Number Thirty Six
Shan's
Araw ko sa volunteer team kanina at just like any other night, nagkkwentuhan kami after our shift kasama si Seven.
"You need some help?"
"As if you know how to cook, Seven"
"It's just a tea, Shan. You gotta be kidding me"
"Hahahaha. I just feel like teasing you"
Nandito kasi ako sa loob ng bahay preparing teas after namin magdinner ng pumasok si Seven. Naglagay na lang sya ng milk sa maliit na pot para sa pagserve.
"It feels great to be in a small kitchen"
"Conceited haha"
"I'm only telling the truth. Everything's been laid in front of me so I'm wondering"
"Overconceited!"
Nagulat ako ng kurutin ni Seven ang kaliwang pisngi ko while laughing his heart out.
"Ehem!" sabay kaming napalingon ng makita si Trish na nasa doorway ng kitchen.
"Do you need something, Trish?" yung seryosong mukha ni Trish, biglang napalitan ng ngiti ng kausapin sya ni Seven. Head over heels talaga ata sya kay Seven haha. Pano pa kaya pag nalaman nyang sya si Seven Lee na missing superstar. Kawawang Darwin.
"I need you beside me, Seven. Come on! Let Shan handle it" umabrisyete sya sa braso ni Seven saka hinila palabas ng bahay.
"But--"
"That would be fine, right Shan?"
"Yup. I'll be back in a minute. Go on"
Tiningnan pa ko ni Seven bago nagpaakay kay Trish palabas. Kumuha muna ko ng ilang red apples saka binalatan tapos nilagay na rin sa tray para ilabas. I really like fruits more than chips eh haha. Akin lang to bwahahaha.
"Here's your teas!" I announced paglabas ko. Nakita kong yung pwesto ko kanina sa tabi ni Seven, inoccupy na ni Trish kaya dun na lang ako sa pwesto nya kanina nakaupo. Katabi ko na ngayon si Darwin at Lian. Inabot ko muna sa kanila ang mga cups nila saka ko kinuha yung tinidor para kumain ng sliced apple na ginawa ko.
"What took you so long, Shan?"
"These" tinuro ko ang apple na hawak ko at ngumiti kay Lian.
"I like the chips better haha" saka sya kumain ng chips na nasa harap nya. Takaw haha.
"What's with the long face, Darwin?" siniko ko pa sya kasi nakapangalumbaba sya sa tabi ko. He looks at me pouting. Ang cute lang talaga pag lalaki ang nagppout ano? Hahaha.
"Trish sat beside Seven" nilingon ko naman si Trish na tuwang tuwang nagkkwento kay Seven. Si Jenna naman nakasimangot sa tabi ni Seven haha. Si Sam ayun busy sa pagbabasa habang umiinom ng tea. Bookworm haha.
"You really like her?"
"I love her. There's a big difference"
"Yay foolishly in love haha"
"What do you think of Seven? Is he really greater than me to have all the nurses in our team swoon over him? I'm much attractive ya know"
"Haha. Of course you are, Darwin"
Attractive naman din talaga si Darwin eh. Pero siguro kasi, Americans go crazy over Asians in a way because they like someone different. Besides, Seven is cool. Mukha pang anime hahahaha.
"Really??" nagulat pa ko ng hawakan ni Darwin ang dalawang kamay ko. Ganun ba to kaobsessed sa compliment at tuwang tuwa sya? Pambihira haha.
"Yeah. You are attractive so care to let go of my hand?"
"Oww! Haha. Sorry, I got carried away" binitiwan nya na yung kamay ko pero di naalis yung malapad nyang ngiti. Sarap batukan ng isang to eh haha. Kinuha ko na ulit yung tinidor para kumuha ng sliced apple pero nakita kong may nakasabay akong tinidor na kumukuha sa sliced na yun. When I look up, si Seven pala. I smiled at him pero seryoso lang ang itsura nya. Kanina lang tumatawa pa to ah. I tried to win that sliced apple but he just don't wanna let go. Napapout na lang ako tapos inalis ang tinidor ko at kumuha ng iba na lang. Mga bata talaga pasaway haha.
"Hey Shan"
"Hmm?" I asked Darwin while chewing the sliced apple. Halos bumubulong kasi sya kaya naglean ako sideways para marinig.
"Can we make Trish jealous?"
Nanlaki ang mata ko at dahil directly lang naman ako kina Seven at Trish, kitang kita ko na nakatingin ng derecho sakin si Seven wondering. Si Trish, hindi pansin kasi nakaharap sya kay Seven while saying something. Ano bang pinagsasasabi ng Darwin na to?? Binalik ko ang tingin kay Darwin saka sya kinutusan.
"Aww! You're too brutal, Shan!"
"What happened?" Lian asked beside me. Hindi nya kasi narinig yung pinagsasabi ni Darwin sakin.
"I asked her to be my girlfriend haha--awww! It's a joke okay?? A joke!" binatukan ko pa kasi sya ulit dahil sa pinagsasabi nya. Malala na to eh. Dapat sa kanya, pinapasabugan ng granada. Wow ang brutal ko nga haha.
"You moron! Shan's already getting married!" hinampas pa sya ni Sam ng binabasa nyang libro.
"I know that's why I said its a joke! Women are really abusing tsk" naglean ulit sakin si Darwin para bumulong. "But I'm serious about--"
"Huh?" nagulat kase ko ng bigla akong hawakan ni Seven na nakatayo na pala sa gilid ko at pinatatayo ako while holding my wrist. "Seven wait"
"Need to borrow Shan first guys. I forgot that Nana wants to see her haha. See you tomorrow!"
"But Seven! We're still talking!" sigaw ni Trish habang hinahatak ako ni Seven palabas ng bakuran namin.
"Let's continue tomorrow, Trish. Goodnight guys!"
"Wait! Why is Nana--"
"Shhh" putol ni Seven sa sinasabi ko. Paglipat namin sa kabila, agad na kaming pumasok sa bahay nila at pinaupo ako sa couch saka nagpunta sa kusina. Akala ko tatawagin nya si Nana pero pagbalik nya, isang tray na may dalawang tall glass ng orange juice ang dala nya. Kelan pa naging orange juice si Nana? Kei fine waley talaga.
"Where's Nana?" agad kong tanong kay Seven pagkalapag nya ng baso ng juice sa harap ko.
"Sleeping"
"What?? Then why are here? Let's go back" patayo na sana ko ng hawakan ako sa wrist ni Seven dahilan para mapaupo ulit ako. "Why?"
"Let's stay here. I want to rest my back than sitting" humiga sya sa couch na kinauupuan namin. Sa tangkad nya, nagexceed na yung paa nya sa armrest. Yung ulo nya, nasa tabi ko pero hoy hoy hindi nakapatong sa hita ko ano.
"You should go to your room and sleep, Seven. I'll go back"
"Stay here, Shan. Please"
Napabuntong hininga na lang ako habang nakatingin sa kanya. Tumango na lang ako. What to do eh ayaw nya nga makinig sakin. Parang batang gusto pa ata ipaghele bago matulog.
"What are you talking about?" after ng ilang minutong pananahimik, nagsalita si Seven.
"What do you mean?"
"What was Darwin telling you earlier?"
"Ahh. That" hindi ko na dinugtungan pa.
"Shan!" napaayos naman sya ng upo. I chuckled. He's always impatient as ever haha.
"Okay okay" with hands in the air pa as if in surrender. "Darwin's jealous with you"
"Because of Trish?"
"Yeah. Who else?"
"Then why was he holding your hands?"
"I said he's attractive and he got carried away"
"What?!" pakiramdam ko nung sumigaw sya, para akong nasa anime series na tinatangay ang buhok ko sa lakas ng sigaw nya. Oo nga.
"What's wrong with that? He's attractive right?"
"Why are you even asking me if a guy is attractive? No man will approve of that. Aish"
"Then why are you screaming as hell when I answered?"
"Because you said he's attractive" mababa ang boses na sabi nya.
"And?"
"But with me, you only said so far so good. Not better, not great nor even attractive"
My eyes grew wider then slowly gone amused with his face looking so down as if a boy who wants a toy so bad but didn't get it.
"Hahahahahahahaha"
"Not funny" my laugh turned into a pout.
"Are you trying to win a compliment from me?"
"You're the only woman I tried so hard to get a compliment from but end up failing always"
Humarap ako sideways para makita ng buo ang mukha nya. I stare at him for a full minute as if studying his whole features. It's amusing that a superstar who got complimented here and there is actually fishing for compliment from me. Sino ba naman ako diba?
"What?" hindi na nya nakatiis na tanong dahil nakatingin lang ako sa kanya. I pull both sides of his cheeks and I smiled.
"Don't you know that you're gorgeous, Mr. Missing Superstar? Actually to tell you honestly, you look like a character from a manga series. Flawless skin, chinky eyes that grew even smaller everytime you smile, your red hair suits you so well even if unstyled. You look so gorgeous that once in a while I felt insecure because you look so perfect, Seven"
"S-Shan..." nakita kong nasurprise sya sa mga sinabi ko pero hindi naalis ang ngiti ko. Umayos ako ng upo saka nagsip ng juice na mejo uminit na rin dahil kanina pa naserve.
"I have a bestfriend named Katy. She's really your die hard fan. In her room, there's a lot of posters, albums, pictures of you. You look stunning in a magazine and in those pictures. There's also picture frames of you on top of her grand piano which I love to play when I pay her a visit. And each time I play, I look at your picture wondering what kind of life you have even before I got to meet you"
I glance at him and his gaze is entirely focused on mine. I smiled habang pinagmamasdan ang bare face nya.
"But I like your face better than those pictures of you on Katy's. This one in front of me looks so real. Not that unreachable. Not...pretending"
Pretending. Ang galing kong magsalita when in fact ako nga tong isang pretender. A woman who hides who she really is. Nasa ganun akong pag-iisip ng magulat ako ng hatakin nya ang braso ko and the moment I realize what's happening, nalaman ko na lang na...
He's hugging me.