"BACK TO ONE"
Keila's POV
It's been over a week since our date. Ang date na hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan. Parang cycle lang. Umiikot lang ang nangyayari. Minsan nga habang nagtatrabaho ako ay hindi ko namamalayang nakangiti na pala ako. Masisita lang ako ng mga co-workers ko at aasarin. Tulad ngayon.
"Masaya na naman ang dalagitang ito oh.", sabi ni ate Shella. Co-worker ko, 7 years older than I am.
"In love na talaga iyan. Nangingiti mag-isa oh. Ayaw naman kasi magpakwento kung ano ang nangyayari sa lablayp nya.", parinig kuno ng isa ko pang co-worker na si Galey, 5 years older than I am. Ako yata ang bunso sa section namin.
"Kayo naman, ang dami niyong comment sa akin ha. Lagi na lang.", angal ko sa kanila.
"Eh kasi yung itsura mo, super odd. Like ano na ba status niyo?", tanong sakin ng isang itinuturing kong kuya dito sa trabaho ko, si kuya Ryan.
"Wala. Don't mind me.", honestly.... sige magkekwento nalang ako.
FLASHBACK
Iginala ko ang tingin ko. There are fireflies everywhere which made the atmosphere romantic. Matamang nakatingin si Kean sa akin. Tila nalulunod naman ako sa tingin niya at di ko magawang umiwas.
"Keila, months have passed since nang makilala kita. And I somehow feel this strange connection na mukhang meron tayo. Hindi ko alam kung ano but I am so sure that I've fallen in love with you the moment I saw you. Please, be my girlfriend."
I was totally caught off guard by the question. I didn't get to fully understand the question. Nanatili siyang nakaluhod habang unti-unting namumula at parang kinakabahan sa magiging sagot ko. Nanatili lang akong nakatingin ng blangko sa kaniya. Oh my God. Handa na ba ako? Tama ba 'tong gagawin ko?
"Ano..", anticipation was visibly written on his face. "Pwedeng manligaw ka muna?", mejo natigilan naman siya at napakurap. Ang cute nya. Napatawa naman siya.
"Uhm... I don't really know how to do that but i'll do my best.", then he smiled at me widely. He opened his arms wide open and the next thing you know, I was already engulfed in his arms... where I felt safe the most.
END OF FLASHBACK
So yeah! Nanliligaw siya sa akin for a week now and I can totally see how much he treasures me, how much he likes me, how much he really wants me to be his. But I also see how much he tries to be patient with me. He always sends flowers and chocolates to me, sa bahay. Lagi nga rin akong inaasar sa bahay. My brother is fine with it. He seems to be getting along with him. He never held grudge against him. Just that, he is still worried about Kean's parents who we never know when they could just barge in our house.
"Haynako girl, ba't kasi may ligawan process pa? Umo-o ka nalang sana agad at naging girlfriend niya.", tanong ng isang co-worker ko na si Nadine.
"May kailangan akong siguraduhin eh. Don't worry, we never know, baka mapaaga ang sagot ko diba? I won't make him suffer. I just want to know something.", with that, all of them just nodded and went back to their work. I, too, did the same thing. Lagi akong napapatingin sa cellphone ko because my lockscreen is too adorable. Yung mag-ama pa rin ang nasa lockscreen. Feeling ko naman, asawa ko si Kean. It's a good thing that he doesn't try to check my phone. I always have my phone hidden whenever I'm with him. Mahirap ng makita niya iyon. Di pa ako handang magsabi sa kaniya.
*bzzt bzzt
From: Your dearest suitor ♥
OY MIND YOU ALL! DI AKO NAG-SAVE NG PANGALAN NIYANG GANIYAN. SIYA NAG-SAVE NIYAN PARA DAW KUNG MAY MAGTANGKA NA LIGAWAN AKO EH MALALAMAN NA WALA NA SILANG PAG-ASA. Hahaha he's too cute seriously.
'Hi beautiful. I hope you have a wonderful day. I'll pick you up after work, okay? Take care. ^^'
I felt an intense wave of stare from around me so I looked up and saw how my co-workers are smirking and glancing my way like I'm so popular. Lol joke. Gosh. These people. Haha! "What?", was all I could utter.
"Ayieeee! In love talaga siya oh. Sagutin na kasi!", pangaasar ng karamihan. Napailing nalang ako and turned my attention back to his message. I unconsciously smiled and that got the people around me go crazy.
"Awwwwww.", was what I mostly heard. Then I even heard someone say "she's so happy.", "she gotta be feeling lucky with the dude.", "true happiness". 'True happiness?', I thought. Hindi ko pa alam. We never know what could happen in the future. But anyways why bother diba? I should just go on with the flow.
~~~
Lunch time
"Keila, tara sabay na tayong mag-lunch.", nagulat naman akong makita si ate sa may section namin. She rarely comes down from her office. Minsan nga hindi na din siya nakakapag-lunch sa dami ng paperworks niya.
"Sure, ate. I'll go get my bag.", tumango naman siya at nagmadali naman akong kunin ang gamit ko. Ate is a very busy person kaya naman kung magkaroon man siya ng time na kumain, eh magmamadali pa rin siya kasi for sure, nagkakaroon na naman ng panibagong piles of paperworks sa table niya. It's a good thing that she doesn't lose composure of herself and she takes care well of herself, too. She may be really busy pero hindi siya yung lulunurin ang sarili sa trabaho.
Humiwalay muna kami sa officemates ko and went to the private canteen where only people with authority, in this company, eat. Hindi naman sa pinaghihiwalay pero para lang magkaroon ng sariling space ang mga super busy people, just like ate Mariella. Para mabilis sa kanila ang kumilos after nilang kumain and get back to work easily and smoothly.
"So, how's everything with you and Kean? I see how he makes so much efforts.", nangingiting komento ni ate. I couldn't hide my smile, either.
"Okay naman ate. It's like going back to how we actually started. What he told me before reminded me of how he first asked me out talaga.", it's true. Bago pa man ang lahat, noong gusto niya akong maging girlfriend niya, ni-request kong manligaw muna siya. And he answered the same thing he did a week ago. 'I don't really know how to do that but i'll do my best.' That's why, it's like we're going back to how he was in the beginning.
"Back to start na naman kayo. Make sure this time, maging perpekto na lahat. Pag umepal ang magulang niya, mapapatulan ko na sila.", napailing ako at hinawakan ang kamay ni ate.
"Ate. Pabayaan mo na ang mga magulang niya. In fact, I really want to patch things up with them. Ang dami kong gustong sabihin sa kanila. I just don't know how pero kailangan kong unahin ang nararamdaman nila. Para na rin iyon sa posibilidad na baka makatulong na magbago ang impresyon nila sa akin.", napapikit ng marahan si ate at huminga ng malalim.
"Alam mo, Keila. Sa mundo ng mga adultong katulad ko at ng magulang ni Kean, patching things up is not easy. Nasa early adulthood ka palang, sweety. Kapag hindi sila naki-cooperate, I won't hold back. Papatulan ko talaga sila.", mariing sabi ni ate. Bakas sa mata niya ang galit, pag-aalala at awa. "My break time is over. I should head back to my office."
"I'll just head to the other cafeteria and meet my co-workers.", paalam ko naman sa kaniya.
"Well, then. See you around sister.", and with that she left. Naiintindihan ko naman na ganoon ang magiging reaksyon niya towards Kean's parents. Pero hindi na kami nabubuhay sa nakaraan. We have to try patching things up and try working things out para magkasundo na ang lahat. Pero kailangan ko rin na ihanda ang sarili ko ng mas maaga bago magkrus muli ang landas namin.
~~~
Uwian ko na ngayon. Thank goodness, no overtime. Kean said he's going to arrive in 5 minutes. And right now, I can already see his car approaching my spot. As he parked in front of the building, he got out and went up to me. He kissed me in my cheeks, which I don't really mind, and took my bag from me.
"You must be tired and I'm pretty sure you would want to unwind somewhere for awhile to ease your mind.", these same words... are once again uttered by this same guy. Kean... are you sure that your memories are not back yet? I shook my head to erase the troubling question. He uttered the same words long time ago, it's been years. Ganiyan din ang sinabi niya sakin one time na kailangan kong mag-stay sa school ng matagal dahil sa isang overtime kong klase. Alam niyang pagod ako mentally and so...
He would always bring me HERE. In a mini playground. Kids' laughter echo everywhere. Tiny bubbles are everywhere, yung nagbebenta ng ice cream eh everywhere din. And what he would always buy for me is...
"Here. Cotton candy. Bubblegum flavor. I hope you like it.", I'm starting to really get suspicious. How did he know all these? This playground, my favorite flavor of cotton candy? What else? Napabuntong-hininga nalang ako at mukhang napansin naman ako ni Kean. "Is anything wrong?", worried niyang tanong sakin.
"W-wala. Don't mind me. Thank you for.... bringing me here.", he just smiled at me and ate his own cotton candy.
We basically talked about random things. He laughs a lot now. When we were going out in high school, he seemed to be the very serious type but had fun every once in awhile. Even so, I got along with him pretty well. We went to a mall nearby the park and went to buy some neccessities and also, he went to buy a pair of bloody red stilettos for if ever may occassion daw eh iyon daw ang isuot ko. We, again, ate at a pastry shop and were mostly quiet but from time to time, he'd ask questions or I'd ask him questions. Basically, like getting to know each other even better.
6:41pm
Naihatid na ako ni Kean pero hindi pa siya umuuwi. My brother, his wife and my sister always talk to him when they have the chance to. And it's good how he tries to be approachable towards my family.
Nandito na kami sa may labas. Hanggang dito ko lang naman siya maihahatid eh.
"You should get back. Baka malamigan ka.", pagaalala niya sakin. Umiling ako.
"You go. I'll stay until you leave.", ngumiti naman siya sa akin. He leaned down only to kiss me by my nose. Dug dug dug dug. Buset kinabahan ako doon ha. Nagulat ako nang higitin niya ako at yakapin.
"Hay~ Kaya ko pang magtiis. Hehe! I hope I'm doing the right thing sa ligawan process na 'to.", naiiyak ako. I know I am so dramatic pero kasi... everything reminded me of how he did this to me, too, longtime ago. I hugged him back, tightly. "Keila? Are you okay?", tumango ako pero hindi ako kumakalas sa yakap. Ayokong makita niyang nagluluha ang mga mata ko. I managed to calm myself and so after that humiwalay na ako. Nginitian niya nalang ako and I did the same and with that, he turned to his car and left.
Agad agad naman akong pumasok ng bahay. Papasok na sana ako nang kwarto nang madaanan ko ang kapatid kong seryosong nakatingin sa kawalan habang umiinom ng gatas.
"Kuya.", tawag ko sa kaniya na nilingunan naman niya. Nilapitan ko naman siya at yumakap sa kaniya. Ever since my parents died, kuya ko ang tumayong magulang para sa akin. Sa kaniya rin ako pinaka-close. Close din ako kay ate, pero parang may gap between us and I don't even know why. "Bakit gising ka pa?"
"I just couldn't sleep.", may iniisip 'to. Ganito siya palagi pag hindi makatulog. He's thinking of who-knows-what.
"Ano'ng iniisip mo?", he looked at me, surprised. "Kilala kita. When you are not able to sleep, you're thinking of something."
"Nothing serious, sis. Iniisip ko lang kung... paano kung biglang magpakita ang mga magulang ni Kean. Iniisip ko kung ano ang magiging reaksyon nila kapag nakita ka nila o makita kayong magkasama.", he's worried. But he worries too much.
"Kuya. I'm a big girl now. I may be soft-looking on the outside but you never know in the inside.", napatawa naman ng mahina ang kapatid ko.
"I wonder, palaban ka na yata sis.", napatawa nalang kami ng mahina. Inakbayan nalang ako ni kuya at hinalikan sa ulo. "I'll protect you sis. That's what a kuya should do.", tumango nalang ako.
===
{FIN... OF THIS CHAPTER ^_^}