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

Chapter 36-3. Lugaw!

Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan

Sa lakas ng sigaw ko? Nagising agad si Sef. And after a while, we sat by the counter in the kitchen. Wala ng ibang nagawa si Sef kung hindi kainin yung LUGAW na niluto ko. Yeah, I dragged him here. Pati si Japo katabi niyang kumakain.

“One more round pa ko nitong champurado.” Sef said, handing me back his bowl. I swear I would love to smack the bowl itself on his head. “Lugaw kasi yan diba?”

He smirked. “You sure? Lasang champurado ee.” I gritted my teeth in anger. Ayoko sa lahat nilalait ang luto kong pagkain. Ilublob ko kaya si Sef ngayon sa kaldero?? Tignan lang natin kung matawag pa niyang champurado ito!!

Japo laughed. “At least masarap na champurado diba?” Isa pa to!! Lechugas, pag-umpugin ko silang dalawa ee!!“Didn’t know Yaya Kusing can make this.”

“Oh,” Biglang pumasok si Yaya Kusing. “I didn’t make that Sir John. Miss Ellie did.”

Sa totoo lang, gusto kong matawa ee. Sabay na lumingon sakin si Sef at si Japo, looking both surprised. And as if rehearsed, sabay na sabay din silang napatingin sa bowl ng lugaw that was served right before them.

Japo smiled teasingly at me. “Pwedeng-pwede na talaga mag-asawa si Ellie...”

“Pakyu.” I muttered darkly.

Sef, on the other hand, has a different smile plastered on his face. He looked quite pleased with himself. Parang feel na feel niyang pinagluto ko siya. I blushed slightly, feeling a bit... well... uneasy!! HINDI KO SIYA PINAGLUTO NUH!! ANG FEELING NAMAN NIYA!! FEELER!! AMP!!

A surge of irritation took over me. Naiirita ko!! I angrily grabbed the half-empty bowl in front of Sef. “Tama na nga, matulog ka na lang ulit!” But he gripped my hand before I could even lift the bowl off the counter.

“Wait, what are you doing?” His hand was hot against my skin. Meron pa din siyang lagnat. “Diba? Ikaw nga nagsabi, masamang nagtitira ng pagkain?” He said, looking intently at me. NAKAKAINIS YUNG NGITI NIYA!! Parang nang-aasar na ewan!! “I’ll go for another bowl, please?”

Hindi maalis-alis yung ngiti ni Japo. Lalo tuloy akong namumula at mas lalo akong NAIIRITA!!

“Hm, kaya pala pinipilit ni Ellie na kumain ka Dude.” Japo tapped Sef on his shoulder as though he was giving him a hidden message of congratulations.

“Now I know, kaya din pala lasang champurado.” Sef added handing me his bowl for the second time. Sabay na natawa ang dalawa na kala mo HINDI ko naririnig yung mga pinaguusapan nila when in fact they were all DIRECTED to me. “Isa pa nga, ngayon lang ako nakatikim ng lugaw na ala champurado style ee.”

Inis kong kinuha yung bowl niya at pinuno ulit ito ng lugaw. Tss. Lasa ba talagang champurado?? I mean, I cooked a lot at home. But I have to admit, this is the second time I made a rice porridge. The first was when my brother Eddy got a flu. Sabi nga niya mas masarap daw luto ko kesa kay mama ee.

Nagalumbaba si Sef as he smiled enjoyably at me. Honestly, he could have looked cute pero sana hindi na lang siya nagsalita. “Diba kapag may sakit, sinusubuan?”

I arched a brow. Sumu-sobra na talaga siya!! GAAAAH!! Patawarin ako ng mga anghel sa langit, pero kahit may sakit ang lalaking ito, hindi nako magdadalawang isip na ihawin siya ngayon din!!

“Heh, gusto mo ito isubo ko sayo?” I raised a clench fist at him. ANIMALES!! IMBUDO TONG SI SEF!! IMBUDO!!

Malapit ko na sanang gawing ISAW itong si Sef ng biglang tumunog yung cellphone ni Japo. He answered it,“Hello.” With that he stepped out the kitchen leaving me alone with this irritating guy.

“Hay naku, inumin mo na nga lang itong biogesic!! Baka sakaling maging kamuka mo pa si John Lloyd Cruz.”Naalala ko tuloy yung bagong commercial ni Lloydy, yung puro muka niya!! Hahaha. Gwapu-gwapu talaga ng bebs ko!! Nyahahaha.

“Huh. No thank you.” Sef said smugly. “Sakanya na eyebags niya. I'm ten times hotter than him.” NAIIMBYERNA KO SA SAGOT NI SEF!! How dare he!! Wala siyang karaparang insultuhin ang lalaking numero uno sa puso ko!! Hmp. Bakit ko pa kasi naisipang magluto ng lugaw na toh? Lechugas kasi... sana hindi na lang ako nag-effort!! Sana hinayaan ko na lang siyang mangisay sa gutom!!

I crossed my arms across my chest with an angry frown. A deafening silence followed. Wala na samin ang umiimik when all of a sudden, “Ellie...” Sef said, his voice was rather serious. He was trying not to look at me. He began dipping the spoon in and out the porridge bowl. “I- uh...”He struggled. Napataas kilay ko, was HE actually BLUSHING?? Oh baka dahil lang siguro sa lagnat na niya kaya mejo namumula yung kutis ni Sef. “I – I’m...” Para kong tangang naga-anticipate ng sasabihin niya. Parang naeexcite ba ko na ewan!! Kala mo naman Will you marry me sasabihin ni Sef?? Sino sa inyong dalawa ngayon ang feeler?? Hahaha. “I’m sorry.” Ayan tama, mag-sorry ka dahil ininsulto mo si John Lloyd Cruz. “No, really, I am sorry... about what happened last Saturday. I mean, everything.” He couldn’t look me in the eye. It was as if, Moguel Monteverde was avoiding my gaze.

Tama ba narinig ko?? Nanlalaki mga mata ko as I was looking at him in complete disbelief.

DID HE JUST APOLOGIZE TO ME??

Dun natapos ang usapan namin ni Sef. I didn’t utter a reply. Bakit? Ano bang dapat kong sabihin diba?? After which, I told Japo na ihatid na niya ko pauwi.

I was silent all throughout the ride home. Japo was babbling about a Christmas party... I was just nodding but my mind was obviously off somewhere. Nakatingin lang ako sa labas ng bintana.

Hindi kasi ako makapaniwala, why did Sef apologize? Kasi he was feeling sorry na iniwan niya ko?? Kasi he and Darren punched each other’s faces?? Or maybe he was feeling guilty??

Alam ko na dapat natuwa ako’t nag-sorry si Sef... but the moment I heard the sincerity in his voice when he said I’m sorry... I couldn’t stop wishing na sana... he hadn’t said it at all.

OO!! SANA HINDI NA LANG NIYA SINABI YUN!! SANA HINDI NA LANG SIYA NAG-SORRY!! KASI... HE JUST GAVE ME MORE REASON NOT TO HATE HIM... ARGH, THIS IS STUPID!!

Meron pa kong na-realize... sana pala hindi na lang ako nakipag kwentuhan kay Yaya Kusing... Sana hindi na lang ako pumayag na sumama kay Japo na ihatid si Jill... kasi... the more na may nalalaman ako about Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde... the more I found myself fall—No, no, no... WAIT!! IMPOSSIBLE!! Was I just about to say FALLING IN LOVE?? Hahahahaha. Anakshutang animales!! May sira ka na nga ata talaga Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan!!

C’mon Ellie, ikaw na ata ang may sakit ngayon ee?? Wag ka ngang magpatawa... ilang beses ko pa bang dapat sabihin sayo na DAPAT ITIGIL MO NA YAN?? NAKITA MO NA ANG NANGYARI NUN SA EK!! YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER TO STOP THIS CRAP YOU’RE FEELING!! IT’S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD AND YOU KNOW IT!!

Ilan pa bang kagaya nung sa EK ang dapat na mangyari before you would stop this whole STUPIDITY?

ARGH!! ANG SAKIT SA ULO!! Punyemas!! AYOKO NITO!!

“Hoy, Ellie!!” Japo snapped a finger before my face. “Dito na tayo bahay niyo.” He studied me strangely. “Anong nangyari sayo? You seemed unusually quiet.”

“Huh?”

“Sabi ko, dito na tayo sa bahay niyo.” He stressed the words even more as if I didn’t hear him the first time.

I nodded, reaching for the car door. “Thanks Japo.”

“Oh, susunduin na lang kita ng 7 o’clock sa Wednesday ah?”

I stopped to whirl around him. “Huh? Alas siete ng umaga?? Anong tingin mo sakin, intsik? Ang aga-aga naman nun!!”

Japo rolled his eyes. “Ibig mong sabihin kanina pa ko nag sasalita, ni isa wala kang narinig??” He stared at me and I just stared back clueless. He sighed. “7 ng gabi. Merong Christmas Party sa bahay nila Sef. Wag mo kalimutan regalo ko aa?”

Tignan niyo na?? GAAAADDD!! My heart slightly jumped by the mere mention of Sef’s name!! Animales!!

“Ano? Ayoko!! Hindi ako pupunta!!” And with that, I stepped down and shut the door. Going back in Sef’s place was the last thing I would do!!

NO WAY TALAGA!! NO WAAAAY!! At chaka, bakit si Japo nagiimbita sakin?? Kanina pa ko sa bahay ni Sef, dapat diba SIYA ang nag-sabi sakin??

Binaba ni Japo yung bintana niya and he shouted. "DUN PA NAMAN TAYO MAGEEXCHANG GIFT!! WALA KANG MAKUKUHANG REGALO!!"

I froze in place. Ee di wala akong regalo?? SOOOOooo??? HMP!!

MUKA BA KONG REGALO??

To be continued.