Fleeting Moments

Special Chapter 03

#HHFM Special Chapter 03:

Sorry

* * *

FRANKIE

"Hindi ako bumili nito," sabi ko kaagad kay Cali nang ilapag niya ang isang balot ng kutsinta sa tabi ng plato ko. She made a face before sitting across me and pulling her plate of pansit closer to her.

"Parang 'di mo alam kung kanino galing 'yan a," she replied before shaking her head.

Cali's extra grumpy this morning; she has been since yesterday. Hindi nga kami nag-iimikan sa apartment mula kahapon dahil masama ang timpla niya. Ako naman, wala sa mood dahil magkaaway kami ni Ryo.

I let Cali stay cranky instead of asking her why she's in such a bad mood. Kahit noong isang araw nga ay nasungitan niya si Ryo. Earlier this morning, ang sabi lang niya sa akin ay, "Ayaw ko nang magka-crush." Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit niya biglang sinabi iyon, o kung may kinalaman ba iyon sa masamang mood niya, pero tumango na lang ako.

Binalik ko ang tingin sa kutsinta. There's a yellow sticky note placed on the plastic wrap. Bukod sa salitang 'Sorry', na halatang-halata ko naman kung kaninong penmanship, tinadtad na iyon ng parentheses ng napakahabang sad face na ginawa niya na sumakop sa buong papel.

I glanced at Cali and saw her frowning at Ryo's note.

"Galit ka ba kay Ryo?" tanong ko. Hindi ko kasi alam kung nagkapikunan ba sila o ano. As much as possible, ayaw kong nag-aaway sila. Pero minsan, hindi nauubusan ng pang-asar si Ryo at napipikon itong isa, kaya hindi maiwasan.

Cali's frown deepened. "Hindi. Nabi-bitter lang ako. Magbati na kasi kayo."

It was my turn to frown.

I'm not really mad at Ryo. I'm just purposely ignoring him so he would learn his lesson.

A few days ago, I received a call from Tita. It was almost midnight. If I weren't working on a group paper, baka nga hindi ko nasagot ang tawag niya. Hinahanap niya sa akin si Ryo, na sigurado naman akong hindi ko kasama dahil wala naman kaming planong pupunta siya sa apartment.

Tita was so worried that it made me worry, too. To make it worse, Ryo wasn't answering my calls. Nakailang tawag ako bago siya sumagot, at saka ko lang nalaman na tinatago lang pala siya ni Theo sa kanila. It turned out that he had a row with Tita, so he chose to stay at Theo's free place for a few days. He's been staying there for three days, at ang alam pala ni Tita ay kasama ko lang si Ryo kaya hindi siya nag-aalala noong una.

Tita was asking him to go home and he refused, kaya tumawag na sa akin para kumbinsihin si Ryo na umuwi dahil akala niya'y magkasama kami.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang pinagtalunan nila, but I got a hint that it's about a missed dinner date or something. Parehas pa naman silang dramatic. Hindi man aminin ni Ryo, I know that he can be as dramatic as his mother sometimes. May nalalaman pa siyang palayas-layas ng bahay.

Ryo went home after that, pero hindi ko siya pinansin. Dinawit niya pa kasi ang pangalan ko sa pagsisinungaling sa mommy niya. Maybe he knew that Tita would somehow let him off the hook if he would use me as an excuse.

"Mauuna na ako, okay lang?" I asked Cali after we finished eating. May babalikan pa kasi siya. I want to catch up on sleep so I want to go home already.

She nodded, taking her stuff with her one by one. "Oo. At magbati na rin kayo ni lover boy."

Inilingan ko lang siya. Kinawayan ko siya bago maunang maglakad pauwi.