Chapter 16
Day 65: Grey’s Residence, Villa Mendez
Malayang tumatagos sa bintana ang liwanag mula sa sikat ng araw. Nakasandal ako sa headrest ng kama habang tiim na pinagmamasdan ang kabuoan ng silid na kinaroroonan ko. Kung ikukumpara ko ang hitsura nito sa kwarto ko, masasabi ko na mas nakakalamang ito.
Marahil ay mahilig si Marwin sa kulay na asul dahil karamihan sa mga gamit niya, maging ang dingding at kisame ay nababalutan ng ganoong kulay. Mayroon siyang malaking bookshelf na napupuno ng mga encyclopedias, dictionaries, lumang magazines at mga librong nagsasaad ng mga nobela sa wikang ingles. Mayroon din siyang study table sa tabi nito.
Wala siyang cabinet, pero may walk-in closet siya. May sarili rin siyang banyo sa loob ng kwarto niya. Wala akong nakitang bulb sa kisame, tanging ang lampshade lang sa ibabaw ng side table ang ginagamit niyang tanglaw tuwing gabi.
Malaki rin ang kama niya. Hindi ko alam kung queen- or king-sized ba ito, basta malawak at tingin ko ay kakasya ang tatlong payat na tao. May isang single sofa na nakalagay malapit sa bintana, sa tabi noon ay may maliit na lamesa na yari sa rattan kung saan nakalagay ang dalawang magkapatong na libro.
The calming scent of lavender filled the entire room. Maybe it’s his favorite kind of fragrance. Wala naman akong makitang bulaklak o kahit na anong air freshener, kaya hindi ko matukoy kung saan nagmumula ang amoy na ‘yun.
"Are you finished admiring the magnificent appearance of my room?"
Gulat akong napalingon sa pinto ng silid nang marinig kong may magsalita mula roon. Walang iba kundi ang lalaking ipinaglihi sa kabute. Maitanong nga mamaya sa nanay niya kung tama ang hinala ko.
Bumaba ang tingin ko sa magkabila niyang kamay na may hawak na tray. Is this what they call breakfast in bed? "H-hindi ka na dapat nag-abala pa."
Tumaas ang isa niyang kilay. "You mean this?"
Tumango ako nang ituro niya ang tray na naglalaman ng pagkain gamit ang kanyang nguso.
"It’s not for you."
I pouted my lips in displeasure. "Ahh okay." Inalis ko ang paningin sa kanya saka pasimpleng umirap sa hangin.
"Stupida." I heard him chuckle. "This is obviously for you." Hindi ko naiwasang mapangiti. Stupida may sound insulting, but I actually missed it. He used to tease me with that title.
He came forward and quietly sat beside me on the bed. Marahan niyang inilapag sa side table ang tray. "You eat lugaw, right?" Mahina akong natawa sa tanong niya. He reached for the bowl and passed it to me. Sunod niyang iniabot sa akin ang kutsara. "Eat up."
"Salamat." I smiled.
Tumango lang siya sa akin. A thought suddenly came to me. This guy right in front of me—I honestly didn’t like him at first. Even yesterday, I wanted to badmouth him for being such a disturbance. But I somehow realized that the animosity I felt towards him at our first encounter was slowly fading with time. I am thankful for him.
When I was struggling as a new student of Sevelanio, he was there to challenge me and transform me into a tougher Shiloah, which contributed to my strength as a person. He was my day-wrecker and also the missing part that perfected my day. His mocking me is really annoying, but after getting used to it, I somehow found it fun and thrilling.
When I cried at the memory of my mom, he was there to wipe my tears. When I was running after my success, he was there to help and cheer me up. When my father tried to pull me away from freedom, he was there to defend me. And just yesterday, when I finally blew up and showed my vulnerable side, he came and saved me again.
