GETTING TO KNOW MS. ANGER | MaColet

21 BACK2MANILA

YVES

"Dinaig mo pa ang mantika, sa sobrang haba ng tulog mo" rinig ko ulit na boses.

I rubbed my eyes and stretched before slowly opening them, only to be met with a surprising sight—nasa loob na ako ng airplane?

My heart skipped a beat as confusion washed over me. I glanced around, trying to make sense of the situation, and then my gaze landed on her—standing by my seat, parang bored na sa paghihintay.

"Binuhat kita at dinala dito" she explain, napansin niya ata ang pagtatanong sa sarili ko. "Sarap ng tulog mo kanina eh."

I blinked, trying to process what she just said.

"Huh? Edi nasan na tayo?" I asked, my voice laced with disbelief.

"Manila" she answered simply, her tone light as if we were just talking about the weather.

Lumingon pa ako sa bintana, half-expecting her to be joking, pero hindi. The familiar skyline of Manila greeted me, confirming her words.

Nasa Manila na nga kami.

"Grabe ka" I muttered, still in shock.

She just chuckled and turned around, starting to walk away. "Kain muna tayo bago kita ihatid sa inyo" she called over her shoulder, already heading towards the exit.

"Wait, uyab" I called out, my voice stopping her in her tracks.

"Hmm?" she responded, turning slightly to look back at me.

I took a deep breath, the words tumbling out before I could second-guess myself. "Hindi naman magbabago pakikitungo mo sakin, diba?" I began, my voice a bit shaky.

"Kung ano tayo sa Bohol, ganun pa rin naman tayo  kahit nandito na tayo sa Manila. diba?"

Nag ooverthink na tuloy ako.

She paused, her eyes softening as she reached into her pocket and pulled something out. Lumapit muli siya sakin at binigay ang kapirasong papel.

Nagtatakang kinuha ko naman yun.

"That’s my number" she said softly.

"Text me if you need a kakampi as well."

——

Nakarating na ang order namin, pero wala pa rin siya. Nasa gilid lang ako ng mesa, tahimik na nag-aabang. Kasama niya yung isang waiter para ipa-charge ang phone niya at i-text si Shawn na sunduin kami.

Hindi ko ginagalaw ang pagkain, kahit pa gutom na ako. I wanted to wait for her. I waited for about 20 minutes, the silence stretching longer with each passing second, until she finally returned.

She approached the table, her expression unreadable, making me wonder what was on her mind.

Pag-upo niya, agad siyang nagtanong. "Bakit hindi ka pa kumakain?"

"Hinihintay kita" I said softly, my eyes meeting hers.

She smiled a little, and we ate in silence after that. We didn't need words—there was something comforting about just being in each other's company.

Matapos kaming kumain, siya na ang nagbayad ng bill, at tahimik kaming lumabas. Umupo kami sa waiting shed, magkatabi habang naghihintay kay Shawn.

The minutes felt like hours as we sat there, the city’s noise a distant hum around us.

Sa bawat sandali, palihim akong sumusulyap sa kanya, nagtataka kung ano ang iniisip niya.

There was a longing in my chest, a desire to break the silence, but I couldn’t find the right words.

Gusto ko siyang kausapin, pero parang natutunaw ang mga salita bago pa man ito lumabas sa bibig ko. My thoughts were a jumbled mess, and I feared saying the wrong thing.

"Ramdam ko na kanina mo pa ako tinitingnan" she said suddenly, turning her head to look at me just as I was caught staring at her.

Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop.

"Sorry" I mumbled, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks, embarrassed at being caught.

I looked down, my fingers nervously playing with the hem of my shirt.

"I just… I didn’t know how to thank you properly, ang laking abala ng ginawa ko sayo." I continued, the words spilling out before I could stop them.

She shook her head gently. "I’ve told you before, diba? Ayaw ko ng may utang na loob sakin ang kahit sino."

"Yeah nasabi mo na nga yan, kaya nga hindi ko alam kung paano magpasalamat sayo" I said, my voice almost a whisper.

It was hard to navigate my emotions, especially around her.

"Let’s make a deal then" she suggested

"Anong deal naman?" tanong ko, curious pero may halong kaba.

"Everything that happened in Bohol… stays in Bohol. No need to pay me back or thank me."

There was finality in her tone, as if she was trying to draw a line in the sand.

"Everything? As in, lahat ng nangyari doon?" nagtatanong ang mga mata ko, umaasang mali ang iniisip ko.

Edi babalik nanaman kami sa dati?

The memories flashed through my mind—moments filled with laughter, quiet conversations, and... something more. Those days were the best I’d ever had, and the thought of leaving them behind felt almost painful.

Tumango lang siya, pero may malalim na tingin. "Yeah, all of it."

Parang bumigat ang dibdib ko. "Edi I can’t call you 'uyab' na here? 'Cause we're in Manila na" I asked, trying to keep my tone light.

My heart raced as I awaited her response, unsure of what I wanted to hear.

Please say 'no' bulong ko sa utak ko.

She laughed softly, her eyes softening as she looked at me. "You can call me 'uyab' as long as you want. Hindi naman nila maiintindihan yan dito sa Manila"

Magsasalita pa sana ako nang may humintong kotse sa harap namin. The car's sleek exterior reflected the streetlights, and as the door opened, lumabas ang may-ari nito.

"Sorry, Nics, natraffic ako sa bahay" tumawa pa siya, a laugh so carefree it seemed like he was just joking around.

The familiarity in his tone instantly confirmed—kapatid nga ni Sheena 'to. It was like looking at a male version of her, with that same confident aura.

"Okay lang, hatid mo na siya sa kanila" Uyab replied, her voice calm.

Mabilis na napalingon ako sa kanya, my eyes searching her face for any hint of what she was really thinking.

But her expression was unreadable, hindi ko nanaman siya mabasa.

"Bakit ako lang?"

"Magcocommute na lang ako" she answered, her tone turning serious as she finally looked at me. "Baka barilin pa ako ng daddy mo pag nakita ako."

Naalala ko na nakwento niya yung accident na tumilapon yung tray at nadumihan ang coat ni Dad.

He was mad daw that time.

Well, lagi naman galit si dad, wala ng bago.

"Ingat kayo" she said, her eyes lingering on me for just a moment longer, like she wanted to say something more but chose not to.

"Ingat, Nics" Shawn echoed, his voice breaking the tension in the air. "Tara na, Loi."

Before getting into the car, I turned to her one last time. "Ingat, uyab" I whispered, trying to hide the emotion in my voice.

"I'll text you pag nakauwi na ako."

She gave me a small nod, a faint smile on her lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

As I got into the car, I couldn’t help but look back at her, standing there alone in the dim light of the streetlamp.

"Don't worry about Nics, makakauwi yan ng buhay."