Dressed In Black

Chapter Six - Night Sky

Kim

"Kim let go." I stare coldly at Chat. Kinuha ko ang payong niya dahil alam niyang wala na rin itong silbi dahil pareho na kaming nabasa na sa ulan noong nakakita siya ng payong.

"Para saan ang payong na yan kung pareho na rin tayong basa Chat?" Tinignan niya ako na parang nag-iisip at lumapit sa akin, ramdam ko ang scent ng hininga niya, ang bango

"Para saan din yang pagpepeke mo kung wala na ang mga tao?" Huh?

"Anong ibig mong sabihin?" Nagtatakang tanong ko sakaniya. He's perfect black eyes starred back at me, his eyebrows twisted.

"Wala ng mga tao, it's just you and me in this hollow ground. Hindi mo na kailangan magpanggap na malakas ka." Pero yun ang sinabi mo Chat diba? Na dapat maging malakas ako?

"Tara may pupuntahan tayo." Hinila niya ako papunta sa kotse niya, ramdam ko ang softness ng skin niya, pero hinigpitan niya ang hawak niya sa akin. I look back one last time, goodbye dad.

-

Chat

Ayoko ng makitang malungkot si Kim. Naiinis ako sa tuwing nakikita ko siya na nahihirapan, nagpipigil ng luha, nagbibigay ng pilit na ngiti sa mga tao pero hindi ko alam kung bakit. Alam ko na akong nagsabi sakaniya na maging matatag siya, pero wala akong sinabing wag siyang magpakatotoo sa sarili niya. Bakit ka ba kasi sobrang concern sakaniya Chat?

Katabi ko ngayon si Kim, basa ang buhok niya, pero wala paring bakas ng luha ang tumutulo sakaniya, she looks wasted, yet very beautiful and attractive, bumaba ang tingin ko sakaniya at napansin na sobrang basa ng damit niya, dumudikit na ang tela sa balat niya, Shit, stop starring Chat babae yan.

"Manyak" Napatingin ako kay Kim, medyo nagalit ata siya sa ginawa ko, lalaki lang naman ako eh.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it." Kinuha ko ang spare towel ko at binagay sakaniya na agad naman niyang binalot sa sarili niya. She says thanks, half sincere, half sarcastic, I think.

"You're just so beautiful, forgive me for starring." She just rolled her eyes.

"Yeah right. I'm a beautiful mess. You know what Chat just keep driving, and make sure wherever were going it will take all this pain away." A very beautiful mess it is I thought.

"I'm sure it will." I give her a wink.

-

Kim

Boys will be boys I never knew he could be so cliché sometimes, attracted to a lady who wears a very wet dress and has a very wet hair Major turn-off. Aside by his gross side, I'm still touched by his gestures of concern towards me. I look at him, sobrang basa na rin niya, siguro dahil sa paghahanap niya ng payong kanina, naguilty tuloy ako sa pag-iisip ng masama sakaniya. Napansin ko na giniginaw na rin siya.

"Ikaw nalang gumamit ng towel." Aalisin ko na sana ang towel na binigay niya pero pinigilan niya ako gamit ang isa niyang kamay na nagkataon na napahawak sa akin. I just felt some electricity in our touch. Did he feel it too?

"No need, kaya to ng resistensya ko, hot yata to Kim." That wink , parang may something na nagpakaba sa dibdib ko, I have no clue kung nakaramdam siya ng electricity sa paghahawakan naming kanina, he didn't even flinch.

"Yabang mo." May kulit side din pala itong si Chat but I will still hold my grudges, sorry chat.

-

The car stop and because I was completely distracted by him, hindi ko na napansin ang dinadaanan namin, it's full of trees and flowers, it's like a rain forest, paano niya nakita ang lugar na ito?

"I've done hiking here last week, 2 days after pagkauwi ko galing abroad. Walang tao dito ngayon, and kung meron man, mga naghahiking din." Oh,that explains a lot, so Chat is a nature guy? I don't know, is this his thing? Wait, why am I thinking about him? Nilibot ko ang mata ko at namangha ako, the moon shines so brightly, the night sky is full of stars, hinanap ko kung nasaan si Chat and I almost scream when I saw him completely shirtless. Is he insane?!

"What? Don't give me that look, hindi na tayo bata, basa kasi yung damit ko kaya pinatuyo ko muna sa sasakyan. By the way hindi naman katawan ko ang gusto kong makita mo, walk over there." Napanganga nalang ako sa explanation niya. He walks by me through the woods until we reached the end of the forest. I was surprise and in awe at the same time. It's beautiful.

It turns out nakatayo kami sa isang cliff, and sa baba nito ay isang lake, at pag tumingin ka sa taas, makikita mo ang shiny moon and sparkling stars. Everything is just so perfect, until we saw a shooting star. I look at Chat giving him the hint and he seems to get it and just smiles.

"Just like the old days. You like it? You can make a wish again, remember your last one came true, nagkita tayo ulit diba?" He just remembers it, I'm glad. I just closed my eyes and make a wish I wish to be happy. Suddenly naramdaman ko ang paghawak niya sa bewang ko atsaka bumulong.

"Now it's the time, open your arms and express all the pain you felt." Napaharap ako sakaniya, a sudden discomfort occurs to me, hindi naman katawan ko ang gusto kong makita mo, I quickly look away from him, he's still shirtless. I just pretend to scream all my pain and open my arms, suddenly I realized, wala na akong nararamdamang sakit, thanks to Chat. All I felt is happiness and acceptance.

"Can we just appreciate everything now Chat?" he just smiles and we remained like that for awhile he, holding my waist and me just loving the moon, the stars and the night sky.

-

Bumalik kami sa kotse at pareho kaming tahimik. He is just silently driving us away from this paradise, driving me home.

"Chat, thanks for everything." He just hold my hand and smile, I want to let go because of those freaking electric currents that flows and I hate how my heart is acting so weird.

"What's with the face Kim? Distracted sa abs ko?" I forgot that he is still shirtless, yeah right, perfect na kasi ang katawan niya but I find akward sitting with a shirtless guy in a car.

"Your such a jerk Chat." Tumawa lang siya, and again, thanks to his distraction, hindi ko napansin na nakahawak parin siya sa kamay ko and I still feel electricity flowing down my veins.