Hate that I love you

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Diana POV

The sun is higher now, brighter, at kung hindi mag-iba na naman ng ruta si Waze baka tanghali na ako makaabot sa lugar mismo ng orphanage. Ayaw niya kase akong padaanin sa mismong highway dahil traffic siguro kaya mga palayan at taniman ang naeenjoy ko na view. Medyo nakakangalay na rin sa kamay magdrive to think na nasa kalahati pa lang ako sa five hours ETA ni Waze.

It's my first time actually to travel south of Oakland. Less and less building but more and more of those vast acres of agricultural land. Rice, pine-apple, banana, corn, you name it; halos nandito ang plantation. Kaya siguro they named it as 'South Producer'. Then a massive forest will entertain your eyes after. Not the usual creepy one but this forest brought calmness and tranquility to myself which is kind of surprising to be honest.

But despite that, I'm still having this uncomfortable feeling and it grows worse as my destination goes nearer and nearer. Siguro tama nga si Franki, hindi talaga ako dapat pumunta. I. Dont. Like. Kids. And just the thought of them clinging to me or worst crying para na akong mahihilo at gusto kong pabalikin na lang etong kotse. 'Ni wala nga akong maalala na nakipaglaro man lang ako kay Crissan when she's just a toddler. I think nagawa ko lang makipag-usap sa kanya when she turned eight or nine kung saan hindi na siya gaanong makulit.

A huge 'Welcome to Polis, Oakland' sign indicates that I'm almost close, only twenty minutes away from my ETA. As I made a sharp curve, my stomach began to clench and flip that literally made me feel so uneasy. Kaya ko to, I chant inside my head that somehow made me relax and calm myself. Iniisip ko din kase na baka mapahiya ko si Franki at tuluyan na akong hindi neto kausapin.

An unfamiliar massive gate welcomed me with its enormous sign that says, 'Welcome to Cool Kids Orphanage; by The Clexa Foundation'. Cool kids huh? A huge Christmas Tree can be seen at the middle of the lawn and a breathtaking building that surely looks like a castle is the muse from this vast of land. Mayaman siguro ang founder? Clexa? Ang weird!

I drove to the parking nearest from the main door dahil pihadong mahihirapan akong bitbitin etong mga dala kong regalo. Buti na lang din at may bakante kaya agad kong pinark ang sasakyan. This is it. I was about to come out when I noticed this crying girl leaning just a few away from my car. Hindi siya nakaharap sa akin pero obvious naman na umiiyak eto dahil maya't maya ang pagpahid sa likod ng kamay neto sa kanyang mga mata. Ano kayang problema niya? The girl suddenly turned around, open her car, went inside at doon lang ako nagdecide lumabas mula sa sarili kong sasakyan. Bitbit ang sangkaterbang regalo, I pushed my way inside pero bago pa man ako umabot sa hinulaan kong nakapinid na pintuan, isang katawan ang biglang humarang sa akin para kami'y magkauntugan at sumabog ang aking mga dala-dalang bitbit.

"Watch where you're going, stupid!" Said annoyed habang hawak hawak ang ulong nasaktan.

At siya pa ang may ganang magalit? Wait she's the girl kanina? Yung umiiyak?

"I'm sorry," sabi ko na lang, shrugging off her attitude while picking up the discarded gifts from the floor.

"Wait, you were the girl who stared rudely at me. At the car, remember? Was that your first time to see a woman cry huh?"

Wow, the nerve of this girl. First she called me stupid and now rude?

There was no sign or whatsoever na kagagaling lang neto sa pag-iyak but there's still this sadness in her eyes kahit pa natatakpan eto ng kanyang mahabang bangs. She's a bit taller kaya bahagya akong nakatingala when she talk to me at ngayon ko lang napansin na mukha etong foreigner with her ash blonde hair, makinis na balat at mala-Barbie na mukha.