Waiting To Hear You Say "I Love You"

Chapter 55 --- Happy with Someone Else

Chapter 55

Happy with Someone Else

Further up of the mountain is the river. Handang-handa ang klase nina Samantha para lumangoy roon. May mga dala kasi ang iba nyang kaklase na mga prutas katulad ng pinya at saging. Ang iba ay nanghiram pa ng pang-ihaw sa kusina ng camping site nila.

It took them half an hour before actually arriving at the river. Kanya-kanya silang upo sa malaking bato sa gilid nang marating nila iyon dahil sa sobrang pagod. Puro kasi sila paakyat na mas lalong nagpahirap sa paglalakad nila.

Most of the guys was fast on setting things up, lalo na ang ihawan nila. Agad din silang nagsimulang magluto pagkaset-up nila. Nang makapagpahinga ang ilan sa mga babae ay tumulong na rin ang mga ito sa mga lalaki. Samantha busied herself grilling the fish.

She’s already having fun with her classmates and all – it helped forget about her worries for a while.

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Bored na bored na si Felix sa seminar. Why didn’t they invite a chef that is not so technical and too informative that it lead to a really boring seminar? “Dad could’ve easily liven things up in here,” he told himself.

The heaven must have heard him because after what he just said, his professor introduced another guest speaker.

His jaw dropped upon seeing his dad waving at everyone enthusiastically. Lalo pa nga nitong siniglahan ang pagkaway nito nang makita siya.

He felt so thankful that no one knew that Zayn is his father. Hiyang hiya siya nang magtawanan ang mga estudyante roon dahil sa pag-asal nito na parang batang ngayon lamang nakita ang mga magulang.

“Inaantok na kayo, no?” Zayn asked everybody. He chuckled when almost everyone yelled ‘yes’. He looked at the prior speaker which turns out to be his new chef in his restaurant. “Ang boring mo kasi magsalita. Ano ka ba? Di ba sabi ko sa’yo, wag kang masyadong seryoso? Nakakaawa tong mga future chef dito.”

Zayn really did liven things up when he was the speaker. Lahat sila ay nakikinig sa kanya at ang iba ay nagno-note pa ng mga tips na sinasabi niya. They are even laughing at some of his lame jokes. Magaling daw kasi siya magdeliver kaya nakakatawa.

After the seminar, Zayn secretly told Felix to meet him at his designated office at their camp site. Sumunod naman si Felix at naunang pumunta sa office nito. Naghintay lang siya habang nakikipag-usap ang kanyang ama sa ilan niyang mga kaklase.

Hindi nagtagal ay dumating din si Zayn. He smiled upon seeing his son. “Kamusta ang camping? Had any fun?”

“Did the Dean invite you, Dad?” asked Felix instead of answering his father’s question. To save face. To save ego. Or he just doesn’t want to lie and tell him everything is fine at their camp, when in fact, it’s not. He can’t really say he’s having fun because it’s clear to him that he’s not.

Zayn was mindful of his son’s every action. Asking another question to answer a question meant the answer is something not really good to hear… or to say. He let it slip and pretended he didn’t notice it. “Half-half.”

“What do you mean?” kunot-noong tanong ni Felix si Ama.

“Gumawa ng paraan ang Mommy mo para imbitahan ako rito. You know your Mom. Kahit ganon yon, mabilis mag-alala yon, lalo na sa inyo.”

Of course he knew that. He experienced it a lot of times.

“Pinapunta niya ako para icheck kung ayos ka lang,” dagdag pa nito. “Are you?”

Hindi nakapagsalita si Felix. He just looked away. That’s Zayn’s cue to speak again.

“Gusto mong sumabay na sa akin pag-uwi?”