Hiraya - Macolet

009

— Flashback —

"Come on, Col! Hide here! Hide here beside me!"

I was so excited. I never got to play with kids my age like this. The three of us were playing hide and seek at the charity program. It was just the three of us, Jho, Lucky, and me, but it was so much fun!

It had been a long time since I last played like this. Maybe the last time was with Jhoanna pero napaka-tagal na no'n. My siblings and I couldn't play games like this at home. Papa would scold us because he hated noise. And for him, dapat tahimik lang kami palagi sa loob ng bahay kapag nand'yan siya.

I smiled widely before sitting beside her. We're under a table! The space she chose was small, but we both fit. I didn't know which room we were in, but it was just a small place, so Jhoanna would find us soon enough.

"Usog gamay imong tiil, Lucky..." Nakikita 'yung kaliwang paa ko. Baka mamaya ay ako ang maunang makita ni Jho, e, 'di ako ang magiging taya sa laro?! I don't want that to happen.

I saw how her face expression change from happy to confused. "Anong sabi mo, Col? Hindi kita naintindihan..."

"Oh..." Then I realized, I spoke in Bisaya. "I said move a little... makikita ni Jho ang paa ko."

She giggled softly, obviously understanding now what I meant earlier. "Taga-Batangas pala ako..."

"So... what?" I didn't ask her that question... yet.

"Batanguena ako, Col. Para lang alam mo."

"Sorry..." Is she mad? Hindi ko kasi napapansin na nag Bi-Bisaya ako minsan.

I felt her arms brushing against mine when she shifted closer to me. When I looked at her, she smiled widely, silently asking if it was okay to be this close. I thought she's mad. I slowly nodded, looking away to avoid her gaze. I didn't mind it... being inches away from her.

It felt comforting.

Even the small space suddenly felt even smaller than earlier, our body closeness making my heart race. Hindi ko alam kung ano ba itong nararamdaman ko. Kaba, hiya, or... ambot! I didn't want to name it yet.

Heartbeats.

That's all I could hear right now. But I have no idea whose heartbeat it was.

Was it mine or hers?

"Col?" She's the first one to break the silence between us.

I hummed, trying to keep my composure. My heart is still pounding... and it's loud! I don't want her to hear it. "Bakit?"

"After this day... makikita ba ulit kita?"

It was a random question to ask in a situation like this. We're having fun tapos ganito ang tanong niya... But, I am not sure either. After this... matatapos na ang program. Posibleng hindi na kami mag kita. 

When the sun sinks in the West and rises in the East, will I ever see this girl again? I don't want to give her an answer that I'm not sure of because... I want to see her again too. But, I don't know how I will tell her that there are uncertainties.

Kung sasabihin kong oo, magkikita kami ulit.

Kailan?

Paano?