Halos araw-arawin ni Joaquin ang pagpunta sa Rain Café para makita si Dana ngunit sa kasamaang palad, palagi silang hindi nagpapang-abot nito. Hindi niya naman alam kung saan ito nagpupunta o kung saan ito nag-aaral. Naisip niya kasi na mukhang estudyante rin si Dana na nagpa-part time lang sa café na pinapasukan nito ngayon.
Mag-iisang buwan niya na itong hindi nakikita. Sa buong buwan na iyon, walang araw na hindi sumagi sa isip niya ang babae.
Where on Earth is she?
Nasa kalagitnaan siya ng malalim na pag-iisip noong nagsalita si Henry sa tabi niya. "Aren't you a bit weird this past few weeks?" he looked at him suspiciously.
Tinaasan niya ito ng isang kilay. "Why?"
"Mag-iisang buwan ka ng walang babae. After we separated the day we talked about how good Nikka is in bed, you suddenly dump her the next morning. Sinabi mo pa na nagsasawa ka na sa kaniya." Nakangiwi nitong sabi.
"Totoo naman yung sinabi ko. I don't want to keep her anymore." Walang amor niyang sagot.
Hinatak ni Jerome si Henry at binulungan ito na ikinalaki ng mata ng huli.
Kunot-noo niyang tiningnan ang mga ito. "What are you two whispering about? Care to tell me?"
Nagsenyasan pa ang dalawa bago nagsalita si Henry na hindi niya marinig ng malinaw dahil mas malakas pa ang bulong kaysa sa pagsasalita nito.
"If you're trying to tell me something, say it out loud" Singhal niya.
"But bro! Baka marinig nila yung sasabihin ko. Masisira image mo sa girls" Mahina pa ring sabi ni Jerome.
"And why would I care about that? They will still come to me even if I tell them to fuck off"
"Okay, chill Bro. Gusto lang namin itanong na baka ano.. " Hindi nito itinuloy ang pagsasalita.
"Ano?" Nagsisimula na siyang mairita sa mga kaibigan niya.
"Are you... inlove, perhaps?" Alanganing tanong ni Henry
Sinagot niya naman ito agad. "Maybe I am"
His friends let out a loud gasp because of what he said.
"What?! How is that possible? You—" He looked at him with questioning eyes. "You've had sex with countless girls without involving your emotion and now-sinasabi mo na in-love ka? To whom? Is she one of your bed playmates? " Dagsang tanong ni Henry.
"Nope, she's not one of my playmates"
"Where did you meet her?" Dagdag nito.
"At the café, I went to almost a month ago."
Nagliwanag ang mukha nito sa sagot niya. "Now I get it, she's the reason why you dump Nikka"
"Partly"
"Eh? Partly? Ano pa palang iba mong rason?" Si Jerome naman ang nagtanong.
"I can't feel any attraction to her after seeing Dana, both physically and sexually. I can't have sex with someone I don't find attractive. Paano ako makikipag-sex kung hindi ako tinitigasan?" I told them the truth.
Tumango naman ang dalawa sa sinabi niya. Para itong magkambal na ibon.
"Dana? Pangalan nung babae na nakilala mo sa cafe?" Jerome asked again.
"What's she looks like?" Henry exclaimed excitedly.
"Average," he said without the intention of hiding something from his friends.
BINABASA MO ANG
Until The Traces Fade Out (COMPLETED)
Short Story◂ A short story ▸ A thousand types of love you let me feel made my life crumbles more than the thousand types of pain you left knowing that I wouldn't be able to experience the same warmth, the same peace, and the same love without you ever again. S...
