Love You Still

/19/

The next day I decided to have a simple picnic with him. I searched a nice place to go. I want something nature.

Maaga pa lang nagpatulong na ako kay Manang Lita, magpaluto. Nagluto ako ng carbonara. My fave. Gumawa rin ako ng garlic bread. Nagluto pa ako ng iba baka kasi gusto kumain ng kanin ni Gino. Nagdala rin ako ng prutas.

We decided na magpunta roon ng hapon. Alas quatro y media kami nagpunta at nang makarating kami sa place ay naglatag muna kami. Inayos muna namin ang lahat.

Sumasayaw ang mga halaman sa nagtataasang puno. Umiindayog rin ang ilang damo. Mahangin ang buong paligid.

The entire sky filled with the deep color of orange blended it by rubbies. The rhythm of the nature gave us chills as the leaves dancing everywhere.

Gino stand up and bent his back making the shape of C and his head bent so far. His white T-shirt is so thin so you see thoroughly his body muscles flexed. Adding the fact that he's tall it didn't help me to catch my breathe. Phew.. What a view.

Bakit sobrang gwapo ni Gino? Decades passed still I admired him like this. His skin was smoothed as his jawline was sharp and clean. Wow lang.

"You cooked?" He asked before sitting in front of me.

Naninimbang ang ngiti ko. "Bakit aawayin moko?"

Umiling ito. "Nah, that's bawal."

"Why? You used to scolded me whenever I cook."

Isa iyon sa mga bagay na ayaw nya. Ang pinagluluto ko sya. Iba nga lang ang sitwasyon ngayon dahil kahit malaman nya pang ako ang nagluto e kakain pa rin naman yan. I'm sure of that.

"Applicable ba yan sa one week date na sinasabi mo? Hindi ba dapat matuwa kapa 'cause I let you do the things now that I used you to forbid."

Nakakalapit na ako sa kanya ngayon. Para kahapon lang hindi nya ako matignan sa mata.

"May pasabi-sabi kapa na baka sabihin ni Daddy na pinapagod mo ko. Hello! Mag asawa tayo! Nagtatanga-tangahan lang ako sa 'yo but deep down I know you don't want me to cook." I bitter smile escape from my lips.

Idiniretso nito ang dalawang paa at ipinangtukod ang dalawang maskuladong braso. "How's Tito?" He asked about my father.

"Hinahanap ka nya. Sinabi ko na lang may business trip ka."

"Sorry for that."

"Okay lang."

Sa ilang araw pa lang namin na pagdedate ay naging maayos naman ang lahat. I'm scared at the thought that everything will go back as we used to once this date ended. Yung Gino na mabait na kasama ko ngayon ay maging masama na ulit sa akin.

I know na kaya sya ganyan. Umaakto na mabait because of my deal with him. Hihiwalayan ko sya after. He do his part perfectly. So I should keep my word.

We busied ourselves in food. Sobrang sarap sa feeling na makita syang kinakain yung luto ko.

--

Busog na busog ito. Hinihimas nya pa ang tiyan nya. Ang dami nya nakain.

"Matakaw ka pala?"

He smiled. "I eat and I excercise."

So that's why he got that build. Maybe he work out to achieve that. But back then in high school he used to have a nice figure. Hindi nga lang define ang muscles nya katulad ngayon.

"Now that we hang out like this.. nakakaramdam nako ng konsensya sa 'yo." He said.

Tumingin ito sa akin at nilabanan ko naman ang titig nya. A faintly quizzical look came into his incisive stare.