mukha ko ng makita ang marka ng fast food chain sa likod nito.
"Kukunin ko lang pagkain ko."
Dali-dali akong pumunta ng kwarto ko at kinuha ang pitaka ko.
Pero nasa pintuan palang ako ay kitang-kita ko na ang pakikipag usap naya sa driver na nasa tapat na ng apartment ko at ang pagbayad niya na rin dito.
The driver left and he just casually went back in front of me.
"Your food isn't healthy. Mas masarap at masustansya ang akin."
I raised my brows at him. Kinuha ko sa kanya ang paper bag at inabot sa kanya ang bayad.
"Here's my payment."
He looked at it like it's the most ridiculous thing.
"Kung hindi mo kukunin makakaalis ka—" Hindi pa ako tapos magsalita ay kinuha na niya ito.
"Tsk…" He is really grumpy with all these small little things.
Akala ko mawawala ko na siya sa usapan namin sa halaman pero kaagad ulit niyang tinabihan ito.
"So…you still have this?" Now he is asking me teasingly. He smirked at me like he just caught me off something.
"I love plants and it just happened that I was able to take care of it properly." I simply responded and did not put any malice or color in my words.
Umangat pa rin ang sulok ng labi niya na para bang nagsisinungaling ako. Then he nodded repeatedly while smiling like an idiot.
"Okay…" He simply said while grinniing. "Let's go and eat!" He smiled widely at me then he went back inside first
Napaawang ang mga labi ko ng makita ko ang malaking ngiti sa kanya. It's been a long time since I saw that…smile on him.
It felt nostalgic...at hindi ko alam pero ramdam ko ang munting pagkirot ng dibdib ko sa ngiti niya.
I looked at his back and I even heard him chuckling to himself.
Muli akong napatingin sa halaman at sa kanyang likod. I breathed in deeply before stepping inside too.
I closed the door and he was already in the kitchen transferring his food on a plate.
Muli akong napahinga ng malalim. He is getting comfortable, huh?
Wala akong nagawa kung hindi ang lapitan siya. I washed my hands first in my small sink. I looked at the food and he got two orders of each for his food.
He got two orders of steak, steam veggies and soup.
"Did you washed your hands first?" Baling ko sa kanya pagkatapos.
He looked at me, then showed me his clean hands.
"I did." His pearly white teeth was on the show as he proudly show his hands to me.
Hindi ko ulit mapigilang pagmasdan ang ngiti sa kanyang mga labi.
I cleared my throat then avoided his gaze. He finished it at naupo na ako.
My food is still in the paper bag. I was supposed to get it when he suddenly tapped my hand.
"Eat this one."
Inilapit niya sa akin ang pareho ng pagkain niya. Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin.
"I ordered for the two of us. Eat that for tomorrow…or better don't eat it at all." He strictly said.
Mas lalo ko siyang sinamaan ng tingin, but he dismissed it like its nothing.
"Okay…since the Tagaytay inspection turned out fine, we could start with Metro as quickly as possible…"
He started narrating everything at wala na akong nagawa. We started eating while he discussed everything that happened.
"Do you want more soup?" Putol niya sa sarili niya ng makitang ubos ko na ang akin.
Kaagad naman akong umiling.
But still, he transferred some of his to mine.
"Gaston…" I protested but he continued doing so.
"You become thinner while you are away…eat more." Seryosong saad ulit nito.
I sighed heavily as I watched him do it. Well, the soup was great and I do want more of it but I won't tell him that.
He told me everything over our dinner. At wala na rin siyang ibang ginawa kung hindi ang sitahin ako sa pagkain ko.
"Ako na ang maghuhugas." Kaagad kong prisinta.
Tinulungan niya ako sa pagliligpit at akala ko ay aalis na siya sa tabi ko pero nagsimula na ulit siya akong tulungan.
"Ako na dito…please just sit down on the sofa…or you can go home now, tapos na naman tayong kumain."
Kaagad siyang napatigil sa ginagawa sa mga sinabi ko.
He then cleared his throat.
"Kumain ako dito kaya dapat lang na tumulong ako."
With that, he continued washing the dishes again.
Wala na akong nagawa at nagtulungan kami sa ilang pirasong hugasin.
We finished washing everything and I thought he would say goodbye, but this time, he sat on the sofa comfortably and with the TV on.
His size did not match my small sofa at all.
I looked at the clock at and it was near 9Pm. I stand next to the TV and raised brows at him.
"You should go home now."
Nalipat ang atensyon niya sa akin, pero kalaunan ay umiwas ulit siya ng tingin. He looked at everything except me, standing right in front of him.
"May hindi ka pa ba nasasabi?" I asked calmly again.
Muli ay napako ang tingin niya sa akin at maya-maya pa ay kitang-kita ko ang paglunok niya ng malalim.
"I…I called you to asked if…you were safe but it was your Auntie who answered your phone…"
Unti-unti ay tumango ako sa kanya. He looks so uneasy and he even clenched his jaw after. Then he stood up, nakapagitna sa amin ang maliit kong center table.
His eyes looked so nervous yet I felt like anytime he would burst out and scream at me.
"You have a son…"
He emaphasized each word like I don't understand what he is trying to say.
Unti-unti ay tumango ulit ako sa kanya.
Afterwhich, he cursed to himself and looked at me unbelievably.
He clenched his jaw hard and gritted his teeth. His breathing was raging too like anytime he would snap at me.
"You have a child, Carmella…" He repeated it again like he still couldn't believe it despite my confirmation.
"Who is the father?" Mariin niyang tanong sa akin.
Ako naman ngayon ang napahinga ng malalim. Mama never mentioned to Auntie and Uncle who the father was. Kahit gustuhin man naming makilala ni Calyx ang tunay niyang Ama ay wala kaming kaide-ideya sa bagay na iyon.
Napababa ako ng tingin. This is what I am talking about. Nahihiya ako sa mga kagagawan ni Mama, and him asking about it just made me realize how different we are.
Sobrang gulo ng pamilya ko…malayong-malayo sa kinalakihan niya.
"I don't know…" Mahina kong sambit.
Halos mapasugod siya sa akin sa sagot ko. He gasped loudly and laughed without humor. He looked at me like he couldn't believe I exist.
"You fucking dont know who the father is, huh?"
Umiling ako sa kanya. "Mama never told us anything. Kaya wala kaming kaalam-alam kung sino ang Papa ni Calyx." Maliit na boses kong paliwanag.
I've felt like Gaston witness enough events and happening in my life ever since. He knows about my father, nasabi ko ang tungkol sa kambal ko at sa Mama ko.
And now, he knows about Calyx too.
"Fucking what?" He asked again, unbelievably.
"Mama never told us kung sino ang nakabuntis sa kanya." Mas simpleng paliwanag ko.