Spotlight Oblivion

CHAPTER 11

Tahimik lang ako habang nililibot ng tingin ang buong cafe. Napabuga ako ng hangin dahil sa sobrang inis nang ni isang hibla ng buhok ng lalaking iyon ay 'di ko mahagilap. This man's really getting on my nerves. Of all people, he should have known that I have a thing with latecomers.

Ang aga-agang nambubulabog para sabihing may lakad daw kami. I went an hour later than what we've agreed upon dahil kilala ko siya, pero heto't hindi pa rin dumarating. Had I known this would happen again, I would have spent my time sleeping.

Simula nang naging malapit na magkaibigan kami'y palagi na lang akong pinaghihintay. Pinakaayaw ko pa naman sa lahat, bukod sa manloloko, ay kapag pinaghihintay ako. I am more of an 'on-time' kind of person.

Time is unchangeable. It can never be fast-forwarded nor rewound, so it needs to be spent wisely. Hindi mo na maibabalik pa ang bawat segundong pumapatak at nasasayang.

Padabog kong hinalughog ang bag at hinanap ang aking earphones. I tucked them on my ears and let myself get engulfed in the music's loud whispers.

"I'm all out of love. I'm so lost without you..." I closed my eyes as I sang along to the song. Air Supply's songs are my fave. There's something in their lyrics that made me love them even more. Bukod sa pagbabasa at pagsusulat, music brings me another kind of comfort.

I was leaning on my seat while partly humming to the song, when I heard someone talked.

"Miette?"

My eyes widened in surprise when I saw her standing across me. Agad din 'yong napalitan nang kaba at pagkailang. I shifted on my seat and gained my composure.

Long weeks had passed. Wala akong narinig mula sa kaniya at ganoon din siya sa akin. I gave her the space I thought she needed.

Ngumiti siya nang bahagya. She looked different from the last time I saw her. Despite few scratches on her face, it looked brighter than it was before.

Silence ensued between us. The only thing that reverberated inside the cafe is the subtle voices from other customers.

I picked up my coffee and took a sip from it para bahagyang mabawasan ang nakakailang na katahimikan na namutawi sa pagitan namin.

Mayamaya pa ay narinig ko ang mahinang pagsinghot ni Fran kasabay ng tunog ng pag-atras ng silya. I was taken aback when she threw her arms around me. With that, I couldn't help myself but to cry with her too. I caressed her back as she buried her face on my neck while still sobbing.

No words came out of our mouth. We just hugged each other and let our tears be an insignia that we were both sorry. I looked around and saw some of them staring weirdly at us, but who cares?

Nang pareho na kaming bahagyang kumalma ay kumalas na kami sa pagkakayakap sa isa't isa at maayos na bumalik sa upuan. We stared at each other for a while. Few seconds after, we were bursting out in laughter when we realized how wasted we were. Mapula ang mga ilong at mga mata dahil sa pag-iyak.

Para kaming mga tanga na tumatawa pagkatapos umiyak. Pero ang gaan sa pakiramdam. Napakasarap isipin na magkasama na naman kaming tumatawa. She held both of my hands as I softly squeezed hers.

I missed this.

I really missed this.

'Yong pagiging mapang-asar niya at pagiging pikon ko. 'Yong tumatawa kaming dalawa.

"Sorry, Miette. Nabigla lang ako at aaminin kong nagtampo talaga ako sa'yo," mahinang sabi niya habang bahagyang kinukutkot ang kaniyang mga kuko.

She was still pouting when I reached for her hands and slightly squeezed it. She then lifted her gazes to meet mine.