Tamed: The 8th Hiñago (HS#01)

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Again

It's almost the end of the first semester of our second year in college. Papasok ako sa building namin nang matanaw ko si Jaq sa labas nito, nag-aabang. Nakita niya ako at ngumiti siya while I maintained my confused look as I made a fistbump with him.

"Master birthday ko na sa Linggo" sabi niya pa.

"What do you want for your birthday kid?" tanong ko.

"Wala." tumawa niya. "Your presence is enough. Hindi ka na masyadong nakikipaghang-out sa amin mula nang naging seryoso kayo ni Denise."

"I'll try to come. But if I can't, I'll just send you a gift." sabi ko. Umiiwas ako sa lahat ng temptasyon ng alak. At iba pa.

Jaq pouted at yinugyug ang balikat ko. "C'mon... try to come. Minsan na nga lang eh. Punta ka ha?"

Hindi ko alam kung paano ako pupunta roon. I'm busy and I'm worried about the my girlfriend. Hindi sinasagot ang tawag ko at ilang araw nang hindi nagsi-seen ng messages ko. She's not online either. For more than a week now. Hinahanap ko pero hindi ko pa rin makita.

Is she hiding from me? This is not funny anymore. Almost two weeks? For Christ's sake where is she? Pati yung kaibigan niyang maliit hindi ko mahagilap.

"Maybe you're not just looking clearly... o baka naman ayaw magpahanap?" Frian shrugged.

I lay on the couch lazily. "Why would she?"

"I don't know... maybe she's busy?" sabi niya.

Pinaningkitan ko siya ng mata. I know he knows something. Why wouldn't he? He's a Levite just like her. He knows something.

"You know something. Spill it and be a good cousin for once," binato ko sa kanya ang pillow.

"It's hard for a Levite like her to date someone out of her kind. Kahit pa sabihin nating... nagbago na."

I should go and ask her myself.

"Oh? Saan ka pupunta?" tanong ni Fri.

"Sa Palao. I'm going to ask her myself," umirap ako bago kinuha ang susi ng kotse. I didn't even look at what car I'm getting. Kumuha lang ako galing sa rack.

Hindi ko namalayan na sumunod pala sa akin si Fri papunta sa garahe. "That's a bad idea, Ton."

"Really?" I snapped. "Why don't you tell me what's going on?"

I was busy pressing the keys of the car to see which one it belongs to, Sakto naman na tumunog ang raptor.

"Just don't go. Hindi siya lalabas para sa'yo. Hindi siya niya sinasagot ang mga tawag mo dahil hindi siya maka-tiyempo—"

"And how do you know?" tanong ko naman. I know that he's a Levite too, but how could he know something that even I, the boyfriend, don't know about?

Natigilan siya at hindi nakasagot. I didn't wait for his explanation and opened the Raptor. I drove it to Palao. My mind was pretty clouded and It's a mystery how I got there safely. Sa bilis ng patakbo pati ako kinabahan rin.

Frian was true to his words. Naghintay ako sa labas hanggang sa gumabi. Hindi naman ako basta-basta nakakapasok dahil... All of her folks would be... shocked. Sino ba ako? Sino ba ako para hanapin siya? Her family doesn't even know me.

Umatras ako mula sa gate ng simbahan. Naramdaman ko na ang patak ng ulan. Even the heavens told me that I should go home.

"Ton?" nabitawan ni Tarrie ang paintbrush na hawak nang makita ako sa hamba ng pinto.