Chapter 5:
Days have passed since I heard about my friends. Naging busy din ako lately with the deadlines of my projects. Finally done with those stressful paperwork. I now had a free time to breathe. I know the place of their tamabayan. It was at the Cafeteria. So I went to look for them.As I walk, my cellphone rings...
It was Vince.
"San punta mo? hanap mo ba kami? wala kami dyan!"
"Huh? Ba't mo alam?"
"Look at your left side! samay stairs!"
Lumingon ako and I saw Vince waving his hand. Signing me to come over. I hang up and walk towards him.
"Kumusta projects? Success ba?"
"Finally! tapos na sya. How 'bout you? alam ko nanging busy ka din kaya di ka nagpaparamdam."
"Yup! Sa awa ng dyos tapos ko na din."
"Teka san punta natin?"
"Sumunod ka nalang! Andun na sila. Hinahanap kita buti nga nakita kita. Inaantay ka na nila dun."
"Saang dun? Sinong sila?"
"Sila! Si Anthon... mga classmates nya. si Alex! Naku baka sinisimulan na nilang kainin yung pizza dun!"
"Andun si Alex?!"
"Oo! Completo tayo plus new friends!"
Parang bigla akong nag-blush nung narinig ko yung name ni Alex. Shit! Andun sya! Hmmm... inis ako sa kanya. Nag-effort ako last week na mag-ayos di naman sya nagpakita. Badtrip! Nung maalala ko ang araw na yun, bigla ko din naalala yung narinig ko sa waiting shed. Napaisip tuloy ako. Is he okay? I believe his heart was broken.
Habang palapit kami sa isang establishment selling snacks, naaninag ko na sila. I saw Alex too. They're actually laughing around.
"Ash!!", bungad ni bryan.
"Hello...(sabay kaway)"
"Pizza oh! tinirahan ka talaga namin."
"Sya lang tinirahan nyo? paano ako? dalawa kaya kaming hindi pa nakakakain!", sabat ni Vince.
"Wag ka ng kumain! busog ka ng tignan!",biro ni Anthon.
"Sige hati nalang kami ni Vince! Thank you."
"Ang sweet nyo naman!"
Napatingin ako sa huling nagsalita. It was Alex. Wait... it was who? Alex? Alex is teasing me with Vince? This is not going to happen. I don't expect it from him. So I replied with a bad look.😠
"Uyyy! pikon? joke lang! ang sweet nyo kaya! hati sa isang pizza.", Alex still teasing.
As I looked at him laughing and teasing me, I suddenly wonder... how does he manage to show a smile? He's supposed to be hurt. He shows up well for those people who doesn't know about it.
As the people around us tend to get busy, I stand to grab a drink out of a vendo machine.
"San punta mo?", Alex asked.
"Kukuha lang ng inumin. OP(out of place) na ako sa mga topic nila eh."
He asked me if I smoke and shake my head as to say No,I don't.
"Tara sa labas! samahan mo ko. I hope you don't get intimidated with people who smoke. Since you don't smoke."
As I got my drink we step out of the establishment. Tumayo lang kami sa labas. As I take a sip on my drink and look at him, hindi maalis sa isip ko yung narinig ko. I really assume he's hiding what he feels. Hindi ako nakatiis, I break the silence.
"Okay ka lang Lex?"
Nakatingin lang sya sa malayo na para bang may malalim na iniisip. Pero nakuha ko ang atensyon nya sa sinabi ko.
"Huh?... Of course! I'm good. Why you ask? Is there a reason for me not to be okay?"
Napatingin sya sa akin na nakataas ang isang kilay. Para tuloy akong na-alarma. He doesn't know that I had this idea of him being hurt and there's no way I'm gonna let him know that I found out something about him and Niña.
He has this captivating look. Matangkad, maputi, gwapo that's how it looks but he has this moody attitude. In short, may pagka-suplado! Nakakailang sya kasi hindi mo alam kung paano mo sya iaapproach. There's this doubt na baka mabara ka lang nya when you talk. You can't read his mind.Meron syang pa-mysterious effect. Marunong naman syang makisama at mabait na kaibigan pero may time na kapag tahimik lang sya, hindi mo alam kung pinag-iisipan ka na nya ng hindi maganda. He's good at showing the poker face. Oh di ba? sino bang hindi mapapuzzle sa kanya? Kaya siguro maraming nagkakagusto sa kanya? Girls do love that type. Yung Mysterious at suplado effect. No wonder he got lots of admirers. (I'm starting to think that I'm one of those.)
Kaso mas may edge ako sa kanila kasi kaibigan ko sya. We went to same school and He's my Ex's bestfriend.
"May boyfriend ka?"
Nagulat ako sa tanong nya. Parang bigla akong nahiya. Bakit nya kaya naisipang itanong?
"Wala! wala na... matagal na."
"Bakit kayo nagbreak?"
Napaisip ako, why is he asking me these questions? Is he....? (erase!erase!) imposibleng curious sya sa akin? Oh my G!
"Hindi ko din alam eh.. basta biglaan nalang."
"Gaano kayo katagal?"
"Hhmmm... 2 years?"
"Ang tagal ah! tapos nabalewala lang?"
"Parang ganun na nga!"
"Hindi talaga basehan ang tagal ng relasyon noh?"
"hhmm..oo!"
Habang tinatanong nya ako, Iniisip ko ding magtanong sa kanya. I'm eager to know about him. What he feels. Okay lang ba talaga sya? Para kasing ang lalim ng pinaghuhugutan ng mga point of view nya.
"Ikaw?"
"Ano ako Ash?"
Just I'm about to ask, Anthon intrude our conversation.
"Hoy kayong dalawa! Nagha-heart to heart talk na ata kayong dalawa dyan. Pumasok na kayo dito at bka biglang bumagsak ang ulan at mabasa kayo dyan."
"Ash,pagpasensyahan mo na tong si Alex huh? broken hearted eh!"-Anthon
Napataas ang kilay ko. Alam pala ni Anthon ang tungkol kay Alex. Well.. what do I expect? he's the bestfriend. Sa pagpasok namin, tuluyan na ngang umulan.
Nagkakasayahan na sa loob ng eshtablishment. Hindi padin maalis sa isip ko lahat ng tungkol kay Alex. Bakit ko ba iniisip ang problema nya? Kung sya nga mukhang hindi namomoblema ako pa kaya?
Nung pauwi na ako, Vince asked me na sabay na kaming umuwi. Anthon can't join us kasi dadaan pa sya sa bahay ng girlfriend nya. Yes! May girlfriend sya so stop linking us to each other. What we had now is purely friendship. We really stayed goodfriends, walang malisya. Nakakahiya man, I asked Alex if sasabay ba sya sa amin ni Vince umuwi since madadaanan lang naman yung bahay nila pauwi sa amin.
"Sasabay ka?", I asked.
"Hindi eh! May lakad pa ako. Una na kayo."
Vince asked,"Punta ka kela Maya?"
Alex nodded. So pupunta nga sya sa bahay nung Maya.Honestly I was quite disappointed. I presume na sasabay sya sa amin pauwi.
BINABASA MO ANG
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