With You

Chapter 4: Chill

I woke up to the sheer pain slicing through my whole body. My brain was pounding against my skull and I couldn't move my body without feeling sore. I slowly opened my eyes and was shocked by the unfamiliarity of the room I'm in. Napabalingkwas ako nang tayo at sinipat ng maigi ang kwartong kinalalagyan ko. I was lying in a sofa inside a well-lit living room, judging by the amount of sunlight seeping through the windows, it was almost noon. Mukhang wala namang nagsamantala sakin dahil nakabihis pa rin ako.

Based on the style and decoration of the room, sigurado akong babae ang may-ari nang bahay and I'm sure that this is the first time I've been here. Nakita ko ang cellphone ko sa center table malapit sa sofa and I checked it right away. I was right, alas onse na ng tanghali, and the first message I saw was the schedule for our practices sent by our new team manager.

While staring at my phone I noticed bandages on my hand so, I checked my other hand and they're also present there. Both my knuckles were covered with that mesh cloth bandage taped around its corners and there was a sky-blue band-aid covering the base of my left ring finger. I sat up and was about to stand but then the pain in my head surfaced again kaya napaupo uli ako at napapikit.

"Eto, kumain ka muna tapos inumin mo ito." I heard someone say so I opened my eyes. A girl with long brown hair, messily tied into a bun placed a tray with a bowl, glass of water and a blister of what I think is pain reliever on the center table. I smiled unconsciously with the thought of someone actually caring for me, but my smile turned sour when I recognized who she is.

"Ikaw?" halos pasigaw ko na tanong but she wasn't fazed at all.

"Pwede ba, wag kang sumigaw dyan at kumain ka na lang nang makabalik ka na agad sa kung san lupalop ka galing." She replied to me nonchalantly.

"Ayoko nga. Baka lasunin mo pa ko." sabi ko sa kanya.

"Alam mo kung gusto kitang patayin edi sana kagabi ko pa ginawa dun sa playground. Kung ayaw mo edi wag. Hindi naman kita pipilitin. Free na free kang umalis dito at umuwi na sainyo. Nagmamagandang loob lang ako. Yung motor mo asa labas, sa may garahe, hindi nakalock ang gate kaya pwedeng pwede mong kunin. Wag mo lang kakalimutan na may training mamaya, four thirty sharp." Tuloy tuloy niya na sabi sakin at naglakad na palayo leaving me.

"Phro." I turned and called out to her. Napatigil naman siya at nilingon ako with "What?" written all over her face.

"Wala wala. Nevermind." Sabi ko na lang at tumalikod na sa kanya. Narinig ko ang yabag niya paakyat nang hagdanan at tsaka ko lang kinuha ang laman ng tray at nagsimula nang kumain. It was a warm creamy soup na may kasama pang garlic bread. Unang subo ko pa lang and I already felt the warmth of it envelop me. After I finished, kinuha ko ang gamot at ininum na din ito. Dinala ko ang mga kinainan ko at hinanap ang kusina. I was easy to find because of the lay-out of the house. Hinugasan ko ang mga nagamit kong pinggan bago ako tuluyang umalis nang bahay niya.

I went straight to my room pagkadating na pagkadating ko sa bahay. It looks like my sorry excuse for a dad really didn't come home. I guess that's a good thing. I laid down on my bed trying to relax but the memories last night still kept popping in my mind.

I immediately went to the cemetery right after training, it was my mom's fifth death anniversary, but I still miss her every day. I sped off through the streets enjoying the rush and adrenaline that riding has given me right after she passed.

"Hi Ma, kamusta ka naman? Ako? Eto, just the usual. We have a new team manager, sana lang hindi kasing clumsy and frail ng mga nakaraang manager namin. She seems feisty pero hindi ko sure, baka sa umpisa lang yun ganun. Been staying out of trouble lately, mukhang kahit naman anong gawin ko, walang pake sakin si dad." I said as I wipe off a few stray tears from my eyes.