Matangos na ilong. Mahahabang pilikmata. Mapupulang labi.
Her face looks so serene. When she's asleep that is. Ang dami nang nagbago kay Asi. Hindi naman iyon nakapagtataka, it's been years.
It wasn't when Asi opened her eyes, that realized he was too close to her face. Sa sobrang lapit, konti nalang mahuhulog na siya. Or maybe he already has.
"What the fck! Nasa'n ako!?" Sigaw ni Asi, kaya naman ay agad na napatayo si Levi mula sa pagkaupo.
"Relax. Nahimatay ka kasi kanina, buti nalang nakita kita. I panicked so I brought you here." Nagpalinga-linga si Asi. She checked her body under the blanket to see if anything was missing or out of place. Buti naman ay wala.
"I'm not that kind of person you know," napailing na lamang si Levi.
"It's good to be sure." Tumayo si Asi and fixed herself. She thanked Levi and headed for the door, nang bigla itong bumukas.
"Oh, you're awake." Sabi ng isang babaeng nasa early 20s niya.
"You are?" Walang emosyong tanong ni Asi.
"Harriet. Ate ni Levi. I reckon you won't remember me, but you did a very stupid thing to me before."
"I don't care. Don't dwell on the past too much okay?"
Lalabas na sana si Asi pero sinara ni Harriet ang pintuan. Forcing Asi to listen to her story and leaving Levi in one corner making sure this won't turn into a cat fight.
"It was Valentine's Day that time. We were strolling in the park nearby when you suddenly appeared out of nowhere."
"Magkahawak ang kamay namin no'n pero dumaan ka sa gitna namin, for God knows why! Ang laki ng daan pero pinili mong dumaan sa gitna namin. Sinigawan mo pa kami na tumabi at 'WALANG FOREVER!'"
Asi snickered. Hindi nalang ito pinansin ni Harriet.
"Nagreklamo ako sa boyfriend ko tungkol sa ugali mo. I was about to chase you even, but he didn't let me. 'Nung tinanong ko kung bakit sabi niya ang babaw daw ng rason ko."
"Your ex was right though." Saad ni Asi, na para bang ipinagmumukhang wala na sila ng boyfriend niya. Inirapan na lang niya si Asi and continued.
"We fought. We ended up pointing everything we don't like about each other, until we reached the breaking point. Literally breaking point, I guess. We broke up. And all because of your personal shit."
"I didn't tell you to care about my personal shit. And besides, hindi ko kasalanan na naghiwalay kayo. Blame yourself for being childish. And blame your ex for easily giving up on you. Kasi kung mahal ka niya talaga, kahit gaano ka pa kaisip bata matitiis ka niya." Harriet thought about what Asi said for a second and unwittingly she agreed. But shrugged it off the moment she thought about it.
"Maybe he has somebody else now though. Because thinking about what happened when you broke up, hinintay niya lang na mag-away kayo para may rason siyang makipaghiwalay sa'yo. A piece of advice, move on."
Harriet spaced out because of what Asi said. Kaya napatabi siya ni Asi and Asi amanaged to get out of the room and out of their house.
"So? What do you think? Beautiful, isn't she?"
"I don't like her."
"Oh come on. Dahil lang tama siya, ayaw mo na sa kanya? Kailangan mo nang mag-move on kay Kuya Axel."
"Kahit na tama siya, ayoko pa rin sa kanya. You're the one who needs to move on Levi. Open your eyes. You were just a kid, it was obviously puppy love. You just exaggerated your feelings all these years."
"Isn't puppy love and true love the same?"
Harriet gave him a sad smile. Pero hindi niya sinagot ang tanong ng kapatid.
"I, think they're quite similar. They both give you the same chills when you're with the one you love. The same feeling. They both take you on cloud nine. The only difference, is the experience you have. Puppy love happens when we're still oblivious of the world around us. And true love happens when we already know the difference with right and wrong. Yup, they're both the same. It's the decisions we make, that makes them different from each other."
"I don't get half of what you said but, I'll let you do what you want to do." Harriet gave him a sad smile once more, and he gave her a reassuring one.
"Just don't put everything at stake. We both know how your condition's not getting any better." With those words, Harriet left Levi to reconsider his feelings.
END OF CHAPTER 9
THANKS FOR READING!
YOU ARE READING
First and Last Fifty
Teen Fiction| Bucket lists | Petty Debates | Everyday at an Ice Cream Parlor | "So bakit ka nga ulit hindi naniniwala sa forever?" The thing about repetition is it gives you tolerance. And Levi, constantly asking this question gave me a high tolerance of it...
