Unswerving Desire [ON-GOING]

Chapter 20

It's Sunday and I am now sitting here in our living room. Si Mommy saka Daddy maagang umalis kase may biglaang meeting daw. I don't know, I shouldn't feel upset but I can't help it. I mean Sunday na sunday yet they're working. Sunday supposed to be a family day right?

Kanina pa ako palipat-lipat sa channel nang flat screen namin. Nabobored na ako sa kakapanuod nang Netflix. I was supposed to turn off the television when suddenly, Braden entered our house. So di ko tinuloy yung pag off nung tv and I pretended like I am really watching when in fact, wala akong maintindihan at wala rin akong pakialam.

Anyway I just needed it for a show. One week na kaming hindi nagpapasinan. Last time we talked was at school, the time where he congratulated me because we won the competition. After that day, I tried my  best avoiding him anywhere, even here in our house and well, I don't know if he's cooperating or what but naging madali lang din naman na iwasan siya dahil di niya rin ako kinakausap nor tried any of his chances na lumapit saakin. Which is actually great, I don't like him near me as well.

I am debating with myself whether to stand up and put the plate na ginamit ko kanina when I ate a cake, in the sink or just leave it there and let our yayas do their job. But then I decided to just put it by myself kase first of all, medyo busy rin yung mga yayas namin since today is a laundry day for them so ayaw ko na sila dagdagan nang trabaho pa and second, Braden might think that I am feeling really coward at all na sa simpleng paglagay ng pinggan sa sink ay di ko magawa. And I never like him to have that kind of mindset. I never want him to think that I am a coward in seeing him.

I stand up quietly and proceeded to the kitchen where he is sitting in the dinning room at kumakain. Well perhaps late lunch niya? Since it's already 2 pm or  I don't don't know and I don't care anyway. I am already near the sink nang bigla akong madulas.

"What the fuck!!" agad na singhal ko at namimilipit sa sakit habang hinahawakan yung paa ko

Agad kong nakita sa peripheral vision ko ang biglaang pag tayo ni Braden.
"Anong nangyare sayo?" tarantang tanong niya

I stopped from whining and deadly stared at him. "Duh! Stupid! Di mo nakita na nadulas ako?!" iritadong saad ko at agad siyang inirapan

Napabuntong hininga siya at dahan-dahang umiling. "Pambihira nadulas ka na't lahat, masungit ka pa rin." saad niya pa saakin. I was about to spit some words at him but before I could even do so, he immediately carried me in a bridal style and brought me to the sofa in our living room.

Gulat lang akong napatingin sakanya.  Can't believe that he carried me all the way here. Nang makabawe agad ko siyang binulyawan at naramdaman ko agad ang pamumula nang pisngi ko.
"Why do you have to carry me?!" singhal ko sakanya

He raised his left eyebrow at agad na umiling. "Ano naman ngayon? Syempre mahirap kang makalakad  'e kaya dapat talaga kitang buhatin."  paliwanag niya saakin

Umiiling-iling pa siya at bumubulong. "Hay nako ang tapang kala mo talaga kung sinong mabigat 'e ang gaan-gaan naman."

"What did you say?!" iritado kong singhal. Agad siyang umiling.

"Wala po, diyan ka muna. Kukuha ako nang ice para di yan mamaga." sambit niya at agad na umalis

Hinilot-hilot ko yung kanang paa ko at pilit na tumatayo. My goodness! Bat kase ang tanga-tanga ko kanina?!

"Wag mo na pilitin tumayo kung di talaga kaya. Gamutin muna natin yan." I turned around and saw Braden holding a pack of ice cubes

Umupo siya at agad niyang nilapat sa paa ko yung ice. There's also a basin para doon tumutulo yung tubig. I am just staring at him while he's treating my foot.
"Oh wag masyadong tumitig baka maging katulad din ako nang ice, matunaw."

I pursed my lips at agad siyang inirapan. I felt my checks burning already and I'm sure it really looks so red now.  "Excuse me! I wasn't staring at you! Duh! Kapal nang mukha!"  defensive na sagot ko

Bahagya siyang tumatango. "Okay sige, ipalagay nalang natin na naniniwala ako."

Agad ko siyang sinipa at agad na tumalsik yung mga ice cubes. Natatawa siyang tumayo at pinulot ito. He knows that I am already irritated but here he is, tinatawanan lang ako. Seriously! What's with this guy??!

"Ang pikon mo tapos nananakit ka pa. Ayan ambilis nang karma 'eh!" saad niya at kulang nalang talaga sabunotan ko siya dahil sa irita na nararamdaman ko

"What??!" di mapigilang bulyaw ko sakanya

"Wala wala. Ang sabe ko sa susunod wag ka nang lumanggoy sa kusina. Kita mo namang walang tubig doon 'eh!"

"Braden Jacob!!!" I shouted his name and before I could even kick him again, nakatayo na siya habang tumatawa.

"Oh ano? Sisipain mo na naman ako noh? Sus! Buti nalang advance mindset ako." asar niya pa saakin

"Can you just get out of my sight! Please! You're really getting into my nerves!" prangkang saad ko

"Huh? Bakit naman? Wala kaya akong ginagawang masama. Ikaw nga jan 'eh biglang di nalang namamansin for 1 week."

Agad akong napatigil sa sinabe niya. Umiwas ako agad nang tingin at di ko alam but I feel like I have a big lump in my throat that caused me to be quiet and couldn't really utter any words at all.

He let out a chuckled at agad na lumapit papunta saakin. "Ayusin muna natin tong paa mo at ihahatid na kita sa kwarto mo. Matulog ka nalang at magpahinga para pag gising mo medyo maayos na to." sambit niya

I didn't know what to say so I remained silent. After which he carried me to my room. Parehas kaming tahimik at walang nangahas na magsalita.  I am already in front of my door at nakita kong pababa na sana siya kaya agad kong tinawag ang pangalan niya.

"Braden.." sambit ko

Lumingon siya at kaagad na tinignan ako. Nang maglapat ang aming paningin, I immediately feel something strange. His eyes speaks worries. Siguro baka akala niya napaano ako ulit. I never liked to think that he cared for me and that he's worried but his action says that he is. And I am really confused. I really am. I just don't know which one to believe.

"Thank you.." saad ko sakanya

It's hard for me to say thank you to everyone else but for some reason, I don't find hard at all to utter those words at him. There are things I find easier to do solely for him. And that's one thing that changed in me after knowing him.

He wiggled his eyebrows and playfully let out a smug. "Anong thank you? May kapalit yan oy!"

All the positive feelings I felt and the feeling of being thankful for what he just did to me awhile ago completely vanished when I heard what he just said.

I took a deep breath and looked at him lazily. Gusto ko man mairita sakanya ulit but I just chose to completely chill out since it won't do good at all for me. Mas lalo lang akong aasarin nang lalaking to pag nakita niyang naiirita na naman ako.

"Anong kapalit. Tell me." I impatiently mustered

I wanted to know his answer para mabili o mabigay ko kaagad. Para wala na akong utang na loob sakanya.

He is staring at me and I don't know what took him so long to answer my question. Maybe he's really thinking of a good barter. I was about to say another words again when he finally speak up.

"Wag mo na ulit ako iwasan."