One Last Time (R18)

Kabanata LXIX: JUST GOT USED TO...

Just Got Used To.
________________________________________

       PAGPASOK, nagpaalam na si Annika na mauna nang aakyat. Obviously, tabi kaming matutulog sa room ko. Samantala, dumiretso naman ako sa guest room para tingnan kung pwede ko na ba siyang gisingin at mapainom ng gamot. But when I entered the guest room, I saw him sleeping peacefully. His face looked so calm now compared to earlier. So instead of waking him up, I decided to just leave him be. Maybe this was exactly what he needed.

Aalis na sana ako nang marinig ko ang mahinang paggalaw mula sa kama. Nang lingunin ko siya, nakita kong nakaangat na siya, nakasandal sa headboard, nakabukas ang isang mata niyang diretsong nakatingin sa'kin. Hindi na gano'n kapula ang mukha niya. It was obvious his fever had gone down a bit. Nakatulong talaga ang pagpupunas sa kanya ni Tita.

Mas humarap ako sa kanya at mababaw na lumunok.

"How are you feeling?" I asked with a small smile. Kahit halata namang okay na siya, gusto ko pa ring marinig iyon mula sa kanya.

Agad naman siyang ngumiti-still tired but definitely an improvement from earlier. "A little better... thanks to your Tita," marahang sabi niya.

Napahinto ako sandali. So... aware siya kanina? Akala ko hindi na niya napansin ang presensya ni Tita kanina dahil halos wala siya sa wisyo.

Mahina akong tumikhim nang biglang naalala ang bilin ni Tita.

"May bilin si Tita. Kailangan mong uminom ng gamot... and she even cooked something for you. Baka gusto mong kumain muna."

Hindi agad siya sumagot. He glanced to the side-toward the closed window, where the curtain was slightly parted, allowing some darkness from outside to seep in. Pagbalik ng tingin niya sa'kin, may tipid na ngiti na sa labi niya.

"Wala pa akong gana," he said.

Hindi ko napigilang mapakunot-noo. "Hindi ka pa kumakain mula kanina. You should eat... kahit kaunti lang."

Marahan niya akong inilingan. He stayed quiet for a few seconds while I remained standing beside the bed, unsure if I should insist more.

Then he spoke again. "Did I say something while I was sleeping earlier?" His voice was quieter this time.

Tumango ako. "Yeah...you were calling your mom."

"I see..." he murmured. Sandali siyang natahimik bago muling tumingin sa'kin. This time, there was something deeper in his eyes, something heavier.

"I missed my mother," he confessed. "Habang pinupunasan ako ng Tita mo... iniisip kong siya 'yon."

Hindi ako nagsalita. I just stood there, listening.

"Yesterday was her birthday. My father and I visited her. And I couldn't help but miss her."

The room fell quiet, but it wasn't a peaceful kind of silence. It felt heavy, like the air itself had thickened between us.

Hindi ko alam kung anong tamang sabihin. So instead of forcing words, marahan akong umupo sa gilid ng kama-not too close, but enough for him to feel that he wasn't alone.

"Then... you should eat," I said softly. "For her."

Napatingin siya sa'kin, parang hindi inaasahan ang sinabi ko.

I gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Your mom wouldn't like seeing you like this, right?"

Saglit siyang napatitig sa'kin, bago siya dahan-dahang ngumiti-a smile not wide, not bright, but real.

"Yeah," he whispered.

A brief silence settled between us. I looked away first, focusing on nothing in particular—just trying to steady something inside me I couldn't quite name.