Serendipitous Convergence

Chapter 9

"Narinig mo ba akong nagpa tulong sa kanya? He didn't even asked where do we want to go, nawawala na lang din siya bigla nang walang pasabi tapos ako lang tong hanap ng hanap sa kanya para lang makita siya tapos sasabihin niya yon? I know his responsibilities and I am not asking him to ignore those and focus on me, ang gusto ko lang ay ang nasa tabi niya and with that I also wanna know what he is doing dahil mukha na lang ba akong tanga don na pinapanood siya? Why is that a big deal?" Pagkukwento niya habang pinupunasan ang mga luha sa mata niya.

Base sa kwento niya, Luis has never asked her on a date if it isn't an important occasion to celebrate. Madalas daw ay siya ang nag aaya sa boyfriend. She understand that he's busy so she is letting him be, siya na nga daw ang nag aadjust pero mukhang ayaw pa nito. I didn't know that, I thought they were completely perfect for each other without anything to fight about because they understand each other. Luis seems to be the understanding one dahil matalino siya while Amalia is the expressive one, she loves hard, who wouldn't like that? 

Pero mali pala ako.

"Does he even love me? O gusto niya lang ako dahil alam niyang mahal na mahal ko siya?"

I hit her shoulder a little. "Mahirap lang ang pinag dadaanan niyo ngayon and from what I know, relationship will always have that phase. Don't question his love just because of a problem that you can solve naman. I believe that he loves you at ikaw, ikaw ang pinaka nakakaramdam non, alalahanin mo, kasi kung hindi at hinayaan mo yang iniisip mo na umikot sa utak mo, baka mas lalo lang kayong masira."

Hinagod ko ang likod niya ng humagulgol na naman ito sa iyak. I never look forward to seeing her crying like this but I could say, I expected this already. Masyado siyang patay na patay kay Luis at alam kong ang ganitong klase ng pagmamahal ay delikado.

Sobrang napagod yata sa pag iyak dahil ilang minuto lang mula ng humiga siya ay nakatulog din ito agad.

I was wiping her tears using my fingers when the door swung opened, niluwa nito si Luis na may dala dalang box ng donut.

"Kung pampalubag loob yan, just throw that away tapos yakapin mo na lang. You know that she's on diet, "

Nilapag niya ang dala niya sa side table ni Amalia. "As a boyfriend I know what kind of sweets she can't resist, "

I rolled my eyes. Okay boyfriend. "but take my advice, hug her. Presensya mo lang ang kailangan niya."

Tumayo na ako sa kinauupuan ko at kinuha ang bag ko.

"Mauuna na ako," Pagpapaalam ko bago mag lakad papunta sa pintuan but before I opened the door, I look at them. He is combing her hair using his finger, bakas din sa mukha niya na mabigat din sa kanya ang nangyaring pag aaway nila. Base kasi sa kwento ni Amalia, hindi pa sila maayos.

"That girl love you so much kaya sana intindihin mo rin siya," 

Luis look at me, ngumiti ito pero hindi umabot sa tenga niya. "Mahirap mang paniwalaan pero mahal na mahal ko rin siya. I am so close to giving up my responsibilities as a student leader but I know she wouldn't like that. I don't know what to do, that's the truth."

Pagkatapos ko sa bahay nila Amalia may dumiretso ako sa mall. I just want to go on shopping, matagal na rin simula ng bumili ako sa mall ng mga damit.

Pero habang naglalakad ako ay nakakita ako ng pamilyar na mukha sa bilihan ng sapatos. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero pumasok ako.

"Kuya magkano po ito?" Tanong niya sa nagtitinda.

This girl was the girl that I saw with Noah on the school and when i went to his place, panlalaki rin ang sapatos na binibili niya.

"2500 po Ma'am,"

I saw a faint smile appear on her face. "Wala na po bang tawad? Nasira po kasi nung nanghiram yung sapatos ng kaibigan ko hanggang 2000 lang po ang naipon ko,"

Really? Tumatawad siya dito e nike store to?

"Meron naman pong 2000 na sapatos ma'am,"

Tinignan niya ang mga sapatos na itinuro sa kanya. "Hindi naman kasi bumibili ng sapatos yon, siguradong ilang taon niya ding gagamitin kung sakali kaya gusto ko sana matibay at mukhang matibay yon," Sabi nito na nakatingin sa sapatos na napili niya.

"Lahat naman po matibay ma'am, original po ito. Kung gipit kayo ma'am bili ka na lang sa palengke, apat na ganito na ang mabibili ng pera niyo, hindi man ganon katibay atleast may pampalit siya." That seems to be an advice but the playful smile on his face made it seems like he is mocking her. "Hindi naman po kasi pang mahirap itong store, hindi po kami nag bibigay ng tawad. Sig-"

"Shut the fuck up and just give her what she wants, make it two, give her a different color with the same size," sabay silang tumingin sa akin nang sumali ako sa usapan nila. "Don't use po or opo as a sign of respect kung idi-discriminate mo rin naman,"

"Wala siyang pagbabayad ma'am,"

I rolled my eyes. "May ipambabayad siya, kulang lang at ako na ang magda dagdag. Now do your job, give us two."

The salesman came back with different colors of the same style.

"Pili po kayo," Sabi ng sales man na hindi makatingin sa direksyon ko.

I don't know why it has become a nature for others to treat those who are less fortunate differently. It's not as if people have the ability to choose the kind of life they have kasi kung oo, no one will choose to be poor lalo na kung ang trato sa kanila ay hindi maganda.

"I'll pick the blue one with yellow on it."

Blue and yellow are both of my favorite color but I didn't only chose it because it passed my preference, madalas ko rin kasing makita ang mga ganitong kulay sa mga gamit na pang eskwela ni Noah.

I am not even sure if she is buying it for him, if she is then better, if not okay lang naman din.

Aalis na sana ako pagkatapos kong magbayad nang mapansin kong nakasunod siya sa likod ko. "Sisiguraduhin ko na makakapag bayad ako," She said, looking hesitant to even talk to me.

"No need."

I'm sure she knows me and I'm sure she heard a lot about me lalo na at kaibigan niya si Noah. He might not say anything but basing from how this girl is acting, feeling ko hindi lang kaibigan ang tingin niya kay Noah kaya baka alam na din niya ang tungkol sa akin gayong madalas ko ring kasama si Noah sa school.

"Hindi, babayaran ko, regalo ko ito kay Noah..."

And with that, she confirmed my assumption, it is really for him.

"You can trust that I won't tell anyone about this pero dahil makulit ka, edi sige, but only the five hundred. Give the shoes I bought for him, don't worry you don't have to tell him that it's from me, you can take the credit, bye."

Hindi ko na hinintay ang sagot niya at iniwan na lang siya. I was really just pissed off at the salesman and I remember her because of Noah. Kung hindi siya kaibigan ni Noah ay hindi naman din ako pupunta don para tignan siya.

but then realization hits...

I never mind other people's business kaya ang tingin sa akin ng marami ay walang pakialam, a spoiled brat who only care about herself. I could say that it's half true because I really don't mind others' business but it's not because I'm ignorant, it's not because I don't care, I wasn't just exposed so how would I know and how would I understand them?

Pero simula nang makilala ko si Noah ay namulat ako, i understand better and I guess i can now empathize with them. Ayaw ko sa lahat ay namamlastic so i won't fake my care and now that I am seeing the problem I can't help but to ask, just how cruel the world could be for those who are less than the others?