32: I
“Hey…”
Inangat ko ang aking tingin at nakita si Crescent.
“Hays I’m sorry, are you okay? Are you having fun? Drinks? food?”
I smiled. After one hour nilapitan na niya ako. Salamat naman. Akala ko kakalimutan na niya ako. Tumayo ako at inabot sa kanya ang regalo ko.
“This is for me?” Nakangiti niyang tanong.
I noticed that her face is already red. Alam kong lasing na siya. I saw her drunk before sa bahay namin.
“Thank you so much, Rora,” sabi niya.
“Ha–Happy birthday,” sabi ko at lalakad na sana ako para umalis na. Dahil ayoko ng manatili bigla dito. Gusto ko nalang umuwi.
Pero bigla niyang hinawakan ang braso ko.
“Sorry hindi ko narinig,” she said, and I gasped in surprise as she suddenly pulled me closer to her.
Napahawak tuloy ako sa balikat niya para hindi lang mawalan ng balanse dahil sa ginawa niya.
“Hindi ko narinig, pakiulit po please,” sabi niya na parang bata.
“Happy birthday,” sabi ko.
Naramdaman ko ang pagyakap ng isang braso niya sa bewang ko. Then she slightly leaned down and brought her ear closer to me.
“Happy birthday,” sabi ko ulit.
Is she teasing me?
“Thank you,” she whispered to my ear and it tickled me.
“Baka gutom ka, we have food,” sabi niya pagkabitaw niya sa akin.
“Uuwi–” hindi ko natapos sasabihin ko nang bigla niyang hinawakan ang kamay ko.
“Let's go.” Nakangiti niyang sabi.
Saan?
She brought me to the rooftop at agad kong napansin ang buwan.
“We have a crescent moon today,” sabi niya na ikinatulala ko sandali.
Bumilis ang pagtibok ng puso ko. It's like the words…I wanted her to say. Is this really happening? Hindi na ba ‘to panaginip?
“My name, Crescent.” Nakangiti niyang sabi pagkalingon sa akin. “Are you okay? You must be bored o di kaya naingayan ka na. Sorry.”
“I–I’m fine,” sabi ko.
“Let's sit,” sabi niya.
Walang tao dito sa itaas at talagang tahimik lang kumpara sa ibaba. Why are we here? Kahit napapatanong pa ako ay umupo ako sa tabi niya.
“Hey sorry ah, I called your lolo. Mayaman pala lolo mo ‘no.” Natatawa niyang sabi. “Well at first it was the secretary who called. Alam mo ba I got my motor from your lolo’s automobile company. It's an Ayalor motor.”
It's lolo’s company. Ayalor.
Hindi ko alam dahil hindi naman ako interesado sa company ni lolo.
“Kinabahan lang ako baka hindi ka papayagan.”
She didn't have to.
“Your…your friends…”
“Hmm?”
“Friends.”
“Ah matatanda na sila. Anong oras na oh at wala pa akong oras sayo.”
Hmm?
“I have already spent an hour with them, ngayon ikaw naman.” Nakangiti niyang sabi. “Pero sorry ah, hilig kasi nila manghila.”
“How about your girlfriend?” tanong ko and I swear nasa utak ko lang iyon hindi ko naman dapat itatanong.
“Girlfriend?”
Tumahimik lang ako. I don't want to mention that girl's name.
“Oh you mean…Andrea? She's my ex.”
Ex?
Ex and they are still kissing? Umiwas ako ng tingin dahil bigla akong nainis.
“Baka nakita mong hinalikan ako kanina. I swear I didn't kiss back. I pushed her.”
Ex na? tapos hahalik pa? My gosh!
“I swear…I know they're issues before na mahilig ako sa babae and ginawan rin ako ng kwento na hindi pa raw ako move on sa kanya.”
Ex na? tapos hahayaan niya lang na halikan siya?
Ex and she still invited her? I mean I never been in a relationship before kaya wala rin akong ex pero–
“Rora!”
I stopped thinking as she called me.
“Sorry for raising my voice pero parang hindi ka naman nakikinig,” sabi niya.
“I’m sorry,” sabi ko. Marami na kasi akong inisip. Umiwas ulit ako ng tingin sa kanya.
“We're just friends now.”
Parang hindi naman.
“She’s my childhood best friend. Siguro if you searched me online makikita mo rin yon–Rora?”
Tumingin ulit ako sa kanya.
“Hindi mo gusto makinig sa akin? Ayaw.mo makinig sa akin?”
Napaawang ang labi ko.
“Sorry–”
“Ayoko, hindi ka nakikinig eh.” Bigla siyang umiwas ng tingin sa akin.
“Ah…sorry…” Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko. Nagagalit ba siya? “Crescent?”
Tumingin siya sakin at ngumiti bigla.
“Joke lang. Wala rin namang kwenta sinabi ko,” sabi niya. “Okay lang.”
Napanguso ako.
“Thank you for coming, now let's open this,” sabi niya at kinuha ang regalo ko. “Buksan ko na ah.”
Natawa ako ng mahina dahil ang kulit niya. Binibiro pa niya akong bubuksan niya na tapos hindi tapos bubuksan na niya.
“Ito na talaga,” sabi niya.
She ripped the wrapper and I waited for her reaction.
“Hey…it's me,” sabi niya. “I…love it. Finally tinapos mo na.”
You just don't know how many portraits of her I have. How many paintings? Hindi niya lang alam.
“Thank you Rora.”
It's just a thank you but it melted my heart.
“Kailan birthday mo?”
Natulala ako sandali.
I never celebrated my birthday.
“Come on tell me…”
“It’s…february 20,” sagot ko.
“Ah…tapos na pala at ang tagal pa.”
Tumango ako bilang sagot.
“Rora? Have you ever been in a relationship?”
I paused at her question. Umiling ako bilang sagot. She looked away at napahawak sa batok niya.
“Hmm…ano mas gusto mo? Sa lalaki o babae? o…sa tulad ko?”
Ikaw…
What? ano? Itong utak ko talaga mabuti nalang hindi ko nasabi. I mean it's impossible.
“Sorry for asking,” sabi niya habang tumatawa ng mahina.
I can't help but to softly pinch her cheeks swiftly, just because I find her cute.
“What?” She giggles. “Mas cute ka,” sabi niya at biglang pinisil rin ang pisngi ko.
Did she just read my mind?
I’m just also feeling the moment…baka mamaya imagination ko lang lahat.
“Tignan mo ang buwan ngayon oh…”
She's just staring at the moon doing nothing but still she manages to keep my heart beating fast. She's more beautiful to stare at than the moon.
Huminga ako ng malalim.
This is not good…alam ko naman na eh. Having those imaginations with her in it.
I think…
I don't just want to be her friend.
–
fb: lisnaej / Lis Naej