Taped-Up Heart

XXVI. Late Night Talks

Chapter Twenty Six

Late Night Talks

Puti.

Nanatili akong nakatingin sa kisame ng kwarto ko. Hanggang ngayon parang hindi pa rin napoproseso ng utak ko ang mga nangyari noong isang gabi.

It's been two days, but everything still feels like a blur to me. I can't remember any-fucking-thing, and it's seriously annoying. All I remember is getting drunk, then getting soaked in the rain, then poof! Nothing.

The next day, I woke up on my bed. I have no idea how I got home. All I know is that I made it home safely. Feeling ko naman walang kakaibang nangyari sa akin. Wala naman akong naka-one night stand dahil wala namang masakit sa akin.

Kaagad akong napa-upo.

Oh... shit.

Hindi ba at ganito rin ang nangyari noong nalasing ako noon? Tapos nagising na lang ako na nasa kama na ako ni Tiunggo number two?!

Never niya sinabi na walang nangyari sa amin. Basta nagising ako na suot ko na ang damit niya. Wala rin akong maalala sa mga nangyari sa amin.

What if we really did it that night?

Do you really feel sore the next morning when you actually sleep with someone?

I mean... when you have... intercourse. Yes, that's the right term. What if my case is different? What if after sleeping with someone, I don't feel anything at all afterward?! What if I did it with Tiu? And what if I did it again with some random stranger that night?

Oh... god, this is seriously making me insane.

Humiga ulit ako at pumikit.

Think, Asia. Think.

Paano ako nakapasok sa condo ko?

Sino ba ang may tanging alam kung saan ako nakatira?

Si Duane.

He was the first one to come to my mind, but I shook the thought away. That's impossible. He was mad at me, so impossible na dalahin niya pa ako pauwi sa condo kung naglasing man ako.

Wala naman nang may ibang alam kung saan ako nakatira. Gosh. Maluluka na ata ako.

I stood up. I needed some fresh air.

The moment I opened my door, I froze. Nanatili ang tingin ko sa lalaking dadaan sana pero natigil na rin nang makitang natigilan ako sa presensya niya.

I swallowed hard.

How could I forget about Tiu?

Of course, he knows where I live!

Nasapo ko ang noo ko. It can't be! Okay na ako sa idea na I did it with some stranger sa bar kaysa siya! Kaysa kami nanamang dalawa ang gumawa noon.

Oh, my freaking gosh.

He looked at me boredly while his hands were inside his pockets, and as usual he was wearing a simple white shirt partnered with khaki shorts, and his favorite pair of topsider. "What?" he asked when I just kept staring at him.

I frowned and shook my head. I slammed the door and walked past him. Is this serious? Pero hindi naman, 'di ba? Wala namang masakit! Yes. I should keep that in mind. Hangga't walang masakit, ibig sabihin noon ay walang nangyari. That's it.

I was about to press the close button when he stepped into the damn elevator. Seriously! Bakit ba hindi na lang siya maghagdan?!

Pumunta ako sa pinakasulok ng elevator. Kami lang dalawa ang tao dito. Ugh. Sana may pumasok sa mga sumunod na floor.

The uncomfortable silence was killing me!

Bakit ba walang pumapasok?!

"You really don't know how to say thank you, no?"

Napatingin ako sa kanya. Medyo nasa unahan siya ng elevator kaya hindi ko masyado makita ang mukha niya, only his side profile was visible. Hindi naman ako makatingin sa glass door ng elevator dahil malalaman niyang tinitingnan ko siya.

"And why would I say thank you?" I asked. "Diyos ka ba para pasalamatan ko? Ikaw ba ang gumawa ng mundo, ng langit, at ng lupa? Pati ng araw, buwan, at mga bituin? Pati na rin ang mga karagatan at mga hayop, huh? Who you ba?" I said, rambling on.

He clicked his tongue. Buo na ang araw ko makita ko lang siyang naiinis sa akin. Simula ngayon goal ko na ang sirain ang buhay niya araw-araw. Feeling ko satisfied na ako makita lang siyang nakakunot ang noo at naiinis na sa akin.

"I guess you're really bad at remembering things," he started. "But you were screaming my name the whole night, Asia. How could you forget that?" he asked.

I glanced at his reflection in the glass door, and there was a smug look on his face. Ugh! Ang annoying!

Wait a minute, did he just say—

"Yes. You were screaming my name the whole night. You can ask your condo neighbors or even Kuya Guard, he'll be a witness," he smirked at me before the elevator doors opened. and he stepped out.

Kaagad akong lumabas at hinabol siya. Hinawakan ko siya sa braso. "Bawiin mo 'yung sinabi mo! As if naman isisigaw ko ang pangalan mong ang pangit!"

He chuckled. "Kuya Guard!" he called.

Kaagad na lumapit sa amin ang guard. "Sir, kayo nanaman pala 'yan ni Ma'am. Mabuti naman at hindi na sumisigaw ngayon si Ma'am."

Kumunot noo ko. Bakit? Saan ba namin ginawa 'yon?! Kung sa condo niya (kasi imposibleng sa akin dahil malinis paggising ko) posible bang rinig ang sigaw ko sa pangalan niya hanggang groundfloor?! Eh ang taas-taas ng floor naming dalawa!

Mukhang nabasa nila ang iniisip ko.

Nagulat ako nang inakbayan ako ni Achaia. "Kuya, pagpasensyahan mo na 'to," he said. Nagulat din ako sa diretsong pag-imik niya ng Tagalog. "Nakakahiya sa 'yo kasi tahimik kang nagra-rounds tapos narinig mo ang ginagawa naming late night talks," sabi pa niya.

What the hell?

Maalam naman pala siyang mag-Tagalog!

At ano'ng?!

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko.

"Wala ho iyon, Sir!" sabi ni Kuya at nag-high five pa talaga silang dalawa. "Sanay na kaming mga guard na makarinig ng kakaibang ingay."

"Sige, Kuya! We'll go ahead na," ngiti pa ni Achaia bago ako kurutin sa pisngi. "Ang cute, cute mo!"

Kaagad ko siyang tinulak nang makarating kami sa parking. "What the fuck?" bungad ko sa kanya.

But this super duper annoying guy just shrugged with a smirk on his face before walking away from me. Ang annoying forever!