Tune of Rapture (Echoes #2)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Flirt

To get to know me?

It was still dark when I left Laguna. Hindi ko na ginising si Mang Artim at umalis na agad. Alam niya naman siguro na uuwi ako ng Manila bago mag tatlong araw. Noong umuwi ako sa bahay pag katapos namin ni Sergo, hindi ako agad nakatulog. Sobrang pagod ko sa araw na iyon pero hindi ako dinadalaw ng antok.

Naiwan yata sa bilihan ng kahoy ang utak ko. Sergo's words about having five months to get to know me also stuck with me.

Why? Does he want to be friends with me? What if I don't want to? Tsk. I'm only in Laguna for five months. Ayokong may maiwan kapag aalis na. I already have enough friends. I don't need a new one.

And I'll be staying in Laguna for five months because of the land and ranch. But it's fine, well, it's good that he's there so I won't get bored, right?

"Sir, Yazid?" sinilip pa ako ng guard ng mansyon nang makarating ako.

Medyo maliwanag na kaya kitang-kita ko pa ang antok niyang mata. Tumango siya sa akin nang makilala ako bago binuksan ang malaking gate. Nakita ko rin ang kasambahay na nag wawalis.

I entered the house and went straight to my room. I don't use this room much since I rarely come home. Wala naman masyadong dumi dahil palaging pinapalinis ni mommy 'to sa kasambahay.

Wala ring ginalaw na mga collection ko ng LEGO. They were still arranged the same way. My empty perfume bottles, which I love to collect, were still there. I have a habit of collecting perfumes even when they're empty.

I lay down on the soft bed and almost embraced it.

Nasa Manila na ako! This is where my life truly is. I can't live without a soft bed. With a simple closing of my eyes, I fell asleep immediately.

I woke up when I felt someone stroking my cheek. Nahampas ko iyon at agad akong napabangon nang marinig ang reklamo ni mommy. I opened my eyes and saw my mother standing in front of me.

"Mom!" inis kong sigaw bago bumuntong hininga, nag iwas ako ng tingin at sumandal sa headboard ng kama.

Narinig ko ang tawa niya. I didn't look at her. Was I really that sleepy that I fell asleep right away? I grabbed my cellphone and saw that it was already 12 PM. I came home early!

Yeah, right. Hindi ako nakatulog sa Laguna, eh, kaya puyat ako.

"Wala kang tulog, iho? Mukha ka ng panda. Your eyes are so dark," my mother pointed out.

Umismid ako at umiling. "Puyat lang po,"

"Why though?" she asked.

Natigilan ako. Napuyat gawa ni Sergo? Siya ang dahilan kung bakit hindi ako nakatulog. Pumikit ako nang mariin at bumalik sa pag kakahiga. Tumalikod ako sa kanya para ituloy ang tulog.

"I'm stressed with the ranch. Hindi na ako babalik doon." banta ko at pumikit.

Narinig ko ang buntong-hininga niya. "Limang buwan ka lang naman doon, anak. At... hindi mo sinunod ang binilin ko sa 'yo,"

Napatingin ako sa kanya dahil sa lungkot ng kan'yang boses. Kumunot ang noo ko at umayos nang higa. Anong binilin?

"What?"

Malungkot siyang ngumiti. "Wala kang kasamang pusa,"

Namilog ang mata ko. Shit! Napabangon ako. I completely forgot! What did I do for two days in Laguna that I didn't even think about it? That's the whole reason I went there, to find a cat!