Cannot Be

Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Welcome

I hummed together with the song. Mabuti na lang at halos pareho kami ng playlist, from the 90's songs to the most recent ones. It's nice to have a friend whom you could trust with the Aux cord. With Liv, it's full of Saranghae and Annyeong or as what she calls it, Kpop.

Katulad ng sabi niya ay tahimik lang siya sa biyahe, just glancing at the view. He even requested to put the windows down dahil gusto niya iyong ramdam ang hangin.

When I asked him where he wanted to go, he told me to go to some place called Bagumbong in Jala-jala Rizal. Sabi niya wala pang dalawang oras ang byahe kung walang traffic so I quickly agreed with the promise na tahimik duon at walang masyadong tao.

I didn't talk to him. I can't think of anything to say anyway.

"Bakit ka umiyak?" tanong niya which caught me off-guard. Where did that come from?

"Kelan?" tanong ko. I glanced at him through the mirror pero malayo ang tingin niya.

We're still in Tanay. Just like how I imagined, panay puno at sakahan ang makikita. The mountain sits proud and the wind is fresh and cold.

"Sa Batangas."

Nagpatuloy ako sa pagdadrive. How did he notice? Gabi nuon at nasa tubig kami, talagang mababasa ang mukha ko. He must be a good observer.

Nagdadalawang isip ako kung ikukwento ko sa kanya ang tungkol kay lola. He might not understand.

"Naalala ko lang ang lola ko." Upon saying that ay naramdaman ko ang pagluwag ng dibdib ko. This must be how it feels.

I never talked about my grandmom with Liv because I knew she hated her grandmom. Palagi niyang sinasabing nakakainggit ang bond naming magpipinsan at ng lola namin.

"Kaya ka siguro bwisit na bwisit nung ginulat kita. Di mo alam na may tao sa gilid mo kase masyado kang nakafocus sa isip mo." sabi niya. Tinapunan ko ulit siya ng tingin pero hindi pa rin siya nakatingin sa akin. For some reason, I want him to look at me.

I bit my lips. His side profile is so hot.

"Sinundan na kita ng tingin nung hinubad mo yung cover mo. Sayo rin kase nakatingin sila Owen." sabi niya.

"Para kang sirena 'nun. Yung tipong nadadala mo yung mga tao sa dagat dahil sa ganda ng boses kaya lang yung sayo mukha." sabi niya.

Ramdam ko ang pag-akyat ng init sa pisngi ko. Why is he so straight-forward? Lumunok ako.

"Why are you so straight-forward?" mabilis na kumawala iyon sa bibig ko. I mentally cursed after that.