Just A Little More

The Lunch

8. Just A Little More

...

Inikupa ko ang sarili sa pagtitipa sa cellphone habang naghihintay kay Ate Fiona. Kasalukuyan akong nasa loob ng isang shopping mall para makipagkita dito. Sa tabi ko ay ang mga gamit na pinapadala niya, wala na kasi itong oras para umuwi pa sa bahay para kunin ang mga ito.

Ate Fiona is a scholar in a prestigious school in this city. She is my role model, she's smart, persevere and very passionate person. Bata pa lang kami ay pangarap na nito maging doktor kaya para matustusan ang kanyang pag-aaral nagtrabaho si tito sa ibang bansa. I want to be like her but I know that won't gonna happen. Malaki ang pinagkaiba namin. Unlike her hanggang ngayon nangangapa pa rin ko. Hanggang ngayon hindi ko pa rin nagagawang sagutan ang career choice survey na binigay samin. Isn't that funny? When a piece of paper can bother me this much.

"Hey" a girl beamed at me.

"Hi" I casually replied then put down my phone.

She comfortably sit in front of me.

"How are you? I heard what happened not actually I know what happened but yeah so how are you? Are you waiting for Shan here?" Pia continued.

"I'm okay and no I'm waiting for my cousin"

"I'm glad that you're okay. You're a tough one huh" she joked.

"You know that I'm just joking right?" agad na dagdag nito nang walang makuhang reaksyon sakin. I just nodded.

"Shan was right you don't have a sense of humor. So what are you gonna do?"

"Tungkol sa kidnapping?"

"Hm"

"Wala, hindi ko din naman nakilala ang mga dumukot sakin" malumanay na sagot ko.

"Are you sure about that? I mean what they did to you was a serious crime"

Bahagya lang akong ngumiti sa kanya bilang tugon.

"Re? Alam ko na hindi ko dapat sayo to itanong pero wala kasi kaming makuha mula kina Shan at Kyna. Perhaps do you know what going on between the two. They are acting weird towards each other specially Shan she's totally avoiding us when Kyna is around"

Natahimik ako ng ilang sandali. Shan and I did not talk about that matter however, alam kong alam na nya ang lahat. Shan isn't stupid, simula pa lang alam kong may alam na sya. When facts are hard to accept people try to ignore and deny it, so when it suddenly come out in front of your face hindi mo na alam ang gagawin. Being betrayed can be the worst thing.

"Do you remember the day of Shan's eighteenth birthday?" I asked.

I actually don't know where to start.

"Yes, buong gabing nakasimangot sya dahil hindi ka dumating, akala nga namin magwawala sya haha"

"Then your cafe first anniversary?"

"I remember that too. That night she called us because the reservation she made in a hotel was screwed up, she's ranting all night because of the mistake of the management"

"And about last summer?"

"Shan was so excited that time kasi finally pumayag kang sumama sa Palawan pero hindi din natuloy dahil napilayan ka teka nga bakit ba tinatano-- don't tell me--. No you're not telling me that they are have something to do on what's going on between the two right?"

Hindi ako agad nakasagot. I sighed. Pakiramdam ko hindi dapat sakin nya marinig ito.

"Are you telling me that Kyna is doing those things behind Shan's back? But why? She treated Shan as her own sister why would she do that?"