The Gap Between Us (SSG SERIES #1)

Chapter 14: He's Sick

If you ever wondered what happened next, I slept for a solid 30 minutes then it started raining. We had to run to the terminal to ride home dahil wala kaming payong, then we went on our own.

Ang magical na sana ng moment na 'yon, pero biglang umulan. Mabuti nalang ay hindi ako nagka-sakit kahit hindi na maganda ang pakiramdam ko kahapon, my parents didn't raise weakling, they made me drank a lot of milk when I was a kid, that's why maybe I'm not prone to cold and whatever.

Pero si Coen kaya? Did he catched a cold? I hope not. It would be a pain if he had to skip school because he's sick, he'll miss a lot of works. Plus, the fact na president siya ng student council. Sighs. His life must be full of struggles, my poor Coen.

"Sachi, ayos ka na? Akala ko mamamatay ka na kahapon eh!" bati sa akin ni Eliezer pagka-kita nito sa akin.

"Sinong mamamatay?" tanong ni Coleen na kakarating lang. Sinabi ko na okay na ako at walang mamamatay, OA lang talaga si Eliezer.

Bukas pa ang labas ng results ng exam namin. Napag isip isip ko na hindi dapat ako masyadong nag papa-stress doon, may next time pa para bumawi, and grades aren't everything nga, sabi nila.

Absent ang prof namin kaya naman agad lumipat dito sila Eliezer at Coleen sa puwesto ko para makipag daldalan. Napapadalas ang absent ng mga prof namin, unlike my junior high teachers who are present everyday. Nakakapanibago pero mas gusto ko ng ganito, at isa pa, hindi nauubusan ng kwento si Eliezer.

Nasa kalagitnaan siya ng pag kukwento nang tumunog ang phone niya, sumenyas siya sa amin na sasagutin niya lang iyon pero hindi siya umalis sa pwesto niya.

"It's rare to receive a call from you, prez." sabi niya dito. Sinadya niyang lakasan ang boses niya para marinig ko kung sino ang kausap niya. Tumawa naman si Coleen. "Okay chill, don't die on me now! Ako nang bahala, leave it to the almighty— ay gago binaba?"

Hinihintay ko siyang mag salita tungkol sa tawag. Tumingin siya sa akin at ngumiti ng parang nang-aasar.

"Alam mo Stacey, mamamatay na si Kael kaya kung ako sayo aamin na 'ko ngayon—" napatigil siya nang ihampas ko sakaniya ang notebook na hawak ko. Tumawa silang dalawa ni Coleen.

"Umayos ka," pag babanta ko dito.

"What if he's really dying?" sabi ni Coleen na may tonong pananakot, nag sanib pwersa pa ang dalawang hayop para utuin ako.

"Tanga, joke lang! Kung lagnatin kasi 'yon kala mo mamamatay na bukas." Eliezer exclaimed and sighed. So nilagnat nga siya dahil kahapon. I feel guilty, kung hindi na sana niya ako sinamahan kahapon ay nakauwi siya ng maaga.

"Absent?" tanong ko. I tried not to ask anymore questions about it, but Eliezer is so talkative that he has taken over me and made me ask a few more.

"Anyway, pupunta 'yon dito mamaya, see for yourself. He literally looks like dying!" tumawa siya at si Coleen, while I can't bring myself to laugh with them, knowing it's most likely my fault.

Like Eliezer said, Coen will come here to catch up for some school works. Can't he just rest like a normal human being without worrying about school and stuff? Nakaka-stress ka naman, Coen!

"Oh, you're still here?"

10 minutes na ang nakalipas pagtapos mag-uwian. Mga kaklase ko nalang na may classroom duties ang nasa room, at isa na doon si Coleen. Hindi ko alam kung tinatamad akong umuwi or something else is bothering me.

"Uuwi na." sabi ko at nag paalam.

For some reasons, I had a hunch that I would be able to see him on my way home. At hindi nga ako nag kakamali.  Nakita ko siya sa bench na inupuan namin kahapon. Lord, is this fate? Destiny?

Hindi niya ata ako napansin. Paano, halos matulog na siya sa doon. How can you be so defenseless outside, and you're sick! Gusto ko siyang sermonan dahil hindi dapat siya natutulog sa labas. At naalala ko nga iyong sabi ni Eliezer na mukha siyang mamamatay kinabukasan kapag nagka-sakit. Tama nga siya, I didn't find it funny, but perhaps I want to take care of him.

Tumingin ako sa paligid, wala ng masyadong tao dito dahil kanina pa nag-uwian. Dahan-dahan akong umupo sa tabi niya. Nanatili naman siyang nakapikit. Nang mapansin ko na pagalaw-galaw ang ulo niya, kinalabit ko siya para magising at para sana pauwiin.

"Andyan ka pala." sabi nito at umayos ng pag kaka-upo. He was just yawning but my mind screams; Damn, he's cute. Must protecc.

"You really shouldn't sleep here." sabi ko dito.

"Sorry, I'm not at my best state right now."

Yeah, and it is most likely my fault that you're sick right now. I felt like I should be responsible for this, so here I am, about to say something that I would probably regret later.

"Coen," I called out to him. "Want to.. take a nap?" I basically copied the way he acted yesterday. Hiyang hiya ako sa pinag gagagawa ko, but he seemed confident when he did it!

He flashed his weak smile on his face and said "If you say so." then he rested his head on my shoulder, like how I did yesterday. Nagulat ako sa naging aksyon niya. Akala ko tatawa lang siya at tatanggi, pero bigla siyang.. pumayag at natulog.

His arm brushed against mine. Naramdaman ko ang init niya dahil sa lagnat. Sigh. Gusto tuloy kitang bilihan ng biogesic.

Sinilip ko ang itsura niya habang natutulog. It was peaceful. Parang gusto kong pahintuin ang oras para lang titigan siya nang mas matagal. Ah, seriously. You never fail to confuse me by your actions.

"The way you act confuse me all the time." he said in the middle of sleep. It was like, he repeated the words inside my head.

"Same here."

---