Hushed Lullabies

XL

[Narration]

Isla's P.O.V.

8:21 p.m.

“Dinner’s ready!”

Ryo snickered at Eli. “Wow, bakla, parang ikaw nagluto ah.”

“Wow ka rin, bakla,” Saglit na natigilan para mag-isip si Eli. “Wow lang.”

Nangibabaw ang tawa ni Mist. Magkatabi si Mist, Haru, at Alej sa sofa ngayon, nag-aagawan sa remote ng T.V. Si Mist, gustong magpatugtog sa Spotify, habang ang boyfriend nitong si Haru, nakipagsanib puwersa kay Alej para asarin si Mist. They failed though, masyadong maganda ang mood ngayon ni Mist para maasar.

Ryo and Eli, on the other hand, was on the kitchen with us. Hindi naman namin kailangan ni Evie ng tagatikim, pero sabi nila, kailangan namin sila.

Yung dalawang hindi nabanggit, nag-uusap ng masinsinan sa may pinto banda. They were talking for quite a while now. Nakatayo lang talaga sila. Hindi ba sila nangangalay? Ngumiwi ako.

“Kuha lang ako serving spoons,” Evie removed her apron. “Sakto na spoon and fork?

“Oo.” I nodded at Evie. Nginuso ko ang cabinet kung saan ang serving spoons. “Dyan, E. Lima siguro.”

“Hmm.” Umiling si Evie. “Six.”

Kumunot ang noo ko. I mentally counted the dishes. Tinola, sinigang na hipon, porkchop, and the kare-kare Mama left. Kanin pa. Five.

“Bakit six?”

Umusog si Evie papunta sa akin. Nagtatakang sinundan ko siya ng tingin. She slyly smiled. “EJ volunteered to wash the plates.”

I was too stunned to speak. Sa huli, malakas akong tumawa. Tumawa rin si Evie bago bumalik sa kaniyang puwesto kanina.

“Hoy, Evie! I heard that! Traydor!”

Tinanggal ko ang apron ko pagkatapos iserve ang sinigang na hipon. Magaan kong pinunasan gamit ang likod ng palad ang noo. Ngayon lang ako pinawisan, mula pa kanina. Usually, I sweat too much when cooking.

Hindi na ata natahimik ang paligid. Not that I’m complaining. For some reason, I liked it. My friends bickering with each other, the sound of utensils, their laughters.

I don’t feel like thirty. At 16, I imagined that when I’m 30, I’d be a hardworking nurse, and a mother. A wife. I imagined running around the corners, playing with my kids. At 30, I imagined going home, with my husband who fetched me from work. None happened at all.

Kasi hindi naman lahat ng inaasahan natin, dadating. Hindi lahat ng plinano natin, mangyayari. Kapag nasa kasalukuyan ka na, at na-realize mong lagpas na sa deadline ang plano mo, makokontento ka na lang na nandito ka pa, buhay at bumabangon. You witnessed how your colleagues and friends get married, settle, have kids, and be successful on their careers, while you’re still alone, and that’s okay. Everyone made different decisions, and we have taken different paths. We have our own little world that revolved around different sun; despite that, we would look up to the same galaxy, the same skies at the end of the day. That is where we understand each other.

But I liked this version of thirty more than what I have imagined. Mature. Fun. Together.

“Smells amazing.”

Tinago ko ang pagkagulat ko. Habang hawak ng isa kong kamay paitaas ang buhok ko dahil wala akong tali, sumilip si Azriel sa balikat ko. Our distance was safe but I could still feel his warmth faintly.

Puwedeng bang umusog kaunti?

“Hmm?”

Naramdaman ko ang pagharap sa akin ni Azriel. Nararamdaman ko na rin ang paghinga niya sa pisngi ko. God, hindi niya ba alam ang safe-distance?