HOLD MY HAND

Chapter 8: Abuelo

3rd Person's POV

Harris is sitting on their usual spot waiting for his friends while reading a book. However, 'di siya gaanong makafocus sa binabasa niya kasi iba ang nasa isip niya ngayon.

It’s been two days since that day, when Mikhael went home. ’Di pa sila nacontact ni Mikhael at ’di rin nila macontact ang binata simula no’ng tinawagan siya ng mom niya. And they are worried as heck!

Hindi rin nila nakikita ang binata sa uni dahil maliban sa ’di sila same ng building, agad ding umuuwi ang binata. This kind of scenario is definitely not new to them, but still they can't help but to worry about their friend.

“He should have at least called me.” Harris mumbled, still trying to understand the book he's reading.

He slammed his book shut nang siya'y mainip dahil ’di talaga magawang i-absorb ng utak niya ang mga impormasyon galing sa librong binasa. He's too distracted to concentrate. Nilabas niya ang phone niya to check and nagbabakasakali na may message or missed call man lang from Mikhael. He tried to contact him again for the nth time.

“The subscriber cannot be—” agad niyang pag-end. Hayst.

Harris jumped from his seat when, out of nowhere, someone slammed a book on the table. Harris almost dropped his phone.

“What the actual fvck, Xiro!?” He hissed, shooting daggers at the boy.

“Lo siento, mi amigo. Had to do it to snap you out. You didn't even notice that I've been standing here for more than a minute already.” [Trans: I'm sorry, my friend] Depensa ni Xiro sa sarili niya.

“Don't worry too much. He'll be fine.” Dagdag niya. Alam niya kung bakit absentminded ang kaibigan niya, dahil ganyan din siya simula no’ng nasa Starbucks sila.

“You know that I can't help it. Nasasaktan na ako para kay Khael. What did he even do to deserve this kind of life?” Harris frustratedly said habang nakahilamos ang mga palad sa kanyang mukha.

Walang magawa si Xiro kundi pagmasdan ang kaibigan, dahil kahit pati siya ay naaawa na rin kay Mikhael.

“Let’s just wait for him to approach us first. He knows what he's doing. He always does.” Xiro said, smiling to reassure his friend, even though na kahit na siya ay ’di kumbinsido sa kanyang sinasabi. But they knew Mikhael since they were still in diapers, so it's not surprising kung kilala na niya ng lubusan ang kanilang kaibigan.

Nakayuko lang si Harris at pilit na kinakalma ang sarili. Malaki ang tiwala niya kay Mikhael, kaya maghihintay siya.

‘Right, this is how Khael has always been. ’Di ko lang talaga magawang masanay.’

Kinuha ni Harris ulit ang kanyang libro para i-distract ang sarili habang hinihintay ang isa pa nilang kaibigan.

•

(KINABUKASAN)

Draw. Write. Read. Memorize.

On his table full of books, notes, plates, pencils, highlighters, and pens, having only his study table lamp as his light, with three empty cups on his table at 2:15 am in the dawn, that's what Mikhael has been doing for the third day now.

He barely even had a wink. It's not new to him already, pero nagmumukha na talaga siyang zombie dahil ang haggard ng itsura niya. Luckily, walang pasok mamaya since ngayon ang araw ng anniversary ng university nila. Which means, the day na dadating ang daddylo niya.

He stood up from his seat at nagtungo sa banyo upang maghilamos. Matutulog na siya dahil ayaw niyang magmukhang zombie sa harap ng kanyang daddylo, lalo na’t present ang ina at ama niya mamaya.