Forbidden Relationship (Forbidden Love #3)(On-Going)

Chapter 8

When noon came, it suddenly started to rain heavily. They don't turn on the tv to watch the weather update. Mali-mali raw kasi minsan mag-update ang nasa tv. Sayang kuryente lang daw.

"Kuya, anong ulam natin?" tanong ni Sovie pagkatapos naming magsaing.

"Ano bang meron sa ref?" tanong ni Kuya Zhack.

Lumapit ako sa refrigerator nila para tingnan kung ano-ano bang pagkain ang nandoon. "Dried fish, and egg," I answered.

"Dried fish?" Sabay-sabay na tanong nung apat na kaibigan ni Kuya Zhack.

"Tuyo 'yon," sagot ni Kuya Zhack. Tumango naman ako.

"Tuyo lang pala, akala ko kagaya nung mangga na may dried version," sambit ni Janser.

Tuyo pala ang tawag doon. Akala ko dried fish kasi binibilad siya sa arawan sabi ni Aling Nita. Inuulam niya kasi iyon. Hindi ko naman alam ang lasa.

"Lutuin mo 'yung tuyo, Sovie," utos ni Kuya Zhack.

"Ha?" Nag-aalinlangan na tumingin sa akin si Sovie. "Nandito si Aphle, Kuya."

Kuya Zhack looked at me rudely. "Bakit? Espesyal ba 'yan para paghainan mo ng masarap na pagkain?" sarkastiko nitong tanong.

"Ewan ko sa 'yo, Kuya," malditang sinabi ni Sovie. "Fine, lulutuin ko na. Tara rito, Aphle."

I trailed behind Sovie as we returned to the kitchen. She readied the pan and oil for cooking, while I rinsed the pan as I had observed Aling Nita do before frying anything. I glanced at Sovie, who was smiling as she arranged the dried fish. "Unang araw mo pa lang natututo ka na. Pahinga ka na mamaya bago ka umuwi, ah," bilin niya sa akin.

"Hindi ba tayo maliligo sa ulan?" tanong ko.

Kumunot ang kaniyang noo bago tumawa nang mahina. "Bakit? Hilig mo rin bang maligo sa ulanan?" tanong niya.

I shook my head sorrowfully. "I have been prone to illness since I was a child, and even now, Mommy and Daddy forbid me from showering in the rain," I replied with a tinge of sadness. "While other kids my age were out playing in the flood, I confined myself to the room, immersing myself in academic books."

"Ang lungkot at boring naman pala talaga ng childhood mo," komento niya.

"Kaya, gusto ko sanang maligo mamaya kapag nakapagpahinga na ako tapos malakas pa rin ang ulan," saad ko.

"Naku, bawal kang maligo," aniya. "Ikaw na ang nagsabing sakitin ka. Baka mamaya pagkaahon mo pa lang sa ulanan may sakit ka na."

I sighed before nodding. I understand that she just doesn't want me to get sick.

Bumuntong hininga rin siya. "Pero kung talagang gusto mong maligo sa ulanan, sasamahan kita mamaya. Bawal tayong lumayo kasi masamang natutuyo sa katawan ang tubig-ulan. Okay lang ba?" Kaagad akong tumango na parang bata.

"Thank you, Sovie!" masaya kong sinabi.

Ngumiti siya sa akin. "Bayad ko na 'yon kasi tinulungan mo akong maglinis ng bahay," aniya. "Magtatanggal pa pala ako ng agiw sa bubungan mamaya."

"Agiw?" kuryoso kong tanong.

"Spider web sa english," natatawa niyang sagot bago ako tumango na parang batang may bago na namang nalaman.

She began cooking while I settled into a monobloc chair, observing her attentively. The dried fish cooked quickly, perhaps due to being sun-dried.

Once she finished cooking, I scooped some rice onto my plate. It dawned on me that they didn't have a dining table. "Sovie, where should we eat? There's no dining table," I inquired.