A Tale In Session (City Series #1)

Chapter 27

I carefully put my burger down while looking at Claude who was quiet. Malakas pa rin ang ulan at nandito pa rin kami sa Blue Tent. He's been quiet since I asked him about Manila.

Maybe he just doesn't want to talk about it. And I can't force him to share that to me, either.

"If you're ready to talk about it," I told him with all the sincerity I could muster. "I'm here."

Parang sumakit nanaman ang dibdib ko nang maalala kong aalis na nga pala siya. Babalik na nga pala siya sa Manila. Babalik siya sa dati niyang buhay. And he still has Alice, too.

"Balik na ba tayo kina Margaux?" I asked him. "It's getting dark na rin."

"Yeah, sige," he said and stood up.

Binalik niya yung tray sa loob at tumakbo pabalik sa inuupuan namin dahil umuulan pa rin. Habang sabay kaming tumatakbo patungo sa sasakyan niya, hindi namin napigilan yung tawa namin dahil mas lumakas pa yung ulan at wala nang kwenta yung pag-takip niya sa ulo ko.

Once we entered his car, he immediately started the car and turned on the heater.

As he drove back, it was silent in the car again. The soft music, the wipers, the rain, and the cars outside were what I could hear... but still, it gave me comfort. I guess iba talaga ang pakiramdam ng ganitong tipong gabi na maulan at malamig.

Lumingon ako sa kanya at medyo basa pa ang kaniyang buhok. I couldn't help but smile. Naaalala ko nanaman kasi nung kolehiyo palang kami at pilit niya akong hinahatid pauwi araw araw.

I couldn't help but remember, as well, the first time I saw him worship. It was the first time I saw him that vulnerable, that lost in the moment. 

I bit my lower lip to stop myself from crying. Seeing him worship again last Friday made me miss the old times even more.

But I can't be wishing for it to come back. I can't be wishing he was someone else or was with someone else. Where he is... where we are right now is God's place for us. I'm in no position to complain. In whatever situation God puts us in naman, I know that He is still sovereign. So I don't care where He puts us, I just know that I want to please Him with everything that I do.

"You okay?" tanong niya sa akin.

Tumango ako at nanatiling naka-tingin sa sasakyan na nasa harap namin. Matraffic na ngayon dahil rush hour na at maulan pa, maraming nagtataxi.

"Grabe traffic 'no?" I told him, trying not to drown in my own thoughts.

"It's okay naman." Bahagya siyang tumawa. "Ganito palagi sa Manila, all day everyday."

"Talaga?" I said. "I barely go to Manila, e. Pero pupunta ako doon para sa NMAT ko. Lapit na."

He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Wow, doc."

Umiling ako kaagad at tumawa. "Doc ka d'yan."

"Doon na rin naman patungo, ah." He continued to grin. "Where do you plan on studying?"

"Ewan," I shrugged. "Baka SLU pa rin."

He nodded. "Loyal sa Baguio, ah."

"Siyempre." I laughed. "It's home, eh."

Nagbuntong hininga siya at lumingon sa akin. Wala siyang sinabi. But I could see how much he missed Baguio. It was his home, too.

"Nakaka-miss 'no?" I said. "Yung Baguio weather."

"Sobra," He softly said. "Ibang iba talaga sa Manila, e. Iba yung weather, iba mga tao, iba yung mga lugar... iba priorities."

I looked out the window and admired how the light fog of Baguio looked so majestic.