In Time With You

THREE: Flattire

Sinubukan ni Del na i-start ulit ang makina ng sasakyan, pero walang nangyari. Lumingon ito sa magkabilang side mirror at tinanggal ang seat belt. Akmang bababa ito but she held his arms. "Huy saan ka pupunta?"

"Sandali lang may ic-check lang ako. Dito ka lang" Bilin nito.

She looked around. Nasa gitna sila ng daan pero may matatanaw na gasoline station na may establishments sa malapit,

Five minutes later, Del was back. "We have a broken tire, Ria. May nakatusokna pako." He informed her.

"Shet? Seryoso?" Hindi makapaniwalang sabi nya. Parang may pumitik sa sentido niya. Naisip niyang ilabas ang phone. "Text ko sina Chit, baka may makakapagsundo sa atin."

"Parang malabo," balewalang sabi ni Del. Bahagya siyang nagtaka sa kalma nito, pero baka sanay na ito sa mga ganoong aberya sa sasakyan nito.

"So, ano na gagawin natin?"

"Magtutulak ka nga" seryosong sabi nito. Hindi sya sumagot, she just gave him that are you serious glare. Natawa naman si Del, "Joke lang, ako na lang magtutulak. Pero kaya mo ba i-maniobra tong sasakyan. Manual 'to."

"Oo, manual si Hailey." She referred to her truck.

Pero parang bigla naman syang na-guilty at naawa rito. "Ako na nga lang kaya ang magtutulak?" akmang bababa siya ng sasakyan pero pinigilan sya nito sa braso. It was the first time since they met earlier that he held her like that. And she cussed internally because she felt something electric from her arm that jolted her insides.

"No can do Ma'am. Ako na, dito ka na lang." he was referring to her taking over the driver's seat, but there was something odd with the way he said it. Was it fondness? Or baka naman nag-imagine lang sya dahil sa pinagsamamang jet lag at pagod.

Wala syang nagawa kundi tumango, pinakawalan ni Del ang braso niya. Bumaba ito at sumunod naman sya. He went to the back of the car. Samantalang lumigid naman sya patungo sa driver's seat.

She had to adjust the seat slightly dahil masyado iyong nakausog papalikod. Del was about 6" while she was just 5'8".

"Game?" Narinig niyang tanong ni Del.

"I got it!" She exclaimed. And them he started to push the old SUV

– – –

Fifteen minutes later, nakarating sila sa malapit na gasolinahan. Thank god they were able to place the car in a decent parking, bumaba si Ria dala dala ang hindi nya naubos na cup ng pineapple juice. Agad niya itong iniabot kay Del na halatang pagod na pagod sa pagtutulak. Del immediately sipped from the straw, natigilan si Ria nang bahagya when she realized it was the straw she also used.

"Okay ka lang?" She asked him. Pawisan ito at hindi na tinigilan ang pag-inom mula sa cup ng pineapple juice.

She awkwardly raised her arms and wiped the sweat of his face with her own handkerchief. Nakaharap sa kanya si Del habang ginagawa ito. Hindi ito nagsasalita at tuloy ang pag-sip ng pineapple juice. But he was intently looking at her, sa totoo lang nahihiya sya na ewan at hindi nya maintindihan ang ginagawa niya. There was also a part of her na natatawa dahil para syang balik sa pagiging teenager. She thought about her thirteen year-old self, paano kaya kung malaman nito ang mga eksena ngayon? Baka nagtitili o hinimatay na ito sa kilig.

But they were thirty, not thirteen. For heaven's sake she was too old for superficial kilig. And this was Del, her first love whom she supposedlygot over with years ago.

Talaga lang, ha?

"Thanks, ang bango ng panyo mo" sabi nito pagkatapos. Ang random pero kinilig ang delikadong puso niya, para panyo lang!