CHAPTER 6
“Mukhang masaya ka ata, baby girl. It’s nice seeing you smile within the school premises.” Nakangiting tanong ni JHemuel nang makita siya nitong nakaup sa ilalim ng puno na karaniwan niyang pinagpapahingahan.
He looks dashing in his uniform, lumipat na ito sa school nila, but it doesn’t excite her like the old times. That is new to her. “I cooked for him, at nagustuhan niya. Sabi ni Josh masarap daw.” Somehow, it excites her more to tell that story.
Lumuwang ang pagkakangiti ni Jhemuel. He looks happy hearing it. She expected that she will be disappointed, but she didn’t.
“gusto kong umuwi sa bahay para sabihin kay dad.”
“Want me to go with you. I have time.”
She nodded and that made his smile wider. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Well, its nice looking at you, like this. You look weak. Mas gusto ko ang ganito, it made me feel you need someone like me, who will fight for you.”
“Stop teasing me. Mas malakas pa rin ako sa’yo”
“Sabi mo eh. Halika na.” sabay akbay sas kanya. “We will be using my car.”
Magmula ng sumakay siya sa sasakyan ni Jhemuel, hindi sila naubusan ng pinagkwentuhan.
“How about tita Vanessa? How is she?” ang tinutukoy niya ay ang ina ni Jhemuel. “I haven’t seen her for a while.”
“sHe is alright. Marami lang talagang ginagawa. She is so busy with so many things” saad ni Jhemuel “Here we are.” Dagdag pa nito ng makarating sila sa may tapat ng gate ng bahay nila.
Agad agad siyang bumaba at binati ang bawat makasalubong niyang kasambahay. She missed this house so much. The house that she considered as her home. Tinanong niya ang isa sa mga kasambahay kung nasaan ang kanyang ama at pinuntahan niya naman agad ito ng malaman na nas library ang ama.
“Dad!” sigaw niya at sabay yakap sa kanyang ama. With that she realized how she miss the feeling of being close to him. “I miss you dad!”
“I miss you too. So what brings you here, kiddo.” Tanong naman nito. “Don’t you have classes today?”
“It’s all done dad. Dad, may ikwekwento ako sa’yu.” Nakangiti niyang sabi. Her dad have this amaze look on his face when she said that.
“That’s new. Ngayon lang ulit kita nakitang ganyan ngumiti pag ikwekwento ka. Somehow it made me wonder what it is.” Ibinaba nito ang librong binabasa saka umupo sa tabi niya.
“I cooked for Josh dad, at nagustuhan niya ang luto ko. Gusto niyang ipagluto ko ulit siya.” Masaya niyang simula at sunod sunod na ang pagsasalita niya after nuon. Ikwinwento niya sa kanyang ama nuong inilagaan siya ni Josh nuong may sakit siya, nuong humiga ito sa may hita niya nuong nanunuod silang dalawa.
She knows that her father is happy hearing her stories but the next things he said is unexpected.
“You are like a girl telling stories about your crush.” He smiled at her, stroke her hair. “ It’s nice seeing you happy.”
She smiled, but she doesn’t want any drama today. “Ah, dad, I have Jhemuel with me. Nasa living room siya.”
Her father grew for a silent for a bit, gumuhit sa mukha nito ang pag-aalala, kaya siya kinabahan. “ What’s wrong dad? May problema ba?”
Her father shook his head. “wala naman anak, may naalala kang ako. Puntahan mo na siya at baka hinihintay ka na niya. Did you ask someone from the kitchen to bring him anything?”
