Failed-ibig ✔

Treinta y Cinco

TREINTA Y CINCO

The next morning, I was telling Gail some of what happened nang ibinagsak niya nang malakas yung mga kamay niya sa counter tapos umiling kaya napatigil ako.

"Si Rosario? Crisostomo? Hala! Imposible!" sigaw niya sa akin.

"'Wag kang sumigaw!" bawal ko.

"Sumisigaw ka rin naman!" balik niya.

Hay... I lowered my voice then said, "Ayan. Hindi na ako sumisigaw."

It's already the day before the auction. It's the day after I gave the pizza to Yuwi, alias Left. And wala akong balak sabihin kay Gail na kasama ni Left ang Lola Abi niya. One, because her Lola said na 'wag because surely, it won't end well.

Okay na ako sa isang rason na yun para hindi sabihin sa kanya. I didn't need any further reasons.

One can say that Gail has a very wild imagination. Kaya I'll leave it to her where she might think and visit her grandmother one day then she will find it out, all by herself.

"Si Rosario?" she asked once again.

I shrugged. "Hindi ko nga sure."

I told her the story about the pizza and what I saw when I was about to go to Josef. Hanggang doon lang yung nakwento ko dahil nag-OA na siya doon.

'Di ko pa nga nun nakwento yung nangyari katapos nun. Paano pa kaya kung oo?

"Parating na niyan siya-oh! Ayan na pala siya," she declared then sakto nga, papasok na si Rio.

My eyes widened as I tried to stop Gail from asking or blurting something.

But I've failed tremendously.

"Rio, kailan mo last nakasama si Josef?" bungad ni Gail kay Rio.

Wow.

Mas masaklap pa ito kumpara sa pagshake hands sa 'kin ni Left na may maruming gloves...wait, siguro pantay. Medyo masaklap din yun eh.

"Ha?" Then her head tipped to the side in confusion.

Kahit siguro naman ako magtataka at magugulat kung ganun yung pambungad sa akin sa isang convenience store.

"Kailan mo last nakasama si Josef?" she repeated.

I felt the blood rushed to my head. Sa kahihiyan? Maybe. All I know is siguro ang pinakatama kong nagawa ngayon ay hindi muna sabihin kay Gail yung kay Lola Abi at Left.

"Uh," she thought about it then replied, "Lemme think... Oh yeah. Nung sa mall."

Mall?

Wala naman sila sa mall kahapon.

Bago pa man makapagsalita si Gail, tumuloy si Rio, "Nung namili kami ng damit para kay Dada para dun sa auction. I know you were there nung kinuha siya ni Kiella dito."

Damit? Yung sa store nila?

"Ah, yung mga dress," I concluded.

Yung hinila ako ni Kiella sa isang mall at pinagsukat ng iba't ibang dress hanggang sa pinili na lang ay yung panghuli.

She nodded and grinned. Kumuha na siya ng isang cup noodles na seafood flavor tapos dinala na sa counter.

Oo nga pala. Nandun din pala nun si Josef pero hindi ko lang masyadong naisip kung bakit siya nasa mall bigla nun.

"Actually, Josef suddenly asked for a closure that day. I was shocked. I wasn't aware he's capable of doing that. But he did," she said then looked at me directly, "For you."