Just the Ticket

Chapter 18

Chapter 18 #jttwbs

Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyari. Basta ang alam ko lang... matagal kong hindi nakausap o nakita si Fern mula noong gabing iyon sa Robinsons.

I went back inside the mall with Kiel. His idea of us ditching our groupmates because he wanted to call it a day just incoherently floated in my head. Gustong-gusto ko na rin namang matapos kami kaso iba iyong ikinabahala ko.

Sapilitang nirentahan ni Fern ang isipan ko hanggang makauwi. He was cold back there. Nainis ba siya? Na sinayang ko ang oras nila ni Caelan? Pero... hindi naman kasi ako nagpasundo at sila lang ang nagkusa, 'di ba? Nagsabi naman ako na may iba akong lakad?

Gusto ko sana siyang i-text kaya lang kinakabahan ako na baka nainis nga siya sa akin. I feel like I couldn't bear it if Fern would feel something negative about me.

Until... Nine days. It's already been nine days of his fragrance not assaulting my nose, of his voice not bombarding my ears, of his physique not striking my sight.

Hindi naman kami laging magkasama lalo at sa iba na rin siya nag-aaral. Pero nagkakausap naman kami sa text at chat. Disturbingly, within the nine days I mentioned, our cords were fully ripped apart.

I grew fond of their circle, especially him. No denying in that. Kaya ngayon, hindi ako mapakali katititig sa inaamag naming usapan sa Facebook habang pinapapak ang watermelon jam na galing sa kanila.

Frensha's sweet voice telling me that it's her Kuya Fern who said that I like watermelon surged in my head. I wasn't aware he knows because I don't remember sharing that fact to him.

Ang malapit na hula ko lang ay nang nag-share ako ng Facebook post na may nakalagay na i-share iyon kung paborito ang watermelon na nasa picture. I remember he particularly liked that shared post.

I shoved a half-spoon of the jam then I propped my chin on our sala's center table. I let the jam melt over my tongue as I watched the blinking cursor on our chat box. I guessed if it was signaling me to chat him or it's a warning of otherwise.

"Aba, Erisette, tama na 'yan, ha? Magkaka-tonsil ka niyan."

Napatingin ako kay Mamala na nakayukong nagwawalis sa paligid ko. I made sure to rub my fingers on the trackpad just so the screen wouldn't shut down.

"But I really have a tonsil, Mamala. Ikaw rin po, may tonsil."

Her forehead crinkled in full objection and stopped sweeping just to face me. "Hindi naman ako mahilig sa matatamis, ano. Pa'no namang magkaka-tonsil ako... Ikaw lang 'yon at panay matamis ka!"

Napanguso na lang ako nang panoorin siyang sugurin ang kusina upang doon naman maglinis. Pero... talinong-talino na ako sa sarili ko niyan! Pinunto lang iyon ng Science teacher namin dati at nagmarka sa akin.

I blinked my eyes upon directing it back to my laptop's screen. Sinipsip ko ang kutsara at tinakluban ang jam kasabay ng malalim na paghinga. Kinarga ko ang laptop at dinala sa paglipat ko sa sofa mula sa sahig.

Fern was still online. Pero wala siyang chat sa akin. Bumuntong hininga ulit ako. I pressed on the keys, letting my mighty will to take control.

Iova Erisette Veraño:
Nakakalahati ko na yung watermelon jam ni Ford. Masarap naman :)

It's approximately after five minutes when he turned offline without reading my message. I even reloaded the website to make sure that he really did logout, and he did.

Napakurap-kurap ako. Maybe... it's just my timing? Iyon nga lang siguro.

Dismayado akong tumulala sandali hanggang sa naisipan na ring mag-logout. Kaso baka mag-online ulit si Fern... Pinili ko na lang sa huli ang mag-scroll sa Facebook habang nag-aabang at upang libangin na rin ang sarili.