Make Me Fall (ON HOLD)

Four: Won't Take a No

COLUMBUS

What the hell! It's already five in the afternoon and yet there are still no signs of her. Ang usapan namin, four-thirty kami magkikita. She's thirty minutes late already. Damn!

Hindi mahaba ang pasensya ko. And I hate waiting! I made it clear to her earlier! Sabi ko sakanya wag na wag niya akong pagaantayin. Pero ginawa niya pa rin!

Dinampot ko ang bag ko at lumabas ng café na pinagaantayan ko sakanya. I shouldn't have agreed with it right from the start. Sana naghanap nalang ako ng ibang pwede na maging kapartner. The hell!

I was about to enter the taxi when someone shouted my surname.

"Perez!" I stopped. Hindi sa kalayuan nakita ko siyang tumatakbo papunta sa direksyon ko. Oh bat pa siya sumipot? Thirty minutes late na siya. Ang tagal kong naghintay!

"Manong sorry." I closed the taxi's door and faced her.

Both of her arms leaning on her knees while breathing heavily. Now she's trying to catch her breath. Serves her right. Dapat naman talagang tumakbo siya dahil kanina pa ako naghihintay. In fact she should thank me for even waiting that long. Kung hindi lang para sa grades, sumakay na ako ng taxi.

"You better have a good reason why you made me wait for thirty fucking minutes." I left her and went inside the café.

Umupo siya sa tapat ko at hinahabol niya pa rin ang hininga nya. Gaano ba kalayo ang tinakbo niya para hingalin siya ng ganito? She got her left hand on her chest. Tumayo ako at iniwan siya.

"Two mocha latte. Make it one hot and the other one is cold. Can I have a glass of water first?" I asked.

I went back to our table and placed the glass of water in front of her.

"Drink that." Oo naiinis ako dahil na late siya pero hindi naman ako masamang tao na walang pakialam sa iba. She's running out of breath. Ibig sabihin malayo yung tinakbo niya.

"Thank you." She slightly smiled and drank the water.

I let her rest for a while. I remained silent and she did the same thing. I don't know what to say, honestly. Hindi ako magaling sa ganito. I don't know how to start a  conversation with someone I am not close with.

"Excuse me. Two mocha latte for sir Columbus. Enjoy your drink." That was a help for me. I thanked the waiter.

"Uhm, I don't know kung anong gusto mo kaya iisa nalang inorder ko. You can choose whether the hot or the cold one." Okay naman kasi sakin kahit ano. Pero I should have asked her kung anong gusto niya.

Nakaramdam kasi ako ng konting panic nung nakita ko na hinihingal pa rin siya kaya naman pumunta na agad ako sa counter para humingi ng tubig. Medyo tanga ako dun. I don't even know kung nagko-coffee siya. I cussed inside my head.

"Thank you. And...uhm, sorry. Ang tagal mong naghintay." Nakayuko siya habang hawak ng dalawa niyang kamay yung paper cup.

"I don't want to talk about it. Let's just talk about our assignment." Ayaw ko ng pagusapan yung pagiging late niya. It's enough that even though she's already late, she still made it here.

I took a sip on my iced mocha latte. Sakto naman na humigop din siya. And I felt awkward when our eyes met while sipping on our drinks. Agad kong nilihis ang tingin ko. What the hell was that!

"Sabi pala ni ma'am, pwedeng kumanta or mag spoken word. Yung sa kanta kahit hindi daw original composition." She broke the silence. Napatingin ako sakanya dahil sa sinabi niya.

Well, if that's the case, mas madali na tong assignment na to. I can make a poem and she can perform it in front of the class. On the other hand, pwede rin naman na mag gitara ako and kumanta siya, if she can sing. Kung yung vice versa namang ng mga yon, malabo. I can't perform in front of the class. I don't want to.

"Can you sing?" I asked while having my fingers crossed under the table. I hope she can sing para madali nalang to. I can play guitar. So if she can sing, that will be great.

But I got no response from her. Nakatitig lang siya sa kape niya. Narinig niya ba ako? Is she spacing out right now?

"Hey." I snapped in front of her face to get her attention. Nagulat pa siya dahil sa ginawa ko. Damn it! Late na nga hindi pa nagfo-focus!

"I'm asking you. Can you sing?" I repeated. What is wrong with this woman? She made me wait and now she's not paying attention. Seriously?

"Sorry. Oo, pero sakto lang." She smiled slightly again.

"Good, that will do. You sing while I play the guitar. Are you okay with that?" She nodded.

Okay, now we just need to pick a song and have a practice. Since nakanta naman daw siya, hindi naman na siguro kami mahihirapan sa practice. Pero hindi ngayon ang oras para magpractice. We'll do it next time. I badly need to cut this now.

"Come on. I'll take you to your home. You're not fine." Tumayo ako at nagulat naman siya. Hindi ko aalam kung saan siya nagulat. Dahil sa biglang pagtayo ko o dahil sa sinabi ko?

"Tara na. Madilim na oh." Tinuro ko ang labas at tumingin naman siya. Pasado ala sais na kaya medyo madilim na.

"Hindi mo na ako kailangang ihatid. Thank you nalang." Inayos niya ang bag niya at saka tumayo.

To be honest, hindi ako gentleman. Pero I know that something's wrong with her. I can sense it. Sabi niya observer siya, hindi ko sinabi sakanya na ako din. She's breathing heavily earlier. Kahit pa sabihin nating malayo yung tinakbo siya, she could at least recover withing 10 minutes. Pero hindi eh. She even spaced out.

"I won't take a no for an answer. I'll wait for you outside." I left her with her mouth slightly opened.