Always, My Jade

Serenity (7)

"Althea, are you ok? Did you drink again last night?" Tanong ni Batchi "No" pasigaw kong sagot.

"Chill lang Tsong, just asking" mahinang sagot ni Batchi. She excused herself and we both nod. I slowly shift my eyes to Jade, she's silent but with a smile on her face. Parang gusto ko siyang yakapin. Ano?!tumigil ka Althea saway ko sa sarili ko.

"I hope you don't mind, pero parang napaka halaga sayo ng panyo?"medyo alanganing tanong ni Jade.

"Mababaw lang na dahilan sa iba pero masyado malalim para sa akin." Sagot ko

"Gaano kalalim?"- Jade

"Bigay kasi ito sa akin ng matandang na kasabay ko noon sa jeepney, around 15 years ago. I don't know, she has this impact in me na hindi na nawala. Maamo ang mukha niya (parang ikaw). Parang I already saw her somewhere pero hindi ko lang matandaan." sagot ko.

kinutuban bigla si Jade at parang nagulat at bigla nabalisa.

"Ok ka lang?"tanong ko.

"Ah, yeh. T-tapos?" Balik tanong niya para ituloy ko ang kwento.

"Ilang araw ko lang sila nakasakay pero hindi ko alam bakit dko makalimutan ang kabutihan ni Lola. Kaso lumipat na kami ng bahay kaya hindi ko na sila ulit nakita."

Tahimik akong nangiti at napatawa ng mahina.

"Bakit?" tanong ulit niya

"Kasi bata pa ako nasubukan ko ng maging kundoktor" sagot kong proud at nakangiti.

"Ikaw nga si antukin!!!?" she suddenly burst at napalakas ata dahil napalingon sa amin halos lahat ng customers.

"Sorry bout that- Jade

"Antukin?" Ulit ko

"Ah yes kasi we never got the chance to know your name, malikot ka kasi at Panay abot ng bayad tapos pag bayad na lahat uupo ka na ,kaso nakakatulog ka naman." masyang pag alala ni Jade.

"Ikaw yong kasama ni Lola noon sa jeep? Ibig sabihin ang Lola mo yong nagbigay ng panyo sa akin noon?" I suddenly utter out of nowhere. She just nod and back to her smile. It's like I want to touch those cheeks.

"Most probably yes, siya lang naman ang Ama ko na lagi kong kasama eh. Now I know you're name, hindi na kita tatawaging Ant, short for antukin" she giddily said like an elementary kid.

"Wow, Ant talaga ha" I quipped. We were just staring each other for I don't know how long but was interrupted by Batchi with a tray of lunch she chose for us.

"Kain muna kayo baka mamya kayo ang magkainan niyan." putol niya

"Batchi!" saway ko, pero napangiti lang si Jade.

- - -
Jade

After a silent lunch, I started a small talk just to get Althea's attention and to ease the awkwardness between us.

I just keep my eyes on Althea, something in her eyes tells me more of longing and emptiness. It's the first time that I can see her this close. I suddenly felt the familiarity of her.
She's the girl I see in my bar, coming from the VIP room a bit early sometimes or talking at the bartender when still sober. But I didn't pay her much attention because she's with different girls. And Hindi rin ako nagtatagal sa Bar kasi I have to be with Ama until she falls asleep. So I just checked the details and leave it all to Sally. But after napansin siya ni David I slowly begin to observed her, I just don't want to ask my staff about her.

Nagkwentuhan lang kami about random things. And her business, I'm avoiding the topic about my business baka ma awkward siya. I just told her about Ama's condition. She's surprised and shocked and you can see the hurt in her eyes, but she just stayed calm and back to being reserved again.

Ako na lang ang nagtatanong And I learned how was her life and why we haven't seen them again in the same route to school back then.

Why am I being so curios of her life all of a sudden am I attracted to her?Ano!?anong attracted???Duh. Erase. Erase I mentally shake the thought.

"Bakit ka pala nagcocommute noon, mukha ka namang mayaman. Sa uniform mo na Lang pang exclusive all-girls ang school mo" pabirong gising niya sa diwa ko.

"Ah, si Ama kasi miss niya daw mag commute...naalala niya nong bata pa siya and it's fun kaya nagustuhan ko na rin" ngiti kong sagot.

"Ikaw ba madalas ka mag commute?"- Jade

"Boring mag isa sa kotse eh, nakikita ko yong mga bata na sumasakay ng jeep, kaya minsan tanong ko kay yaya kung pwede mag jeep. Pumayag naman siya at natutuwa daw siyang makita akong gising kasi lagi ko daw siyang tinutulugan.-"as she smiled remembering yesterday.

"Hanggang ngayon?" tanong ko

"Oo madalas taxi, minsan MRT o LRT, nakikipag siksikan sa mga tao" may ngiti niyang sagot.

"Ikaw ba?"- Althea

"Minsan lang pag kailangan lalo na pag nagmamadali"-sagot ko

"Ah kaya pala" wala sa sarili niy ang sabi

"Anong kaya pala?"-sita ko

"Ah wala, kaya pala nagawi ka dito at alam mo lugar at yong MRT..," sagot niya. Bakit parang bigla siyang nataranta.

After our lunch, nagpaalam na ako. I can feel Althea's intense stare at natetense ako, kaya mabuti pang magpaalam na ako at baka hindi ako makapag pigil. Ano?ano!?ano nanamang sinasabi ko. Jade umayos ka.

Just as I'm about to get out a call came from our house registered on my phone.

"Mam Jade andito si Ama mo gusto ka daw makausap"-

"Sige po ya, slamat"

"Hello Apo, kasama mo na ba si Althea?" -

Sigurista talaga si Ama. Kahit medyo nabigla sumagot ako
"Opo Ama, naibigay ko na po ang panyo...pauwi na rin po ako."

"Anong sabi niya siya, siya ba si antukin?"-

"Opo Ama, siya po"- Jade smiled and looking at the girl infront of her who smiled back and She melt. What!?Melt!?Ako?!Kailan pa.

Behave Jade, she scolded herself.

"Apo pwede ba siya makausap?"

"Opo Ama saglit po. Althea si Ama, gusto ka daw makausap"

She took the phone with a shaking hand and then took a deep breath.

"Lola?" Her voice shaking yet controlled.

"Apo, pwede ka bang pumunta dito sa bahay? Para makapag kwentuhan tayo?"

"Lola?" was the only word she said maybe short so not to betray her real emotions building inside her.

"Hihintayin kita Apo, pwede ulit kay Jade?" without a word she passed the phone to me and excused herself to go to the toilet.

- - -
At the Toliet.

Althea softly sobbed, she could no longer control her emotions, when suddenly she felt a hand at her back.

She turned around and hugged her.

"Batchi si Lola, si Lola sa jeep. Siya ang Lola ni Jade. S-siya yong nagbigay ng panyo sa akin" hagulgol ni Althea.

"Sa wakas, Althea--"

"Yeh, sa wakas nakita ko na din siya"