Healed in his arms (De Alleje 1)

10

Kwento

"Akala mo ba hindi ko napapansin?" talak ni Danver sa akin sa hapagkainan. He pulled back the plate of sausages as I attempted to get one.

"There's something wrong with you and Ezekiel!"

Kinunutan niya ako ng noo habang pinag-mamasdan ng maigi, like he's studying a lead of a crime right in my face. Parang sasabog ang puso ko ano mang oras. I quickly glance away, afraid that I might spill the truth to him.

"Tell me what happened Catherine!"

"Nothing!"sigaw ko, "I don't have an idea!" I glared on him, while clenching my fist above the table.

Sumandal siya sa backrest ng upuan. He take a deep breath. "Hindi na nakakatawa ang nangyayari, he often come to his class drunk!"

Even our friends, nagtataka na rin sa biglaang hindi namin pagpapansinan ni Ezikel. They began interrogating me about him, since then. I just told them many stories, like we quarreled again over petty things like the usual and-Blah blah blah!

"Hindi pa rin ba ka'yo nagbabati?" Rouen asked once, "this quarrel of yours now had taken so long, unlike the rest before," she implied speculatively.

Oh Arda!

"He's been drunk couple of time and that's unusual kung simpleng away lang meron kayo Cath-maybe he's dealing some serious problems," Zi puzzled and I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Well if that's the case, why wouldn't he tell us about it?" Komento ni Coreen,"he's obviously 'hiding something'."

Clever De Allejes!

"You got a point there Oreen," Rouen smirked. I got nervous instantly.

"May sinabi ba sa'yo si Kel ha Cath before this quarrel of yours?"

"Wala," I answered, "wala siyang... sinabi."

Dammit! Wala siyang sinabi, I sounds like; may sinabi siya pero 'di ko pwedeng sabihin sa inyo.

I don't know kung naniwala ba silang lahat sa paulit-ulit na dahilan ko.

Pero si Keanna, alam kong hindi siya naniniwala. Simula noong mag-away kami ni Kel, madalas ko siyang nahuhuling nakatitig sa akin, she's examining me like I'm some sort of bacteria under her microscope.

The good news I heard is nagkamabutihan na sila ni Kel. They're good friends again.

Masaya sana kung hindi lang ganito ang status quo namin ni Kel.

One afternoon in the cafeteria I caught Keanna staring at me. Hindi siya nag-atubiling mag-iwas ng tingin, instead nginitian niya pa ako.

I couldn't move, para akong napako sa kinauupuan ko. Did she and Ezekiel talked about all the shit and our dilemmas?

There were just the four of us. Her, Me, Zi and Ahms. Suddenly, may classmates sina Zi at Amhs na tumawag sa kanila from the other table. Nag-excuse sila at lumapit du'n. Then they started having a little chit-chat.

I got my eyes fixated on Keanna who's staring at me as well. Then she smiled. "He misses you."

So nag-usap nga sila kung ganoon.

I smiled back to her. "You still love him?"

What a question.

Ngumiti uli siya akin like I'm the only one deserving of her expensive smile.

"Cath magkaibigan na lang talaga kami, though yes, I still love him," nanginig ang boses niya. I got worried nang mapansing nahihirapan siyang huminga. I suddenly want to claim all the fault alone of this misery.