COMPLEX (A Ken Suson Story)

7. Ice Cream-zone

KEN'S POV

I was already parked outside the gate where I always wait for her. As usual, I turned on my music and started jamming with my yet unreleased songs.

After a while, I received a message from (F/N).

Ken, pasensya na. Mukhang magtatagal pa tong last subject ko. Text ako kaagad pag nag-dismiss na.-

I couldn't help but smile a bit and sent my reply to her.

-No worries. I'll wait

I put my phone down and rested myself on my seat and closed my eyes. 30 minutes later, I heard my notification sound again.

Kaka-dismiss lang. Papunta na ako dyan, pasensya na ulit.-

I read her message but did not reply to her anymore. Instead, I fixed my seat and turned the volume of my music down.

Not too long and I saw her walking out the gate. But something's off about her. She's not beaming as usual. She's frowning, and was walking a little slower. Nonetheless, I went out of the car and opened the door of the passenger's side. She went in, I closed it and went back to the driver's seat. I switched the engine on, put on my seat belt and when I was about to get and put hers, she stopped me.

"Uhm, a-ako na lang ang magkakabit..." she said in a feeble voice.

What's wrong with her?

I watch her struggle to put her seat belt for a while until I can't bear it anymore so I gently get it from her hand and buckled it on.

"S-Salamat..." She said and sighed deeply.

I glanced at her. "Lalim nun, ah. Is there something..?"

She shook her head. "Uhm, wala naman... Medyo masakit lang ang katawan ko kasi may dalaw ako ngayon."

Dalaw? Monthly period?

"P-Pero, okay lang ako. Pauwi na din naman. Pasensya na nga pala sa paghihintay ha." She added, looking at me.

I just nodded. "Hmmm."

As I drove towards her apartment, I was trying to remember something.

Ano nga ba yung palaging ipinabibili ni ate dati kapag may dalaw sya..?

Ah, alam ko na.

I turned to a corner and saw a small convenience store that was not too far from her apartment. I stopped the car when we arrived in front of it. She looked at me and was about to say something but I went on first.

"I won't be long, I'm just gonna buy something. Wait here." I told her and quickly removed my seatbelt and went out of the car.

I went inside the store and immediately went to the frozen section.

Hmmm, nothing could go wrong with a coffee crumble flavoured ice cream.

I remember back then when I was still staying in our house at Zamboanga del Sur and my ate Jackie was having her period, she will always ask our family driver to buy her some ice cream to help sooth the pain that she was feeling. She would always ask for the biggest size available so that she will be able consume it as much as she likes. That's also the reason why I became addicted to ice cream. Not just because of the flavour itself, but because whenever I'm feeling sad or down or lonely, that is my happy food.