Helen
"Excuse me."
Nagtungo ako malapit sa pintuan just to answer his call. "Hon. Busy ako, I'm here with my patient. Bat napatawag ka?" mahinang sabi ko.
"Ay, sorry hon." paumanhin n'ya. "Bakit nga?" tanong ko sabay lipat ng cellphone sa kabilang tenga.
"Yung parcel mo dumating na."
"Oh tapos?" medyo mataray ang tono."And... nagluto ako ng favorite mo." malambing na sabi niya. Nag-abala nanaman!
"Kahit na. Nagtatampo pa rin ako 'no!"
"Tagal mo nang nagtatampo ah, magwa 1 year na." agad naman akong nag-react. "OA ah?" sabay smile. Hayst! Nagtatampo pa ako eh. Epal, bumabalik nanaman tuloy.
"Hulaan ko. Nakangiti ka, 'no?"
Ano ba! Sino ba naman kaseng 'di kikiligin diyan sa boses mo noh? Mapa-call o personal talagang iba ang kiliti saken ng boses mo. "Haha. Yehey! Bati na kami!" dagdag pa niya. "Oo na, sige na. Kanina pa ako hinihintay ng pasyente ko dito. Sige na, let's end this conversation.""Bye love. Uwi ka maaga ah?"
"Mwah!" dagdag pa niya.Call ended.
Kali, my husband, and I. Much like my role as a psychologist, we've been married for four years. Sa apat na taon na ng pagsasama naming dal'wa, never pa naming napag-usapan na bumuo ng sariling pamilya. Siguro dahil gusto pa namin na mag-stay yung spark at kilig to each other na parang mga teenage lovers pa, haha. But I know naman that the day will come when we'll plan to build our own family. I hope that even when we have children and the stress sets in, sana manatili pa rin yung spark sa mga puso namin. I don't want that to fade away.
"Ay, pasensya na ma'am kung medyo natagalan. Eto kasing asawa ko eh, haha."
"Asawa? So, you're married already?" I was startled by the question she asked me. "O-opo" napangiti ako. She smiled at me, then suddenly, niyuko niya ang ulo niya. Bigla nalang siyang napatakip sa labi niya at umiyak.
"May nami-miss po kayo?"
Bumalik ang tingin niya saken at tumango. "Sorry, I lied." paumanhin niya. Hinawakan ko ang kanang balikat niya. "No, It's okay. It's okay. May mga rason na talagang pinagtatakpan natin sa ibang tao dahil takot at nahihiya tayo na baka husgahan nila.""He really passed away, doc, that's why I'm suffering from depression." she replied, sabay punas sa luha niya. Maya-maya pa bigla siyang nagkuwento.
"Bago mamatay ang asawa ko, nasa iisang table pa kami non. It was a very special night for us. We were happily talking about the joyful days of our teenage years. Suddenly, a waitress arrived as I was slicing the meat. Napatingin ako sa kanya. Maganda siya. Tinanong niya kami kung ayos lang ba kaming dal'wa. I enthusiastically replied. Ngumiti siya at umalis. I smiled at my husband, intending to feed him, but he excused himself from his seat. I asked him why. Naiihi na daw siya. Nagtungo din siya ng banyo. The same restroom the waitress entered a while ago."
Flashback:
BINABASA MO ANG
Empty Authors
Mystery / ThrillerStep into the extraordinary world. They control it using the books they hold. What will you do if you find yourself inside? Silent and deserted, yet your decisions alone breathe life into it. A world not theirs. A world unknown to them. Fate compell...