Borrowed Love

~5~

Nasa terrace sila ngayon, Risa was pretending to study. Leni was on the opposite side, sitting.

"Risa..."

"I told you, let's not see each other anymore. Bakit nandito ka?"

"H-hindi ba kita pwedeng dalawin? I thought we're friends?"

"Are you torturing me?"

"H-ha?"

"Leni, kailangan ko pa bang ulitin sa'yo? I can't be friends with you, and you know why."

Hindi na nakaimik si Leni. She just stared blankly on the floor.

"Leave," she said.

"Pero..."

"I said leave," Risa said forcefully.

Walang nagawa si Leni kundi ang umalis.

She was about to step out of the house when Jesse saw her.

"Leni," tawag nito sa kanya, which made her look back.

Lumapit si Jesse sa kanya.

"I overheard your conversation, sorry to barge in but, ano ba talaga ang nangyari?"

"Well, it's complicated," Leni answered with a sigh.

"Risa is really a complicated person," he chuckled.

Naglakad sila papunta sa malaking gate, binuksan ni Jesse ang maliit na pintuan at pinaunang makalabas si Leni bago siya sumunod.

"Ahm, Leni, would you want to talk about it? We could go somewhere," Jesse offered.

Leni sighed.

"Maybe, that's what I need right now. Tara!" She replied.

Pumunta sila ni Jesse sa sikat na kainan ng kinalas sa lugar nila.

"Masarap dito, dinadayo ito ng mga bumibisita dito sa Naga del Fuego," he said.

Kumaway si Jesse at may lumapit na waiter sa kanila.

"Uy, nagawi dito ang future mayor ng Naga del Fuego, ah! Ano' ng sa inyo?" Biro nito kay Jesse.

"Future Mayor talaga?" natawa ito. " Bigyan mo kami nung usual. Dalawa na, para matikman nitong kasama ko ang luto ninyo."

Agad namang sumunod ang waiter at bumalik sa kusina.

"So, pwede ko na bang malaman kung ano ang nangyari sa inyo ng kapatid ko?" Jesse asked.

"Honestly, hindi ko alam how to begin with, but she said, we can no longer be friends," bakas sa mukha ni Leni ang lungkot.

"She confessed something, Jesse," Leni said.

Kinutuban na si Jesse sa kung ano ang nangyari. Pero, pinili niyang pakinggan at hintaying manggaling mismo sa bibig ni Leni ang totoo.

"She said she likes me, and I know na hindi plain friendship lang iyon," she continued.

May sasabihin pa sana si Jesse pero dumating na ang pagkain nila.

Tahimik silang kumain, parehong nagpapakiramdaman kung sino ang mauunang magsalita.

"How did you react nu'ng sinabi niya iyon?" Jesse broke the silence.

"I was shocked. I was not expecting it from her. She said we've better not see each other habang hindi pa lumalalim ang nararamdaman niya towards me," Leni continued.

"I will ask you. Ikaw, how do you see my sister? Have you had..."

"She was my best friend, and she will always be. Sa totoo lang, after naming hindi nag-usap, it felt that I'm at a lost. I can feel the emptiness. Hindi na kagaya ng dati, and I missed it. I missed your sister, so much," Leni said as the tears started to fall.

Jesse was fast enough to offer her a tissue paper.

"Pagpasensyahan mo na ang kapatid ko. She is just guarding herself," he said.

"I hope, magkausap pa kami. I don't want to lose her," Leni was now sobbing.

"Gusto mo bang tulungan kita para magkaayos kayo?"

Leni suddenly looked at Jesse.

"Tatanawin kong malaking utang na loob kapag nangyari iyon, Jesse. Ngayon pa lang, nagpapasalamat na ako."

"Okay, I'll try to convince her na kausapin ka. But, no promises. Hindi ko kontrolado ang isip ni Risa," he said.

" Yeah, I understand. Salamat," she sincerely said.

Nang makauwi si Jesse, naabutan niya si Risa, still in the terrace, pero wala na ang mga librong binabasa niya. She was just simply sitting there with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Lumapit ito sa kanya.

"Mind if I join you, Risa?"

She smiled at umusog ng kaunti para makaupo sa tabi niya si Jesse.

"How are you?" He said.

Risa gave him a confused look.

"Kinukumusta kita, are you okay?"

"Of course, Kuya," she said.

"But your eyes says otherwise," Jesse said ang tiningnan ang magiging reaction ni Risa.

Hindi na siya nakatanggi. He looked at Jesse.

"Kuya..."

"It's okay, Risa. Don't worry, Kuya's here," he said and opened his arms.

Risa immediately embraced his brother.

"I can't bear it anymore, Kuya. Hindi ko kayang hindi nakakasama at nakikita si Leni," she sobbed.

"Shhhh, 'wag ka na umiyak. Mag-usap kayo, just to clear things out."

"Nahihiya ako sa kanya, Kuya. What if hindi niya ako kausapin?"

"Paano mo malalaman if hindi mo susubukan?"

Napatitig si Risa kay Jesse.

One afternoon, Risa went to their what used to be so-called tambayan. Akala niya ay mag isa lang siya but she was surprised to see Leni, nakaupo at parang may hinihintay.

"I knew you would come," she said.

Risa was surprised.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why? Hindi naman ako na inform na property na pala ng mga Robredo ito?" Leni joked.

"You think that was funny?" Risa asked.

Leni just gave a smirk.

Then, their eyes met.

They both smiled. Then, they both bursted into laughter.

"I missed you!" Risa said and gave Leni a hug.

Leni hugged Risa back.

Nang bumitaw sila sa isa't isa, Risa said to Leni, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, natatakot lang ako."

"Takot? Saan? Kanino?"

"Natatakot ako na mag-iba ang tingin mo, na mag-iba ang pakikitungo mo, na iiwan mo ako," she answered.

"Ganu'n na ba kababaw ang tingin mo sa akin? Do you think, I'll give up what's going on between us dahil sa sinabi mo?"

"H-huh?"

"Risa, what we have is beyond friendship. I realized it nu'ng mga panahong iniwasan mo akong makita. I thought, I just missed you. But now..."

"Now what?"

"Hindi ko alam. I'm confused. Everyday was not the same when you're not with me. I missed you, bigtime," Leni said, unti unti nang nag uunahang pumatak ang mga luha sa kanyang mga mata.

"Ba't ka umiiyak?" Risa asked as she wiped Leni's cheeks with her thumb.

"Hindi ko pala kayang hindi ka kasama, Risa. I think, hindi lang ito pagka-miss sa'yo. I think, I am also beginning to like you, more than a friend."

🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷