Beyond Her Abstraction

Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18
You Bother Me

Phthalo

"Yoohoo!" Lean screamed as he raises his left hand, leaving the other hand alone in the steering wheel. Pagkatapos no'n ay nilakasan niya ang volume ng speaker ng kaniyang sasakyan.

Now playing: Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns 'N Roses.

Humampas ang malakas ngunit malambot na hangin mula sa kanluran and it made the hair on my forehead got messy. Naibaba ko ang shades na suot-suot ko at inayos ang nagulo kong buhok.

"She's got a smile that it seems to me~ Reminds me of childhood memories~" wala sa tono nitong pagkanta. Pinalakas niya lang ang boses niya na parang sumisigaw. "What the heck! I love the guitar riff, bro," bulyaw niya at nakangising tumingin sa'kin.

I grinned widely and shook my head a little. Itinukod ko ang braso ko sa bintana ng convertible BMW niya na nakabukas ang bubong ngayon habang isinasabit ang glasses sa aking gray t-shirt.

Long road, green pastures, cogon grass, bright sun, mountain ranges, and the whining sound of car.

It is almost two in the afternoon. After travelling for hours from the city, we are finally here in the middle of the infamous zigzag road of Igtuble.

Without turning my head back, I shifted my sight at the back of the driver's seat to check if someone is still alive and breathing. My laugh slowly subsided when my eyes instilled into her figure.

There is a ghost of a smile in the girl's lip while looking at the mountain ranges at her side. It was not obvious that she is smiling. Nararamdaman ko lang dahil sa katamtamang pagsingkit ng mga mata niya na hindi gaanong nangyayari. She raised her hand in front of her face and using her palm, she slowly blocked the sunlight from the west. But the light was not fully blocked. The bright ambers passed through her fingers. The rays of the sun made a series of movements in between her fingers as the car ran further, making her face glow from one second to another.

Tipid akong napangiti.

I'm used to seeing her under the shades of dark but right at this moment, I saw her passing through the hues of yellow and light. Even in a short while, I can feel the difference of her mood and it made me happy. Happy for her.

Ibinawi ko ang tingin ko sa kaniya at muling pinirmi ang mga mata ko sa tanawing nasa harap ko nang may simpleng ngiti sa labi.

"Whoa, oh, whoa, oh. Sweet love of mine~" muling pagsabay ni Lean sa kanta. Kumuha pa siya ng lakas sa tiyan bago niya binitiwan ang huling lyrics as if it would make any difference. "Buti napasama ka, Rin! Akala ko aayaw ka," usal nito sa babaeng tahimik lang na nakaupo sa likod bago iniliko ang sasakyan. "Pinilit mo ba, Mauve?"

"Nah. Alizarin said yes voluntarily," the guy in white shirt and black cap sitting at the back of me replied.

"Hasa wanted it so much. Pinagbigyan ko na," saad ng babae sa malalim na boses.

Dahan-dahan ko siyang sinilip sa side mirror. Bigla ring dumako ang mga mata niya sa salaming sinusulyapan ko. Pumitik ang mga mata kong nagkunwaring tumitingin sa tanawin sa gilid. Damn, halos tumalbog palabas sa dibdib ko ang puso ko sa kaba.

"Uy, Rin. Sabi ko sa'yo 'wag mong sabihin, eh. Nakakahiya naman." Her cousin cried.

"There's nothing wrong about it, Has."

Lean laughed. "Luh, 'wag ka na mahiya, Has. Kaibigan namin si Alizarin kaya kaibigan ka na rin namin," banggit nito.

Tinapunan ko ng nagtatakang tingin sa gilid ko ang lalaking naka-hawaiian blue na polo. The freak really can't get over with beaches. He looked at me and his lips muttered "why" silently. Hindi ako nagsalita kaya bumalik na lang ang tingin niya sa daan.