Last Time We Met (Marupok Series #1)

LTWM 40

There's this guy who shifted his course from marketing to our course.

Mukha itong walang muwang sa mundo pagkapasok nito sa classroom. Just like me, he looks nervous about the people around him.

Masyado kasing seryoso ang atmosphere sa mga med students. Para bang wala silang panahon para magsaya at magbiro unlike Arman. He always smile and would say nonsense jokes.

He became my friend. Dahil siguro wala naman akong choice, pero he's really a good man. I'm kidding about not having a choice to be his friend pero Arman is the first one who approached me. He waved and smiled at me. Talagang sa tabi ko pa talaga ito naupo at nakuha pa akong alukin ng pagkaing dala niya.

He was indeed a crybaby.

"Sky, hindi ko na alam ang gagawin! Ang dami daming gagawin!" Sabi nito at kalaunan ay umiyak sa tabi ko. Take note, nasa loob pa kami ng library.

"Sky," panimula na naman nito isang araw habang nasa cafeteria kami. Nagbabasa ako ng notes habang kumakain dahil mayroon kaming exam sa major subject namin mamaya. Samantalang itong si Arman ay puro pagmamaktol na naman ang inuuna.

"Oh?" Sabi ko habang nakatutok pa rin ang mga mata sa binabasa. 

"Tingin mo para sa akin ba itong course na 'to?"

Kumunot ang noo ko. I took a deep breath before closing the book that I am reading. I almost finished so there's nothing to worry about. Paniguradong may maisasagot naman ako ng kaunti mamaya...kahit papaano?

"Kasi diba, I came from Engineering next Marketing tapos ngayon dito naman." Yumuko ito at ngumuso. "What if mamaya hindi na naman ito yung para sa akin? What if I won't become successful or I won't even finish this?"

When I first met Arman, I thought he's a happy go lucky guy but there's more to it. Akala ko sobrang swerte na nito dahil sa masayahin, mayaman at kayang mag-aral kung saan at kayang magpalit palit ng kurso kahit kailan niya gusto. Hindi siya mamomroblema sa baon niya araw-araw. Heck he won't even think about the school expenses. But I was wrong, really wrong.

Lahat tayo may mga problema.

We are all silently fighting our own battles as long as we can. At kapag hindi na natin ito kinakaya, maybe that's the time that we started to open up to someone or worst break down.

I smiled.

Kitang-kita ko ang ngiti at tuwa sa mga mata ni Arman on our graduation day. Wala ring bago dahil tumakbo itong umiiyak sa akin. Most of the time people would think that we are couples but I would just laughed about it. I never saw Arman as a lover. I saw him as a brother. Like Sheina.

"I did it Sky! We did it!" Sabi nito at patuloy ang paghagulgol. I tapped his back while laughing.

"Yes and I'm so proud of you," ngising sabi ko.

Tumigil na ito sa pag-iyak at bumitiw na sa yakap. He looked at me straight in the eyes like he's sensing something.

Nang makita niyang may tinitingnan ako sa malayo ay napaiwas ako ng tingin.

"Andyan ba ngayon?"

I nodded.

He was referring to Kai.

Nakatayo ito sa school gate habang may dala-dalang bulaklak. Nakayuko ito habang tila may hinihintay.

"Bakit hindi mo puntahan?"

Umiling ako.

"Ayoko...Masakit pa din." Bulong ko dito.

It was Arman's turned to take a deep breath.