Behind Curtains (ONGOING)

Kabanata 56

Kabanata 56

Caprices

I slept through the day. And when my lonely night took a hit, I spent it watching the most comical movies. I slept some more after, kaya hindi na kataka-takang nagising ako bago pa man lumabas ang araw.

I hugged my blanket closer to my body as I went to my balcony. I let the morning mist gently pat my face and hair. Even the birds... were still asleep. Nag-aagaw pa ang dilim at ang namumuong kulay-rosas, kahel at asul sa langit. It was easy to make out how Samal looked from where I stood. It was beyond their mountains the sun usually liked to peek through, kaya naroon ang buong atensyon ko. Nakatayo lang ako sa gilid ng balkonahe habang natititig doon.

My head was empty as I waited for the exchange of pleasantries between the earliest birds and the sleepiest bats. I was musing mindlessly when I heard heavy foot falls hitting the concrete street. Early morning joggers were the usual here... but our block didn't have any. Lalo na nang umayos ang mga daan ng main road, dahil kung hindi sa likod, ay doon naman na halos ang ruta ng lahat.

So it was weird to see a jogger here... so early in the morning. 

Sinundan ko iyon ng tingin. He was just jogging from one end of our street to the other. He did that a lot of times, too, for what felt like an hour. Muntik pa akong pumahalumbaba para mas matitigan siya, until he slowed his pace... and made his way towards the pavement that would lead towards my house. Our car is usually street-parked there, but since my family was having their vacation, bakante iyong harapan namin.

Napatayo na ako ng tuwid habang inoobserbahan siya. Dahil mas malapit na siya kumpara kanina at wala pang gaanong ingay gawa ng madaling araw pa, halos marinig ko na pati paghinga niya. He was a lot of feet below of where I was, but his drifit shirt was tight enough that I can see how his chest was heaving from that cardio.

Umawang nalang ang labi ko nang nag-angat siya ng tingin sa akin. He was doing so while wiping the sweat that streaked his jaw. Nag-abot ang aming tingin, napatingin na rin ako sa daan patungo sa kabilang unit na inuupahan niyang... sobrang layo dapat sa akin.

"Good morning, Layla," I heard him croak... as the birds started chirping, too. 

"Good morning..." I greeted back, sighing as the slow rising of the sun gradually changed the sky into the softest colors.

Nagkatinginan kami ng ilang sandali. His chest was rising and falling with his every breath. His lips, now in a thin line, were threatening to part as he tried to catch his wind. But he forced them to close. I raised a brow.

"May kailangan ka?" I finally asked.

"Water," he smiled at me. "Pwedeng makiinom?"

Kalmante akong nagdesisyon na bumaba na. 

Hindi ko na inalintana kung magulo man ang buhok ko gawa ng tulog o kung nakapambahay lang ako.

I opened the sliding glass doors and peeped my head out. I gestured for him to come inside with my hand. Mukhang nagulat pa siya sa ginawa ko.

"Ano? Akala ko ba uhaw ka?" sipat ko sa kanya at pinilig pa ang ulo nang marinig na ang sunod-sunod na kaluskos ng mga kapitbahay. 

Mag aala-sais na at marami na rin ang nagsisimula sa mga gawaing bahay. Ilang minuto nalang at may mga lalabas na rin para magsiwalisan at magdidilig ng mga halaman nila. Our neighbors weren't nosy, but if I brought out a glass of water and let Sir Killian drink while he stood outside our house, at kung aabangan ko pa na matapos siya ay talagang... magiging eksena na kami niyan sa umaga.