CHASING STAR

CHAPTER 5

UAPAA week where all Universities in NCR has to compete in different sports. Mikha and her team are now preparing for their first game. She look in the audience baka naroon si Aiah but for almost a minute na kahahanap niya di nya nakita ang kaibigan. Baka hindi talaga ito pupunta sa loob na sabi nya saka binalik atensyon nya sa mga kasama.
She's been playing volleyball for a long time and Aiah was always there to support her, ngayon lang siguro wala ito.
She saw Yves and Sheena coming to her at may kasama pa itong dalawang babae na matatangkad.

"Hi Miks ...... we're here to support you" kaagad na sabi ni Sheena sabay kayap.
"Anyway let me introduce you to Jhoanna and Aubrey classmates din namin" pagpapakilala naman ni Yves sa dalawang kasama nito.
"Hi! I'm Mikha pala, accounting students" pakilala ko naman sa mga kaklase nila Yves.
"Nice meeting you Mikha at good luck sa games nyo" sabi naman ni Audrey at Jhoanna while hugging Mikha too.
"Nakita nyo ba Sheena si Aiah?" Di natiis na tanong ni Mikha sa mga kaibigan. Anyway she's been worried to Aiah dahil di ito nag message sa kanya nitong mga nakaraang araw.
"I think nasa mall sila ngayon, kasi nabangggit nya kahapon ng tumawag ako sa kanya" sagot naman ni Sheena.

"Ahh okay I'll call her nalang" tanging sabi nalang ni Mikha saka sya nag excuse sa mga kaibigan to get her phone and called Aiah.
She dial Aiah's number and just a few seconds sinagot naman nito ang tawag niya. Kahit masama loob nya dito di nya kayang matiis ito na di kumustahin.
"Yes... Bubby napatawag ka?" Kaagad na bungad nito ng sagutin ang call. Bigla nakaramdam ng lungkot si Mikha sa tanong ng kaibigan. Tila wala itong alam na may laro sya.
"Ahh.. just wanna ask if makakanood ka ng laro, UAPAA remember?" Sabi niya dito na pilit na pinasigla ang boses. It takes seconds befores Aiah answer her.
"Ohhh yes I forgot, hmmm...try ko humabol mamaya" tanging sabi nito sa kabilang linya.

"Ahh okay sige... thanks...ingat sa pag mamaneho huh" sabi nya dito bago nagpaalam. Parang mali ata na tumawag oa sya dito. Ibang -iba na ang Aiah na kilala niya, parang hindi na ito ang kaibigan niya napaka supportive.
Nang nagsimula na ang laro nila Mikha she try to focus on the game. Although hindi fully energetic laro nya dahil sa injury but she maintain her strength para makatagal sa court.
It's already the last quarter where their team is ahead of tree points sa kalaban. Everytime na nag timeout kanina  she look on the Audience to see if Aiah had arrived. Hindi talaga sya pupunta siguro mikha whisper in her mind while looking at the crowd.

Natapos ang laro na panalo ang team nila Mikha pero bukas may laro parin sila at ibang school naman kalaban nila.
Kaagad lumapit kay Mikha sila Yves at Sheena giving her water and towel while congratulating them for their first win.
"Congratulations Miks!...bukas ulit galingan niyo, manunood ulit kami" Sheena said to Mikha.
"Thank you again guys...." Sabi niya sa mga ito saka niyakap nya. Kanina pa talaga sya emotional knowing Aiah didn't make it to watch her game.
After magpaalam sa kanya ng mga kaibigan she received a message from Aiah's mom. Nag invite ito ng dinner to celebrate daw their team win, mahilig kasi ito manood ng live na laro ng UAPAA.  She accept the invitation of Aiah's mom.

It's already seven in the evening when Mikha reach Arceta residence. Kaagad siyang niyakap ng mother ni Aiah and give her a bouquet of flowers. She is teary eyed as what the old lady did. She really likes this kindness of Aiah's parents.
"Congratulations Mikha, were happy at nakuha niyo kaagad unang panalo" pahayag ni Tita Hillary while giving a hug to Mikha.
"Ohhh si Aiah pala hindi kayo nagsabay pauwi?" Tanong ni Tita Hillary kay Mikha.
She didn't know how to answer Aiah's mom question, since hindi nya alam kung nasaan ang kaibigan.
"Ahh hindi po kami nagkita  kanina sa sports complex " tanging sagot niya sa ina ni Aiah.

"Ohh okay hayaan na natin sya, kumain kana dahil alam kung gutom from the game" sabi nito saka kinuha nito sports bag na bitbit nya.  Inilagay nito sa couch ang bag saka inakay si Mikha papuntang dinning area.
Habang kumakain si Mikha panay kwento naman mother ni Aiah. Dati pala itong varsity din ng volleyball kaya pala mahilig ito manood ng mga laro.
Patapos na sa pagkain si Mikha ng marinig niyang may sasakyan na dumating. Nang lumingon sya it's Aiah who has paper bag na dala. Bumati ito sa ina at saglit lang ito tumingin sa kaibigan saka ito umakyat sa room nito.
"Did something happen with you and Aiah?" Tanong ng mother ni Aiah ng makaakyat na ang kaibigan.

"Ahh wala naman po" sagot niya dito saka tumingin saglit, baka mahalata nito ang pagsisinungaling niya.
"Kilala ko na kayo Mikha, nag-away ba kayo?" Usisa ulit ng mother ni Aiah, tila hindi ito kumbinsido sa sagot niya.
"Ahh ano lang po misunderstanding lang po, kasalanan ko din po naman" sagot niya dito. Para mapanatag ang loob ng mother ni Aiah she promise na kakausapin nya ang kaibigan to reconcile.
But in Mikha's mind, why she has to apologize kung hindi naman niya kasalanan. Pero dahil napakabuting tao ng parents ni Aiah, why not di ba?
After niyang kumain niligpit niya pinag kainan nya pero pinigilan sya ng Tita Hillary niya at pinaakyat nalang sya sa room ni Aiah to talk daw .

Humihinga muna sya ng malalim before sya kumatok sa room ni Aiah. It's open naman kaya pumasok narin sya after magkatok. Nakita niya ang kaibigan na nagtatangal ng makeup while nakaharap ito sa salamin.
It take minutes na mula ng makapasok sya sa kwarto nito pero hindi niya alam sasabihin. She was just looking on her on the reflection of the mirror.
"What brought you here?" Tanong ni Aiah while looking to her friend on the mirror reflection.
"Nothiii....I mean....I just want to apologize to what happened"  kaagad niyang bago sa sasabihin. Sa totoo lang labag sa loob niya na sya pa ang humingi ng sorry dito on their issues with Rhian. But now here she is again apologizing for the things she didn't do.

"Buti at napag-isip isip mo narin na mali ang ginawa mo" saad naman ni Aiah saka hinarap ang kaibigan. She just nod to her friend. She doesn't want to speak again baka iba masabi niya.
"Anyway bubby congratulations on your game kanina, nanalo daw kayo" sabi nito saka ngumiti.
"Yahhh Thank you" tanging sambit ni Mikha saka tipid na ngumiti.
"Anyway how's your Thesis pala Bubby?" Tanong ni Mikha sa kaibigan. Ilang araw din kasi sila di nagpangusap kaya kinumusta nya thesis nito.
"Patapos narin naman.....how about you?" Tanong nito habang nag cellphone.
"Ganun din...ginagawa ko pa" sagot naman ni Mikha. Hindi na nagsalita si Aiah busy na ito sa cellphone nito.

Nagpaalam na si Mikha sa kaibigan dahil tila  wala na itong balak na kausapin sya. Dismayado man pero pinilit nya nalang ngumiti dito habang nagpapaalam.
Pagkababa nya nagpaalam narin sya sa mother ni Aiah at nag pasalamat dito sa pa dinner. Kinumusta nito if okay na sila ni Aiah, sinabi nyang okay na para hindi na ito mag-alala.
While walking in the entrance of the village Mikha become more sad as she remembers that it was always Aiah who accompany her sa tuwing papauwi na sya galing sa bahay ng mga ito.
Habang naglalakad naisip niya na maybe part of growing up and adulting is to loosen some relationships and some of it too has to be detached. If Aiah need an space for her to be happy and grow as what she want right now maybe she has to understand her friend.

Baka talagang mahal nito si Rhian, baka kailangan talaga nitong maging ganun to grow. Although there's a sadness knowing that she used to be like this closed to her friend pero kung kailangan ng space kaya naman siguro niya.
She will talk tomorrow to Aiah and tell her that Rhian is just playing a game with her. Bahala na magalit ito or hindi maniwala as long masabi niya dito. Wala naman pinagkaiba ang pag trato nito sa kanya, still distant parin.

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