KUMPAS

Chapter 22

JEMA

Back to work.

I woke up early because I don't wanna be late. Gusto ko maaga pa lang ay nasa office na. Hindi naman sa nale-late ako pero gusto ko lang ma-maintain ang good record ko sa company. 

2023 na, new beginnings uli. I have 365 days, 365 chances to become better than I was last year.

I resolve to continue what I have done in the previous years, which is to work hard and save more money. Kasi meron akong personal goal talaga na gustong abutin.

At ito ay ang masimulan ko na ang pag-build ng dream house ko for my family.

Siempre I can achieve that through perseverance and determination. Maghihigpit ng sinturon kung kinakailangan as I plan to keep a tight budget.

Of course hindi naman ako magmamaramot sa aking sarili. Bibili pa rin ng mga bagay para sa akin na necessity, hindi luho.

Lastly, I want to spend more quality time with family and friends. Parang ang dami kong friends noh haha.

How about your lovelife?

Hindi yata pinaplano yan. Mas maganda nga daw yung hindi ka naghahanap. Kusa silang darating, alam ko.

Saka I'm not pressuring myself para magkaroon ng jowa. After what happened with Daniel, jusko nakakadala na yata.

Tapos yung kay Ella pa. Hindi pa nga nagsisimula e natapos na agad.

Bakit naman?

I suddenly remember what happened last New Year's Eve, haha. Napangiti ako ng wala sa oras kasi sobrang laugh trip yung nangyari.

So yun nga, medyo tipsy tipsy na kami nila Kyla sa El Lobo bago pa mag countdown kaya nagpasya kami na umalis na doon sa lugar. It was too crowded na at feeling ko parang hindi na siya safe.

Hindi na makontrol ng mga guards ang tao doon. To cut it short, dahil nagutom na ay naghanap kami ng open pang cafeteria. Buti naman at may nakita kami sa di kalayuan.

Nag order kami ng food at kape nila Best at Mafe. Medyo nahimasmasan kami because of the coffee. Tahimik lang kami nanonood sa mga fireworks. Kaso, biglang dumating yung grupong nakilala namin. 

They bought bottles of wine pala and they offered us drinks again. Ako ayaw ko na sana kaso yung dalawang kasama ko game na game pa rin uminom. Then naglaro pa sila ng truth or dare in which they forced me to join.

No choice na ako tapos sa akin pa tumapat ang nguso ng bote, haist. I chose DARE since I don't know some people around us, ayokong mag reveal ng TRUTH.

Ang siraulong Kyla, she dared me to text ang taong special sa puso ko that time.

I immediately searched for Daniel's contact number. Charot, of course not. Wala na akong ka amor-amor sa taong yun.

Nag isip ako ng matagal kaya nainip naman ang grupo sa akin dahil ang bagal ko daw gawin ang dare. So dahil pressure ang lola nyo, I went to my messages.

I saw Ella's name.

Nakatingin silang lahat, waiting patiently. Napasubo na ako kaya kailangan kong gawin ang dare.

Shit, I don't know what to say.

I was about to type when all of a sudden, I saw the three dots moving on Ella's end. She is typing! What the? How on earth did we manage to be thinking the same.

You know, both of us trying to send messages at the same time.

Na excite ako na parang nalito. Is this real or dahil lasing na ako kaya kung ano ano na nakikita ko? But she's still typing so totoo. What does she wants?