Winter Heat

Chapter 14 - The Big Heat

Chapter 14 - The Big Heat

"Bakit naman hindi? Ngayon lang nagka-crush ang anak ko."

Brian laughed out loud when Mrs. Mendez said that. Me? How should I react?

The so called bonding became just the two of them teasing me. Yeah, Mrs. Mendez teasing me about her own son. Natigil lang 'yon nang may mga dumating pang ilang customers. Sinabihan niya kami na magpahinga na lang habang hinihintay sina Heat at Precious, pero nando'n pa rin naman kami kaya tumulong na lang ulit kami ni Brian.

After serving those new customers, we went back to our table. Saglit lang, tumayo ulit si Mrs. Mendez because she said she'll be baking sweets for the next day. Tutulong sana ako ulit pero she insisted na magpahinga na kami. Kinailangan ko tuloy pagtiyagaan ang mahangin at walang kwentang humor ni Brian Arellano.

"Right?" he asked me for the nth time and I just nodded. Wala naman talaga akong naiintindihan sa sinasabi niya dahil hindi ako nakikinig. "You're not listening, are you?"

I sighed. "Just kill me."

"Winter. I was just saying that..." Blah blah blah.

After more than an hour nang pagpipigil na sampalin si Brian, the other two finally came back from shopping. Heat was carrying around ten paperbags that he quickly passed to him.

"Sa 'yo lahat 'to, love?" Brian, now carrying the paperbags, asked his girlfriend.

"There's so many cute stores and cute things!" excited na pagkukuwento ni Precious. "I bought din for you, for Heat, and for Winter, pero bukas na kasi I'm not sure which paper bag nakalagay."

Napatango na lang si Brian. "Okay. Let's put them in the trunk?"

Lumabas 'yong dalawa at umupo naman si Heat sa tabi ko. Akala ko naging alalay lang siya ni Precious at wala siyang binili pero bigla siyang may inilabas mula sa bulsa ng jacket niya.

"Oh, 'yong utang ko."

"Hm?" Napakunot lang ang noo ko habang nakatingin sa bracelet na nakasabit sa kamay niyang nasa harapan ko mismo. It has two pendants—fire and snowflake.

"'Yong utang kong regalo! Sabi ko ilista mo, 'di ba?!"

Hindi pa rin ako makapag-react kaya siya na mismo ang kumuha sa kamay ko at nagsuot sa 'kin ng bracelet. Kahit noong nasa wrist ko na ang bracelet na 'yon, nakatitig pa rin ako sa dalawang pendants.

"Ganda, 'no?!" mapang-asar na tanong ni Heat. Instead of glaring at him, I gave him a smile—which surprised him.

"Thanks for this."

He beamed. "You're welcome!"

Then we just stayed on that table. I don't know what he was doing because I was too focused on the bracelet I was wearing. Hinahawak-hawakan ko pa 'yong dalawang pendant nang may maisip akong kalokohan.

"Ano 'to, kayo ni Chan?" tanong ko.

Heat quickly looked at me in disbelief. "Akin na nga, tatanggalin ko 'yong snowflake!"