SHACKLED

SHACKLED 7

I was still blown out sa mga nangyayari. Pagkauwi ko ay tumawag si tita na gising na daw si papa. Nag-pumilit pa akong mag-punta doon pero pinigilan na ako ni tita dahil gabi na daw.

Nakahiga na ako ngayon at iniisip padin yung kanina. Familiar siya, saan ko ba siya nakita?

Shet alam kona! Siya ata yun. Yung lalaking para sa'kin. Chena.

Takte, kakakilala pa lang namin. Pakiramdam ko tuloy ang rupok ko na, ang harot ko pa. Juscolourd.

Napahagikgik ako dahil sa iniisip ko kaso bigla naman nag-ring ang phone ko. Unknown number siya.

Hindi ko sana sasagutin pero naalala kong baka si Travis 'to dahil sinabi niya kaninang bago kami mag-hiwalay ay tatawagan niya ako.

Nag-taka pa ako kung paano niya ko tatawagan, binigay pala ni Ben number ko sakaniya.

I cleared my throat before answering the call.

"Hello." I said in a very casual tone. [Hey.] At hindi nga ako nag-kamali it's him. Travis, the loml. Chareng.

"Nakauwi kana?" tanong ko sakaniya. [Oo, how 'bout you?] he said. Ang sarap naman sa ears ng speaking voice nito sa phone. "Oum, pero naiwan ata sa hospital diwa ko." I said. [Haha. Don't worry. He'll be fine.] he said.

"Ba't pala napatawag ka?" tanong ko. [I just wanna ask if you're free on weekends.]

Luh. Date yarn? "Bakit?" tanong ko ulit. [Gusto mong gumala? Kain gano'n?] he answered. "Pilitin mo muna ako," I jokingly said. [Hahaha.] Pati tawa niya ang gwapo dzai.

[Paano?] tanong niya naman. "Chena lang, 'to naman. Anong oras ba?"
[Lunch. I'll pick you up.]

Oo na alam ko. Isa akong dakilang pokpok. Opportunity na 'to. Karapatdapat lang na i-grab.

"Sige. Saan naman?" tanong ko. [Secret. Pero sure ako magugustuhan mo 'yun.] he answered and I can sense that he's smiling.

"Oh siya, matutulog na 'ko," I said dahil nay gagawin pa pala ako. [Sige. See you around. Good night,] he said before I ended the call.

---
I woke up with the sound of my phone. It's ringing nonstop and when I checked it, it's tita Dolor.

4 days had passed after that call. My father's still in the hospital with my aunt, and my mom is still nowhere to be found.

Travis and I hang out a lot specially during lunch break in our school with George and Ben.

I can't say we're already comfortable with each other but, we're close. I guess.

Speaking of him, today is the day. It's a good morning Saturday.

I answered the call.

"Hello po, tita? Good morning!" I said in my just woke up voice. [Hija, pwede bang pakibuksan mo muna 'yung shop? Malilate kasi si Mabel e.] she said.

The shop she's referring is her flower shop, La Corales de Mayo. We named it after my grandmother. My mom, tita Dolor, and my lola has a thing with flowers that's why after coming back from Japan, my aunt build the shop.

Mabel naman is our trusted store keeper. Ever since nag-bukas 'yung shop siya na ang nag-babantay.

5 minutes walk lang 'yung shop from our house at madalas din akong mag-punta do'n kapag wala akong pasok.

"Sige po, tita." I said. [Sige, alam mo naman na kung ano ang bubuksan at gagawin diba?] Paalala niya bago ako babaan dahil dumating na ang doctor ni papa.

I immediately left my bed to wash my face and brush my teeth. I'm still wearing my black oversized shirt and grey pajama when I left our home.

Hindi na ko mag-papalit dahil sayang ang damit. Char. Tinamad lang talaga ako. No worries din dahil inamoy ko sarili ko bago lumabas. Sinama ko rin 'yung alagang chowchow ni papa.