"I'm sick, Mom. Please understand. Yes, she's...." he trailed off as he glanced at me, busy with my phone scrolling for a nice bar in other nearby cities. "Taking care of me. Don't worry. Bye, i love you, Mom."
Nang maibaba niya ang phone niya, humiga siya nang nakaharap sa direksyon ko. I could sense his weakened gaze upon me. Although I pretended not to notice, his eyes spoke volumes. The room was filled with a heavy silence, only broken by the sound of my fingers scrolling through my phone. I heard him cough, distracting me from what I was doing.
"Pwede bang tumahimik ka? I'm in the middle of something here."
Kagabi ko pa siya napapansin na may sakit. Nilalagnat yata. Ayaw kong makialam sa kanya. Malaki na siya at kaya niya ang sarili niya.
I simply glanced at him. He had turned away from me, so I couldn't see if he was already asleep, but I could still hear his cough, even as he tried to muffle the sound with his blanket.
Umikot ang mga mata ko sa kanya. I couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration building within me. It wasn't just his cough that distracted me, it was also the fact that I couldn't find the perfect bar in the other cities I had visited. I had been scrolling through my phone, desperately searching for a place where I could unwind and enjoy a few drinks, but every option seemed to fall short of my expectations.
Mas lalo pa akong nairita nang tumunog ang doorbell. Uutusan ko sana si Kai na buksan, pero naalala ko baka mommy niya o si mommy ang bumisita. Annoyed, I got up abruptly and made my way towards Kai who was laying on his couch, my footsteps heavy with frustration.
"Get up," I snapped, my annoyance seeping into my voice. "We have a visitor. Go sleep in my bed, not here. It might be your mother."
He weakly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with exhaustion. He sat down on the couch and looked at me. "We don't have to pretend, Aria. I'm okay," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes in frustration. "Are you stupid?" I retorted, my words laced with irritation. "Hindi tayo pwedeng maghiwalay dahil wala akong mamanahin sa mga magulang ko. We need to pretend all the time, idiot. Alam kong ikaw din."
He flinched at my harsh words, his eyes filled with hurt. Tumango siya at sinunod din ang sinabi ko.
Naglakad ako papunta sa gate, pero hindi pa ako nakakalapit, alam ko na agad na hindi mommy ni Kai 'yon. My eyebrow raised. Who's this girl?
"I'm sorry, we don't have money. Bumalik ka na lang sa ibang araw," I said with a hint of sarcasm.
She was dressed in casual clothes that gave off an impression of wealth. It was clear to me that she came from a more privileged background. May hawak siyang supot sa isang kamay at sa kabila naman ay basket na may mga prutas.
"Can I come in?" she asked, disregarding my previous statement. "I heard Kai was sick, so maybe I can visit him. Are you his wife?"
I couldn't believe her audacity, insisting on entering our home. The nerve of this woman! At 'yong Kai na 'yon, may gana pa talaga siyang papuntahin ang babae niya rito sa pamamahay ko!
"Our house is not a hospital." I retorted, my eyes narrowing with judgment as I scrutinized her. " You can leave now, Ms. Whoever you are. I couldn't care less."
"I'm his friend," her voice was calm, but I could sense that she's a threat to me. "Ang sabi niya ay pwede raw akong pumasok dito whenever I want to."
Huh! Dito pa talaga nila naisipan na maglandian sa bahay ko! Siguro kapag nasa bar ako, nandito 'tong babaeng 'to rito. I can't believe this! My house is not a lodging house!
