Habang naghintay kami sa pag lagay ng names namin, I took my second batch of churros, tapos binalikan ko lang si Ezra doon sa shop. He was waiting happily for it, nasilip ko sya bago ko pa sya lapitan, he was having a nice chat with the lady, perhaps the lady was really nice. Nilapitan ko na sya at napansin nya din ako agad. I offered him some food and kumuha sya ng churros then he dipped it sa chocolate sauce.
" Unhealthy " Sabi nya bago sya kumagat. I raised an eyebrow at him at hindi ko nalang pinansin, I think he enjoys it anyway dahil sa expression ng mukha nya.
" Masarap naman diba?" Sabi ko. He slightly nodded, medyo in denial sya pero ,oo masarap talaga sya dahil binalikan ko sya.
" Girlfriend nyo po sir?" Sabi ng Lady, she was smiling at him as she handed the beanies. " Hindi po " Agad agad kong sinabi bago pa nakaimik si Ezra, panganga palang bibig nya para sabihin na hindi. " Ayyy, sayang naman po maam " Sabi nya saakin. " Okay lang yan ate, madami pong nakapila dyan sa kanya " Sabi ko. " Mukha nga!" She agreed with me, alam na siguro sya ang ibig sabihin ko, I mean he is filled with reverse charms.
Napatingin sa akin si Ezra, at parang medyo nag retreat ang mga fighters ng brain ko, mali ata sinabi ko. He was staring at me like he's asking me what on earth did you just say? . Kumain nalang tuloy ako ng churros at iniwasan ko sya ng tingin.
-
Inunahan ko sya mag lakad, para iwasan sya konti pero hindi naman ipahalata sa kanya na parang guilty ako ,pero nahalata nya ata but, I already came up with something.
" Noreen " He called me. I stopped walking at nilapitan ko sya. " Tara, Sakay tayo sa Carousel " I grabbed his arm, and dragged him to the carousel, wala nadin nakasakay so I grabbed the opportunity.
Bago kami pumasok sa entrance dinispose ko muna ang papercup na pinaglagyan ng churros ko. " Tara kuya " Sabi ko, hindi padin sya umi-imik, so i just dragged him again.
Umapak na kami at bago pa ako makasakay sa kabayo. " Noreen, may gusto akong sabihin sayo" Sabi nya saakin.
Oh my ,ano ginawa ko T.T mali talaga yun, papatayin nya na ba ako? Sorry po talaga.
" Ahh, sige po mamaya pagkatapos" I said, smiling at him then quickly avoiding him ,I rode a pretty white horse. Hindi ko na nakita reaksyon nya ,pero sumakay sya sa kabayo na katabi ko.
We didn't speak all through out, hindi ko din maenjoy ang carousel dahil medyo bumigat dibdib ko, dahil naoffend ko ata sya sa sinabi ko.
Pagkatapos ng ride, we got off. Medyo nagkaroon pa ako ng internal battle as to, kung sasakay pa ba ako ng isang beses or iface ko na agad ang pagkakamali ko.
I can't look at him, my head was down and I walked fast para unahan sya sa exit para maka inhale exhale pa ako. Just apologize Noreen.
You can do this!
" Kuya sorry po" Sabi ko, He was about to say something as he was about to open his mouth pero naunahan ko sya kaya he closed his mouth, then nag seryoso expression nya, kaya mas lalo akong naguilty. " It's not because I think that you're a womanizer. I know you're not and I know who you really are. Pero alam mo din na member ako ng guild, at alam ko madami talaga may gusto sayo, at kaya ko yun nasabi, yun lang talaga yun. It's a fact and I didn't mean it in a bad way " Sabi ko, mabilis ako magsalita cause I felt nervous and a bit guilty kasi baka mamaya iba ang naisip nya sa sinasabi ko.
He looked down and he laughed. " I know " He smiled at me, Ahh so aware sya sa pagkafamous nya. " You know why I failed English?" Sabi nya.
All of a sudden?
Nag iling ako, although alam kong nag party party sila ni kuya nung first year sila pero kahit na, Inulit nya padin ulit.
" Because I was once a fool, I was in love " He said. You can see his seriousness and his sincerity and his eyes, his eyes speak the truth. It gleamed. " Not with Lika, nor Balm but... with IU" Sabi nya saakin.
" IU?" Tanong ko.
" I believe in love Noreen...Do you understand?" Sabi nya saakin. He was staring right into my soul, I don't know what the problem is, di ko din alam gagawin ko, I just nodded. " Why are you telling me this... all of a sudden?" Sabi ko as he walked pass through me.
" Sa totoo lang..." He said, nakatalikod sya saakin. " I..." Hinarap na nya ako. " Hindi ko alam kung ano nangyare saakin ngayon, these past few days and months. I never thought I'd want to protect someone again " Sabi nya, medyo naguguluhan ako sa sinasabi,nya at hindi ko alam kung ano ang tinutukoy nya kaya di ako sumasabat, nakikinig lang ako. " I appear like a question and let you guess all the time, ano nga ba si Ezekiel Yang? Is he what they say he is? Pero sayo ... I thought hey, I'm comfortable with this person. That day, when my friends kinda forced me to fix my life, a very unpresentable" Bigla nyang sinabi, kinabahan tuloy ako, saan patungo to? nabubuang na ako at gusto ko na syang alugin at sabihin na Ano? ANO???? SABIHIN MO NA BILIS . " noisy, messy, not to mention pale na parang wala nang nutrients sa kinakain pero malusog naman sya tignan" He added, napatingin tuloy ako sa thighs ko at sa tyan ko, ang sakit neto magsalita ahh. " I think I'm losing my mind. Kasi, kapag nakikita kitang malungkot, nalulungkot din ako. Pag umiyak ka, nawawasak puso ko. Kapag nasasaktan ka, nasasaktan din ako at gusto kong lagyan ng band aid lahat ng sugat mo" Sabi nya, he started to raise his voice at grabe na sya makatingin saakin na parang may kasalanan ako sa kanya , I was frozen. " So I thought...Ahh, Ganto siguro si N sa kanya, cause he told to me look after you cause I was worried about you. Pero, kapag masaya ka...iba, I...I can't explain what I'm feeling, pero masaya and I like it very much. It's different...I...I like you"
I like you...
I like you...
I like you...
Nanlaki mga mata ko, na alarma ang mga workers sa utak ko, medyo nafefeel ko mag papanic attack na ata ako. Mga fifty times nag echo sa utak ko yun I like you...
" HOLD THAT THOUGHT!" Napasigaw ako, that was the immediate reaction that I thought off, hindi ko alam kung ano ang iniisip ng workers sa loob ng utak ko pero yun ang nasend nila na message na gawin ko. I started to look for something, something to confirm that I'm awake. Naglakad ako konti, I was thinking water...water can wake me up.
I approached a young man, around my age. Paubos na din ang bottle of water nya. " Excuse me, pwede aking nalang yan?" I asked nicely at binigay nya naman saakin. Binalikan ko si Ezra sa exit, he was laughing at me. " You're thirsty? " He asked.
I didn't say anything, my brain, curse my stupid brain. I splashed the water on my face.
" Uy! Bakit mo yun ginawa?" He approached me and he grabbed his handerchief, at pinunasan nya mukha ko. " To confirm that I'm awake at na hindi lang to nangyayare sa utak ko" Sabi ko sa kanya and he laughed at me again.
"So, You were saying?" I smiled at him.
" Noreen, I like you" He said, smiling at me. Bes. It's real ,it's happening. Oh my God, Kinilig na ako all over, I just died. Like...WHAAAAAAT????????? Hahahaha namamatay na ako sa kilig, he's looking at me like I'm the cutest thing ever. But, He's the cutest oh my God.
" Talaga? Sigurado ka na ba dyan? Napagtanto mo na ba talaga yan? Hindi ka nakadrugs or kahit anong itoxication diba? It's real?" Sabi ko.
He nodded, then he smiled again. " I like you Noreen" SINABI NYA NANAMAN SHET.
-
Einstein's POV
There I said it. I wasn't the type of person who would go in circles and give mixed up signals.
It's true. My heart felt happy when I said it, pagkasabi ko gusto ko tumalon talon at parang na fill up ako ng energy at gusto kong ilabas.
Hindi ko mabasa ang expression nya. Pero sigurado akong shocked sya. It was blank, then it shifted to a smile and then she...started laughing.
" Haha, Alam ko naman " Sabi nya. She knows? Were my actions too much?
" Alam mo?" I asked.
" Yes! Haha, Alam ko~ Gusto din kita, actually gusto ko sa inyo nila kuya fred, which is good therefore, We can all have a good type of friendship that lasts" Sabi nya saakin, nakangiti sya at alam kong alam nya ibig sabihin ko. Ngayon, Bakit ganito ganito ang reaction nya saakin. Sasakyan ko ba trip nya o hindi?
No.
" That's not what I meant " Sabi ko sa kanya. Nag seryoso bigla ang expression nya. " Alam ko din" Sabi nya saakin, she took a deep breath at tinignan nya ako. " Sana naintindihan mo ang ibig sabihin ko sa sinabi ko " Sabi nya. Ahh...she can only offer her friendship to me.
" Ahh... I understand" Sabi ko, at ngumiti sya.
" But I won't stop liking you" Sabi nya. Tinitigan ko sya, not in a creepy way pero para madama nya na seryoso ako. Tumawa nanaman sya, I didn't know that a confession can make someone insane.
-
Author's POV
They awkwardly walked back to the parking area without saying a word. Yun pa naman pinaka ayaw ni Noreen, si Ezra sanay naman sya sa mga ganyang situation. Usually with his Dad or Balm. Hindi comfortable si Noreen pero di nya nadin paiwasan.
Pagbalik nila sa parking lot, tulog ang lima habang naka on ang aircon.
Sumakay na si Noreen at ginising nya kuya nya, tapos sinuotan nya ng beanie sa ulo, na nakaembroid pangalan nya.
" Kuya, 11 p.m. na" Sabi ni Noreen sa kuya nya.
"Hmm? Talaga..." Sabi ng kuya nya, habang nakapikit pa mata nya at nakasandal. Ginising ni Ezra ang ibang member. " Eleven na daw" Sabi ni Fred habang humikab sya. " Paano ba yan? Kampai? " Sabi ng kuya ni Noreen, he went from lethargic to fully awake. Ang apat na member except kay Ezra nagising din bigla. " Kampai!" Sabi ni JS. They sounded like the birds sa movie na Nemo yung mga nagsasabi ng mine! mine! Eto naman Kampai! Kampai!
-
At ayun na nga nangyare, they drove off to the nearest convinience store na airconditioned, pero sa labas sila tumambay. They bought beer and fish crackers, nag ramyeon din sila.
" Ops, bawal ka uminom, mga manyak to sila pag lasing " Sabi ni N kay Noreen, pakuha na si Noreen ng beer, nahawakan na nya kaso inagaw ni N. " Grabe ka ,si Jun lang kaya " Sabi ni Klaud. " Naalala mo yun? Akala mo babae ako!" Sabi ni JS kay Jun ng pasigaw. " Kamukha mo kasi kapatid mo kulang nalang wig!" Defense ni Jun." Tsaka kailangan namin ng driver" Sabi ni N.
" But...I can't drive" Noreen said shyly, napatingin sa kanya ang apat na lalake na parang ang laki ng kasalanan nya.
" How old are you?" Fred asked.
"18" Sabi ni Noreen, ngayon napatingin naman sila kay N na parang ang laki ng kasalanan nya. " I'm a busy person" Sabi ni N as he took a sip. " Busy, sus. Dibale Noreen, sa pasukan turuan kita " Fred smiled at Noreen. " Ahh , tama! Pag lasing ako si Fred nag dridrive saakin pauwi dati!" Sabi ni N.
" Nasaan si Ezra?" Jun asked.
" Tulog daw muna sya" Sabi ni N.
Nag nod nalang ang apat na lalake, si Noreen naman ice cream nalang ang binakbakan nanaman.
" May tanong ako kuya...It's kinda out of the blue" Sabi ni Noreen.
" Sige go ahead" Sabi ni N.
" Sino si IU?" Noreen asked.
The world stopped, Jun became a Jpg. Pumitik pa ata leeg ni N nung napatingin sya kay Noreen. Naluwa ni Fred at ni Klaud ang noodles nila na nakachopsticks. JS' jaw dropped.
" Is something wrong?" Sabi ni Noreen as she noticed the reactions.
" It's she who must not be named" Sabi ni JS. " Si You-Know-Who" JS added.
" BAKIT MO SYA KILALA?" N asked medyo tumalsik pa laway nya kay noreen and she wiped it off her face.
" Ezra told me..." Sabi ni Noreen, mas lalo lang sya naintriga sa mga nangyayare.
" I haven't heard that name for...three years?" Sabi ni Klaud.
" But...why?" Noreen asked.
" This is what I feared" Sabi ni N. " Di pa din sya naka move on kay IU?" N asked Fred and Klaud. " Ewan ko kay Ezra, wala sya sinasabi tsaka hindi nya talaga magustuhan si Balm, she's always lingering around him" Sabi ni Fred. " He's so lucky sana ako nalang" Sabi ni Klaud.
" Feared? Wait, move on?" Sabi ni Noreen na naguguluhan na sa pangyayare.
" Ganto kasi yan palangga, ang batch namin ang piiiiiiiiiiinaka masayang batch sa Alestair, halos lahat kami close like siblings" Sabi ni Fred.
" We all get along so well, pero syempre we all have that super close friend na kahit paghiwalayin mo nang kay tagal pag nagkita ulit, ganun padin sila kaclose, tulad namin" Sabi ni Klaud.
" Oh tapos....?" Sabi ni Noreen.
" Ezra has that one special friend na babae and her name was Isabella Ulya, IU. They were on the same band together, and she liked him not because he's the heir of the Yang group but because he's just Ezra. Kaming anim lang nakakaalam sa relasyon nila" Sabi ni Jun, Noreen started to understand.
" The school knows that he's in a relationship with Lika pero, he never developed feelings for her pero makikita mo silang magkasama for show" Sabi ni Fred. " At tsaka, their whole relationship is purely a business deal" Dagdag ni Fred. " The contract was renewed pero si Balm na kapalit"
" Gaano sila katagal?" Tanong ni Noreen.
" Three years" Sabi ni N. " Sya ang rason kung bakit bakit bumagsak si Ezra sa English kasi free time yung ni IU" Sabi ni N. " Her university is thirty minutes away from Alestair, tapos ayun pupuntahan nya si IU doon" dagdag ni N.
" Eventually napagod si IU and she fell for someone else" Sabi ni JS. " Funny, Ezra is the romantic on tapos sya pa ang pinagpaguran at iniwan" Dagdag ni JS na nakatitig padin sa kung ano man. " The night they broke up, Ezra went crazy he got drunk at yun ang rason kung bakit sya naaksidente...at pagkaconfine nya pa ang daming rumors na kumakalat, it was tragic" Sabi ni JS, he looks really sad. Nahawa nadin tuloy ang limang lalake. They really care about Ezra. " Ang hirap ng buhay ni Ezra, he has everything you can possibly imagine...but, there are too many restrictions...nakakalungkot" Dagdag ni JS.
They all let out deep sighs at parang nawalan na sila ng gana uminom at kumain. " I swear pag malaman ko sino talaga gumawa gawa ng mga kwento na yun, hindi ko alam kung ano magagawa ko" Sabi ni N.
" Ako din" Sabi ni Fred. " Pero , teka...medyo out of the blue nga sinabi mo Noreen. Pero, pwede ba namin malaman bakit sinabi sayo ni Ezra yan?" Sabi ni Fred.
The serious boys snapped their necks to look at Noreen, it was scary and they were dead curious.
" Ahh...Nabanggit nya lang kasi..." Nag iisip si Noreen kung sasabihin nya ba dahil ang mga expression nila ay parang naghahanap sila ng logical na answer na makakaexplain ng lahat or makakacontribute sa society, mga ganung itsura. parang makuha ka sa tingin.
" He told me...that he likes me" Sabi ni Noreen. Smiles began to draw upon the serious expressions .
" Kampai!" Sabi nilang Lima.
" I'm pretty sure sinabi nya yun, gising ako kanina pero sabi ko sa kanya, friendship lang maooffer ko" Sabi ni Noreen.
The smiling faces began to fade at nawalan nanaman sila ng gana. " Hindi ba pwede Noreen? Hindi mo ba sya kayang mahalin?" Sabi ni N while pretending to sob.
" Why? You think your sister is an easy woman?" Sabi ni Noreen.
" But he said it, kapag sinabi nya totoo talaga yun" Sabi ni Fred.
" What if I remind him of IU? Don't you think it's possible? Hey, I've read and observed these kind of stories" Sabi ni Noreen.
Nawalan ng gana lalo ang lima and they started to slouch. " Noreen, Malayo ka kay IU, she's thin , she has a petite body at maganda sya " Sabi ni N ng pabiro. Hinampas sya ni Noreen. The five boys laughed ,it is true though, hindi naman pangit si Noreen but they are both definetely different. But N suddenly changed his expression. " She's jolly, a bit clumsy at sakitin sya" Biglang sinabi ni N and he started to question himself, napaisip din ang lima. " No, Hindi maari" Sabi ni Fred. " Don't you think?" dagdag nya.
" Pero sinabi nya!" Sabi ni N ng pasigaw nagulat tuloy sila sakanya. " Tama " Sabi ni Fred.
" Please, give him a chance" JS begged Noreen. Natahimik nalang si Noreen at nag isip. " N, ano masasabi mo?"
" Come on, It's Ezra! Wala na akong masasabi pa, Si Noreen na bahala...Ano masasabi mo Noreen?" Sabi ni Noreen. Naprepressure na si Noreen, the amount of stares and the anticipating aura that is waiting for her to say yes is stress inducing. " Maybe I'll...reconsider pag isipan ko muna" Sabi ni Noreen."KAMPAI!!" Napatayo ang lima at nag cheers sila, just in time na pumunta si Ezra sa kanila.
" Oh, gising ka na?" Sabi ni N smiling at him.
" Oo eh, It's almost 4:00 a.m." Sabi Ezra. " Nagising lang ako bigla" He sat next to Noreen, the members tried to hide their smiles ,namamatay na sila sa ligaya na finally, there's hope that Ezra's heart has healed from everything that destroyed him three years ago. Things were not a blur anymore and it's not that clear yet. But, light is able to pass through the issues...It's translucent.
-