Kahit Sandali (BL) | on going

after 5 years: beginning

The coffee shop is packed with people whose in deep crave of caffeine at this astir night. Various customers are inside from students who are busy studying and old friends who haven't seen each other for a long time. Von and Clara belong to the latter category.

Von suggested stopping in a cafe for a while. There's something about cafes that he loves. From the relaxing slow jazz and bossa nova instrumental they play in the background to the smooth and rich scent of roasted coffee beans; Von loves it all, he enjoys the calm and relaxing atmosphere it gives. It's what he can consider an ideal place to get inspiration from when he is having a bad case of anxiousness---such as the situation he's currently in.

Thirty minutes have passed since the arrival of someone who has disappeared after a long time. Von cannot express the feeling he experiencing at the moment; jetlag making him dizzy yet he is feeling nostalgic after realizing things actually did change. It is no longer the place he was familiar to, Von is acting like a child who sees things for the first time.

Clara understands what Von feels; although time changed things, she could still see her friend from high school. She managed to present herself to offer him a ride to his house after the untold kilometers he traveled.

"Huy! What's with the look? It seems na you are inside a very deep void and thinking about something or I rather say someone?" Clara declared while stirring the americano she ordered. She immediately stole the attention of the man in front of her and gave him a questioning eye. "Akala ko ba ang sabi mo, wala na?"

"Sira! Where all these nasty ideas are coming from? I am a man of my words at tama yung narinig mo galing sa akin." Von argued. He feels there is a slump in his throat, but it is the right words to say. Admitting it will make things worse.

"'Wag mo 'kong niloloko ah, ganyan din yung itsura mo 5 years ago, nung—"

"Five years! It's a very long time and I do not had the leisure to think about what happened in the past. I am focusing on greater things ahead, I am a better person now. Para't saan pa yung limang taon kung wala rin namang natutunan. Puros utak na 'to, pramis." He said while arranging the frame of his bronze glasses then reached for the lemonade he ordered.

Five years. Thinking how many days that five years consist; he was in awe. He did not have the leisure to set his heart free on any day of that five years. He chose not to do it, he did not know why.

"Alam mo you're thinking too hard. I can hear you thoughts!" Clara stated while looking directly at Von's eyes, she wanted to know if the man is saying the truth. There are a lot of things she missed out after years being far from Von, it is not like before where they could talk about random things to profound topics.

"Im making a mental list of people I will meet this week, kanino ako makikipag catch up, ganon. The regular balikbayan duties! You know the requisites!" Von cracked.

He is making lie after lie, and he does feel bad for constantly lying to his best friend. It could be partially true he is making a mental list of the people he longs to see. Honestly, he did not know why Manila is making him silent.

"Sa pagkaka-alala ko ako lang naman ang kaibigan mo!"

"Sira!" Von said and mouthed her 'gago'.

Von enjoys the comfort of talking to someone who knows him well, not just by his name and degree but knows the chasm of his. From the shallowness of his laughs to the trench of his tears. He does not have to explain himself every time telling a story from high school. Of course, he loves to curse in his mother tongue.