Chapter 16:
Lovesick
Since we're at the terrace on the second floor of Jollibee. I was busy taking a video of the sunrise view when Isla intentionally appeared on my screen showing her perfect smile.
"Ano ba yan? Panira!" I said teasing her but she just rolled her eyes at me. "Okay na ba si Aaliyah?" napangiti ako sa tanungan niya.
Wow! Ang Miss President niyo nagma-mature na?
"What? I just wanna treat your friends nicely like what you want duh." defensive na sabi niya dahil sa reaction ko. "And anyway I have an update regarding our mission. My Mom is bribing me. Her wedding planner and team came yesterday pero pinabalik sila." ng magulat ako.
Ohh! Got some progress there huh?
"You mean the wedding won't happen anymore?" nakangiting tanong ko. "No. Bribe, babe! She would postpone their wedding next year just for me to end our relationship." what will she gain from that bribe? Making her agony longer? That's more of a pain in the ass for me.
"Pumayag ka?" tanong ko naman agad. "Of course not. Sabi ko wala akong pakialam kung ituloy nila ang kasal nila. Mahal kita at hindi kita sasaktan." when I poked her waist with a big smile on my face.
"Aww! So sweet. Mahal mo pala ako ah?" pangasar ko na naman sakanya. She looked so done with me. "As I was saying... seriously?" inis niyang tanong nung hindi ako tumigil sa pagsundot sa tagiliran, braso hanggang sa pisngi niya.
Akala mo ha! Pikon ka rin eh.
"Anyway she looked pretty shocked. I don't know if she's convinced that I am not trying to ruin their wedding but I'm seriously in loved with you—" "In love..." pagkanta ko ng mapatigil na naman siya agad.
"Wow! Why do I feel like I am talking to a kid right now who's having a hard time concentrating and just doing her own shit." pailing iling niyang panonood sa akin. "Why do I feel like... I am—" pagkanta ko ulit ng subuan ba naman ako ng napakalaking burger.
Napanganga tuloy yung maganda kong bibig. Sayang naman magandang boses ko!
Ang hilig mang asar pero madaling maasar!
When suddenly a lot of notifications keep popping on my phone. Pagkabukas ko may videong kumakanta ako ng ipasubo niya sa akin ang malaking burger.
Bwisit to! Hindi ko napansin nakatutok pala yung phone katabi ng drinks niya kanina. "You sly little fox!!!" and then she burst out laughing.
"What? Everyone liked it. You're so cute!" pang asar niya sa akin pabalik. Sige, humanda ka sa akin mamaya! I'd sneakily take funny videos of you too.
Wait for it, my foe!
Kailangan na naming bumalik sa school para magshower. I had my dried sweat all over my body. Err! Disgusting.
"Aba! Pakain kain na lang, Captain ah? Akala ko ba nasa strict diet ka tuwing training?" Sam teased me as soon as I finished my shower.
"You even ditched us!" reklamo naman ni Gia. "Don't worry, Gia. I still got you." sabi ko na lang at umalis na don.
After the cold shower my eyes felt a bit heavy. Ang sarap kaya sa pakiramdam na napagod ka sa isang exercise, nakakain ka at nakapagshower tapos diretso sa pagtulog.
Best feeling ever!
We were in the middle of the class when my eyes can't take it anymore. I'm literally sleepy and tired when I felt Isla's hand on my forehead. "Miss Cuevas? May I excuse myself and Kirsten? Ihahatid ko lang po siya mukhang nilalagnat." nagulat ako sa sinabi ni Isla.
What? I tried touching my myself and that hit me— my body feels hot. Akala ko dahil sa cold shower kaya ako nilalamig pero dahil pala may sakit ako.
"Go on." pinayagan niya kami ng alalayan ako ni Isla. I looked at her confused. Bakit hindi ko man lang naramdaman o mali ako ng pagkaintindi?
"It's fine. Let's go." sabi niya lang sa akin habang nakaalalay siya saka niya ako sinamahan sa clinic. The nurse gave me medicine since I already ate breakfast. Pinahiga niya ako sa isang kama ng makita kong humiga din si Isla sa katabing kama.
"Hoy! Wala kang sakit! Anong ginagawa mo dito?" tanong ko sakanya habang kinukumutan ang sarili ko. Ang lamig!
"What? You think I tried to excuse myself without benefitting something to this? Come on, we both woke up so early. Itulog mo na lang yan." sabi niya sa akin saka pinikit ang mata niya.
"Isla? Kirsten? I have a health class today. Kung may tumawag sa akin paki sabi nasa Junior Class 2, Room 303 ako. Thank you." sabi ni Miss Thea at tumango ako sakanya.
Nakita kong hindi na gumagalaw si Isla kaya pinikit ko na rin ang mga mata ko. Nagising ako ng maramdaman ko ang init. Masyado bang makapal ang kumot?
Nagulat ako ng makitang yakap yakap ako ni Isla dito sa kama ko. Did she transfer here on my bed? "Is it too hot? Yeah! I felt that too." Am I dreaming?
"Hoy! Mga tinginan mo palang napakajudger! Lumipat ako dito sa kama mo kasi kanina ka pa nanginginig. Natagalan ata ang effect ng medicine kasi halos 10 minutes ka nag nag-chills." she said explaining to me.
"Tinawagan ko pa si Miss Thea. Sabi niya dagdagan ko daw kumot mo kung hindi parin mawawala chills mo tawagan ko ulit siya. But instead of using another piece of cloth, I used our body heat instead which made it stop after 3 minutes." dagdag niya.
"OA! Nagtataka lang. Judger agad?" sabat ko naman sakanya. "Mga tinginan mo kasi eh." she said squinting her eyes at me.
"Put this." ng ilahad niya ang temperature sa akin. "Are you hungry?" I'm not really hungry. "Busog pa ako sa breakfast natin." At tumunog ang temperature.
It's 37.8 pero medyo okay naman ang pakiramdam ko. "Aaliyah and Sam came and brought us some food." ng ituro niya yung pagkain sa mini table katabi ng kama.
"May sinabi ba si Ali?" nagtatakang tanong ko. "Wala naman. Meron ba dapat?" tanong niya sa akin pabalik. Sarap din niyang kausap eh! Lahat ba ng bagay ang sagot sa katanungan ay tanong din?
"Pwede ka namang kumain mamaya onti. Wala pang four hours yang paracetamol mo." she said as if she's some sort of my nurse. Gosh!
Kinuha niya yung pagkain niya at umupo sa kama niya ng kumain ito. Seriously? "Aren't you going back to your class?" tanong ko sakanya pero nagkibit balikat lang siya habang sarap na sarap sa pagkain niya.
"I'm just curious. Does my father knows about us?" nagtatakang tanong ko. I'm just curious... like what he thinks about us.
"I don't think so? He doesn't usually stay our house. They meet with Mom outside. At siguro kung alam niya ang tungkol sa atin kinausap na niya ako o ikaw?" sagot naman niya.
I don't think he'd talk to me. Birthday ko nga hindi niya ako pinuntahan eh.
"I know this may offend you but don't you miss having a father?" napatingin ako sa tanong niya. "I mean... you still have a father physically but you know like a father's love and protection." she carefully said.
"How can you miss something you've never felt? Ever since I was born I never felt his presence, love and protection to me. He sees me as if I'm some sort of mistake. I don't know." ng isandal ko ang sarili ko sa head board ng kama.
"Ano ba ang love story ng parents mo? Were day sort of arranged? One night stand pregnancy? What makes you think he'd see you as his mistake? Was cheating the only issue between them? O may mali ding nagawa ang Mama sakanya so he ended up cheating too?" sunod sunod niyang tanong sa akin.
I don't know if I'd get offended with her frank question or what but it made me think deeper about them.
Ano nga ba ang love story ng magulang ko? Paano sila napunta sa kasalan? Was I really a mistake?
"I don't know... Now I realize I don't know anything about them." mahinang sagot ko. "Ikaw? What's your parents love story?" tanong ko pabalik.
"Nothing special just a normal couple who was happy in love until my Dad was in a car accident 6 years ago. That was the time I transferred here." yeah, I heard about that. Galing siyang US na bagong transferee at pati ang bagong School Dean namin.
She was really popular when she transferred here. You know how we all got curious about the new faces on our own territory but I noticed how she would always prefer to be alone, I didn't know she was grieving at that time.
"You miss him?" I asked a very obvious question and then she nodded at me. "What does it feel like have a father?" hindi ko maiwasang tanong. I'm not longing for a father's love but I am curious like how do some girls loves their father more than their mother.
What's so special about father's love?
"I feel secured just his mere presence. He was my biggest support system and my number 1 fan. He was the first man who taught me what love is and how a woman is supposed to be treated so when your father came into the picture I realized that men can be disgusting." natawa ako ng magawa niyang isingit ang Tatay ko.
Tinulog ko na lang ulit. I felt like my body needed more rest when Isla woke me up. "Uwian na, ituloy mo na lang ang pahinga mo sa bahay niyo." I lazily wake myself up.
"Do you wanna eat before you go?" tanong niya sa akin habang inaayos ko ang sarili ko. "Sa bahay na lang." tipid kong sagot.
"Thank you pala..." nahihiyang sabi ko na ikinatingin niya at may malawak na ngiti. Gooness! It's so hard to be serious with this girl.
"Thank you with what?" nakangising tanong niya. Hindi ba pwedeng welcome na lang ang sagot? Kailangan talaga alamin kung saan banda ako thankful? Okay lang naman kung sorry pero thank you yon!
"Ugh. Fine. Thank you for bringing me here." habang nag iisip pa ako. Ano pa ba ginawa niya? Natulog lang naman siya? Siya nga nagbenefit sa pagkakapunta ko dito. "What? Is that it?" nakuha pa mag reklamo.
"Thank you for not-so-taking care of me?" natatawang dagdag ko ng guluhin niya buhok ko. Akala ko babarahin niya din ako pero ngumiti lang siya.
"Take care of yourself and don't be sick again." saka na niya binuksan ang door.
May tinatago din pala tong pagka-sweet at concern. But seriously I was thankful at her for being here with me. The medicine work out physically but she made me feel good with how I'm feeling.
Without her, I'd be sleeping here the whole day feeling more sick. Kahit papaano napagaan niya ang pakiramdam ko at napatawa niya ako kahit wala ako sa mood.
And that is enough to be thankful for but I don't wanna say it. She'd probably use my dramatic words and tease me.
Knowing Isla, there are no serious moments with her.
Pagkalabas namin ng clinic nakita namin na naglalakad papalapit sa amin sila Aaliyah. "I'll drive you home. Where's your key?" sabi sa akin ni Ali at tinuro ko yung bag kong bitbit niya.
"She didn't eat her lunch but she's fine now." ng iabot naman ni Isla ang pagkaing binili niya kanina kay Aaliyah. "Okay. Thanks." at kinuha niya iyon.
"Rest well, my love." she winked at me as she stretched her arms while walking away from us. Wow! Hindi naman halata na enjoy na enjoy siya sa mahabang tulog niya? How can you come to school just to sleep at the clinic for the whole day?
Napatingin ako kay Ali ng pakiramdaman niya ang noo ko. "What was your last temperature?" nag aalalang tanong niya sa akin. "37.2. I am fine now." sagot ko sakanya ng tapikin ni Sam ang balikat ko.
"I'll see you tomorrow. Get some good rest when you're home." ng tanguan ko siya.
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to take care of you. Nalaman ko lang nung lunch na nasa clinic ka pala." mahinang sabi niya saka niya tinanggal ang suot niyang jacket para ipasuot sa akin.
"It's okay. Maayos naman na pakiramdam ko." ngiti ko sakanya.
I was checking my phone while Ali's busy driving when I saw Isla's ig story 2 hours ago. It was a picture of me sleeping soundly.
Bwisit talaga tong babaeng to hanggang huli! I bet she's laughing her ass off right now. I clicked the angry reaction for hundred times.
Naka ilan na siya sa ngayong araw lang?