The Shattered Pieces

KABANATA 10

Mabilis akong tumayo mula sa sofa na inuupuan ko nang marinig ko ang sigaw ni Eunice na nasa labas daw si Samuel. Dumiretso ako ng tungo sa kwarto ko at kaagad na hinarap ang salamin upang tignan ang repleksiyon ko.

I saw my face in a horror state when I looked at it on the mirror. Kita ko ang kaba roon at pagkabalisa. Dali-dali kong inabot ang face powder na nasa gilid ng salamin at naglagay no'n sa mukha ko. I even put some lip balm to look more lively. Sinuklay ko rin ang buhok ko at iniladlad iyon.

"What am I doing?" I asked myself.

Kinagat ko ang ibabang labi ko at sinapo ang magkabilang pisngi ko. Nangingiti ako na ewan!

I shook my head countless times.

"Tumigil ka, Poresa. Maliwanag?" ani ko sa sarili ko.

I can feel my cheeks burning while looking myself at the mirror. I even dared to fixed myself to look a bit pretty when in fact, it was only him. It's just Samuel.

But looking pretty in front of him won't bother him. Maybe? Kasalan ko rin ba kung gusto kong magpaganda sa harap ng taong intresado rin ako?

Huminga na lang ako ng malalim bako tignan ang suot ko. Hindi naman sa hindi maganda 'yon, pero kase parang hindi rin gaanong maganda sa akin. It's only my short-shorts and violet sweatshirt that reached until half of my legs. Kaya hindi rin kita na may suot akong pang-ibaba.

Pinasadahan ko pa ng panghuling tingin ang mukha pati na rin ang katawan ko bago ako lumabas ng kwarto ko. Napakagat ako ng aking labi nang makalabas na ako sa hagdanan namin.

Nakita kong nakahilig ng kaunti si Samuel sa pader ng bahay namin habang nakayuko rin ng kaunti at may dalang gitara sa likod niya. Napanguso na lang ako.

"Isn't he studying medicine? Bakit parang lagi na lang siyang abala sa club?" bulong na tanong ko sa sarili ko.

It's just that, he seems not to be that busy with the past months. He always showed up from nowhere when I'm at the campus of NSC. And now, he's here with his guitar on his back.

I walked towards the gate of the house and with the cracking noise of the metal it made, the floor of our gate opened. His leaning figure on the wall welcomed me as I spread the gate more open.

Samuel lifted his head up to look at my side. A heart-warming smiled appeared on the corner of his lips as he stared at me. I suddenly felt the butterflies on my stomach without me intending to actually feel it.

"Stock because of my handsome face, Poresa?" his smiled turned into a smirked when he asked me that.

I came back from my revirie the moment I heard the playfulness of his voice. I looked at him as if he was joking frankly in front of me. My look earned a laugh coming from him. I smiled hearing how deep his laughed was.

It was so warm and seems to be like a comfort.

"Ano ang ginagawa mo rito?" bagkus ay tanong ko sa tanong niya rin sa akin.

He purposely cleared his throat before looking back at me.

"I'm on my way to Niko's place. Do you want to go there with me?" diretsong tanong niya sa akin.

Bigla naman ang pagtaas ng magkabilang kilay ko dahil sa yaya niya sa akin ngayon. Pinangliitan ko siya ng aking mga mata kasabay ng pagtataas ng pareho kong kilay. Nagkibit siya ng kanyang balikat na animo'y wala siyang sinabi para ganito ako umasta.

"Do you want me to date you, Samuel?" I mimicked the way he asked the question.

He was like he's caught off guard because of my question. He suddenly diverted his gaze sideways to avoid looking directly at me. I laughed lightly.

"Oh, ano? Tama ako ano?" natatawang tanong ko ulit.

I saw how the back of his ears reddened because of my conclusion to his invitation of going out on Niko's place.

"Yeah," he admitted. "Though I hope that you didn't interfere my ways of courting..." he mumbled but I heard him clearly.

Pinigilan ko ang matawa lalo sa harap niya. I covered my mouth with the back of my palm and stared at him unbelievably. Suddenly, a thought came up on my head.

He was shy. He was just actually trying his best to ask me out because he knew that I won't go that easily.

Instead of talking further about him courting me, I decided to let him in.

"Pasok ka muna. I'll just go inside and change," ani ko.

Hindi na siya nag-abala pang sumagot sa akin at kaagad na lang na humakbang papasok sa gate ng bahay namin. Nang makapasok na siya ay mabilis akong humarap sa gawi niya. Napatingin din siya sa akin.

"Bakit?" tanong niya nang lumingon ako.

Nagkibit ako ng balikat bago muling humarap at dumiretso ng lakad papasok.

"Daan tayo sa stall ng  Lutong Dampog Eatery bago dumiretso kina Niko," pagayaya ko.

I want to eat there. Miss ko na rin ang lugaw nila na may sahog na itlog. It was only two days yet I was looking for it already. Siguro nga dahil nasanay na rin akong iyon ang kinakain ko kapag umaga bago pumasok ng NSC.

"Yeah, sure..." he replied.

Nang makaabot na kami sa loob ng bahay ay pinaupo ko siya sa upuang gawa sa makapal na kahoy at binigyan ng tubig bago nagmamadaling nagtungo ulit sa loob ng kwarto ko.

I just changed my clothes into something comfortable and combed my hair a bit before spraying a little perfume on my body and went out. Hinatak ko na rin ang selpon ko bago muli siyang harapin.

"Tara na?" tanong ko nang matapos na ako.

Pinasadahan niya ng tingin ang suot ko mula ulo hanggang paa ko. Nakita ko kung paano kumurba ang mga labi niya na animo'y nangingisi sa akin.

My brows furrowed upon looking at his playful smirk.

"What's the matter?" I asked a bit conscious.

He tilted his head as the sign that it was nothing but I felt that something was really funny about the way I dress up.

Dahil sa ngisi niya ay kuryuso ko ring pinasadahan ng tingin ang katawan ko mula sa suot kong sapatos pataas sa kulay kayumangging t-shirt. I saw nothing except with the hole that was actually pointing my nipple on my left breast!

What the heck?! I wasn't wearing a bra or padding!

My eyes were round and I was startled and ashamed realizing that my clothes was actually revealing my damn nipple for heaven's sake!

Halos hingin ko na lang na lumubog ako sa lupa kung nasaan ako nang makita ko kung paanong mamula ang likod ng tainga niya habang kagat-kagat ang labing pinipigilan ang huwag matawa habang kaharap ako.

Sa hiya ko ay mabilis akong tumalikod sa gawi niya at walang prenong humakbang patakbo mula sa kanya nang maapakan ko ang basahan sa may hagdanan pabalik sa kwarto ko dahilan kung bakit muntik na akong madapa kung hindi niya lamang ako nakabig paharap ulit sa kanya.

I could feel my heart pounding too fast because of the feeling of shame, surprise, and nervous. Hiya dahil sa damit kong butas at tinutumbok ang nipple ko, gulat dahil muntik pa akong humalik sa semento at kaba dahil magkadikit ang mga katawan namin.

I know that I was literally red as a wax apple knowing that his chest was touching my exposed nipple. Samuel's playful expression and annoying smirk vanished and changed into a serious and heating aura.

Napakagat labi ako at wala sa sariling binasa ang mga labi ko. His eyes darted at my lips. I got hiccupped.

"G-go..." he whispered.

Parang tanga akong napatanong kung ano ang ibig niyang sabihin doon.

"H-ha?" I asked absentmindedly.

I saw how he swallowed hardly and diverted his gaze away from my face.

"M-magpalit ka," he stuttered. "I... I can feel your nipple against my shirt," he said and I was lost of words.

J-just... Just heck!