Where Do Broken Hearts Go?

1 5

"Kararating ko lang sa Changi Airport. Hinihintay ko pa 'yong sinabi ni ate na susundo sa 'kin."

I roamed my eyes around the airport. Hindi naman sa inaasahan kong darating agad ang sinasabi ni ate na susundo sa 'kin. I just want to make sure if he's here. I glanced back at Dillion who's just staring at me. Napasimangot ako nang tumawa siya.

"What?" I frowned. He shook his head before clearing his throat, suppressing a smile.

"How's your flight? Did everything go well? Rest when you reach your sister's unit." He smiled.

"Yeah. Wala rin naman akong gagawin dito ngayon. I am not yet familiar with the places even though I searched the map already," I told him as I fixed my hair.

"Nakatira kami sa Bedok. South, Xilin Avenue," he suddenly said. "But I guess, my parents already sold that house."

"Hmm." Binaba ko muna ang cellphone ko sa maleta saka inayos ang pagkakasintas ng sapatos ko. "I don't know where exactly my sister is but as far as I can remember, she's living somewhere in Kim Chuan." Muli kong kinuha ang cellphone ko.

"Can I call again?" he asked.

"Hapon lang ako available." Sinukbit ko na ang duffle bag ko saka napagdesisyunang sa labas na lang maghintay. "Just call me whenever you need something."

He smiled before nodding his head. I ended the call immediately when I saw a man approaching. Siya malamang ang sinasabi ni ate na susundo sa 'kin sa airport.

"Sorry. Am I late? Did I make you wait that long?" He smiled while he fixed his hair.

"Not really. Thank you for picking me up," I said and flashed a polite smile. Nagsimula na akong maglakad habang siya naman, kinuha 'yong maleta na naiwan ko. He followed me from behind. Nilibot ko ang paningin ko sa labas. Tamang-tama ang dating ko dahil maganda ang sikat ng araw.

"I am Aeron, by the way. Your sister's... uhm, boyfriend." I saw the awkwardness in his face when he stated those words. I nodded my head. Hindi sa wala akong pake-alam. It's just that, I trust my sister's decision in picking men. "I can accompany you whenever you like to tour around."

"I'll tell you when I like to. For now, I just want to sleep." I entered the backseat when I reached the car. He, on the other hand, put all my luggage in the compartment. "How's my sister?"

"Ah, she's on our condo. I told her to rest because she's tiring herself from work. That's bad for her health." He started the engine the moment he entered his vehicle. Muli akong tumango at sumandal na lang sa upuan. Kampante na ako na nasa maayos na kalagayan si ate.

I was just silent the whole ride. Nakikita ko ring tinitingnan ako ni Aeron sa rearview mirror. I also played some music to ease my boredom. Nag-download pa ako ng games dahil ang tagal ng biyahe.

"Are you okay at the back? We can stop over if you want to eat something. I'll just tell your sister that we're coming a little later." I pursed my lips to think.

"No. Continue. I'll just eat when we reached the condo," I said. He nodded his head again. Mas pinokus pa niya ang sarili sa pagda-drive.

I closed my eyes to sleep. Parang matagal pa naman bago kami makarating sa kung saan man 'yon kaya mas mabuting matulog na lang ako. Hindi rin kasi ako masyadong nakatulog kagabi dahil sa pag-uusap namin ni Dillion.

These past few days, I realized that I shouldn't waste time. That if you love someone, you will tell it before it's too late. Natatakot akong kapag umamin ako, mawawala siya sa tabi ko nang tuluyan pero mas natatakot akong kapag hindi ako umamin, mapupunta siya sa iba, without even having the chance to hear me.

I sighed. Everything is terrifying. All the choices send fear within me.

"We're here."

Agad akong napamulat nang magsalita si Aeron. Agad akong tumingin sa labas at nakitang nasa parking lot kami. Bumaba ako ng sasakyan niya at ako na ang kumuha ng gamit ko sa compartment. Pero syempre, hindi niya ako hinayaan. Kinuha niya ang bitbit kong duffle bag at siya ang nagbitbit.

"It's on the third floor. You can use the elevator. Room 201."

"Where are you going?" I asked him.

"I'm just going to buy some groceries. We're out of stock. I forgot to buy when I fetch you." He gave me an apologetic smile. He tapped my shoulder when I nodded at him.

Bitbit ang mga gamit ko, pinasok ko ang building. Hinarang pa ako ng guard kaya kinailangan kong tawagan si ate para makapasok ako. Mabuti na lang at hindi na pumalag ang guard at pinapasok na ako. I don't like waiting on the lobby.

When I reached the third floor, I immediately looked for my sister's room number.

"Two hundred and one - finally."

I blew a breath before knocking three times. I frowned when I received no response. This time, I knocked louder.

"Dongsaeng!"

"What the fuck?"

I was shocked when she welcomed me with a tight hug. I heard her giggle before letting me go. Tiningnan niya ako mula ulo hanggang paa.

"Why are you this lively? And what's dongsaeng?" I asked her as I entered the unit.

"Wala lang. Masama ba mang-welcome? And dongsaeng means little brother in Korea."

Korea na naman. Puro na lang siya Korea.

"Kumain ka na? Wala pa akong naluluto. Nasa'n na si Aeron? Nasa kaniya 'yong pera pambili ng groceries. Na-out of stock kami." Umupo ako sa sofa na nakita ko. I miss her kakulitan. Tumabi naman siya sa 'kin.

"Umalis ulit siya. Nakalimutan niya raw bumili kanina no'ng sinundo niya ako," I said.

"Aish, kahit kailan talaga, napaka-makalimutin. Excited kasi mas'yadong makita ka." She laughed.

Umalis siya saglit para magtimpla raw ng kape ko. Magkape raw muna ako kasi wala pang pagkain. I didn't refuse, though. I let her do the things. Ganito na talaga siya sa 'ming magkakapatid sa simula pa lang. She's the type of sister that you'll always wished to have.

Hindi na rin naman kami masyadong nakapag-usap dahil nagpaalam akong magpapahinga muna. Sinabihan niya lang ako na gumising before dinner. Mabuti na lang at dalawa ang kuwarto rito. Malamang ay magkahiwalay sila ng boyfriend niya ng room until they decided to just sleep together.

Ang ayos ng kwarto ko. From the grey comforter, white bedsheets, and moss-green pillows. The curtains were also grey giving me the cold vibes. The bookshelf and study table were also fixed beside my bed.

Agad kong ipinahinga ang katawan ko sa higaan. As I stared at the white ceiling, I felt the tiredness enveloped my body. Later on, I just found myself dozing off to sleep.

I was awakened by the beep from my phone. Kahit inaantok pa ay tiningnan ko kung sino ito. Maggagabi na din pala. I scratched my head before clicking the answer option.

"Hello?" I asked in a sleepy voice.

"Did I wake you up?" Nanlaki ang mata ko nang makilala ang boses na 'yon. I even checked if I was just dreaming but I am not. Narinig ko naman ang mahina niyang pagtawa sa kabilang linya.

"W-Why did you call?" After a moment of silence, I managed to compose myself. Narinig ko naman ang pagbuntong hininga niya.

"I miss you already."