Craving

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Deretso kay Addie ang punta ni Diesel pagkatapos niyang mag-shower. Addie chuckles as he lies face down on her chest. She smacks him lightly on the arm as he playfully bites her boob through her shirt with his lips.

"Sa'n si Bub?" Diesel asks, arms sneaking around Addie's waist. He's heavy, but Addie doesn't complain about having his full weight over her. She just hopes he doesn't fall asleep in this position because her legs would go numb in no time. And then she would feel bad about having to wake him up just because of that.

"Nagba-bike pa sa ibaba," Addie answers. "Papasok naman 'yon 'pag pagod na." Hindi naman magtatagal si Nadia sa ibaba, sigurado siya. Diesel just picked her up from school. Maya-maya lang, dadaing na 'yon ng gutom at pagod. O baka tabihan muna nito si Yanyan na mahimbing ang tulog sa trunk bed habang naghihintay ng dinner.

"Okay. Ikaw? Magaling ka na ba talaga?"

Addie nods, humming. She busies her hands with his damp hair, twirling strands between her fingers. "Pero sa Monday pa ako papasok."

"Okay. Hatid kita," Diesel says. Addie had to take a leave from work because of over-fatigue. Sininat pa ito noong mga nakaraang araw. Diesel couldn't focus at work because of that, at siyempre ay mas napagod siya. He's taking care of three girls all at once, four if he includes his nagging mother. "And stop overworking."

"Wow, nagsalita ang isa ring pasaway," Addie says with a laugh. She lightly flicks his ear. "Matulog ka muna. Minsan ka na nga lang maagang umuwi."

"May gagawin pa nga ako e," Diesel grumbles. He holds Addie tighter and closes his eyes. Handa nang matulog ang katawan niya pero hindi naman siya patutulugin ng isip niya hangga't alam niyang may urgent siyang gawain. He shifts his head on her chest, pressing his cheek right above where he can feel her heartbeat best. "Pupunta akong school bukas."

Addie draws shapes on his cheek. Lalo lang tuloy siyang inantok. "Bakit? Bukas na ba 'yong lecture?"

"Oo." Diesel sighs. Hindi naman siya full-time professor. He wouldn't even consider himself a part-time faculty member of the department. It's just that his dad is a close friend of the dean, and after finding out that he had a master's degree, he's often called over to occasionally hold some special lectures or talks.

That's how most of the students from the department knew about him. Bukod pa roon, hindi naman talaga madaling makalilimutan ng mga estudyante ang lecturer kung mahitsura ito, palaging on-time, mabait ang vibe, at malinaw magpaliwanag. One time he had to bring Nadia with him, and since she has the natural ability to attract the crowd, lalo lang siyang tumatak sa isip ng mga naging estudyante niya kahit isa o dalawang lecture lang ang nakuha nila sa kaniya.

At dahil bata-bata pa naman siya kumpara sa ibang miyembro ng faculty at ng ibang on-call lecturers, mas approachable ang dating niya kaya siya ang madalas lapitan kapag kailangang mag-invite ng speaker. He also thinks he might have developed some kind of emotional attachment to his former students, so he always finds himself unable to say no.

Kagaya na lang ng sa invite sa kaniya three weeks ago. Of course, he chose to make time for it; he had already made sure to clear his schedule on the day of the event. But now that three weeks' worth of work has worn him down, at nagkasakit pa ang asawa niya, ramdam na ramdam niya ang pagod. Still, he wouldn't leave his students hanging. Unprofessional iyon, at dumaan din naman siya sa pagiging estduyante at sa paghahagilap ng speakers kaya alam niya ang pakiramdam.

Magaling na naman si Addie kaya wala na siya masyadong iisipin. Sadyang pagod na pagod lang talaga siya. At, shit, oo nga pala. May site visit siya bukas ng umaga para sa construction progress. Iyon lang ang hindi niya matanggal sa schedule niya dahil sobrang importante. Hindi naman iyon babangga sa oras ng lecture dahil sa umaga pa iyon at after lunch pa ang lecture, pero sigurado siyang mabubugbog ang katawan niya sa biyahe at ang utak niya sa pagod.