Codes of the Heart

CHAPTER 3

ENJOY READING!

---Maril Blithe Diaz---

Nakarating naako sa convenience store na malapit samin...medyo...

I went inside and eventually walked towards the chips section. Junk foods...yes. Yan yung pinunta ko dito. At maybe...noodles?

Papunta naako ng counter para magbayad, bigla biglang nag-stop yung music na pinakikinggan ko kaya napatingin ako sa cellphone ko habang naglalakad. I was put to a stop and almost fell on the ground when I suddenly bumped into someone.

"A-aray! Ho—" magmumura na sana ako ng nakilala ko kung sino ito.

Ian?! Shit!

"Blithe?" aniya.

"I-Ian?" sabi ko rin sabay tingin sa kamay niyang nakahawak sa baywang ko para hindi ako mahulog. I stared at it for a moment and looked at him. Bigla niya akong bintitawan and I lost balance and fell.

"ANO BA?!" di kona mapigilan yung sarili ko sa pag sigaw, ang bastos na ng ginawa niya eh.

Tiningnan niya ako ng ilang sandali.

"Oh sorry." He lended his hand...and of course being me...I gladly took it kahit galit ako.

"Thanks."

He unexpectedly smiled and it instantly got my heart to melt.

"Why are you here?" He asked. To keep us away from awkward silence.

"Ah...ano—eh. Pagkain? Hehe..."

Ba't ka nag-uutal Blithe?!

He chuckled and flashed one of his most charming smiles.

"Ah, ganon." Aniya.

"Eh ikaw, anong ginagawa mo rito?"

"Bibili sana ng pagkain...at ano...beer."

Hm? Odd. Pero bahala na siya sa buhay niya.

"Ah...okay." 

Nang makalabas kami ng convenience store ay biglang nagtanong si Ian sakin.

"Naglakad kalang ba papunta dito?" tanong nito

"Oo?" nagtataka kong tanong. Malapit lang naman ehh.

"Want to come with me?" biglang tanong nito.

"Ha?" nagtaka naman ako ba't biglaan.

"Para hindi mo na kailangang maglakad pauwi."

I mean, it's fine with me. Hindi ko talaga na ge-gets ang lalaking 'to ni minsan. Minsan ang sungit. Minsan mabait. Ano ba talaga ha, Ian?

"Is that okay with you?" tanong ko naman sa kanya.

"Sure." he simply answered. 

We hopped on to his motorcycle. Hindi naman ako takot sa mga ganito kahit na wala akong helmet ngayon. At medyo malapit lang naman yung bahay namin. When the engine started I had the urge to hold on to his waist, well, to think of it, it's a normal reaction when riding a motorcycle pero hindi ko ginawa dahil baka iba yung aakalahin ng mga tao. Alam kong hindi naman lahat ng tao dito samin ang nakakaalam na Cammie and Ian are in a relationship, but I respect my best friend and girl code, I won't betray her.

Nakailang minuto lamang ay nakarating din kami sa bahay, bumaba ako ng motorcycle at nagpasalamat kay Ian. Tamang-tama ng lumabas si mama sa bahay at nakita niya si Ian.

"Hi tita, hinatid ko nalang po si Blithe dahil pauwi rin naman ako mulang convenience store. " Ian said politely at my mom.

Ngumiti si mama kay Ian. Kahit na palaging mainitin ang ulo nitong si Mama ay mabait siya sa kanila ni Rian at Ian, maging sa buong pamilya nila, our families have been close friends ever since.

"Ay nako salamat sa paghatid mo kay Blithe Ian." Said mom with a smile.

"Walang anuman tita, hope you have a nice day, mauna na po ako." Sabi niya sabay ngiti.

"Thanks Ian." I said.

"Welcome Blithe, see you at school." He smiled and drove away.

The Writher family and mine have been close friends since we were little since magkaibigan yung moms namin. Pero noong bata kami ay hindi pa kami magkaibigan nina Rian at Ian dahil hindi naman kami madalas nagkita. Siguro dahil we didn't go to the same schools back then, in fact, I only met Rian and Ian again in highschool since they transferred to a public school, now that I think of it, I don't actually know why they enrolled to a public school, marami naman silang pera ah?

Anyways, I met Rian in my freshmen year we were in the same class. I heard the teacher call his surname at pamilyar iyon sakin, siguro dahil narinig ko na noon mula kay mama. As far as I can remember, I think siya yung naunang mag-approach sakin.

~~~FLASHBACK~~~

Blithe's POV

"Last for the boys...uhm...is this Writher?(pronunciation: Rit•her) am I pronouncing it right? Is Writher present?" Our teacher called out.

"Present!" A guy said, "and yes ma'am, you're pronouncing it right." He added.

Writher...hmm, seems familiar...
Do I know that surname from somewhere? Or do I know someone na may ganung pangalan?

---RECESS---

Nagliligpit ako ng aking desk nang naramdaman kong may nakatingin at papalapit sa akin pero hindi kona nilingon.

"Hi, my name's Rian, you look kinda familiar..." Someone said, at napalingon ako. A tall, good-looking guy approached me.

"Uhm...hi? The name's Blithe, your surname's a bit familiar to me too." I said. Well, the surname Writher is indeed a familiar one.

"Well, that's odd..." He paused for a moment, "Is your mother's name Rose by any chance?"

Medyo nabigla ako sa guess niya dahil tama naman siya! He seems familiar but I can't seem to recall where and when I saw him.

"O-oo Rose Diaz yung pangalan ng mama ko." Nauutal kong sambit.

"Oh, so that's why..."

Ano ba ang kaka-english ng lalaking 'to nakaka nose bleed.

"Bakit?" Mabilis kong tugon.

"I believe we've met when we were younger, too young to remember I suppose."

Ba't napaka pormal at magaling mag-english ng lalaking 'to? Parang nahihiya akong magsagot sa kanya...hays ba't kasi kinausap pa ako neto. Kahit na gwapo siya ay nakakailang siya kaya!

"Ha?" Yun na lamang yung naitugon ko sa kanya, bahala siya diyan.

"Magkaibigan yung moms natin remember?" Wika niya.

Eh maruno naman palang mag tagalog eh! But I think I'm starting to get him...may naaalala akong kaibigan ni mama na may mga anak na kambal na lalaki.

"I think naaalala na kita! Your mom is Tita Jasmine?" I replied with a smile.

"Well, yes." He smiled back.

~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~

At doon nagsimulang magbunga yung friendship namin, I met Ian on the same day too, but it took a while before I was really friends with him, hindi siya yung taong madaling pakisamahan. But Rian and I were able to hit it off in an instant, we were best friends ever since that year.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!