Cascading Waters

Chapter IX

It was one lazy afternoon. Under the warm beam of the sun, nakasilong kami ni Luke sa isang malaking kahoy ng garden.

He brought his guitar and he was playing a song that was quite unfamiliar to me. Maybe because I only used to listen to foreign songs back in Switzerland, not tagalog songs.

The melody from the guitar reached my ears and I can tell that he's good dahil walang bahid ng kahit anong pagkakamali ang pagkaskas niya ng gitara.

the song made me relaxed but after a short while, tumigil si Luke kaka-gitara. Napatingin ako sa kanya, nagtataka. He reached out for something behind him. It was a helmet.

The helmet looked neat but not entirely new. It looked like his motorcycle helmet but it was red, his was black.

He looked at me and smiled. "Para sayo. Pasensiya na, hindi na naka bili ng bago pero malinis naman 'yan."

Tinanggap ko at tinitigan ito, hindi nakapagsalita dahil sa mangha. Nasa mga kamay ko na ito at ilang segundo nang hawak bago ko nginitian si Luke sabay pasalamat.

"This is very thoughtful. Thank you!"

Mukhang natuwa naman siya dahil sa reaksiyon ko at sobrang laki ng ngisi ko.

"Naisip ko lang kasi na pasukan na bukas kaya pag sabay naman yung dismissal natin pwede namang sabay na tayong umuwi tutal at madadaanan ko naman dito bago makarating sa bahay."

"Oo nga! parang magandang ideya 'yan!"

"But, i'd like to bring this with me along para diretso na kung sasakay ka. Is that fine?"

Natawa nalang ako at tumango. Tama nga naman dahil hindi naman siguro araw-araw ay sa kanya ako sasakay para hindi na rin hassle sa part ko. We spent the whole afternoon together and it was a great talk.

Without noticing, the time drifted fast. Bihis na bihis na kami ni Axel at tahimik na naghihintay sa nagbibihis pang si Lexa. Mama and Tita looked excited for me because they were both in front of us and reminded me of what to do and all that.

Si Axel naman ay kahit tahimik lang ay pinagsabihan rin ni Tita Grace na dapat ay bantayan kaming dalawa ni Lexa. Tumatango lang ito at hindi na masyadong nagsalita. Minutes later and Lexa showed up well-dressed.

"Let's go!" excited na wika ni Lexa bago kami sumakay sa sasakyan ni Axel.

Tita wanted both of us to go with Axel para daw hindi kami gumala-gala kung saan saan. I was about to go to the back seat when Lexa stopped me and told me na sa front seat daw ako because she needs to fix her things and make up.

Kahit hindi parin komportable kay Axel dahil sa awkward na sinabi nito isang araw, I obliged kasi we're running late for the general orientation and although she's pretty, wala pa rin itong make up tsaka magulo ang loob ng bag.

After settling in, Axel looked serious but unbothered by my presence kaya he started to drive.

"Kuya, drop me around the gate lang ha? I have to check something with Pearl kaya susunod nalang ako sa gymnasium." sabi ni Lexa habang nag-aayos sa likod.

Hindi na nagsalita si Axel pero tumango lang ito. They both seemed relaxed habang ako naman ay nagsisimula ng kabahan. Does that mean magsasabay kami ni Axel papasok ng gymnasium right after Lexa told a few people about us being together?

Well, this is college anyway. Rumors are not taken seriously tsaka this is different from high school kaya hindi na dapat siguro ako kabahan. I also think Axel will do his best to clear the rumor up kasi if he doesn't, mas mahihirapan siya sa dates niya diba? so I shouldn't worry.