Green is My Favorite Color

Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Most Miserable Man Yet

12/25/10 12:05 am

[Hi. Merry Christmas]

Napangiti ako. I was expecting this text since this morning.

I typed a reply. [Merry Christmas din] Wait, tanungin ko ba? [How's your Christmas Eve?]

Agad naman itong nagreply. [Just a normal evening. Same awkward dinner with dad.]

I swear, he is the saddest and the most boring person I know and usually, I would've stopped talking to him. But I don't know, the more I hear about how sad and boring his life is, the more it interest me. It's like... I don't know, maybe I'm used to living my life loudly that his plainness and simplicity gives me comfort, I don't really know how to explain it but yeah.

[Tapos?]

[Nothing. Went to our bedrooms?]

"What? That's it?" I said that out loud without realizing.

"Yeah, honey. It's past 12 so that's it. Umakyat na kayo ni Elliott sa taas at magpahinga." Napatingin ako kay mom.

I almost forgot that I have company and we're in a middle of a celebration.

Tumingin ako sa paligid at nakitang maraming kalat so I offered na tulungan siyang magligpit bit she insisted. She kissed me and Elliott good night at ganun din si dad. She then said "I love you." bago kami tuluyang umakyat sa sarili naming mga kwarto.

Pagkadating sa kuwarto ay agad akong nahiga at ibinalik ang atensyon sa kausap.

[Hey still there? What about you?]

[Yeah. We had dinner din, jammed, exchanged gifts. That's pretty much it.]

[Sounds like fun. I figured you were having a good time with your family so I waited for exactly midnight to greet you. I was late by 5 mins but still.]

I smiled. That's kinda sweet.

[Ikaw? Hindi ba kayo kahit nagpalit ng gifts man lang ng dad mo?]

[Nah. He's not that kind of person. And I'm not either.]

But his text sounded like he also long for a fun Christmas bonding with family. I kinda felt like I want him to experience it. Like i wanna give him something. A Christmas present maybe?

[You know what, it was only last night when we started talking but I feel like I've known you for ages. I even told you things that even my best friend don't know about. 'Pag nalaman nun ang tungkol sa'yo, magseselos' yon.]

I hope he doesn't get anxious with that.

I never expected the way he responded. [Haha! I hope not. I already saw her when I stalked you and she seemed really scary.]

Sinabi mo pa.

[More than you could ever imagine. She's a real bitch.]

Napahaba ang usapan namin hanggang sa mapadpad ito sa tanungan ng mga favorites. Well technically, it was one-way dahil ako lang naman ang nagtatanong kasi alam niyo na. Likes, dislikes, hobbies, favorites—all that terms don't exist in my world.

[So, how about your favorite food?]

[I like everything that has cheese in it.]

Oh yeah. Cheese is great. And so is any other food there is. Among all the other delicious food ingredient, how was he able to choose cheese? How does this whole like and dislike thing works?