MRS. ADAMS

KABANATA 5

Hecate Joanne

I sat silently as I listened to the smooth crashing of the waves against a group of rocks nearby. I can't help but watch them sway their way towards my bare feet. It's warm. Isn't that ironic? The water was warm through this cold November night.

Inilublob ko ang kamay sa tubig, mainit nga. Just like what my cousin, Apollo, said. I remember one boring afternoon, she lectured about night-time sensitivity temperature. Something about heat convection and buoyancy. She said, based on what I recalled, water cools at a slower rate than the air at night. That's why the sea is warmer at night than during the day. Natawa ako kasi naalala ko rin na may calculations pa nga siyang isinulat sa white board that time.

I can't believe that I'd be experiencing it first hand after all. Hindi naman ako masiyadong nawiwili sa dagat. I prefer the skies. But I guess right now, I found comfort with the sea.

I inhaled deeply. It's a shiny evening, the moon is bright and the stars are shining down the world. I bet Eric Clapton had this view when he wrote Wonderful Tonight. I sighed in contentment as the sea breeze penetrated its way inside the thin fabric of my silk blouse.

It's been awhile since I sat momentarily for me to marvel at such a beautiful moonlit sky. The last time, maybe, was way back in college. Sometimes at the top of our villa alone, sometimes with Yelena. Oh, the good times. Wala pang masiyadong responsibilidad kundi ang mag-aral ng mabuti and well, love.

Time flies so fast. Kung dati, gusto ko na magtrabaho sa kompaniya ng pamilya, even fly to the ends of the earth. Pero ngayon? Parang gusto ko nalang mahiga at matulog. I never thought that I'd walk in through different worlds in this life, and business is definitely agonizing for me.

Walang nagsabi sa akin na habang buhay pala akong makukulong sa mundong ito. No one warned me the cons, not until I lost Yelena. It was already too late when I begged for another chance. And since then, I never fly to the ends of the world nor watch the beauty of the skies.

Until-

"Jeez, I've been searching for you, H. Nandito ka lang pala." It was Atalanta. Gaya ko, nakaapak lang din siya at hawak sa isang kamay ang flip-flops. "May problema ba?"

"Wala," sagot ko. She sat beside me and nudged my shoulder. Inangilan ko siya, "what was that for?"

"Ikaw ha, bakit kayo magkasama ng batang Verdugo?"

Kumunot ang noo ko, "who?"

"Mary's sister, si Zen." Sino ba 'yon? I tried recalling but I don't have any idea which sister she was referring to. She nudged my shoulder again. And this time, nawalan ako ng balanse at halos mapahiga sa buhangin. "Seriously? Si Zen nga. That kid who talks like a five-year old!"

Ilang minuto kong inisip kung sino ang tinukoy niya. "Ah, you mean that girl with a weird name?"

"Oo, si Zen nga. So, what's the catch between you two?" Pinagpag ko ang sarili at napatingin sa kaniya. What does she mean by that? And then she laughed like she knew something. "Ang hilig mo talaga sa bata, Hecate. But I prefer her than that high schooler you're with. Like hello, papasa ka nang groomer! And that's not good, you know."

I rolled my eyes. She's still unto that notion. "There's no grooming. Phoenix was already legal when I met her. And lastly, walang namamagitan sa amin ng batang nakisakay sa calesa ko."

Bumangon ulit ang inis ko sa batang 'yon. Masaya na ang hapon ko, Phoenix was there. We talked about our future plans. Maganda na sana ang pag-uusap namin kanina nang bigla kong napansin ang batang iyon. She was standing in the middle of the crowd, as if she was lost. At dahil nakatayo siya malapit sa table namin, tinawag ko at tinanong kung may problema ba siya. Then she walked towards our table and blabbered like a bumbling baboon! Nawawala raw kasi siya at gusto niyang pumunta sa hotel. "Is that really the way she talks?"