LOVE-NAT, isang makulit na love story! ♥ [ 1 of 2 ]

Chapter 36-1. Lugaw.

Monteverde Residence
5:45 pm

Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan

Dahan-dahan akong pumasok sa kwarto ni Sef. Trying not to make the slightest sound, if possible. Mahimbing ang tulog niya. Hindi ko nga alam kung anong ispiritu ang nagtulak saking pumasok at tumayo sa gilid ng kama niya. I just stood there, pondering over his sleeping form.

Wow, how could God create such a handsome person? Even when asleep, hindi siya nakakasawang pagmasdan. Parang ang sarap hilingin na sana lagi na lang tulog si Sef. Haha. Sabi ko na sainyo ee, siya ang lalaking version ni Sleeping Beauty. Kung ayaw niyo naman, pwede din siyang si Snow White nung nakagat na niya yung poisoned apple. Hahaha.

Wait. So does that make me the prince charming??

Ew. Ew. Like I’m going to kiss him now!!

Ibahin na lang natin. Yeah, or to put it better... Sef looked like an angel who took a lot of sleeping pills.

I couldn’t help but smile. Para kong tanga sa mga naiisip ko. Buti naisip mo Ellie, it would be better to flee now, before it’s too late!! Kaya nga, baka mamaya magising pa si Sef at akalain pa niyang pinagnanasaan mo siya.

My mind would love to run out of the room, dire-diretso palabas nung mansyon. But my body wouldn’t even budge. Half of me wanted to just stay there and watch him more. Grabe, he looked so peaceful when he sleeps. Ano kayang pinapanaginipan niya? Kasama kaya ako?? Haha. Ellie, ano ba?? Nakita mong tulog yung tao pinagnanasaan mo pa!! Flee now, before it’s too late!!

Pero parang may sariling buhay ang sarili kong katawan... Diba sabi ni Japo meron daw sakit si Sef? I reached forward, my hand slightly touching his forehead. Kaso lang hindi ko alam kung saan ako dapat magulat ee, is it about the fact na inaapoy si Sef ng lagnat or the fact that he was looking at me.

INAY KO PO!! Ibang klase namang Sleeping Beauty ito, hindi sa halik na gising... haha.

Sef didn’t look surprise when he saw me in his room. He was, in fact, just staring at me. His eyes looked rather heavy. Para bang makakatulog na siya ulit any minute now. But despite his current condition, nakuha pa rin niyang ngisian ako!! Hinawakan niya yung kamay ko na siyang idinikit ko sa noo niya. “Sabi ko na ee,” He croaked, his voice sounded so different. “Nag-aalala ka talaga sakin.” Ibang klase tong lalaking ito! Mukang nagdedeliryo na ata ee.

I glared at him. “Ano ka? Feeling mo naman, akala ko tuta papaalaga sakin ni Japo!” He tried to sit up. “Yun pala askal.”

He then coughed as in dire-diretso. I studied him for a moment, taking in his condition. Hala, Ellie, mahabag ka naman!! May sakit yung tao!! Errr... napaupo ako sa gilid ng kama niya. “Hala, ano?” I asked sounding quite concerned. “O-okay ka lang Sef?”Out of impulse, I placed my hands on both his cheeks and willed him to look up at me. “Gusto mo ng tubig?”

Tumigil siya sa pag-ubo and soon he was smiling again as he stared at me. “Gusto ko IKAW.” I was sure, kasing pula na ng kamatis ang muka ko. I gritted my teeth. NAKAKAIRITA TALAGA SIYA! BWISIT!! Kinuha ko yung isa sa mga unan niya at hinampas sakanya.“Bahala ka nga jan!!”

For a sick young man, I’d say he still has quick reflexes for he caught me by the hand. “I was just kidding.” He then coughed again, this time alam kong hindi na biro. “Agh, darn this!” Napahiga na lang siya ulit, now letting go of my hand. “You’re here to take care of me?”

“Wala akong panahon mag-alaga ng isang kagaya mo!” Hmp!! Ano siya, sineswerte?? Naku talaga, pag hindi pa dumating si Japo within thirty minutes, mag-isa na lang akong uuwi!!

There was a sudden knock on the door and came in the maid na nagpapasok sakin kanina. She was carrying a food tray.

Sef massaged his head. “Not now.” He waved a hand as though pushing the maid out the room.

“But sire...” the maid eyed me then looked worriedly at Sef. “...you haven’t eaten anything yet.”

“I said, not now!” Kahit may sakit ang loko, his voice was still commanding and without another word, the maid silently left the room.

I stood there thinking, Papano niyang inayawan ang chicken joy na yun??

Sinundan ko yung maid sa kusina. And boy, did I get myself surprised!! Ang laki ng kitchen nila Sef. Kumpleto ng utensils. But what really caught me was the 6-foot refrigerator. Grabe, parang nakaka-tempt buksan. Gusto ko malaman kung ano nasa loob!! Hahaha. Parang pwedeng-pwede ako pumasok jan kapag nainitan ako ee.

“Yes, miss?” Sabi nung maid. Animales, san ba galing itong maid nila Sef? Imported ba toh? “Is there anything you need?”

“Uhm,” Hindi ko tuloy alam kung anong salita dapat kong gamitin. English ba o tagalog? Pakiwari ko kasi hindi niya ko maiintindihan kung magtatagalog ako. Amp. “W-well...” Well pa lang nasasabi ko, pakiwari ko katawa-tawa na ko. “Yeah. I- uh- want to make some...” T-teka, ano bang English ng LUGAW?? Punyemas, mauubusan pala ko ng ingles sa maid nila Sef ee. “...ah – soup.” Takte yan, kelan pa naging soup ang lugaw ha Ellie?? At ano nanaman bang pumasok sa isip mo?? Wag mong sabihing ipagluluto mo ang antipatikong yun ng lugaw??

Haha. Well, yeah, grabe kahit papano naman marunong magluto ang isang Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan. Bukod sa pag-kain, ito ata ang sumunod na talent ko. Yep, ang pagluluto. Pero madalas mas gusto kong ako na lang yung taga-kain. Haha.

As it turned out, Yaya Kusing pala ang pangalan ng maid nila Sef. She was practically watching me do all the cooking. And to my relief, nakakaintindi naman pala siya ng tagalog ee. Intindi lang, pero hindi siya nakakapagsalita masyado. Alam niyo kung pano ko nalaman??

“Uh, Yaya Kusing... sabihin mo nga, nakakapagpabagabag.”

She raised a brow and attempted to say one of the trickiest Tagalog words that took me years to even master. Haha.“Na-kaka-paba... Nakakapada-pagabab?”

I laughed. “Haha. Kaya mo yan. Sige pa.”

Kahit si Yaya Kusing natatawa sa mga pagkakamali niya. “What does that even mean?” Haha. Hindi pa ko nakuntento, pati tagalog na mga tongue twister pinasubukan ko kay Yaya Kusing. And I was laughing like hell.

Nga pala alam niyo ba? Para palang mini-grocery itong kusina nila Sef. Kumpleto na lahat ee. Merong lalagyanan ng samu’t saring gulay. Meron din silang fruit rack. Say it, and they have it. Mas lalo tuloy akong ginanahan mag-luto. Nyahahaha.

Haiii, in fairness ang sakit sa ulo nitong si Sef aa? Atchaka asan na ba si Japo?? Sobra na sa thirty minutes ang itinagal niya aa? Napa-luto pa tuloy ako ng wala sa oras. Kapag ako kasi may sakit, lagi kong sinasabi kay mama na gusto ko ng mainit na sabaw. Kung hindi man, I would always ask her to make me some LUGAW. Nyahahaha. Hindi ko pa din alam English ng lugaw, bakit ba?

“So, you’re making rice porridge.” At nalaman ko din ang sagot. Yun pala English. Napa tango ako. “Known more as congee.” Okay, so walking dictionary din pala itong si Yaya Kusing?? Tatandaan ko nga yan. Ang lugaw sa ingles ay rice porridge slash congee. Hahaha. “So, Miss Ellie, if you don’t mind me asking... are you Mr. Monteverde’s girlfriend?”

Napaso ang dila ko. Tinitikman ko kasi yung niluluto ko when she asked. “Oh,” Yaya Kusing gasped. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just that, you’re the first girl I know to come here.” Hindi ko alam kung compliment yun oh hindi ee.

“HUH?” Parang isang malaking kasinungalingan ang sinabing yun ni Yaya Kusing. Ako? Hello. It’s not like Sef invited me here. Si JAPO ang may kasalanan ng lahat ng ito ee. Pero... si Sef hindi nagsasama ng babae dito sa bahay niya?? OH C’MON!! That’s a shit thing!!

“The master flew back here in the Philippines two months ago from L.A.," Wow. So ibig sabihin nung nagkita pala kami sa Boy’s Cr kakauwi lang ni Sef nun. “The guy’s a trash – still is - right after... you know... with Miss Lianne. I’ve never seen anyone here except Mr. John and the rest of their thugs.” By John I knew she meant JAPO. Sa thugs, siguro sila Jerry yun.

I arched a brow.“L-Lianne?” My mind was racing. Sino si Lianne?

Yaya Kusing was taken aback with my question. Parang nagulat siya na hindi ko alam. “Lianne... she’s the ex-girlfriend.”

“Hehe.” Yeah, I softly giggled at that. “At pang-ilang girlfriend naman na sa listahan ni Sef si Lianne?”

Yaya Kusing actually scoffed. “Hah, believe me she’s his first.” Owkei. Mukang isang dakilang CHISMOSAitong si Yaya Kusing. Actually, MADALDAL would be an appropriate word. Sa totoo lang, ayoko na sanang palalimin pa ang kwentuhan naming ito... kaso lang... para akong aso na hinainan ng buto. It was hard to resist. Gusto ko pang making ng maraming JUICY CHISMIS tungkol kay SEF!! “Ibig mong sabihin...”I don’t even know the right words to say. “Isa palang naging girlfriend ni Sef?” Kayo ba maniniwala kayo??? “Gano sila katagal?” Sheet. At ako na ang sumusunod sa yapak ni Japo. Chismosa na din ako!!

“I think for about two years or three utmost.”

HUWAW. “Seryoso?” My eyes were wide as an owls. I mean, this is Sef we were talking about. ANG MALANDING SEF NA GIRL AND GAY MAGNET. Just impossible. Papano siyang makakatagal sa ganung klaseng relasyon??

“Oh, Mr. Monteverde was dead serious with her. Define madly in love. That’s him.” Inabutan na ko ni Yaya Kusing ng bowl. Luto na din sa wakas yung porridge. Haha. Naks, nakiki-porridge na din ako. “So you still haven’t answered my question Miss Ellie.”

I smiled weakly. Mejo nagsi-sink in pa kasi sakin ang mga impormasyong ito. “No, Yaya Kusing.” Actually hindi ko alam kung papano ko siya dapat sagutin ee. But one thing’s for sure, nahawa ako sa pagiingles niya. “I am far from being his girlfriend. I’m just...” I looked down looking for right word. And what's the perfect word that came across my mind? “...a Clown, I guess.”

TO BE CONTINUED.