Twice Mine

Chapter 28

Nag-aalala na ako. Ilang araw ko na kasing hindi ma-contact si Laurent. Wala rin siyang iniiwan na message or text sa akin. Ni tawag wala.  Maayos naman kaming dalawa. The last time I had a conversation with him, we were talking about how excited we both are dahil three weeks away na lang mula sa pag-uwi niya dito. Wala naman akong natatandaang naging problema namin.

I decided to call Tiffany because I had no other choice.

"Hi, Tiff! Is your kuya around?"

"Yes, ate. I don't know why but he's been locking himself inside his room lately. He's been ditching work for a couple of days now. I don't think effective na yung vacation leave niya since weeks from now pa naman ang uwi niya dyan."

"Is he sick?" I worriedly asked.

"I don't think he is, ate. Sabi niya hindi naman daw. Pero hindi siya sumasabay tuwing kakain kami."

"Uh.. Can you hand your phone to kuya muna? He doesn't answer any of my calls kasi. Haven't heard of him for a couple of days now."

Maya-maya pa ay narinig ko na may kinakatok na pintuan si Tiffany, telling her kuya that I'm on the phone. I heard him asked her to stay outside his room while we talk.

"Hello? Baby? What's going on? Ilang araw na kita hindi nakakausap. Are you okay? I'm worried." Sunud-sunod na tanong ko.

"I'm okay. I just don't feel like talking. So please." Dinig na dinig ko ang pagkatamad sa boses niya.

"Why won't you talk to me? Do we have a problem?"

"I said I don't want to fucking talk! Can't you just fucking let me be??" He was raising his voice.

"But, baby.." Hindi ko alam kung ano ang ipinagkakaganito niya. Samantalang what we used to do is talk about anything that bothers us. Nagiging open naman siya sa lahat ng bagay at magsasabi naman siya kung may problema, gaano man ito kaliit.

"I don't want to talk. Ayaw kong makipag-usap. Siguro naman naiintindihan mo na?"

"Nag-aalala na kasi ako. Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyari sayo.."

"I think you know! Oh, sabagay lagi ka palang nagpi-play clueless ano? Dyan ka naman magaling eh." He said in pure sarcasm. Playing clueless? Ako? Eh wala naman talaga akong idea kung bakit siya nagkakaganito. "I have things to do, so stop getting in the way. Bye. Just keep doing what you do best." Puno ng sarcasm na sabi niya.

"I don't understand---" Binabaan niya ako ng telepono.

Sobrang nabobother ako sa naging pag-uusap naming iyon. Honestly, going smooth naman kami at wala naman kaming hindi pinagkaintindihan sa pagkakatanda ko. Pero nung nakausap ko siya earlier, it's as if I have done something really bad. Short-tempered na tao si Laurent but he's always been reasonable.

Nag-aalala man ay minabuti ko munang hayaan siya. Baka mainit lang talaga ang ulo niya at kung pipilitin ko pang kausapin ako ay tuluyan nang magalit. I guess I would just have to respect that for now. Pero hindi kasi pwede ang ganito eh. Malapit na siyang umuwi at hindi naman maganda kung meron pa kaming pag-aawayan na ganito. Siguro ay bibigyan ko muna siya ng kaunting space. Anyway, hindi naman niya ako matitiis. One of these days ay kakausapin niya rin ako dahil alam kong hindi siya sanay na hindi ako nakakausap araw araw at hindi rin niya matatagalan na ganito kami.

Sa mga araw na hindi kami nag-uusap ay inabala ko muna ang sarili ko, but I still do check my phone every now and then para if ever na kontakin na niya ako ulit, I could respond as soon as possible. On our fifth communication-less day, I received a vague yet ravaging message from him sent through Facebook.