Chapter Thirty
"My Silence Will Tell You"
Daniel Rouge Gustilyo's Point of View
It was around 5 in the afternoon nang hinanap ko si Theo sa loob ng bahay dahil may ibibigay akong notes para sa kaniya. Simula kasi nang naging abala ito sa pagsama kay Lolo nakakaligtaan na nito ang mga lessons kaya ako nalang mismo ang paminsan nagte-take down notes para sa kaniya.
Even though our school is a technology based institute, 'di parin maiwasan na ipapasulat kami sa papel ano. Ang notes kasi na'to parang output na mismo sa kada year.
Pumasok ako sa loob ng kwarto nito na 'di man lang kumatok, he's okay with it afterall.
When I entered his room, I noticed that he was busy with some random works for the company siguro kaya 'di niya ako nakita nang lumapit ako sa kaniya. Abala itong nakatingin sa kaniyang laptop habang umiinom ng Yakult. Nakita naman niya akong lumapit sa kaniya kaya tinanong niya ako, "Any problem?"
"Your notes?" I asked him, trying to compose myself dahil baka matunaw na naman ako sa titig niyang 'yan. Kainis kasi paminsan si Theo. May titig na parang gusto kang tunawin. Ugh.
Bigla niya sigurong naalala na pinapasulat niya ako ng notes niya, kaya tinaasan lang nito ako ng kilay atsaka kinuha ang mga dala kong papel para sa kaniya.
Umupo naman ako para pagmasdan siyang abala sa pagta-type. He was wearing shorts and a white shirt with his usual glasses. Ang gwapo niya tingnan kahit naka pambahay. Nakita ko itong linapag ang iniinom na Yakult sa kaniyang desk.
He must be obsessed with that drink, kaya napatanong ako out of curiousity. "Ba't ang hilig mo sa Yakult?"
Lumingon naman ito sa akin atsaka binaling ulit ang atensyon sa screen ng kaniyang laptop. "It's an alternative to milk, I'm lactose intolerant." He answered whilst typing.
'Di na ako sumagot pa sa kaniya at tumango na lamang. Linibot ko lang ang paningin ko sa kwarto niya. It was pretty well lit dahil malalaking glass ang nakapalibot sa kwarto nito kaya madaling makapasok ang sinag ng araw. At mas lalong naging maliwanag ang kwarto dahil sa sinag ng papalubog na araw.
"Hey," lumingon ito sa akin. "Do you want to see something?"
"If it's something about you, 'wag na." I retorted as I wave my hand in front of him but he gave me a glare so I opted for a "Bakit ano ba 'yan?" Instead.
"There's this cool hangout sa taas. Ngayon ko lang nakita." He was so giddy while telling me about it.
"Where?" I nonchalantly asked him.
"Tara." Bigla nito akong hinila papalabas ng kwarto niya at pumunta kami malapit sa kusina. He slid the glass door that leads to the swimming pool on the backyard — kung sa'n makikita mo ang mga bukid sa likod. Bigla naman nitong hinila ang isang hagdan na nakakabit sa bubong ng bahay, he pulled it down para maka-akyat kami sa taas.
"Is this safe?"
"They wouldn't be putting a staircase and a passageway upstairs kung hindi ito safe." He retorted and offered me his hand. Agad ko naman itong hinawakan at unakyar na ako ng hagdan.
Nang nasa taas na kami ng flat na bubong ay labis akong namangha sa ganda ng view sa harap ng bahay. You can see some part of the city, then suddenly it just occurred to me that our house is actually located on the hillside of the city.
I literally gasped.
This view just feels so nice to look at because you can almost see everything. Umupo si Theo sa cemented na bubong at sumunod naman ako sa kaniya.
The view was mesmerizing, you can see busy cars running down the main street at gusto nang makauwi. Maliwanag din sa part ng main street dahil nasasanagan ito ng papalubog na araw, it just feels so nice to look at people and how busy they are once in a while. All the crowded street, people walking around the area, talking and laughing and minding their own business.
It makes me feel like I'm part of them too. That I am not alone.
And that also, Theo is here with me too.
Napatingin naman ako sa kaniya. He was staring at them too. He was smiling.
"What are you thinking?" Bigla kong tanong sa kaniya. He just seems to be so happy.
"Ang mga tao 'dun." Nginuso niya ang mga taong nagtatawanan na nakatayo at naghihintay ng mga taxi sa isang kalye. "They don't look like they have any problems. But I know their life is hard din naman." He added.
"Were you analyzing them?" He nodded.
"Sometimes, you have to look at different perspectives and put yourself in other people's shoes." He added at tinuro ang isang matandang babae na may dalang grocery na nagkakaundagaga sa pagdadala nito.
"She just came out of the grocery store." He explained. "She was helpless dahil walang may tumutulong sa kaniya. I feel sorry for her, kasi I'm just looking at her up from here."
"But look someone's going to help her." Sagot ko naman sa kaniya na kinangiti niya. May lumapit kasi sa matandang babae na isang batang babae at tinulungan ito na makatawid sa daan at makahanap ng taxi na masasakyan.
"Paminsan gusto ko maging ibon, kasi 'di ka lang malaya, kitang-kita mo pa ang mga tao mula sa taas. Trying to tell their story by trying to understand and looking at their perspectives." nakangiti nitong sinabi.
"Why are you like this all of a sudden?" Nagtataka kong tanong sa kaniya.
Why is Theo Marco being philosophical all of a sudden?
"Because you still don't know about my story." He answered, nabigla naman ako sa sinabi niya sa akin.
"That's why I want to know you more." Isinandal ko ang ulo ko sa braso nito. He placed his arms on my shoulder atsaka pinalapit ako sa kaniya. "So tell me more about you." I added. I took a deep breath atsaka tinuro ang marka sa paa niya. "If you don't mind me asking, saan nanggaling 'yan?"
He became silent.
'Di ko na ito pinilit pa. I want to respect his privacy.
But still, his silence was really something. It just feels like Theo has this loud silence he's carrying with him. But I can't seem to hold at parang ang hirap intindihin.
He suddenly speak up. "My silence will tell you more about me Dan."
And that made me more confused.
© 061820
AN
I have a quick survey lang, ate you guys in favour of having a book two for this or gusto niyo na diretso nalang yung kwento? (Pero parang impossible kasi na mamerge ko kaagad siya in one book eh — probably this book will have up to 70+ chapters) don't worry di ito bitin haha