Little Things in a Forbidden Love

XIII. JUST ONE MORE NIGHT WITH YOU

RICHARD GOMEZ.

"I'll be there in an hour. Kumain ka na ba?" Dawn told me over the phone. It was six o'clock in the evening and I waited for her in my own condo unit back in Metro Manila.

"Hindi pa nga e. Masama katawan ko kaya baka magpa-deliver na lang ako. Dalian mo ha?" I told her as I tried to be patient with a terrible headache.

"Ganun ba? Sige ako na lang magdadala ng food. What do you want?" she offered.

I thought of something I wanted for dinner but didn't come up with anything, so I told Dawn to just get me anything. "Ikaw na lang bahala, Dawn. Basta sabayan mo akong kumain, okay na yun."

........

I tapped my right foot as my eyes darted back and forth. Why can't the clock tick faster? I had to wait for an hour and it seemed like the longest hour ever. I got up and started walking back and forth, running my hands through my hair, pulling the sleeves of my shirt, while peeking at my wrist watch every now and then. When I felt numb, I decided to go back to my seat. I was surrounded with the type of silence that would drive anyone mad. For a moment, I felt that my watch stopped working since I could no longer hear its ticking. But as I looked down and examined it, I was wrong. It was just me being impatient. 15 minutes passed by and I had nothing to do. I waited for some more minutes, waited again, and kept waiting. Don't you just hate those moments when you are waiting for someone and the clock seems to move slower?

"Richard," someone suddenly  whispered my name. When I looked up, it was Dawn. She wore a very big smile on her face, making me forget that I wasn't feeling well. As I looked at the clock, I saw it was 7PM already, which made me realize I fell asleep while waiting for her.

"Hi, Dawn. Nakatulog na pala ako kakahintay sa'yo," I said, getting up from the sofa bed where I was dragged down to sleep.

Dawn then quickly followed and touched my forehead with her palm. She did it repeatedly as she examined something. "Mainit ka, Goma. Nilalagnat ka ata," she looked worried as she spoke those words. "May iba pa bang masakit sayo?" she added.

"Wala 'to, Dawn. Pahinga lang ang kailangan ko. Oh ano? Kain na tayo?" I asked, trying to divert her attention. Then I immediately got up and pulled her to the kitchen.

"Tama yan. Kumain na tayo para makainom ka ng gamot. Ikaw talaga, may sakit ka pala pumunta ka pa dito," she said, still worried about me. "Nagdala ko ng BonChon chicken. Diba that's your favorite?" Dawn said smiling. And I smiled back because she got exactly what I wanted. Upon reaching the kitchen, she pulled a chair for me, showing that she cared and that she didn't want me sick. "Oh umupo ka na. Sasabayan na kita sa pagkain," she told me as she pushed my shoulders down the chair.

Appreciating her sweet acts, I grabbed her hand and planted a kiss on it. "Thank you, Dawn," I expressed. We looked at each other for five seconds and exchanged sweet smiles. Realizing we were glued to each other's eyes again, Dawn pulled her hand and then took a seat as well. As she unwrapped the food she got from Bon Chon, my sense of smell immediately recognized the scent of their salty, garlic-y, and slightly sweet chicken.

"Hmmmm," I made the sound with my eyes closed, feeling the scent a little more. Dawn giggled and commented, "Para kang bata! Eto kumain ka na oh," she said slicing the chicken leg and then used her own spoon to put the food inside my mouth. Dawn fed me like a baby still unable to manage his own diet.

"Gusto mo bang subuan din kita?" I offered as I swallowed the first spoonful of rice and meat. Dawn refused as she said it was her time to take care of me. I wasn't feeling that bad but lived the moment anyway. As she continued to feed me, smiling every after every turn, memories from our two-year relationship reluctantly made their way back to my awareness. It felt like a deja vu to me and I must admit that I loved it.