The Perfect Boyfriend List

Chapter 7

[Chapter 7] You & Me

He arranged the strings. Tinono na niya yung gitara. He adjusted the clip. Sure ba siya sa gagawin niya?

He seemed uncomfortable. Mukhang hindi kasi siya sanay na may taong nakatingin sa kanya habang kumakanta, pinapanuod siya. He seemed so shy.

List.

"Kumanta ka. Hindi lang ako ah?" He said.

"Okay." I said.

He cleared his throat. Then gently, he tugged the strings making the sound.

What day is it? And in what month?

This clock never seemed so alive

I can't keep up and I can't back down

I've been losing so much time

His voice sounds so husky. Buong buo. It's so unlike the voice he has when he's joking me. It looks like he was a singing angel.

Ang ganda ng boses niya.

Cause it's you and me and all of the people

With nothing to do, nothing to lose

And it's you and me and all of the people

And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you

He looked at me as if asking me to sing. Huminga ako ng malalim then let the words from my heart speak. When I sung, he stayed quiet then smiled at me.

All of the things that I want to say

Just aren't coming out right

I'm tripping in words, you got my head spinning

I don't know where to go from here

I sung the chorus alone. He just stared at me. I closed my eyes para di ako mapahiya. I know my voice is ugly and I felt humiliated.

Cause it's you and me and all of the people

With nothing to do, nothing to lose

And it's you and me and all of the people

And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you

He motioned me to stop. I stopped and he sung quietly.

Something about you now

I can't quite figure out

Everything she does is beautiful

Everything she does is right

I didn't wait for his signal. I trusted my instincts. So, sumugod ako.

We sung...duet.

Cause it's you and me and all of the people

With nothing to do, nothing to lose

And it's you and me and all of the people

And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of

You and me and all of the people

With nothing to do and nothing to prove

And it's you and me and all of the people

And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you

I breathe out. He sung quietly.

What day is it?

Huminga ako ng malalim then closed my eyes and savored the moment. I silently slipped the next words.

This clock never seemed so alive.

"That's..." He slowly commented. "That's... great."

I smiled. "Yeah. I know."

He smiled too sweetly. Our eyes locked. And I swear that in that moment, we were locked in oblivion.

I can see it in his eyes that he can feel it too. I felt nothing. No hate. Nothing. It was as if that song wiped the hate between us. It was as if it played so that we can start all over again.

And I swear.

I was willing to do it.

"Your voice is lovely." he said.

"Yours too. Magaling ka palang tumugtog at kumanta. Maybe you can teach me sometime." I said.

Naningkit ang mata niya sa'kin.

"Are you asking me to teach you?" He asked, unbelievably.

"I think I just asked." I smirked.

"O-Of course," he blinked. "I would be most gladly."

There's another sandwich on the plate. I raised the plate and offered him.

"Want some?" I asked.

He shook his head then smiled. "Wag na. Baka may lason e."

Nakunot ang noo ko. "How can that happen when you were the one who made this?"

"Exactly. Lalasunin sana kita e. Kaya nga di ako tumikim e," His smile vanished. Suddenly thinking something. "How did you know I'm the one who made that?"

"This is not how Manang Belinda used to prepare my sandwich," I say. "At saka tinanong kita kanina kung pa'no mo nalaman na favorite ko ang milkshake. Sasagutin mo ba yung tanong kong yun kung pinadala lang sa'yo 'to ni Manang?"

Tumango tango siya. "You have a point."

"I always have." I smirked.

---

After dinner that night, I decided to go to the garden. Gusto kong magpahangin kahit sandali lang. Alam kong may pasok pa bukas but I don't care. Wala naman sila Mommy e. Oo nga at nandito si Manang Belinda but isang pout ko lang, she will permit me.

Manang Belinda is one of the best yaya ever. She can understand if you want to be alone or you need someone to lean your head to. Naiintindihan din niya kung ayaw o gusto mong magkwento.

I was so proud of her. She choose and sacrificed na mapalayo sa mga anak niya. Para kumita ng pera at para mapag-aral sila. She was a mother that would sacrifice everything just for her children.

Naaalala ko pa nung bata ako. I was wishing to God if Manang Belinda could be my biological mother.

She was my inspiration.

I looked at the notebook on my lap. My list. The copy of my list.

What's happening to me?

Bakit nakikita ko siya? Bakit mayroon siyang mga qualities na nakalagay sa list ko?

Nakuha na niya yung 1,3,7,10 at 11. Please. I can't understand what I'm feeling. Yung hate. Nawawala na siya.

Liesl's words... I can hear them every time.

Kaninang dinner, while looking at him, eating; her words echoed like broken records playing on my mind.

Then the way he sung, I want to hear his voice again.

I fished my phone out of my pocket. Tinawagan ko si Liesl. Mabilis naman siyang sumagot.

"O, bakit? Sabi ko naman bukas mo na isauli diba?" sabi niya. She's talking about the guitar.

Huminga ako ng malalim. Whenever I have a problem, siya ang lagi kong tinatawagan. Second to Manang Belinda, siya yung taong naka kakilala sa'kin nang lubos at siya din yung taong makakatulong sa'kin.

"Rach?"

But instead of letting the words slip, I turned to reach other destination.

"Kamusta?" I said in happy tone.