Chapter 3: Coffee Latte
Manang Fe greeted them with a wide smile as she open the gate. The old woman is happy that Naveen finally bring a friend. Bukod kasi kay Tasha, wala pang ibang sinasama sa bahay ang alaga niya.
Pagkapasok, dumiretso si Naveen sa kwarto niya kasunod si Spade. She's not comfortable being with him and she hates the idea that they'll be working together as partners.
"Partner, sobrang tahimik naman dito sa inyo." Spade broke the silence, roaming his eyes around her room.
Naveen want to thank Manang Fe for cleaning her room. Nakakahiya naman kasi kung makikita ng kaklase niya kung gaano ito kakalat kanina. And geez, ano bang pakialam niya sa iisipin ng kasama niya?
"Galit ka pa din ba partner? Kung gusto mo papalitan ko nalang yung laptop."
Naveen rolled her eyes. "Laptop is not the issue. May pambili ako kung gusto ko ng bago."
Nilapag niya sa isang tabi ang gamit niya at pumunta sa left side ng kwarto. Her study area. Sumunod naman sa kanya si Spade.
"Kung hindi laptop mo, ano ang issue?"
It's either he is too dumb to get her point or he just don't know the importance of keeping.
"Have you ever lost something you tried to keep for too long?"
Her question made him remove the cheerful mask he's been wearing the whole time. She's not sure if it is only her but there is a sudden change in his eyes.
Is he reminiscing or what?
"Those files that I lost were the files I kept for too long. Replacing my laptop won't bring them back, I hope you get my point." Naveen explained.
She started opening the folder and reading the instructions. Spade remained silent, maybe trying to absorb what she said.
"Mag meryenda muna kayo." Pumasok si Manang Fe sa loob dala ang juice at sandwiches.
"Sakto gutom nako!" Spade cheerfully said, wearing back his mask.
Kumain muna sila bago nagsimula. The instruction was quite easy. Naveen tried her best to act nicely, really. Mabilis nilang natapos yon, thanks to her writing skills.
She want to shoo Spade away from her room, she still hate him. He was roaming his eyes around, looking at the bookshelves, in the frame on top of her bedside table -- in the wholeness of her room.Then his eyes were fixed in the laptop placed on her bed.
"I have a friend, IT student yon saka magaling sa computer. Baka matulungan ka niya."
She don't want to believe him but there's a part of her telling that atleast once, magtiwala naman siya. Maybe that friend of him can really retrieve her files .. her manuscript.
One word escaped from her lips. "T-talaga?"
He nodded. Hinawakan niya ng mahigpit ang laptop niya habang naglalakad papunta sa garahe. Spade insisted to use his car, ayaw niya pa noong una pero pumayag din siya nang sabihing ihahatid siya nito pauwi.
Just this once. She said to herself.
Pumunta sila sa isang subdivision at tumigil sa tapat ng isang three-storey house. A familiar face greeted them as they went off the car. Yung lalaking nag-uwi kay Spade that night ay ang taong nasa harap nila ngayon.
"You must be his classmate, I'm Neo by the way."
They shook their hands, went inside the house and stay in lounge. Naiwan silang dalawa sa baba, nasa taas kasi si Neo at kasalukuyang chinecheck ang laptop niya.
"Mahilig ka pala magbasa," Spade spoke. Naveen just look at him with a hint of confusion. What's with the random topic? "Nakita ko kasi yung mga libro mo kanina. Anong favorite genre mo?"
She did not bother to respond. Bakit niya naman gustong malaman? Is he trying to be close to her? No way. Imposible. Maliban kay Tasha, wala ng nagtangka na makipagkaibigan sa kanya.
Napansin siguro ng kasama niya na wala siya sa mood makipagusap kaya hindi na ito muling nagtanong. Minute passed, bumaba na si Neo, nakapoker face ito kaya hindi nila alam kung good news ba o bad news ang dala nito.
"Maliit lang ang chance na maaayos pa ang laptop mo. Halos lahat ata ng kape ay don natapon. Anyways, bukas ko pa masasabi ang result," paliwanag ni Neo. Mukhang wala siyang idea na kaibigan niya ang nakatapon ng kape don.
She sighed. Hindi na siya umaasa. Sa liit ng chance na yon, mukhang imposible na maayos pa ang laptop niya. Buti nalang at hindi siya gaanong nag expect. Buti nalang. Pero still, umasa pa din siya.
Sumakay na sila sa sasakyan at gaya ng sinabi kanina ni Spade ay ihahatid niya nito pauwi. He started driving as he turned the music on.
"Sorry partner, mukhang nadisappoint ka sa sinabi ng kaibigan ko." Spade said. He always broke the silence. "Anong klaseng files ba yon, baka pwedeng idownload ko nalang o kaya palitan ko ng kapareho non."
Even if she hates this guy, she still appreciate his effort. But none of his suggestion can bring back her manuscript. She look outside the window, the pinkish sky are slowly turning dark.
"You don't have to," she finally spoke.
Tiningnan siya ni Spade para kumpirmahin ang narinig niya. Kanina niya pa kasi ito kinakausap pero ngayon niya lang ulit narinig na nagsalita.
"Pero yung files mo .. you kept those. Hindi ko nasagot yung tanong mo kanina pero oo, I lost something, mali pala -- I lost someone. Someone really important to me." He chuckled under his breath. "Isn't it ironic how we lose something in the process of keeping them?"
For the second time, he removed his mask and she saw it again. His eyes. Those sad and empty eyes.
"Kaya gusto ko ibalik ang nawala sayo, alam ko din kasi ang pakiramdam ng mawalan."
Silence. Naveen want to say a word but she don't how to start. Should she comfort him? No. She's not good on that thing saka hindi naman sila close para gawin niya yon.
"Novel." Naveen, for the first time, broke the silence. She thought that maybe he deserves to know. "It was just a novel."
His eyes widened, maybe shocked by what he heard. "Novel? Pero paano ka nagkaroon ng softcopy? Hindi kayaa -- plagiarism yan!"
She wonder how he managed to switch his mood easily. Daig niya pa ang mood swing ng isang babae. In just a sec, he's back to his cheerful and bubbly self.
"It was my novel." she said, emphasizing the word 'my'.
She felt relief by saying those words. It was the second time she told someone about that thing. First is Tasha, second is this guy.
His eyes opened wider, more shocked by what she said. "Seryoso?"
"Hindi, nagbibiro lang ako."
It was supposed to be a joke pero lalo lang nanlaki ang mata ng kausap niya. It's either wala itong sense of humor o masyado lang siyang korni.
"Marunong ka pala mag joke?"
Naveen hold her breath, stopping herself to murder the guy beside her. Car accident sounds good, right?
"Kidding aside, writer ka pala." sabi nito kalaunan. "Sorry sa novel mo partner, mukhang mahihirapan akong palitan yon."
Naveen let out a sighed. Kahit naman siya, mahihirapan na palitan yon. Kailangan niya bumalik sa umpisa at magsimulang magsulat ulit.
"Sinabi ko na sa'yo kanina, you don't have to."
"Pero ---" Spade still want to argue pero nakarating na sila sa tapat ng bahay ni Naveen.
"Anyways, romance ang favorite genre ko."
Bumaba na siya sa sasakyan at pumasok sa loob ng bahay. Her mom, sitting on the sofa while watching her favorite drama turn gaze on her. She felt awkward. And oh, nakauniform pa din pala siya.
"Sino ang kasama mo?" Her voice never failed to give shiver down to her spine. "Hindi mo naman siguro iniwan ang sasakyan mo para magpahatid sa kanya."
"Ay ma'am, kaklase niya po yon. Galing sila dito kanina saka mukha namang mabait ---" Manang Fe tried to defend her but she failed.
This is why she like the old woman, lagi siya nitong pinagtatakpan at pinagtatanggol sa nanay niya.
"Si Naveen ang kinakausap ko." Her mom said, tiningnan niya saglit ang matanda bago binalik ang tingin sa anak niya. "Tell me who's that guy."
Naveen looked away, she can't stand to look at her mom straight in the eye even for a second. Why would she tell her? Bakit kailangan niya ipaliwanag sa nanay niya ang lahat? For pete sake, she's already eighteen yet still treated like a kid.
"He is just .. a friend," Naveen said in her weak voice. Despite of all the thoughts she have in mind, its still her mom and she don't have the courage to talkback.
And hell, kailan niya pa naging kaibigan ang taong yon?
"Okay. Just make sure that the friend of yours won't do such ridiculous thing to affect your study. Or else, alam mo na ang mangyayari."
Or else she would do anything, in all means, to remove the stumbling block crossing her path. Gaya ng ginawa niya sa iba. Gaya ng palagi niyang ginagawa kapag may taong napapalapit sa kanya.
Patakbo siyang pumunta sa kwarto niya at siniguradong nakalock ang pinto bago niya binagsak ang sarili sa kama. Tears escape from her eyes, she can't stop herself from crying.
Naalala niya ang mga kaibigan niya na nawala dahil nakita ng parents niya na hindi sila magandang influence para sa kanya. Naalala niya lahat. At sa lahat ng kaibigan niya, si Tasha lang ang nanatili. She is a brave and confident girl. Hindi siya natatakot sa mga sinabi ng parents niya. She is always there whenever she needs help and comfort.
Naveen opened her phone and dialed her number, agad naman itong sinagot ng kaibigan niya.
"Hello sis! T-teka, umiiyak ka na naman ba?" Tasha worriedly asked. Naveen told what happened. "Gusto sana kita puntahan ngayon kaso banned pa din ata ako diyan sa lugar niyo."
Yes. Her parents went that far. Madalas kasi noon si Tasha sa kanila and then they find out that she was influencing her to drink liquor. The rest is history.
The phone call ended after an hour or two. She's done crying and somehow she felt such a sense of relief after talking to her only friend.
The next day, same old routine. Manang Fe wake her up and made some breakfast. Maaga siya nagayos at maaga din siya pumasok. Bago umalis, she made sure na dala niya ang activity na ginawa nila kahapon.
Pagkarating, dumiretso siya sa facaulty at nilapag sa table ni Professor Eudora ang folder. She sighed with relief as she went out the room. If the rest of her day might go bad atleast something good happened to her.
Dahil masyado pang maaga, naisipan niyang umupo muna sa bench sa labas. As she find a vacant seat, she bring out a book and started reading. Dahil sira ang laptop niya at hindi pa siya makakapagsulat, aabalahin niya nalang muna ang sarili niya sa pagbabasa.
"Oh, look at her, may gana pa na pumasok matapos ang nangyari kahapon."
"Kung ako sa kanya, mahihiya ako na magpakita dito."
"Right. Masyadong malakas ang loob porke madaming connection ang pamilya."
She don't know if they are murmuring or they are purposely want Naveen heard everything. Nakaupo sa kabilang bench ang grupo ng mga babae, her classmate.
"Kaya walang nakikipagkaibigan diyan e."
Naveen wants to pretend that she did not heard anything. Ayaw niya ng gulo. But those words are triggering her. Sino sila para husgahan ang social life niya?
Tumayo siya at hinarap ang mga kaklase niya na halatang nagulat sa ginawa niya. They don't have any idea how hard to be in her place. She can't even have a friend and here they are, criticising her as if she is the worst person in the world.
Bago pa siya makapagsalita ay inakbayan na siya nang isang pamilyar na tao.
"Hi girls! May problema ba kayo sa partner ko?" kalmadong tanong ni Spade. Tiningnan niya ito pero binigyan lang siya nito ng makisama-ka-na-lang look.
Her classmate shook their heads like a seven year old kid being scolded. Naveen rolled her eyes in disgust. Kinuha niya na ang gamit niya at naglakad paalis.
"Here." Inabot ni Spade ang isang cup. "Dumaan ako sa Dion Café at ang sabi, yan daw ang usual drink mo."
Naveen tried to hide the smile creeping on her lips but she failed. It was her favorite drink. Coffee Latte.
"Thank you."