HAJ & SETCH (COMPLETED)

XVIII

“Setchie! How are you? I missed you so much!” Aemie said. 2 months ago, she went back to canada.

“I miss you, too. It's been months since the last time we party together right?” I reminded her.

“Yah trueee. I miss partying with you. Pero I know dili ako ang mas na miss nimo” Aemie smirk. She knows what happened between me and Haj.

Nag chika ming duha about our days. Pila pud mi ka adlaw walay communication kay usahay busy sya. And that's normal, with or without communication, friend gihapon mi. As long as you won't forget who your friends are.

After having small talks with Aemie, nag babay na sya kay naa pa daw syay buhaton.

I put down my phone and suddenly missed everything.

It was February 22, 2022 when Haj left.
Tapos 3 months later, si Aemie napud. She have to go back kay pila sya ka months diria imbis nga weeks ra unta.
Both of them left for their fam and businesses. Then ako, nahabilin ra diri kay naa man akong fam dirí.

Then, 5 months already passed. That means 5 months napud nga wala na si Haj aria sa amoa. He left to Connecticut with kuya Kaj.

Sulod sa lima ka bulan, daghan na ang nahitabo. Daghan na ang nabag'o but, the promise is still there.

I promised to wait for him and that promise is already blooming. I waited for the seeds to become flowers.

“Hello lilies” bati nako sa akong mga gitanom 5 months ago.

Naa ko diri ron sa loti. Sa lima ka bulan nga milabay, everyday kong gaanhi diri. I take good care of my plants.

Remember the seeds that Haj gave me? I actually don't know what the seeds are, but not until july came.

The stunning pink lilies' grew in flower yard. And those are the seeds. Lily are known to bloom in the month if july

I stared at the flowers. “Because of these flowers, I can still feel the presence of the person who gave this to me. The feeling of comfort and safety.” I uttered.

Ambot bitaw. I can't explain it pero whenever I feel lonely, I'd just visit this place. Because this place became my comfort the moment Haj left.

Siguro iyaha ning gi blessingan akong garden. chr

“Haj..” wala sa buot nga tawag nakos iyang ngalan.

Actually wala mi comunicación sukad atong nilakaw sya. As in text, calls, emails, or letter man lang, wala jud. Pero maghuwat ko niya, I trust him. As long as these lilies would keep on blooming.

“Lima na ka bulan ate” kalit rag sulpot si pia.

Nilingi ko niya then ni smile.

“Lima na ka bulan since gi tanom ni nimo ate diba? They're so beautiful” ana pa siya.

“That's a rare pink lilies” proud nga sulti nako.

Namilog ang mata ni Pia. “Really ate? Bantog ra gwapa kaayo. They bloom different from the others”

Naka smile kong naminaw kang Pia. Like me, grabe pud sya mo appreciate ug bulak. Sya gani una nakakita nga ni bloom ning mga lily, kadtong first week sa july. And mas excited pa sya nako.

“Ate,”

“Yes?”

“Lately, I've been thinking about this.. char english”

Nangatawa mis iyang gi ingon.

“Sa unsa man?” I asked, ready maminaw.

She pouted. “Sukad atong nag tanom ka ani,” tudlo niya sa lily. “Wala na lage ko kita kay kuya Haj?”

I smiled. Bisan kas'a ra sila nagka storya ni Haj, she can still remember him.

Unsa nalang ko nga gi iloveyou'han. Basi biskan magka amnesia ko, mahinumdoman gihapon nako ang iloveyoutoo ni Haj.

“Ateeeeeeee? Hellooooo naa pakoy ka storya?” Pia snapped.

Wala ko ka bantay nga nag tulala na diay ko.

Nitan'aw ko niya. “Sorry, ni fly akong thoughts sa imong gipangutana. Unsa gani to?”

“About kuya Haj”

I breath deeply. “Si Haj? He left”

Ni pout si Pia. “Why man ate? I thought bodyguard nimo sya, why'd he left you?”

Nanakla ko. “Family reason.  But specifically reason, I really don't know.”

“When will he come back?”

We have the same question.

I shrugged. “Mao pud na akong pangutana.”

Pia looked so sad. Affected guro syang wala nas Haj.

Mi tingog syag kalit while ga pout. “Unta mag dala syag chocolate pag balik niya.”

Ay wow?
Agik abi kog unsa gyoy naka guol aning bataa.

“Hoy bata!” Pietro shouted from outside my house.

“Bye ate. Samokan jud nis kuya” dagan ni Pia padung sa iyang kuya.

Wala gyoy scene namo ni Pia nga dili mo singit si Pietro. Nakapang lingo nalang ko.

Later on that day, niuli na pud kos amoa. Hapon na kong ni uli kay nag tambay ko kauban ang mga bulak.

Plantita yarn?

“Setch sweetie, where have you been? We have visitors”

Naa mis sala ron. There are two people here that are not familiar to me.

“This is Mrs. Amira Ramos and Mr. Kajar Ramos. Our business partners” paila ila ni mama sa mga bisita.

“Hello darling. You're indeed beautiful. You're Setch, right?”

Nakig shake hands ko nila. The one who asked me was Mrs. Ramos

“Opo. How'd you know po?” I politely asked.

“Oh about that. Your parents already introduced you to me. And the same thing happened to my son. He introduced you to me, he even wont stop talking about you” hinhin niyang sulti dala bungisngis.

Her son?

“Here's your drinks, everyone.” a familiar voice joined us.

“Thank you, son” Mrs. Ramos said.

Confused kong ni lingi. Nailisan ug shock akong confusion.

“Kuya Kaj?” my jaw dropped.

Murag mihunong kadali akong kalibutan.

So sya ang anak nila Mr. and Mrs. Ramos?
That means....

“Haj isn't here yet. Wala sya nisabay sa amoa. I wonder where he is” Kuya Kaj winked at me.Si kuya Kaj jud diay.

So the visitors that are my parents business partners are kuya Kaj's parents.

Kaj and Haj are brothers.

Haj..

That means,

He's back! Haj is back.