When the Pen Bleeds

TARA KAPE

The aroma of brewed coffee beans greeted my nose as I entered the café.

Oh the smell – I hate it!

" Matt, Here!" I stretched my neck and narrowed my gaze as soon as I heard my girlfriend's voice and walked towards her.

" I already ordered mine," she said and sipped a hot cafe latté from her white mug.

I can't really understand why she's so addicted to coffee. Kung nakakalasing nga lang ang kape baka araw-araw siyang wala sa sarili.

Aira put down her mug on the table and laughed a little. " I called you to have a coffee with me Matt, hindi para titigan lang ako dito," she uttered in a mocking tone and even winked at me which made my heart thumped.

" You know that I'm not into coffee." I replied as I shrugged my shoulders, " But I'm into you."

Halos maibuga niya ang nasa bibig niya pero kitang kita ko kung paano namula ang mga pisngi niya.

Well, I mean it.

" Bolero!" she blurted while fanning herself with her right hand.

Napailing na lang ako. Bolero daw pero kinilig naman.

" Hating coffee means hating me, Matt." Her voice was automatically filled with seriousness as if she was not joking around.

Napatigil din ako sa pagtawa dahil sa sinabi niya. What's with her right now?

" H-Hey. Of c---"

" But it's fine." She drifted her gaze to her coffee while circling her index finger on top of the mug. " You can hate me though. At alam kong magagalit ka sa akin, " she mumbled, enough for me to hear.

Inilapat ko ang kamay ko sa kaniya dahilan para magtagpo ang aming mga mata. I can't decipher her thoughts but I know that there's something going on.

" Why would I hate you Aira? Kape lang ang ayaw ko pero ikaw ang gusto ko."

I'm expecting her to smile but I was wrong.

She just shook her head and escaped from my grip. " I know."

" Then why are you being like this?"

" Sana sa sunod, sabayan mo na ako sa pag-inom ng kape ha. I would really be delighted when that time comes. Ang cute kaya ng gan'on!" she paused for a while as if she's imagining things. " Pareho tayong nakaupo sa gitna ng maulan at madilim na gabi at sabay sumisimsim ng mainit na kape. That would be so sweet Matt! Kung may susunod pa," she giggled and didn't answer my question.

She was back being jolly but I remained puzzled. Kung may susunod pa? What does it mean?

" S-Sabi ko sabihin niya s-sayo."

My strength was almost drained when I saw her body, sleeping peacefully inside her white casket.

Who would have thought that my girlfriend was suffering from sleep latency and experiences palpitations.

This is the reason why her heart stopped in the middle of the night.

I was a fool to let her drink coffee unstoppably. If I just knew, I should stopped her.

And who would have thought that her favorite thing to do was one of reasons why she ended up like this.

Did I fail as her man? I think so.

With my knees trembling, I managed to sat on the chair near her.

Bumalik lahat ng alaala kasama siya. Mga alaalang nagpabilis ng pintig ng puso ko at ang alaala kung saan nagbibigay na siya ng mga senyales.

Kaya pala. Kaya pala gan'on ang mga katagang sinabi niya.

Kung sana lang sinabi niya sa akin o kung sana lang inalam ko ang kalagayan ng babaeng mahal ko.

Kung sana lang.

" Tara kape muna." I was out from my focus when a small brown mug was placed on the table in front of me.

Sadness stirred up in me once again which made my tears spilled from my eyes.

Pag-angat ko ng aking ulo , ang masayang mukha niya ang bumungad sa upuan na katapat ko.

Sana totoo na lang ang lahat na nasa harap talaga kita Aira.

" This is the perfect time Matt."

Perfect time?

Oh. This is what she wanted.

Madilim na gabi habang ang kalangitan ay nagpapatak ng ulan.

Right. This is the right time to indulge with coffee.

" Drink. "

Unlimited drops of tears fell on my eyes as I felt how my heart tightened.

" I-I... I can't." I bent my head down and let myself drowned with my sobs. "Hating coffee doesn't mean that I h-hate you A-Aira. Sa katunayan, kabaligtaran ang sinabi mo. And I would n-never hate you kahit hindi mo sa akin sinabi ang l-lahat. You will be in my heart... f-forever."

I know this the perfect weather for your dream coffee date but I can't – hindi sa burol mo Aira.

WORK OF FICTION