What Happened? || MaColet (BINI #1)

Chapter 43: Cockroach

I was busy organizing my things sa condo ko nang biglang may kumatok. I didn't know who it was kaya tinanong ko muna pero hindi siya sumasagot. Ayoko sanang buksan pero baka kasi si Maloi. Baka gusto niya na akong paalisin kahit kakalipat ko pa lang.

When I opened the door, I saw Maloi's sister. She was carrying a canister and her eyes immediately widened when she saw me.

"Ate Colet?" she asked and giggled. "Fan na fan mo ’ko." She gave me the canister containing a mango graham at kinuha ang phone niya. "Pwedeng pa-picture?"

"Sure." I smiled and posed for the picture.

"Grabe. Kaya pala sabi ni ate ibigay ko ’to sa kapitbahay at panigurado matutuwa ako." She giggled again. "Are you for good? Or for promotion lang ng album mo?"

"Ah, rest lang. Vacation ganon. And then after that, babalik na ulit ako sa States." I explained.

"Sayang naman. Si ate Lucky rin kasi singer na. Medyo nastress nga si Mama sa kanya when she pursued that career." She shook her head in disappointment. "Gusto kasi niya pareho kayong singer. Akala niya siguro madaling sumikat dito sa Pilipinas. Buti na lang may sumikat siyang kanta."

"Yeah, I saw it." I nodded. "Anyway, thanks. Pasabi na rin sa ate mo, salamat."

"Nissan, ang tagal mo dyan." Maloi glared at her sister at agad namang bumalik si Nissan sa condo ni Maloi.

We looked at each other for a while before she rolled her eyes at me at pumasok na rin sa condo niya.

I shoo my head at nagpunta na lang sa table ko para makaisip ng kanta. Hindi ko alam kung anong story na naman ang mapupunta sa kanta. Lahat kasi ng alam ko nasulat ko na.

I tried to write Maloi's name in my book and smiled. What if, gawin kong song ’yung answer ko sa letter niya? Like after all this time, siya pa rin. Walang araw na hindi.

My phone suddenly beeped kaya nawala ako sa focus. I saw Jho's message. She was sorry about how she acted last night. Pero hindi niya babawiin. I knew it was hard for her too, but I wanted to make things right. Nasaktan ko rin naman siya.

"Hello?" I greeted her as she picked up my call. "You okay?"

"Hm. Sorry about last night. Did I hurt you?" she asked.

I felt guilty. She deserves so much more. This kind of girl na siya na nga ang nasaktan, siya pa ang nag-aalala sa ’yo. I hope she could find someone who could reciprocate her love.

"No, I did hurt you. Are you okay now?" I asked.

"Yeah. I realized many things last night. I realized na lahat nga ng gestures mo throughout those years ay parang isang concerned sister lang for me. Sorry kung napressure kang mahalin ako. Sorry kung napilitan kang mahalin ako kasi mahal kita." She apologized. "Hindi ko masasabi sa ’yo ’to sa personal kasi alam kong mahihiya ako. Masakit, Colet. Pero sana walang magbago."

"Are you sure?" I asked again. "I mean, hindi ka ba masasaktan kapag nakikita mo ako?"

"Why would I? Sanay na ako sa pain, Colet. Noong ni-reject mo ’ko before. Noong nakikita ko kayong sweet ni Maloi. Okay na nga ako roon e." She sighed. "Thank you for trying to love me and spent three years with me even though iba talaga laman ng puso mo."

"I'm sorry, Jho."

"Totoo talaga na sa ’kin ka tatagal, pero iba pa rin magiging end game mo." I heard her chuckle. "Anyways, let's be friends. Kaya ko, promise."

"Okay. Gumagawa ako ng kanta ngayon. Ipaparinig ko pagkatapos ko." I informed her.

"Okay, goodluck." After that, she hung up.

My stomach growled kaya kumuha na lang ako ng kutsara at tinikman ang bigay nilang mango graham. Agad akong natawa unang subo pa lang. Until now pala hindi pa rin siya marunong sa mga ganito. When Tin tasted her cookie, na-bash pa siya ng slight.

Pero kahit na sobrang tamis, inubos ko pa rin. Bahala na magka-diabetes. Basta galing sa kanya.

I heard another few knocks coming from my door kaya napalingon ako. Sino na naman ’to? Dami namang istorbo.

"What?" I asked when I opened the door and I saw Maloi standing right outside my door. She looked scared. "What happened?"

"Umalis na si Nissan. Tapos ano..." She looked away. "Look, I just need your help but this doesn't mean that I forgave you already, okay? I'm just desperate." She explained.

"Ano nga?" I asked because she looked so scared. Malay ko ba kung may stalker na pala siya at inakyat siya sa bintana niya o kaya may camera sa loob ng condo niya.

"May ipis."

I rolled my eyes and heaved a sigh. "’Yun lang?"

"Hoy, anong ’yun lang? Sobrang daming germs ang dala non. Hindi ko alam kung paano nagkaroon sa condo ko. Pero kailangan na niyang mamatay!" She glared at me. "Colet naman!"

"Bakit?" I asked and chuckled. "Hindi ako nagdala nyan. Kaya mo na ’yan." I laughed at her.

It's not that I didn't care about her. Takot din ako sa ipis!

"Colet naman." She almost cried. "Binaba ko na pride ko. Kinatok na kita kahit galit na galit ako sa ’yo."

"And?"

"Ah, hindi mo papatayin?"

I laughed and nodded. Kabado na rin ako. Kapag ito pumunta sa ’kin, sisigaw talaga ako. Kumuha ako ng spray at pumasok sa condo niya. She was right, sobrang linis ng condo niya pero bakit magkakaroon ng ipis?

"Saan banda?" I asked.

"Room ko." She opened her door room at agad lumayo.

I looked around para hanapin ang ipis. When I saw it sa bandang bintana ay agad kong na-spray. After that ay napahinga na rin ako. But one thing caught my attention.

On Maloi's side table, I saw a frame and it was our picture together. I turned to her na nasa pinto pero hindi pa rin makatingin sa akin dahil sa takot niya sa ipis.

How did that happen? Don't tell me that after all these years ako pa rin?