Cold Summer Nights || On-Hold

ONE

Riley's POV

Lumabas na ako ng bahay at bumaba na ng hadgan tsaka dumiretso sa mini-grocery store slash karinderia ni tita Aileen. There's probably so much to talk with her.

Pagkabukas na pagkabukas ko ng sliding door ng kanyang tindahan, gulat pa siya nang makita ako.

"LEIIIIII" she sounded so surprised.

"I knew you'd come but I never thought it was this early," then she hugged me so tight.

I hugged her back.

"Tita, I arrived yesterday night. Nakasara na itong tindahan mo so I thought of not disturbing you anymore in your sweet dreams. Atsaka, maagang natapos ang school year namin, my school's undergoing a lot of changes since the midyear that they ended our school days early. Ayaw niyo po ba 'yon? Andito na ulit ako!" I smiled at her

I can feel the warmth of her tight embrace, God knows how much I missed her.

"Siyempre, gustong gusto ko na andito ka. Once a year ka na nga lang andito, dadalawang buwan pa. I'm always longing for you, Lei."

I can see through her eyes the excitement when she saw me--- whenever she saw me coming back home. I'm gone for ten months every year, no wonder she always misses me especially all she had here was herself.

Dad's probably so busy that he had no time to accompany tita Aileen.

Nahahati itong store ni tita sa dalawang parts. Pagkapasok sa glass sliding door ay mini grocery store, tsaka paloob pa ng konti ay ang karinderia niya. Umupo kami at doon nag-usap.

"So, how's school?" she started.

"It's still the same, nothing has changed. Same faces, same old facilities, same rules." I replied.

"Come on! You know that's not what I wanted to hear from you because I always hear that out every year." she then chuckled.

"What?" I asked.

"Lei, haven't you found another one? I'm excited to know who's your new, it's been 2 years na, iha." I slowly laughed on her thoughts.

"Tita, kahit naman na matagal na kaming wala ni Killian, I'm not finding another one hindi dahil hindi ako makapagmove on sa kanya, but for the reason that I'm way too focused on my studies and on our school paper. Since the former EIC moved to another school, the position was transferred to me and I have to carry all the resposibilities entitled in my position. No worries, tita. I will soon find who's for me but not yet for today." I smiled.

"Sige, Lei. Ipakilala mo 'yan sa akin ha? Btw, how's your home there? Kumusta ka sa inyo?"

"Wala ring pinagbago, tita. Ganoon pa rin naman po sa dati." I replied to her when our conversation was interrupted by someone.

"Naimbag nga morning, Aileen. Gumatang ak man..." (Magandang Umaga, Aileen. Pabili nga ako...)

Tita Aileen instantly stood up and replied to the man, "Wen sige, ada pay stock ko idjay baba, aguray ta alaek." (Oo, sige, meron pa akong stock sa ibaba, sandali lang at kukunin ko.)

They speak Ilocano, and that's normal to me. Marunong akong umintindi at magsalita ng kanilang lenggwahe. But tita prefers to talk to me in English and Tagalog.

Tinapik ako ni tita sa balikat tsaka na siya lumabas ng kanyang tindahan at pumunta sa kanyang stock room sa baba. Malamang ay doon niya kukunin ang hinahanap ng lalaking bumibili.

The moment she tapped my shoulder, I sit properly and grab my phone in my pocket. I opened my account then talked to Jiyanna, the only person I can talk to freely.

Ilang minuto lang ang lumipas at nakabalik na si tita. Nagsidatingan na rin ang ibang bumibili pero dahil nga ay tutok ako sa kausap ko, hindi ko na napapansin kung sino sila.

Time passed and there's no customer again. I'm still sitting, talking to the same person, having random chitchats about anything.

Inaayos ni tita ang napagbentahan nang biglang bumukas ang pinto at may pumasok na sa pakiwari ko'y lalaki. Hindi niya sinara ang sliding door kaya't pumasok sa loob ang malamig na hangin mula sa labas.

Third Person's POV

He went inside the store, opening the sliding glass door without closing it, letting the cold air inside the store.

Her hair swayed as he opened the door but she didn't bother it. She's still on her phone but she knew inside her that she's cold and that her heart was pounding faster. Her palms were sweaty that she wept it in the pants she's wearing. Due to the uneasy feeling, she sat properly without noticing the man that's buying.

Upon entering the store, his gaze noticed the girl who's sitting in the chair with a phone on her hands, smiling. He, then, went to buy what he needs to buy but he knew in him that he's feeling a bit colder and that his heart were beating faster.

"Sukli mo, Em." the lady Aileen said, giving the change to the man in front.

"S-salamat po, tita" the boy replied then walked out. For the second time and for a little while, he laid his eyes on the girl who's sitting then he went out, closing the door, restricting the cold breeze to enter inside the store.

He walked slowly and he felt that he's back to normal, that his heart was back to what it was.

She continued talking with her friend, without noticing that she's also back to what she was, that her heart beat were the same as before.

Riley's POV

Wala akong masyadong ginawa. Kapag walang tao o walang bumili, nag-uusap lang kami ni tita. Kung meron man, hindi niya ako hinahayaan na magtinda kaya't nanatili akong nakaupo dito mula pa kanina.

She always reasoned out to me, "Nagpapakastress ka na nga sa school, pati ba naman sa pagtitinda gusto mo pang magpakastress. Hayaan mo na, ako na dito."

I don't have to protest; I'll lose anyway so I just flashed my genuine smile to her as a reply.

Dahil nga wala akong ginagawa, I just reopened my phone and chatted the closest person to me.

I had fun time talking to Jiyanna. Even though we're apart, we knew in ourselves that we got each other's back. We bid goodbye in our messages. Then what I did for the rest of the day was to help Tita Aileen in the store whenever she wanted my help.

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