Requited

Chapter 4

If given a chance to define comfort, Rhian will probably refer this to training and just home. Holding various weapons almost everyday and continuing to make her skills better will always bring ease to this girl sitting in the riverbank right now.

But that one guy, who she basically grew up with- is unexplainably destructing Rhian’s comfort zone. It’s been a week since that forest incident plus that electrifying touch pero hindi pa rin mawari ni Rhian kung paano nga ba nangyari ‘yon and it’s obviously bugging her.

“Ate Rhian, ano iniisip mo?” Huminto sa pagtakbo ang batang lalaki at hindi napigilang tanungin ang ngayong tulalang Rhian na nag-hihintay sa paglubog ng araw. The boy made Rhian get back to her senses.

“Wala, Ivan.” She smiled, trying to convince the boy.

But the boy is persistent. “Tulala ka, e!”

The young lady thought for an alibi before answering the boy’s question. Parang napakapangit kasi isipin kung sasagutin niyang dahil hindi ko alam kung bakit iba ang epekto sa akin ng kuya mo noong mga nakaraan araw. Huminga muna ng malalim ang dalaga bago magsalita.

”Iniisip ko lang kung payagan kaya ako ni mama na pumunta sa bayan?”

Totoo naman ‘yon. Matagal-tagal na rin nang huling pagpunta niya sa bayan para mag-ikot lang. Naalala niyang pinilit niya pa noon si Nana Gloria na isama siya sa pamamalengke. Pero hindi ‘yon ang sagot sa ngayong tanong ng bata.

“Ate, isama mo ‘ko ‘pag pinayagan ka, ha?” The boy looked at her adorably and sat beside her.

“Oo naman, Ivan. Syempre isasama kita. Malakas ka kaya sa ‘kin!” She pat his head and pinched his cheeks. The boy laughed in pain. Natuwa naman si Rhian.

“Nandito ka lang pala, Ivan. Kanina pa kita hinahanap.”

Hindi na kinailangan ni Rhian na lumingon para malaman kung kaninong boses ‘yon. Sapat na kasi ang mahinang pagkabog ng dibdib niya. She heard his footsteps getting closer.

“Anong ginagawa niyo dito?”

Rhian watched him sit beside Ivan and she remembered that night. Ibinaling nalang ni Rhian ang atensyon sa kawalan bago sagutin ang tanong nang bagong dating, “wala. Nagpapalipas oras lang.”

“Ate, kailan tayo pupunta sa bayan?” Ivan continued bugging Rhian. Ngayon, she regretted giving that alibi. Pero naisambit niya na. There’s no turning back.

“’Pag pinayagan na ako ni mama.” She can’t give the boy the stares he’s giving her kaya naman tiningnan nalang niya ang repleksyon ng mga ulap sa ilog. Napakaganda.

But the two almost forgot that there’s a newcomer so he just made his self welcomed and butted in.

“Pupunta kayo sa bayan? Kayo lang?”

Rhian looked at him with a shaking head. Alam naman kasi ni Rhian na hindi siya papayagan ng ina na lumabas ng bahay para lang mamasyal. Nanliit naman ang mata ni Franco ‘dun.

“Gusto mo bang pumunta ‘don, Ivan?” He ignored the girl’s disagreement and even tried to piss her and Rhian’s eye roll means he’s really getting on her nerves. Ngiting-ngiti namang tumango ang bata sa ngayo’y ngiting-ngiti ring Franco.

“Hindi tayo papayagan. Ikaw, Franco, ‘di ka din naman papayagan ni mang Armando na mamasyal,” Rhian just bursted everyone’s bubble. But Franco has something in mind.

“Bakit? Sino bang nagsabing magpapaalam tayo?” He smirked.

“Papagalitan tayo ‘pag nalaman nilang lumabas tayo nang ‘di nagpapaalam!”