"Pierre!" Agad kong sabi nang makita ko ito sa'king kama. "What are you doing here? Wake up!"
He groans and just ignore me. Hindi man lang ito natinag sa pagtawag ko at nanatili lang ito sa kaniyang puwesto, nakatihaya habang nakapasok ang kanang kamay sa loob ng kaniyang boxer brief. Fuck it! Iniwas ko agad ang tingin ko rito dahil sa malaman na dahilan.
Not that I did not see all of him. Now is just different. With his 6-pack abs and huge bulge waiving at me? I guess what I am feeling is just normal.
Napatagal ata ang pagtitig ko sa kaniya kaya hindi ko namalayan na nagising na pala ito. Nalaman ko lang ito nang maupo na siya sa kama at gano'n pa rin ang suot.
"Sorry, River. I feel asleep. Kanina pa kita hinihintay."
"Bakit hindi mo man lang ako sinabihan na nandito ka?"
"Wala akong load and I can't contact you anywhere." Hindi ko na ito pinansin pa at nagbukas nalang muli ako ng bagong usapan. Guilty ako, wala siyang magagawa.
"Why are you here?"
"I just want us to talk."
"About what?"
"About us, River."
"I don't have time. I'm tired. Sa ibang araw nalang, Pierre."
"But, River..."
"No buts, please get..." I was interrupted by a call and it came from Daddy. Shit! Ito na nga ba ang sinasabi ko.
"Dad?"
"What's that man doing there?"
"Wait, did you install a camera inside my dorm?"
"No. I playback everything, River after what the guard told me. Let him out or else pauuwi kita ngayon din."
Agad niyang ibinaba ang tawag at hindi na ako hinintay pa na makaapila sa kagustuhan niya. As much as I want him to spend the rest of the day with me because of a lot of things that we should talk about, mas pinili ko ang pamilya ko at pangatawan ang lahat ng ito.
"Please, Pierre. Leave."
"I won't until you clarify everything. Hindi ko maintindihan River kung bakit ganito ka ngayon. Ilang araw mo na akong hindi kinakausap tapos pagdating mo ay ganito ka pa. Ipaintindi mo sa'kin kasi hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko."
Hindi ko pinansin ang sinabi niya at pinili nalang na ibahin muli ang usap. "Tatawag ako ng guard kung hindi ka aalis."
"Help me understand everything, River. I can't bear this too much pain that you're giving me. I don't know what I did wrong para layuan mo ako at hindi kausapin." Napayuko na ito, sapo ng kamay ang kaniyang ulo na nakapatong sa kaniyang mga tuhod.
"Please, Pierre. Just leave me alone. I will tell everything, but not today."
"So do you just want me to endure this pain until you're ready?"
"Yes." I softly tell.
Hindi ito agad na tumugon. Inayos nalang niya ang kaniyang sarili at naghanda nang lumabas ng dorm ko habang ako ay nakasandal lang sa gilid ng pintuan at naghihintay sa kaniya.
"Alright, River." Then he looked straight into my eye giving so much pain to ease for who fucking knows how long. "I'll wait."
And then he left.
Another week came and today is the start of my training with Pierre. I haven't seen him after that encounter in my dorm. Kahit bulto ng katawan niya ay hindi ko napansin, wala kahit anino. It's my choice anyway. He's giving me time and I don't know if I can really accept it. Hindi naman na kami muling babalik pa sa dati. I already made my choice and that's final.
Endure the pain now, Pierre. I'd rather see you loving someone else than not fully see you at all. I can take all that.
"Can't come today. Let's do six hours on Saturday. I have things to do." I lied. I can't face him. Not when I am still feeling his pain.
Hindi ako nakatanggap ng tugon mula rito mula nang magpadala ako ng mensahe kaninang umaga pagkagising ko. Tuloy ay napapaisip ako dahil baka maghintay siya ro'n dahil baka hindi niya natanggap. Kaya nang dumating ang lunch ay nagpaalam lang ako saglit sa kambal at kay Chloe para tawagan ito.
"Hello?" Another man answered it on the third ring. "Who's this?" Hindi ba nakarehistro ang pangalan ko sa telepono niya para hindi ako makilala ng sumagot?
"I'm River. Who am I speaking to?"
"Oh, I see. This is Milo. Nakalagay lang kasi sa pangalan mo ay "white heart emoji" lang kaya tinanong ko." Unbelievable! He still haven't change it. "Anyway, naiwan niya ang telepono niya, sasabihin ko nalang kapag umuwi. Ikaw ba ang nobyo ni Kuya?"
"Please, tell him right away that I called when he gets home. Thanks!" Agad kong ibinaba ang tawag dahil baka kung ano pa ang marinig ko rito. Mukhang magsasalita pa ito at magtanong muli dahil sa hindi ko pinansin ang tanong niya. Daldal, manang mana sa kuya niya.
Ipinagsawalang bahala ko nalang ang lahat at pinagtuunan nalang ng pansin ang mga gagawin ko tungkol sa pag-aaral. Nang dumating ang gabi at matapos ang lahat ng gawain ay naligo na ako at nakipag-usap na sa mga kaibigan ko.
"We'll come on Friday, Pierre." Panimula ni Inno.
"That's good! I have been dying to see you all. Been through a lot during the vacation that's why I did not had the time to came at your house." I replied.
"That's okay. Bumawi ka nalang sa pagpunta namin." Si Kaiah.
"I surely will."
We talked more until I decided to sleep because I have a seven am class tomorrow and I can't miss any of it. I already studied a week before that's why I scan through all of it nalang kanina, hindi na ako gaanong nahirapan pa.
I was about to sleep when Pierre's text came at me.
"You good, Pierre? Sinabi sa'kin ni Milo na tumawag ka. Nakalimutan ko ang telepono ko kanina, pasensiya ka na at hindi ako nakatugon kaagad."
"That's okay. Sa Sabado nalang tayo magsimula."
"That's fine with me. Maghapon tayong magkasama. What do you want for lunch?"
"Don't bother. My friends will be here. We'll eat somewhere."
"Alright. Anyway, wala bang sinabi si Milo na kahit ano?"
"Wala bukod doon sa white heart emoji."
"Gago talaga." Bumuntong hininga ito dahil sa sinabi ko. Para namang may magagawa pa siya e alam ko na. "Kumain ka na?"
"Yes! At matutulog na ako kung hindi ka lang nagmessage. Inaantok na ako, Pierre. Sa ibang araw mo nalang ako kulitin."
"So payag ka na ulit na kulitin kita?"
"Hindi! I told you to stop everything that you're doing. Ano ba ang hindi malinaw doon?"
"Ipaliwanag mo muna ang lahat. Pagkatapos no'n ay titigil na ako. Hayaan mo muna ako, ayos ba 'yon sa'yo?"
"Hindi! I told you to give me time!"
"While you're waiting, kukulitin muna kita."
"Kapag hindi mo ko tinigilan ay babalik ako ng Manila."
"We have a condo there and I can always transfer school."
"You're unbelievable, Pierreson. I'll sleep. Bahala ka na sa buhay mo."
"Okay po. Good night, love. See you on Saturday. Mahal kita."
Tang ina. How can I say no to that?
BINABASA MO ANG
The Light of Midnight (BxB)
RomanceIllumination Series #3 (On going) River Valentino Alvaro came from a well-known family of politicians. He will always have the privilege of getting all the things he wants in his life, except a good and loving family. He always wondered what it was...