Loving Persephone

Chapter 14: Confessions

Covenant and I reached the house just exactly before the rain began pouring heavily. He just left his motorbike outside the gate and we ran towards the porch together. Hanggang sa tuluyan na ngang bumuhos ang malakas na ulan.

Tinanggal ko ang hood mula sa aking ulo at tumingin kay Covenant. Nakita kong nabasa ng ulan ang damit niya mula balikat hanggang dibdib but instead of worrying about himself, he took off his helmet atsaka sinuyod ako ng tingin. Dahil sa pagsusuot ng helmet kanina, his earlier pompadour hair has gone messy.

"Nabasa ka ba?"

I shook my head, taking my eyes off his dark brown hair. "No, your jacket is thick enough."

"Good." He nodded before looking down at his shirt, then he shifted his gaze back to me. "Do you mind if---" he trailed off, eyeing back his shirt. It took me a few seconds to finally get what he was trying to imply.

I looked away as he took his shirt off, my heart beating erratically. It's not as if it was my first time to see him topless, but why am I feeling this way? As much as I want to avert my eyes off for long, it's just so impossible to do so, especially when the double doors behind us burst open, revealing the flabbergasted face of Aling Petra. Naalarma ako lalo na nang pinasadahan niya ng tingin ang topless na si Covenant saka naglipat ng nagtatakang tingin sa'kin.

"A-aling Petra," I stuttered. "N-nabasa ng ulan ang damit ni Covenant kaya niya hinubad," agap ko sa kung anong pupwede niyang isipin.

She blinked.

"Mabuti't hindi kayo tuluyang nabasa. Nasaan ang mga pinsan mo? Bakit kayo ang magkasama?" Nagpalipat-lipat ulit ang tingin niya sa amin.

"May kailangan kasing lakarin si Johann kaya nakisakay na lang ulit ako kay Covenant," I answered.

"Magandang araw ho," bati ni Covenant sa matanda.

Aling Petra smiled at him as she opened the door widely. "Pumasok na kayo sa loob para di kayo malamigan lalo na ikaw, hijo."

Nagkatinginan kami ni Covenant. I nodded at him and gestured him to come inside.

"Umupo ka muna sa couch, hijo't kukuha muna ako ng tuwalya," utas ni Aling Petra bago siya dumiretso sa hagdanan.

Covenant silently obliged. Umupo siya sa couch at ako naman ay umupo sa kabila. He gave our sala a once-over, clearly unmindful of sitting half-naked infront of me. Parang normal lang sa kanyang maging hubo or maybe it was his confidence that didn't make him feel awkward at all.

Nang mabaling sa'kin ang atensyon niya, kaagad akong nanghingi ng paumanhin. "Sorry. Nabasa ka tuloy."

"It's not your fault that it's raining, Persephone," he countered but I still felt sorry. He could have worn his jacket but he gave it to me instead. Nabasa tuloy siya. Speaking of, I took his jacket off and handed it to him.

"Isuot mo muna para di ka malamigan."

Tinanggap niya ito atsaka akmang isusuot nang dumating si Aling Petra.

"Magpunas ka muna, hijo, bago mo suotin iyan," aniya sabay bigay ng tuwalya kay Covenant.

"Salamat po." He accepted it and wiped himself quickly.

"Uminom na ba kayo ng tubig?" tanong ulit ni Aling Petra sa aming dalawa. Nang mapagtantong hindi pa, nagsalita siyang muli. "Dapat uminom kayo ng maraming baso ng tubig para 'di kayo lagnatin. Sandali at kukuha ako." Then she sprinted towards the kitchen.

"She is?" Covenant probed while watching her sprinting away and wiping his chest at the same time.

"My nanny since I was 8. She's almost like a mother to me. Nag-iisa lang siya," sagot ko habang nakatanaw sa kusina. Kumuha ng pitsel mula sa fridge si Aling Petra at dalawang baso mula sa lalagyan.