Breathless (Book 1&2)

Harder to Breathe #12

Harder to Breathe #12
Noreen

"Wait me outside, I will just secure the office," Cloud said at sumunod na rin ako. I was still wiping my face kahit tapos na akong umiyak. It's dark and cold outside. "Here." Napalingon ako matapos niyang iabot sa akin yung hawak na semi-frozen bottled water. "For your eyes. Iba kasing mamaga ang mga mata mo kung umiiyak ka."

"T-Thanks..." Tinanggap ko iyon and marahan na dinadampi sa mga mata ko habang naglalakad kami pauwi. If I'm not mistaken it will take us around seven minutes bago tuluyang makarating sa aming mga kubo. And this is the longest seven minutes of my life.

Surprisingly, walking alone with Cloud under this dark sky after that break down feels light. Somehow, feeling ko nabawasan ng kaunti ang dalahin ko. He never directly commented or answered me. I never really know what he feels.

"S-Sorry," basag ko sa katahimikan sa pagitan naming dalawa.

"For what exactly?" he asked.

I let out a deep sigh matapos ang tanong niya.

"Para lang sa kanina..." sagot ko.

"I'm sorry too. I was-," he hesitated for a moment but he continued speaking "out of bounds."

"To set the record straight. Robb is not the man you think he is. He will never ask me to do that thing." Paliwanag ko while looking straight ahead of us. He is beside me pero hindi ko kayang tignan siya ng diretso, lalo na sa ganitong malapitan.

Again, no words came out of his mouth after I mentioned Robb's name. Hindi na rin namin pinag usapan ang tungol sa island. Sabay kaming nakarating and foods are ready.

Tonight, Kagawad and his family prepared fresh seafoods and other vegetable dishes. Lumabas daw sila kanina para mamalengke at nagkataon naman na pinatawag sila sa bahay nila Gabriel. Pinadala daw nila iyon para dito sa amin.

I looked at Cloud who was standing there thinking too deep kung anong kukunin niyang ulam. I shook my head. "You will never grow up..." I whispered.

"Sino Madam?" tanong ni Khim na nasa tabi ko lang. "Oh! Okay lang po ba kayo?" she moved her face near mine after niya akong mapansin kaya naman napaatras ako. "Umiyak po ba kayo Madam?"

"I'm okay, don't mind me." Iwas ko sa tanong niya. "Kumain ka na lang."

"Kagawad, ano po itong puting dish na ito?" Tanong ko sa kanya matapos ituro ang isang putahe na nakahain.

"Ginataang langka yan Madam. Masarap yan, tama lang ang anghang."

"Ah. Ginataan. Okay, thank you po." Sumandok ako nun and walked towards Cloud. Inangat niya ang tingin niya sa akin and his face still looks confused sa kung ano ang uulamin ngayong gabi. "Here." sabi ko while transferring the food on his plate.

"What's this?" he asked while he focuses on what food I just transferred on his plate.

"Ginataang langka. Try it. Ginataan naman yan eh." tumango siya na parang isang bata. I secretly smiled matapos ma obserbahan iyon. Keysha is like that too. She nods a lot when instructed to eat something new na alam kong magugustuhan niya.

"How will you survive sa mga place na ganito kung sobrang pili mo sa pagkain?" I asked him after niyang sumubo. I saw how his face lightened matapos niyang matikman iyon and I automatically smiled after that.

Since we arrived, tingin ko ngayon lang siya nakakain ng mabuti.

"Why? Hindi naman ako mag se settle down dito." He replied.

I thought he completely changed but the way he talks, andyan parin, ganun parin.

🖇
It was around ten in the morning when Ron arrived at the site. Nabigla ako and I have no idea na darating siya ngayong araw.