I Get What I Want

Kabanata 14

Gok was a careful driver. Tahimik lamang ito habang nakatutok sa daan. Ako naman ay tumitingintingin sa paligid o di kaya'y sa kanya. I turned the stereo on dahil parang naaalibad-baran ako sa sobrang tahimik. Parang pati paglunok namin ay naririnig na.

"How long have you stayed here Gok?" I tried to start a conversation.

"About three years."

"So you have a firm in Cebu? Who runs it? Bakit dito ka naka-base?"

"Well, my family thinks na dito ako sa Calapan naglalagi. But most of the time ay doon ako sa Cebu. Ngayon lang ako nagkaroon ng medyo mahabang stay dito kasi may problema doon sa resto na kailangan kong iresolve." Paliwanag nito.

I looked at him in disbelief.

Wow! Papalakpak na ba ako? 

For the first time, mahaba ang sagot nito.  

"Ahh.. So, naresolve mo na ba yung problema sa resto?"

"Yeah. But I might as well spend the rest of the week here bago ako bumalik ng Cebu. How 'bout you? Are you back for good? Bakit mo naisipang magtayo ng bahay dito?" Usisa naman nito.

"Well, Christine lives in this place kaya ginusto ko ring magkaroon ng bahay-bakasyunan dito. Nagkataon naman na may bahay ka rin pala dito kaya it's kinda coincident. What do you think? Reunion ata natin to eh." Natatawa kong sabi.

"Tss." 

"Tss. Suplado!"  Irap ko.

"Am I?"

"Yeah?" I hissed and looked outside.

"So.. Are you here for good?" Ulit nito.

Bago ko pa masagot ay biglang umalingawngaw ang cellphone ko kaya hinagilap ko ang aking pouch sa backseat.

Gavin calling..

"Hey!" 

"Hi! How are you? I could not reach you these past two days. Is everything okay?" Worried na tanong nito.

"I'm sorry! I forgot to check my phone and yesterday was really busy kaya nakalimutan ko. Pasensya na. And yeah, everything's fine here. How 'bout you?"

Sinulyapan ko ang aking kasama. Nakatutok lamang ito sa daan.

"I'm okay. I thought you were in trouble. By the way, I missed you."

Napangiti ako.

"I miss you, too! By the way, I have to go now. Talk to you soon, Gavin. Bye!" Paalam ko dito.

Chi-neck ko na rin kung may mensahe galing kay Kuya. Wala naman akong nareceive kaya binalik ko na ito sa pouch at nilagay sa backseat.

"Are you dating that guy?" Maya-maya ay tanong nito.

"Who?"

"Your caller. He's the same man at the resort last week, right?" He said without looking at me.

"I'm seeing him but I'm not dating him yet. Ikaw ba may girlfriend dito or in Cebu?" I tried to fish for some information.

"Tss.. So you'll date him soon?"

I rolled my eyes again.

"Well, we'll see.. You're changing the topic, Gok." I grimaced.

"I'm not changing it. We're not yet done with that topic. Tss. " He pointed out.

"Haynaku! I'm just seeing him that's all. Now change topic. Do you have a girlfriend?" I faced him.

"What do you think?" Nakatutok pa rin ito sa daan.