Hinahanap - Hanap Ko Siya

Chapter 13

Continuation - Flashback Mid 2014:

Sarah was still nursing her bitten forearm. Kala mo kinagat lang ng aso. Yun pala ni Bamboo, hahaha. Ngayun lang niya naramdaman yung sakit, actually. O nagsisintimiyento lang ba siya? Admittedly, di naman yun lang ang nagiisang pagkakataon na ginawa sa kaniya iyon ng pilyong lalaking yun. May mga ilang beses narin. At lagi siya nako - caught off guard, kung kaya't di siya nakaka - react agad para sawayin ito. So dapat ba masanay na siya?

'Ang harot talaga non!', sabi niya sa sarili.

Nagbaliktanaw siya sa nangyari nuong kauumpisa palamang ng taong iyon. May duet silang prod number sa Asap, as usual. Kinanta nila ang Say Something na song, na para bang taylorfit sa kalagayan nilang dalawa nun, gawa ng pinagdaraanan nila sa gitna ng pagamin sa kaniya ni Bamboo ng nararamdaman nito para sa kaniya.

She was wearing a white tube - dress that came all the way down to her feet with hair extensions that curled on her right shoulder.

Sa backstage ay nakita na niya si Bamboo na nagiintay. When she came near him, he smiled briefly at di sila nagimikan habang hinihintay ang cue nilang pumasok sa stage.

Nakatalikod siya kay Bamboo ngunit ramdam niyang nakatitig ito sa kaniya. She belatedly realized na tube style nga pala yung dress niya, kaya malamang kitang kita ang back niya na exposed since yung hair extension na ipinagamit sa kaniya ay naka side - swept and curled sa may right shoulder niya. She was already covered in goosebumps even before she felt or rather, sensed him stepped closer to her.

She felt him ran the tip of his nose from her nape, to the top of her spine, to her left shoulder and then to her right.

She was holding her breath all the while, pero di siya umiimik.

Then Bamboo spread his warm hands on either of her shoulder blades and then gripped her forearms to turn her around to face him.

She flinched a little at the contact. Kase para siyang natutunaw sa init ng mga palad ni Bamboo.

And his eyes. The moment na humarap siya dito, she saw his eyes smoldering with heat. Not a trace of smile on his face, either. She couldn't look away. She could hear her heart beat furiously, as if wanting to jump out of her body.

Her lips trembled as he slid his hot palms from her forearms down to her clenched fists, unclenched them effortlessly, and placed her soft hands against his chest, where could she feel his heart beating rapidly.

She noticed his adam's apple working while he inhaled through his flaring nostrils, his mouth set in line, his smoldering eyes never leaving hers.

They remained like that for a few seconds more until they heard their names being called.

Kaya nuong lumabas sila ng stage, ay punong puno ng wild emotions si Sarah. Di niya maintindihan ang sarili. Kinakabahan siya na parang hindi mapakali. Good thing at nagamit niya yun sa pagkanta.

"Sars", biglang narinig niyang tawag sa kaniya ni Ana, "ayos na mga gamit, tara na ba?"

Nagising siya bigla. Di niya namalayan na ang tagal pala niyang namumuni - muni habang hawak hawak parin niya ang brasong kinagatan ni Bamboo.

"O, masakit ba yan?", tanong ni Ana. "Gusto mo lagyan ng yello or what?"

Natawa naman siya dun sa suggestion ni Ana. "Di na kailangan te", sagot niya ng may ngiti.

"Waaahhh!", biglang tili nama ni Ana out of nowhere. "Di parin ako maka - get over sa nangyari kanina! Nakakakilig si Sir B!"

"Luh! Nu nakakakilig dun, te?", tanong naman ni Sarah. "Kinagat nga ko, eh!"

"Nanggigil nga sayo! Ayiieeee!", tukso ni Ana sa kaniya, na kinikilg kilig pa.

Outside the building, Pancho and Bamboo were getting ready to drive off to another commitment.

"Anu yun, brad?", pangungulit ni Pancho. "Wag mong sabihin sakin na ngayon mo lang ginawa yun! Kase ang lakas ng loob mo!"

"Edi hindi", nakangiting sagot naman ni Bamboo dito.

"Bambs, umamin ka nga", sabi ni Pancho, "yung totoo ha, may namagitan na ba sa inyo ni Sarah?"

"Huh? Waddaya mean?", tanong ni Bamboo.

"Alam mo ibig kong sabihin", sagot ni Panco.

"Wala, pare", sabi ni Bamboo, "I swear. Haha. Kung pwede nga lang, eh... Bakit hindi. Ang kaso wala talaga, eh"

"Haynaku", sambit ni Pancho, "kitang kita kase sa mga mata niniyong dalawa, eh. Halata naman na gusto ninyo isa't isa."

"Talaga? Kita sa kaniya?", napatanong si Bamboo.

"Eh, otherwise hindi naman siya papayag na kagatin mo siya, no", sagot ni Pancho.

'So, she must still have some feelings for me. She's obviously affected', nangingiting sabi ni Bamboo sa sarili. He vowed to make it even more harder for her to resist him. 'Cool ka lang, man', he told himself, 'just play it cool. Mapapasakin ka rin, Serah'.

He recalled a sad time for him a little earlier in that year, when had to do a one - man duet of the song Find You. It was supposed to be their duet, but Sarah called in sick that time. He wasn't sure if she was just avoiding him. And while he was performing the song, ibinus niya lahat ng emosyon niya nuong araw na iyon. He hoped na Sarah was able to watch his performance. Kase para naman talaga sa kaniya iyon.

Another sad recollection was during the blind auditions for TVOP Kids, where a little girl auditionee commented on Sarah's looks. Blooming daw si Sarah, sabi nung bata. And Lea, unbeknownst to the goings on between her co - coaches, even teased Sarah na baka kaya blooming ay dahil sa bagong love life niya. Tapos meron pa yung time na pinangako ni Lea na siya ang kakanta sa kasal nila Sarah at Matteo, during the blind audition naman of a little boy na kumakanta sa weddings, birthdays and burials. Another time was when another little girl auditionee was getting some advise from Lea na wag muna magseryoso sa mga crushes and love life dahil bata pa ito, at nakuha pa niyang idamay si Sarah na may love life narin kase. That hurt. Really. He knows that Lea didn't have a clue as to what's goin on between them, so he really cannot blame her for being happy for Sarah now that Sarah's open in having a relationship, unlike before. After all, isa si Lea sa matatalik na kaibigan ng dalaga na masugid na nagpapayo dito na maging more independent because of her age. Pero  masakit parin. Knowing na may nagpapasaya sa kaniyang iba. Kung meron man, dapat siya iyun eh, si Bamboo.