Trapped In Love

Chapter Three

"Can I sit here for a while? Kung okay lang sayo?" maingat siyang nagsalita na para bang tinitimbang niya ang ekspresyon ko.

"Of course. Paalis narin naman ako." sambit ko at nag-ayos ng sling bag ko. We're fine now, but I still felt the awkwardness between us. Maybe because we haven't seen each other for a year, i guess.

"Do you have plans today?"

Umiling naman ako at nag-ambang tumayo na ng magsalita ulit siya.

"Pwede ba tayong mag-usap? I just want to talk about the misunderstanding between us in the past. I want you to hear my side."

Nag-isip muna ako bago tumango. Maybe this is the right time for us to talk to each other. Ayokong tumagal pa ang hindi namin pagkakaunawaan noon.

Umayos ako ng upo habang kinuha niya sa counter ang order niya.

"What do you want us to talk about?" agad ko na siyang tinanong.

Tumikhim naman siya at binalingan ang pagkain niya.

"Can I eat first? Then we'll talk after..." kumunot naman ang noo ko dahil matatagalan pa yata ako dito. "I just got back from Bataan this morning. This is my first heavy meal today." tuloy niya.

Nakonsenya naman ako dahil alam ko na mukha na akong iritado sa harap niya. Hindi ko naman akalain na ngayon muli kaming magkikita, wala man lang warning ang tadhana.

Bago pa ako makasagot ay nagsimula na siyang kumain sa harap ko. Napasinghap ako at luminga sa paligid namin.

"Wala kang kasama?" tanong ko.

"Wala, umalis na si Martin pagkatapos niya akong sunduin kanina. How about you? Uh... where's Arthur?"

"Hindi ko rin kasama ngayon." sagot ko naman.

Tumango naman siya. "Konti lang inorder mo ah? Do you want me to order food again?" He tried to keep the conversation going.

Agad naman akong umiling. "No, I'm fine. Busog na ako."

I can't help to think about our past.
Ganitong-ganito din siya nung una, nung una nga lang. After months of being together, he changed. 

Pinagmasdan ko siya habang abala siyang kumakain. He changed. The bad boy image is now gone... His hair cut is clean and he's wearing white polo shirt which I've never seen him wear it before. Kung hindi kulay black ang kanyang damit, kulay gray naman ito dati.

Binaling ko nalang ang atensyon ko sa phone para hindi na muling tumitig sakanya.

I saw Arthur's text, 30 minutes ago. He's asking me if I'm home already. Alam ko na inaalala na naman niya ako. I replied to him saying that I'm still in McDo.

Hindi naman siya kaagad nagreply, siguro ay abala siya sa pag-aalaga kay Sandra. Ibinaba ko nalang ang phone ko dahil wala naman na akong ibang magawa doon.

"I'm just here for an errand. One week... Then I'll go back to Bataan." pagkwe-kwento niya.

"You're gonna live there for good? What about your parents?" kuryoso kong tanong. I'm pretty close with his parents before, not until it happened.

"Yes, my parents won't mind. Alam mo naman si mama, gustong gusto dito sa Tarlac. And I came to love Bataan more... I'll still visit here if I have something important to do." ngumiti siya. I saw contentment in his eyes. He finally found the place he belonged to.

"Nakita ko nga pala si Tita noong nakaraang linggo. She didn't see me though, but I can see that she looks healthy and more happy now. Dahil siguro lumipat ka na sa malayo?" I laughed.