Winter Hearts in Colorado (Vegas Spin-Off)

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

My alarm didn't wake me up. Bandang alas dose na ng tanghali ako nagising at sobrang nilalamig. Pagka-check ko ng phone ko, it was still set up in my alarm sa Philippine time kaya hindi talaga siya tumunog. Bangag na bangag ako. Sa sobrang pagod sa naging biyahe ko from Manila to Colorado, halos buong katawan ko ngayon ay ayaw nang umalis sa pagkakahiga at gusto ko na lang matulog ng buong araw.

Tinamaan ata ako ng jetlag nang sobrang lala!

Lumapit ako sa bintana at itinaas ko ang blinds para silipin ang klima sa labas at bakit sobrang lamig. Napauwang na lamang ang bibig ko nang masaksihan kong umuulan ng snow sa labas. Namumuti ang kalsada. Hindi pa man gano'n napapaligiran ng snow, pero halos mapapansing napapalibutan na ang ilang paligid. 

Sinubukan kong buksan ang bintana, pero agad kong sinara dahil maling desisyon iyon. Biglang pumasok ang hangin at nabalot ng lamig ang kwarto ko. Manipis ang damit pantulog ko kaya agad na tumaas ang balahibo ko sa katawan. I tried to rub my hands on my skin, pero ramdam ko lang ang pag-umbok ng chicken skin sa braso ko.

Mabilis ko namang hinalungkat sa maleta ko ang jacket na dinala ko. It was thick enough for me to get warm kahit papaano. Nang suotin ko naman iyon ay lumabas ako ng kwarto para kitain sina tita, pero napansin ko na tahimik naman ang bahay. Bumaba ako sa unang palapag at sinundan ko ang amoy ng sa tingin ko ay pancake na nanggagaling sa kusina. Pagkarating ko sa kusina ay nakita ko si Sydney na abalang nagluluto habang ang dalawang bata ay nakaupo sa kani-kanilang upuan.

"Hi!" pagbati ko saka ko nakuha ang atensyon niya.

"Hi!" nakangiti bati rin nito sa akin. What I noticed was she was only wearing a sweatshirt which surprised me. Hindi ba siya nilalamig? Pero agad ding tumapon ang paningin niya sa suot kong makapal na jacket. "Oh my gosh! Are you freezing right now?"

Binitawan niya ang hawak na sandok at may pinuntahan sa sa hallway. 

"I'll be lowering the heater," sabi pa nito. "I'm sure you're not used to this kind of cold. It'll get warmer in a few seconds. You don't have to wear that thick jacket inside."

"Okay, thank you. . ." Ngiti ko pa. "Where's my Aunt Katie?"

"Oh, she went to early early. She'll be home by five, I think," she said, unsure of it. "Her shift at work is confusing so when she called me to be here, I would go immediately to look after her children. She pays well so I couldn't argue with that."

"Yeah, I understand that. If I was in your position, I would be doing that."

"Yeah, right?!" she beamed at me, rushing back to the kitchen to cook the pancake. "How was your sleep though? Here goes the hot ones, babies! Blow it first before you touch it! You don't wanna burn your little tiny hands!" she warned them on a cute note.

"I slept well," I answered when she turned to face me. "I thought I wouldn't be able to sleep as I'm in a new place, but I guess, going on a flight for almost a day can really exhaust you!"

"I feel you, Cey! I've got that feeling before when I traveled to Bali," she said. "Have you been there?" she asked and I shook my head. "It was fantastic, Cely. I'm telling you that! You should visit it for once in your life. I thought about living there, but life's put me in a hard place so I had to come in this snowy town in Colorado."

"This is a magical place though. . ."

"Meh," she said, scrunching her nose. "But I got you. Most people who come to visit Colorado would say that. I wouldn't take the experience for you. Don't mind me at all. Why don't you join the kids and eat these lovely pancakes I made."