Cruel Summer

ika-4

The next day, I woke up early and I can feel the positive vibes within me. Si Lolo naman ay laging mas maagang gumising kesa sa akin. Naroroon na rin naman ang caregiver niya.

My breakfast for today is toasted bread filled with egg and cheese paired with milk. I was busy scrolling on Facebook when my friends, Seah and Lana, called me.

"Hey," sabi ko. Nagvideo call naman kaming tatlo.

"Hi!" Umalingawngaw na ang boses ni Seah. "Kamusta sis?"

"I'm good!" I said while chewing. "This country is so beautiful, I wish you could come here with me too!"

Tumayo naman ako at lumabas sa veranda para ipakita sa mga kaibigan ang magandang tanawin na nakikita mula sa apartment namin. They were amazed to see the view.

Konting oras pa at marami na rin ang.napagkuwentuhan naming tatlo. Life there in the Philippines, and about my life here in Netherlands. Puro tawanan lamang ang naganap sa ilang oras na magkakausap kami sa telepono.

Bumalik naman na sina Lolo mula sa labas kasama ang caregiver niya. I kept insisting on accompanying them downstairs pero sabi naman ni Lolo ay okay lang daw. Hindi ko na pinilit.

"Oh siya sige na I have to go," sabi ko sa dalawa. "Lolo's here na."

"Okay! Ingat kayo!" sabi ng dalawa tapos ay binaba na rin ang tawag. I finished my drink first before going inside the unit at hinarap sina Lolo.

"Remember what I told you the other day?" tanong ni Lolo sa akin. "The young man whom I like?"

My eyebrows furrowed, trying to remember that. After a few seconds, naalala ko naman at tumango na lamang. "Yes po. What's the matter?"

"I really want you to meet him, apo. He's a nice guy! He's actually living in the same apartment as ours. Wala ka namang nobyo, hindi ba? Bagay na bagay kayo!"

I just chuckled softly. "Lo, hindi ko kailangan ng boyfriend sa panahong ito. Kaya nga po ako nagpunta dito sa Netherlands mag-isa, para magkaroon ng oras para sa sarili ko."

"Hay nako, baka naman masobrahan ka sa paglalaan ng oras sa sarili mo, baka hindi ka na makapag asawa niyan."

"Grabe naman po 'yon," natatawa kong sinabi. Napatawa rin naman siya roon. "Hayaan niyo, darating din tayo sa point na 'yan."

Ako naman ang nagluto ng lunch namin ngayon. Adobo is my specialty and Lolo said it has been a long time since he tasted that kaya naman talagang ginawa kong espesyal ang niluto kong adobo para sa kaniya.

"This is very delicious!" patuloy naman ang pagpuri niya sa niluto ko. Inalok ko na rin ang caregiver na makikain kasama kami dahil gusto ko rin na matikman niya ang aking specialty. Pinay rin kasi siya.

"Thank you po," I said then smiled genuinely.

After eating, I did the chores. Wala rin naman kasi akong magawa at ayoko na rin ng makalat para nagkakaroon na ng peace of mind. Si Lolo naman ay nags-siesta dahil gawain na niya yon araw-araw.

Napag isipan ko namang tumugtog na lang ulit ng piano para magpalipas ng oras. Besides, gusto ko na rin na ibalik ang skills ko sa pagtugtog.

I played some songs and sang too. It felt so nice to play the piano lalo na kung talagang nakakarelate ang emosyong nararamdaman mo habang tumugtog nito.

After playing some songs, I stopped because I want to rest my fingers. I was expecting someone to play the piano from the other unit. Up until now, I still don't know whether it's a boy or girl.

When it's time for me to take out the garbage, I picked and gathered all the trashes and took it out. Paglabas ko naman, nakita ko na may nakadikit na ulit na sticky note sa pinto. I was excited to see the message.

"Improving. ;)"

I smiled. Tinanggal ko naman ang sticky note na iyon at nilagay na lamang sa bulsa ko at bumaba na para itapon ang basura.

Habang nasa baba naman ay may pamilyar na lalaking nakatayo at nagtatapon rin ng basura. When he looked at me, I then realized that it was the man who helped me noong nadapa ako nung isang umagang nagjog ako.

Bigla naman akong nabalot ng kahihiyan. He's really good-looking and I just can't stand the fact that he saw me trip that day.

He smiled at me and I smiled awkwardly too. Bigla namang may tumawag sa kaniya kaya hindi na siya nakapagsalita sa akin. Hindi na siya lumingon muli at dere-deretso na lang siyang naglakad papunta sa direksyon kung nasaan naroroon ang tumawag sa kaniya.

I glanced at the person who called him, and he was staring at me. Umiwas na lamang ako ng tingin at bualik na sa loob ng apartment.

Habang naglalakad naman ako pataas, I kept thinking about the person who puts sticky notes on the door. Who might it be?

May dala-dala naman akong sticky notes at ballpen kaya naman nagsulat na ako kaagad ng reply. I'm really curious of his personality and his identity.

"Thanks! Sorry to ask, M of F?"

Was that a bit off? Mukha namang nasa dating website e!

Hindi ko na inulit. Nilagay ko na lang ang sticky notes sa pinto at pumasok na sa unit. Gusto ko namang gumala sa ngayon. Nakakaurat na rin dito sa apartment e wala rin naman akong ginagawa.

Should I ask my neighbor to come with me travel?

Yes! Magkakaroon ka ng bagong kaibigan.

Nope. Hindi mo kilala. Baka mamaya kung ano pa ugali niya.

I sighed. Ano na ba gagawin ko?

Binuksan ko na lang ang pinto at nakita kong may note na ulit doon. When I read the message, bigla akong nabuhayan ng dugo nang makitang...

"M."

Lalaki pala e. Lalo tuloy akong kinilig dahil sa mga compliments na nakuha ko sa kaniya. Hay! I immediately wrote a reply to his message.

"Do you... want to come with me-"

Erase! Erase! Ano ba namang klase 'yan self? You're a decent woman, right? You wouldn't invite someone you haven't met... and you wouldn't do the first move!

Kaso pano naman ako maggagala dito sa bansa kung wala akong kasama? Hindi naman pwede si Tita Leah dahil may trabaho. Si Paul naman, may pasok pa. So saan ako lulugar?

I tried writing a reply.

"You free tomorrow? I'm planning to see the other places here.."

I waited for a couple of hours, and I'm slowly regretting the message that I wrote a while ago. I opened the door to check if there was a reply pero wala. I guess it's a no then. I'll just travel and go sight-seeing on my own tomorrow instead.

Kinabukasan naman, I woke up early para maghanda dahil ngayon ako gagala. Wala namang masama magtravel mag-isa, 'diba? Hindi lang ako ganoong kapamilyar sa lugar kaya mas maganda na may kasama ako sa pagpunta sa kung saan-saan.

When I opened the door, I got startled when a familiar man was standing in front of the door, holding a note. Ang ibig sabihin ba nito... ang lalaking nakilala ko dahil nadapa ako ay 'yong lalaking kinakakiligan ko?!

He got startled too when he saw me. Bihis na bihis siya ngayon. He noticed that I was looking at the note he was holding.

"So it's you," aniya. I don't even know how to react to that. I just smiled awkwardly and nodded at him.

"I think I didn't thank you properly last time," sabi ko. "T-Thank you."

He just smiled at me. "And we never got the chance to tell each other's names, so..." nilahad niya ang kamay niya. "Bryson."

Ngumiti naman ako at inabot ang kamay nito.

"Georgianna."