As she closed the door, a silent thug on the floor was heard as she drops her bag. She didn't feel the need to be neat since no one was going to see how messed up her room is, not to mention her mind. Its past midnight and yet she could still hear the sound of bed continuously bumping into the wall from next door.
"Oh! Jonathan!!!"
She hears a lady cry. A lady named Cath who she met a few days ago before she headed to the office. Cath is very vocal and liberated, walking in the hallways covered with only her bathroom towel. She also met Jonathan the same day and time. The guy who was busy nibbling into Cath's ear and neck. The two giggled like horny people.
Jho didn't mind taking off her office ID as she crawls herself to bed. She was doing tons of reports she needed to redo because she made a few mistakes on the first one she already did. Bea was getting into her nerves too, being a little too bossy than usual. And a little rude too. Good thing she had a new friend in the office, a good guy who helps her on a few things.
Her phone vibrates inside her pocket and she sleepily takes it out. Didn't bother checking who it was before answering.
"Hello?" She greeted weakly.
"Jho? You okay?"
"Bei? I mean, Miss Bea.." she stares at her phone screen to check and she was indeed talking to her. "Uh, okay lang po ako. May meeting pa ba tayo bukas?"
"No. No, it's not that. I know you're tired and I'm just going to make this quick. Don't go to work early tomorrow. Have some rest, seriously. Nangangayat ka na."
"Pero-"
"Don't even reason your way out of my request. Kung nag-aalala ka sa mga kailangan mong gawin, I'll do it for you. Just rest a little longer, Jho. Please."
Jho fell silent. She was touched of how much Bea's voice was starting to sound in a way like it was pleading for her to take care of herself. Something she has forgotten to do lately. And in just a snap, every negative thing Bea has done today and to anything that has happened, vanished into thin air.
"You don't have to do my papers for me. Double time nalang ako sa susunod. Thank you for letting me rest Bea."
And Jho closes her eyes as her dreams started to creep in to her system.
"Of course. Nag-aalala na kasi ako kahit na hindi halata. Speaking of, I want to apologize about something too. I'm sorry for being rude and bossy, and for making your work harder than it should be. I know I shouldn't but my mind gets the best of me. My heart does. Uh, you know naman how I am when I get jealous diba? It's just that, I'm still here. Sana ako pa din ang first option mo when you need help, just like what we used to be. Uh, Jho? Still there?"
She got distracted by a snore and Bea wasn't able to contain her smile.
"You probably didn't hear what I said." She sighs. "Ang probably, you wouldn't be able to hear this too, but I'm going to say it anyway because I miss saying this to you... mahal kita. Mahal pa din kita. And perhaps I'll always do. I'll always will."
Bea checks her phone screen and it was a quarter before 1 and she decides to keep the call going. Jho on the other hand was starting to lose her grip on the phone, allowing it to fall into the bed and off her ears.
"I miss waking with a busy kitchen. I miss your scrambled eggs. Coffee at homd is way better than in the office. And I miss how you would sing with the radio everytime we're on the road. I miss the way you hug me when you're happy or scared or just when you feel like hugging me." She sighs again. "Jho.. bumalik ka na. Bumalik ka na sa dito. Bumalik ka na sa akin. Because I miss you so bad I'm starting to get crazy."
She stops and stares on her surrounding. Naming the shapes of objects she had in her room to stop herself from crying. She read that life hacks on facebook.
"Bottomline is, I just want to hear you say you love me. Because I have not craved for anything but your love."
Jho shifts her head away from the phone and Bea waits for some response with her plead and yet none was heard. She smiles and nods, trying to be patient and not to facepalm her self for asking too much on a sleeping Jhoana. She kissed her phone screen and said her goodnight before ending the call.
Jho shifted then again.
"Bei.. b-bea."
"Love you too." She whispers in her dreams.
---
Jho woke up with the constant loud knocking on her door. She groans and forces herself to stand up. She was greeted by Cath who served as a pole to a clingy Jonathan.
"Nagising ba kita?"
Cath asks as she annoyingly chews the gum in her mouth.
"Uh. Hindi naman. Anong meron?"
"May nakasabit sa pinto mo. Pagkain ata, mabango eh. Tinawag na kita at baka hindi ako makapagpigil, kainin ko yan." Jho instantly notices a brown paper bag clinging to her doorknob. She quickly took it and held it into a hug. "Oh siya. Alis na kami. Parang iccuddle mo pa yang almusal mo eh."
Jhoana smiles and waves to the two who started giggling again as they pull each other into their room. She sat on her bed and took the disposable tupperware off the bag.
French toasts.
Bea's favorite. She thinks. And she quickly grabs her phone and notices how long last night's call was.
"Hala. I probably got to sleep and left her hanging. Kawawa naman."
She feels sorry for making Bea pay for the call and for not being able to hear what Bea has said while she was asleep.
She dials Bea's number and hit call. Two three rings and Bea's voice was all she could hear.
"You're up early. Diba-"
"Ikaw may bigay nung breakfast?"
"What breakfast?"
"Bea. Don't play dumb. Frenchtoast? And you think I wouldn't think of you? Favorite mo kaya to."
"Frenchtoast reminds me of you? Makapagdeliver nga ng frenchtoast sa table mo dito ng hindi mo ko nakakalimutan sa office. Baka sakaling hindi ka na maghanap ng ibang tao na tutulong sayo."
"What? Ano yun?"
"Wala. What I said is that, hindi ko kaya favorite ang french toast. I learned to love scrambled eggs more."
"You don't buy scrambled eggs sa iba."
"That's because I prefer the scrambled eggs ala maraguinot. Best thing in the world! Nakakamiss nga eh. I would like to have one ASAP."
"Bola! Sige na. See you later."
"Sus. Di man lang nakaramdam. Okay, we will. Pahinga ka ha. Bye Jho."
Jho was smiling the whole time until she ends the call.
"Umayos ka Jho. Bakit ka kinikilig? Hindi dapat. Ayos buhay tayo self."
She finished breakfast in a flash. She stayed in bed a little longer before she took a bath.
---
Minutes before lunch break, she hears a knock on her office. Thinking it was Jho, she quickly ran to the door and opened it. But was shocked to be greeted by someone who was gone for weeks now after doing daily visits for her.
"How dare you! Ni hindi mo man lang ako hinanap nung hindi ako nagpaparamdam?"
"Eeksena ka pa eh. Gusto mo lang naman samahan maglunch. Where to?"
She chuckles and hugged.
"Yan ang gusto ko sayo eh. You know exactly what's on my mind. The usual buffet place. I kind of miss Filipino food."
"You miss me kamo."
"Yeah right. Oo na, ako lang ang nakamiss. Asa pa ko sayo."
"Oh cmon. Of course I missed you too, Therese!"
BINABASA MO ANG
In Screaming Color
Fiksi Penggemar"You were red and you liked me because I was blue You touched me and suddenly I was a lilac sky And you decided purple just wasn't for you" This is a JhoBea Fanfiction. :)
