Lips That Lie

CHAPTER 38

She examines the phone Antonio bought for her when she's finally upstairs in her room. Nakadapa siya sa kama habang maingat na iniikot ang cellphone sa kanyang kamay. Its deep purple color looks pretty and she didn't have to guess that it is the brand's latest model.

Hindi siya sigurado kung anong dapat maramdaman doon. Mamahalin ang cellphone na iyon. She really needs one to contact Merry and gather some news from her hometown but she definitely won't pick this unit if she were to choose.

Did Antonio just give her a gift? Well, technically, it wasn't a gift as she will have to pay for it. Maybe she shouldn't feel uneasy, after all. Hindi naman iyon binigay sa kanya ng walang kapalit. It just doesn't make sense to her why he'd rather ask her to cook lunch for him instead of demanding payment in cash. Dahil ba iniisip din ni Antonio na hindi naman niya kayang bayaran iyon kaagad kung pera ang hihingin nito sa kanya?

But, isn't it his fault for picking an expensive unit? Hindi naman siya nagpabili dito no'n. Kahit basic phone lang naman ay ayos na sa kanya basta nakaka-text at nakakatawag. Maybe he doesn't know that those kinds of phones exist. He knew nothing aside from expensive things. After all, this is the only kind of life he grew up with.

She pouted her lips as she continued looking at the phone. Nabuksan na niya iyon at na-set-up. Mayroon na rin itong sim. Out of curiosity, she looked at the registered contacts expecting that the list was empty. Pero sa gulat niya, apat na numero na ang naroon.

His parent's, Adrianna's, and...his.

"Antonio..." she read his name registered on the contacts. "Akala ko ba bawal ko banggitin ang pangalan mo?"

She smiled to herself and proceeded to change the name. Engineer Enriquez with an angry emoji beside it. She just hoped he wouldn't see this.

Still feeling playful, pinindot niya ang call button sa numero nito. Inaasahan niyang wala itong load dahil bago pa. Kaya naman ganoon na lang ang pagkahindik niya nang mag-ring ito hudyat na pumasok ang tawag niya sa numero ni Antonio!

She quickly ended the call and sat upright on the bed. Nakaawang ang kanyang bibig sa pagkabigla sa nangyari! What was she thinking?!

Hindi pa man lumilipas ang isang minuto, nag-ring ang cellphone para sa isang tawag. Sinilip niya ang screen kahit na may hinuha na siya kung sino ang tumatawag at nang makumpirma nga iyon sa caller ID ay napa-pikit na lamang siya ng mariin sa sarili.

Antonio is calling her!

Huminga siya ng malalim. Of course, she couldn't ignore or reject the call! Una sa lahat, siya naman ang unang umistorbo rito. Maybe he thinks that there's some sort of emergency right now that's why he's calling back. Ang hindi nito alam, pinaglalaruan lang niya ang cellphone na bigay nito!

Kinuha niya ang cellphone at saka tinanggap ang tawag. Her heart was pounding so hard when she heard his deep baritone voice on the other line.

"You called," he said.

Kinagat niya ang ibabang labi at hindi na nag-isip pa ng kung ano-ano'ng paliwanag. "S-Sorry, Engineer. S-Sinusubukan ko lang ang cellphone at...hindi ko inakalang may load pala. S-Sorry..."

Hindi ito kaagad tumugon. Kung hindi lang niya naririnig ang paghinga nito sa kabilang linya, aakalain niyang ibinaba na nito ang tawag dahil sa walang katuturang rason ng nagawa niya. He's probably in the middle of work and she's annoying him. She's about to bid him goodbye when he spoke.

"I got you a postpaid plan," he explained.

Her lips parted in shock. Bukod pala sa cellphone ay may postpaid plan pa siyang kailangang bayaran? Ilulubog yata siya ni Antonio sa utang. Ilang tanghalian kaya ang kakailanganin niyang lutuin para mabayaran iyon? Maybe she should just return this to him and let him deal with it. Pero sa huli...