That Summer When She Cried

Those Nights With Awkward Conversations

All these times, I was gathering random ingredients without even realizing I have already completed what makes a cake. The sweetest one.

-Jeric

--

He woke up on the right side of the bed. Only that it was the wrong bed in the wrong bedroom in the wrong house.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he felt a small arm and leg around him. He looked to his right and saw a cute little boy who was sleeping deeply with his mother beside him. He didn't realize he fell asleep without doing his usual routines. Worse, he didn't even remove his shoes.

He took his phone which was on the side table and took a picture of the three of them. He felt Luke move and tilted sideways, now facing Tanya. He stood up as slowly as he could and went out of the room. He saw Andie about to go down the stairs.

"Sorry, nakatulog na pala ako kagabi. I didn't know," he apologized.

"It's okay, Jeric. Hindi ko na din kayo ginising kasi baka magising si Luke. He seemed to have a good day," she commented.

"He was already like that nung dumating ako," he answered. "Uhm, Andie... Where's Tanya's room?"

--

Andie watched him as he arranged letters on Tanya's bedside table, forming her name with it. It was those individual letter figures which were designed with flowers and little angels. He added some more little stuffs around it.

"Maayos ba tignan?" Jeric asked when he was finished.

Andie stood up and asked him, "Ano ba kayo ni Tanya?"

"What?" he asked. He sounded as if he was wondering why Andie even came up with such question.

"Si Kevin, alam ko nanliligaw. Pero hindi kami araw araw magkasama. Kayo ni Tanya, ano?"

He stood up without facing her. "We're good friends. We might have something friends do not usually do but... That's what we are," he answered.

"Point taken," Andie said. "But labels are simply labels. What do you feel for Tanya? Baka naman mamaya hindi ka papatihulog ng sabay, bumagsak mag-isa yung kapatid ko."

He paused for a long time and still, he remained where he stood, looking somewhere else. He shrugged and he was about to say something when Tanya suddenly came and saw them talking. She didn't say anything to her and went inside her room.

"What are you doing in my room?" she asked him.

Andie knew better than staying. She left them alone with the door closed.

When Tanya got to where Jeric stood, she noticed her name arrangement on the bedside table. It was colored red, her name in an Times New Roman-like font style, each letter designed with flowers, angels, and butterflies. There were two small arrangements of flowers on each end, also figurines and on her bed lay a small teddy bear named Luke.

"Eto ba yung flowers na sabi mo ibibigay mo?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "At least these do not wither."

She pouted. "Thank you, Jeric."

He pulled her into a tight hug. "Happy birthday," he said. He was just about to kiss her when both heard soft knocks on the door. "Did I hear someone knock?"

"Yeah. You know who that is. Sorry," she smiled and left him to open the door for her little one.

--

It was Aljon in front of the line. Followed by Paulo, Forts, Kevin, then Jeric.

They were at Bonifacio High Street that Monday night to try their new cinema.