Muli (An Agnes-Jerry fic)

THREE

Agnes is checking around the house to make sure everything has been unplugged and clean and put in place when the front door opens. "Nandito na'ko!" Daisy declares to the sight of Agnes' luggage. She finds her best friend in the kitchen.

"Oy." Agnes looks up, closing the dishwasher. "Ay hala!"

"What?"

Daisy approaches her and reaches for her hair. "Ano 'to?"

"Buhok."

"... na wavy?!"

"Maaalis rin 'yan."

"Saka - Gaga ka, nagpakulay ka?"

"Nagpa-retouch."

"Pero nag-black ka na ulit, eh... Saka shorter na?"

"Parang hindi ako pwedeng magpaayos, ikaw nga may highlights pa."

"Eh maarte naman talaga ako..." Daisy smirks. "Maghahanap ba tayo ng boys sa Manila? O sa Bacolod?"

"Sira." Agnes rolls her eyes. "Nag-salon day lang kami ni Yvonne saka ni Mama... Alam mo naman, naglambing."

"Approve naman si Tita Sylvia sa look mo?"

"Siya nga nag-insist ng ipa-wavy."

"Bagay sa'yo." Daisy goes to the refrigerator for some water. "Siguro it's her way of saying mag-asawa ka na."

Agnes can only shake her head.

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Jerry is in the middle of sorting out reports due the next day when he hears Alie calling from her bedroom. It's way past her bedtime, and she rarely does this, which is never a good sign. He rushes to the bedroom and finds her seating on the edge of the bed, still in that prim-and-proper way she does at school, but tears streaming down her cheeks. She stops to sniff, then cries again.

He kneels in front of her, taking her small, shaky hands in his. "My love, what's wrong?"

She doesn't reply, as always when it comes to nights like this. He pulls her closer. "Sssshhhh, it's okay... Tatay's here, my love."

The child just keeps on crying, clinging tightly on her dad's shirt, arms around his neck.

Jerry has never understood these episodes. There are nights when it gets worse, when she practically wails and will not stop until she has perhaps gotten exhausted by her tears. When that happens, she refuses to sleep and Jerry would lie beside her, keeping her company, telling her funny stories, until dawn cracks and she finally asks for milk and he has to get ready for work.