Celine woke up the next day feeling like there's a rock sitting on her face. Her head feels so heavy and her throat is dry. It feels like sandpaper. Pinilit niyang bumangon pero parang may nakadagan sa kanya. She opened her eyes and the sight made her frown.
Bakit gumanda yata iyong bumbilya sa kwarto niya? And why are there curtains on the side? She can't remember the painting on the wall. And why is her bed so soft?
Still frowning, she turned to her right to see what's weighing her down. Napamulagat siya nang makitang katabi niya si Kelvin. He's fast asleep. She checked herself to figure something out and almost passed out when she saw that instead of the dress she was wearing last night, she's already in his clothes.
Nag-panic siya. Hindi niya alam ang gagawin. She certainly didn't want her first time to be like this. She removed Kelvin's arm from her. Doon na ito nagising.
Binalot niya ng kumot ang sarili nang bumangon ito.
"What?" he asked.
"M-May... n-nangyari ba?"
It took him a while to comprehend her question and when he did, he grinned.
"Meron."
--
He was just teasing, but Celine took it seriously. Paiyak na ito dahil sa sinabi niya. So he retracted his answer.
"Nah. I'm just kidding."
Bigla itong sumubsob at nagsimulang humikbi.
"Hey, Celine..."
"Hindi ka nakakatuwa," she muttered.
"Sorry na." Inakbayan niya ito. "You were so drunk last night that I decided to take you here. You threw up inside my car. Then, you threw up in the living room. Marumi na 'yong damit mo kaya binihisan kita," he explained.
That's when she looked up. Poor Celine, she's already in tears. Nakonsensya tuloy siya.
"I'm sorry," pag-uulit niya.
"Sorry din. Tutulungan kitang maglinis ng kotse. Saka ng sala mo."
"There's no need. I already cleaned the living room. Ipapalinis ko na lang 'yong kotse. Kasalanan ko rin naman kung bakit ka nasuka. I never should have left you with them last night."
He kissed her temple and brushed her tears away.
"Do you feel okay now? May gusto kang kainin?"
"Gusto kong mag-toothbrush," nakangiwi nitong sagot.
He let out a laugh. "There's a spare in the bathroom. Right cabinet."
When Celine got up, he followed her to the bathroom to make sure that she got the toothbrush. Sumimangot ito sa salamin bago naghilamos. Then she looked at the right cabinet and took a spare toothbrush out.
Celine may be oblivious to the fact that she looks so good in the morning, but he isn't. Pinagsawa niya ang sarili sa pagtingin dito. His shirt looks good on her. And those legs are driving him crazy. But he couldn't make a move, and he shouldn't. She would be upset.
Na-conscious yata ito bigla dahil pinalabas siya at isinara nito ang pintuan ng banyo.
--
Celine was thankful because the shirt she's wearing covers her upper thighs, pero naiiksian pa rin siya. His gaze earlier suggests that the cloth is still revealing.
When she got out after freshening up, she found him in the kitchen. It looks like he's making a soup. Paglapit niya, instant noodles pala.
"This will be ready in a few minutes," he told her.
In the meantime, pinuntahan muna niya ang sala to see how much damage she did cause last night. The carpet looked like it was fresshly scrubbed. Poorly scrubbed.
She went back to the kitchen when he called. Nakahain na ang isang bowl ng instant noodles na may itlog. Pinaupo siya nito at binigyan ng kutsara.
"Do you want me to feed you?" he asked, smiling.
Umiling siya. "Huwag na." She frowned when she realized that there's only one bowl. "Asan 'yong sa 'yo? Hindi ka kakain?"
"I'll eat later. I'm still sleepy. I was up last night cleaning your mess."
"Sorry."
"It's okay. Kain na."
"Matulog ka muna. Magluluto na lang ako ng kakainin mo." She looked around the room. "Nasa'n nga pala ang mga damit ko?"
"I washed them."
"Seryoso?"
Kelvin nodded. "Nasa laundry area. Pinatutuyo ko pa. Tulog muna ako, ha?"
--
While Kelvin was asleep, inalis niya iyong carpet sa sala saka inilagay sa labahan. She found her clothes there. Hindi niya alam kung paanong laba ang ginawa ni Kelvin sa mga damit niya, but they were clean and that's all that matters.
She tried cleaning the carpet but it was too big and heavy. Iniwanan na lamang niya ito roon. Kelvin might hire someone to clean it anyway.
Pumunta na lamang siya sa kusina para magluto ng pananghalian. It's almost noon and the noodles he cooked for her are already digested. Pagkaluto ng pagkain, pinuntahan niya ito sa kwarto nito para gisingin. Nakadapa ito sa kama, tulog na tulog.
When she spotted his camera on one corner, she took it and took a few pictures of him. Then she woke him up and continued taking pictures of him yawning.
"Stop taking pictures of me!" reklamo nito.
"Last na!" she told him. Click!
Tinakpan nito ang lens.
"You really like taking pictures of me, don't you?"
"Maganda ka kasing subject."
"Pahiram. I'll take yours."
She shook her head. "Huwag na. Ako na lang ang magpi-picture sa 'yo."
"Hindi ko na nga nagagamit 'yan, e."
"E, di akin na lang."
"Do you want it?"
"Huh?"
"The camera. Do you want it?"
She looked at the camera on her hands. Of course she wants it. Pero alam niyang ginto ang presyo noon.
"Magkano?" she asked.
"Free."
Umiling siya. "Ayoko ng libre. Lagyan mo ng presyo."
He sighed. "Fine. 15K."
Biglang kumirot ang puso niya. Kaya naman niyang magbayad ng 15K, pero nangghihinayang siya. Ano ba naman ang gamit ng camera kundi kumuha ng pictures at videos?
"Hulugan?"
Kelvin nodded. He took the camera from her hands and put it on the bedside table.
"Fifteen thousand kisses."
She blinked. "H-Ha?"
"Fifteen thousand kisses." She felt his hands on her waist. "I'm now accepting down payments."
She blushed as he tilted her chin up. Nakangiti itong yumuko at idinampi ang mga labi sa mga labi niya. "One."
He pulled away then went back again.
"Two."
He repeated the steps for more than fifteen times then the next one was an open-mouthed kiss. He gently pushed her down the bed as he continued to kiss her. Napakapit siya sa batok nito. Pilit niyang inalala kung nasaang numero na sila pero walang pumapasok sa utak niya.
When she felt his hand on her thigh, that's when she was brought back to her senses.
"K-Kelvin—"
She tried to push him away, but it was such a weak push. Mabuti na lamang at tumigil ito.
"Sorry," he said to her. "I got a little carried away."
Nag-iwas siya ng tingin. Umalis ito sa ibabaw niya at saka sumandal sa headboard. She sat up and leaned on the headboard next to him.
"Ilan na 'yon?" tanong nito.
Lalong nag-init ang pisngi niya. "H-Hindi ko nabilang."
He chuckled. "So... back to zero?"
--
Namumula pa rin si Celine hanggang sa ihatid siya nito sa boarding house. He already gave her the camera, pero sinabi nitong maniningil pa rin ito.
When she tried to offer him money instead, he profusely refused, sayng that he doesn't need money. He wanted kisses, lots and lots of them.
Hindi niya mabilang kung gaano katagal na bayaran iyon.