When the Cold Fire Burns

Chapter 09

Chapter 09

Jimson

I don't know what I did to make Fierro so distant to me.

She never approached me, claiming she's not in the mood, but the day after that, she's still not looking at me. Fierro didn't even bother to greet me back. I only greet to her at school.

We were good as friends. I don't know what went wrong.

"Nakakunot na naman ang noo mo," Joseph said when I went inside the car when he fetched me in the afternoon.

I just sighed and relaxed my body on the seat, closing my eyes to take a short nap.

"Are you that stressed, Kuya?"

"Not really," I replied.

"I think it's just normal. Nasa ikaapat na taon ka na kaya siguro mas matindi na."

Yeah, but Fierro is also one of the reasons why I am that stressed. Masungit naman talaga siya at hindi palasalita, pero iba ang titig niya sa akin. I even preferred the stare she used to make—the one where I thought she would kill me in an instant.

But this kind of stare, it is different. It feels distant. It feels like I am a stranger to her. And I hate it.

Natawa nang mahina si Joseph. "I guess, you are worried about another thing."

I didn't answer and looked outside the window. A nap won't even visit me because Fierro's attitude kept on bothering me.

We were fine. I liked that about us. I liked this new-found connection with her.

"Are you familiar with mood swings?" I asked, still looking outside the window.

"Yep."

"Do you know it's a sign of mental illness?"

"Yes?" He laughed with uncertainty. "Pero bakit mo 'yan tinatanong sa akin?"

Could Fierro be having mental illness? It's impossible. She seems sane to me. Depressed kaya siya?

A lot of medical cases went inside my mind, trying to calculate if Fierro's attitude would match to any of it.

"Babae ba 'yan?" kuryusong tanong ni Joseph.

I was too shy to answer.

"Kasi kung tungkol 'yan sa babae, eh, pareho pala tayo na nagtataka."

I chuckled. "Women are..." I trailed off, not really sure how to describe them.

"Confusing?" dugtong niya.

"Yeah, and weird."

"And quizzical."

"And scary," dagdag ko.

He laughed. "What's with that anyways? You are in the medical field, panigurado na may explanation para diyan."

"Menstruation?" hindi sigurado kong sagot.

That is the only thing I could think of. Mood swings are normal for a person. It will just be serious if it happens within small periods but in many times. Or there is an abrupt change of mood you cannot fathom. It will be a mental illness. Bipolar, specifically.

But Winonah Fierro is not having mood swings. Nor she's bipolar (none that I've known of). She seemed distant from me for a reason.

"You remember when Mom would get weird when she was having her monthly menstruation?" ani Joseph.

"Yup."

"Do it really work that way?"

"Yes," I answered. "Menstruation is really disturbing for women. They will experience pain in every part of their body."