"Dito na lang tayo."
Tinuro nya yung isang kainan na pinakauna naming nakita and I think this is the only most accessible right now.
"Okay lang ba sayo dito?" she gave me a concern look.
"Oo naman. I'm not maarte naman when it comes to food. Kinakain ko lahat." sagot ko.
"Libre mo talaga 'to ha?" Jho asked once again when we got inside.
"Sino ba ang birthday girl?"
Napangiti sya dahil dun at masayang pumili ng mauupuan. I think gutom na talaga sya.
"So..." I said the moment we took a sit. "What do you like?" tanong ko sa kanya while looking at the available menu for today. They serve simple family-style meals and original Ivatan dishes. Hmm, interesting.
"Ikaw bahala. Ikaw naman yung may birthday eh." todong ngiting sagot nya habang pinapanood ako.
"Are you sure?"
"One hundred percent sure."
"Okay." I begin choosing dishes that I think we'll both like but napahinto ako when I felt like she's still watching me. Pag angat ko ng tingin, yes, she's watching me.
I suddenly felt conscious.
"Stop looking at me like that." reklamo ko.
"Bakit?"
"It makes me uncomfortable." I tried to pay attention ulit dun sa menu pero napapatingin ako sa kanya kaya natawa ako. "Why are you watching me ba?"
Umiling sya. "Natutuwa lang ako sayo."
"Huh? Bat ka naman natutuwa sakin." medyo natatawa kong tanong.
"Ewan ko." kibit balikat nyang sagot and then sumandal sya sa upuan, eyes still fixed sakin. "Siguro kasi you look so out of ordinary, yet ordinary."
My forehead creased. "Ha?"
Umayos sya ng upo bago nagsalita ulit. "Ibig kong sabihin, you look and sound like you grew up with everything laid infront of you. And I think even if you do nothing, your aura still shouts privilege and I think it will always be like that."
Agad napataas ang kilay ko sa mga sinabi nya. I'm not quite sure what to feel. Wait, is she judging me?
"I was never a fan of anything out of ordinary whether it is a person or what." pagpapatuloy nya. "But you, you're so simple and it is so pure. It made me realize that ordinary can be sprinkled with a dash of extraordinary."
Napababa yung tingin ko sa table and then napahagod ako sa buhok ko.
"Wow." was all I could say. "That's..." I stopped when I realized I couldn't put into words what I felt.
I have never been described like that in my whole life.
When I returned my eyes at her, she's still smiling.
"Thank you." I said. Hindi ko nga alam kung dapat ko ba siyang pasalamatan dun?
She just smiled once more.
"Tapos kana bang pumili ng pagkain?" pagtatanong nya.
Bigla ko naman naalala yung purpose namin dito and napatingin ulit ako sa menu.
"Oh sorry."
I placed aside the overwhelming feeling inside of me and I begin placing our order instead. When it arrived, I saw how Jho's eyes twinkled in happiness and she begin reacting like a kid who received her happy meal.
