Since it was decided that I would be cooking our meals, nag-grocery kami ni Nikolaj sa rest day ko. He insisted to accompany me kahit na sinabi kong kaya ko naman at nasa labas lang ng subdivision ang grocery store. Pero hindi s'ya nagpatalo and in the end, he was the one who paid sa mga pinamili namin kahit na ipinagpilitan kong maghati kami.
"Ang dami ng pinamili mo," sabi ko habang magkatulong naming inaayos ni Nikolaj sa kusina ang groceries. "Sabi ko sa 'yo hati na lang tayo sa babayaran."
He made a small smile. Pinanood ko s'yang ilagay sa itaas ng cupboard, iyong hindi ko abot, ang ilan sa cup noodles. He said they were just for a quick snack and I told him that it wasn't healthy. Walang kahirap-hirap n'yang nailagay iyon. Samantalang ako, kailangan pang tumuntong sa upuan.
"It's fine." He closed the cupboard and leaned his back on the kitchen counter. "If you think about it, the groceries are all for my house anyway."
I looked at him and frowned.
"I bought personal necessities too."
He chuckled.
"It's really fine, Xanthe. Magkano lang naman 'yon. Hindi masakit sa bulsa."
My frown deepened. Umabot ng kulang-kulang fifteen thousand ang lahat ng mga pinamili namin. Pa'no ba naman kasi, lagay na lang s'ya nang lagay sa cart! While I was checking the price sa bawat dinadampot ko at kung may mas murang brand ay iyon ang binibili ko.
But Nikolaj didn't mind the price. Hindi na nga n'ya tinitingnan. When he noticed that I was checking the price tag, bago ko pa makita ay kinukuha na n'ya 'yon sa 'kin at ilalagay na lang din sa cart. Kaya umabot ng gano'ng halaga ang lahat ng binili namin.
Halos isang buwang sahod ko rin ang amount na 'yon. And what did he say? Magkano lang naman 'yon? It just meant that he was so rich na para sa kanya ay barya lang ang fifteen K!
Well... I was like that before. Mas grabe pa nga ang nagagastos ko roon sa isang araw. Pero noon 'yon, maiintindihan ko pa s'ya. But not now na halos mag-overtime na ako every day para lang sa mas malaking sahod.
"It's nice to be rich, 'no?" sabi ko at pinagpatuloy na ang pag-aayos.
Ilang sandaling hindi nagsalita si Nikolaj. Nakasandal pa rin sa kitchen counter at mukhang pinapanood ang ginagawa ko.
"Do you really think that?"
Hindi ko alam kung bakit ako napatigil sa tanong n'ya. It was just a simple question pero iba ang naging dating noon sa akin. I felt like there was something hidden behind that question.
It felt as if he was asking that if I do really think that it was nice to be rich, then why did I run away from home and choose this life where I had to suffer?
But it was impossible. Nikolaj didn't know that I was a Larrazabal. He didn't know that I was rich. He didn't know the life I had before.
I must be exaggerating things. Iyon lang naman ang tinanong n'ya pero kung ano-ano na ang iniisip ko. He was just really asking if I really meant what I said.
"If you really think like that," he said. "Then you can just stay here. I'll let you mooch off me, Xanthe."
Natawa ako. Tinawanan ko na rin ang naisip ko kanina.
So, that was what he meant.
"Ano 'yon? Parang magiging sugar daddy kita?" biro ko pa.
He frowned. He looked offended.
"Do you think I'm old... Xanthe?"
I pursed my lips and shook my head. Mali ang naging biro ko.
"No."
