Found You

finding... 17

"Ano kamo!?" As if a lightning strike, she stood up on the bed from peacefully sitting, cross-legged.

My lips formed a thin line when I heard Eya's reaction. Agad na bumagsak ang tingin ko sa mga daliring pinaglalaruan ko habang nakatayo sa tapat ng kama namin.

I don't have a choice! I can't cook any real food but I also want to help their starving stomachs. Ayoko namang magmukhang walang puso. Nakakaawa naman.

He said he hasn't eaten any food since they left. And goddesses know where they came from, we're here in Cebu! Again, I don't want to look like a heartless unwelcoming woman, especially that we had a bad start.

Hindi ko naman kasi in-expect na sila-sila lang pala 'yon. E di sana nagpa-banner pa ako para sa pagdating nila. I will even buy lots of food if I just knew that they would arrive with an empty stomach. Again, I didn't know!

And that's the sole reason why I am here, standing in front of Eya. I need her help to cook! I have no experience in cooking real foods and I don't want to disappoint those guys. Nakakaawa talaga sila, I promise.

"Please, Eya. Tara na, they might be starving now. Magluluto pa tayo. How long will it—" I have no chance to finish what I am saying when my friend stepped down from the bed and held both sides of my cheeks.

"Xyra, makinig kang mabuti sa itatanong ko. Maliwanag?"

With my brows crashing with each other, I nodded. "Just be sure to help me after this."

Eya didn't reply to what I said and proceeded with her statement. "Gusto mo ba ang kuya ko?"

Halos mabulunan ako sa narinig. I am not even eating anything at the moment, but it doesn't give off a good feeling. It was like my stomach was turning around just as fast as my heart beat.

Ano bang sinasabi ng babaeng 'to? Do I look like I discovered a liking for her brother? Hindi ako pumapatol sa mga hardinero! Hindi rin ako pumapatol sa mga sira ang ulo! Hindi ko makakalimutan ang ginawa niya kanina, a?

Nakakahiya! Nakaharap pa naman kami sa mga kaibigan niya 'tapos gano'n ang sasabihin niya? I refuse to throw another set of dust on his dreamy imagination.

“Are you joking? Of course not!”

"Sure ka, ha?" she made sure.

"Sure na sure!"

Binitawan niya ako at saka naglabas ng isang buntong hininga. She brought her hands to her waist and looked up to the ceiling as if thinking about something.

The room's air was still for a moment before Eya shifted her gaze from the ceiling to my direction. Of course, my lips instantly gave her a smile.

"Baba na nga tayo," mabilis niyang sabi bago mauna sa paglalakad.

Nasa hagdan pa lang kami ni Eya ay rinig na namin 'yung mga bangayan ng mga lalaki. Iba-ibang boses ang naririnig ko pero alam kong isa roon ang kuya ni Eya, nasasapawan nga lang ng ibang boses.

Can you actually believe that his voice can be outpowered by other voices? How loud can their voices be?

"Jowa-jowa pa kasi kayo. Lason 'yan!"

"Aray, lason raw. Payag ka no'n?"

"Hiyang-hiyang ako sa may asawa na pala, ha!"

"Oo nga. 'Tangina, p're, tatay ka na."

"Kesa naman do'n sa nagaya kay Ja-Me na pinagpalit sa dugyutin! Yuck!"

"Dugyutin pala, e."