The Antiquity of Us (La Fortuna Series #2)

Kabanata 48

Kabanata 48

Changed

Yona wasn't perfect. And she wasn't like my mother.

Nang matanto 'yon ay natanto ko ring mali ako sa paghahalintulad ko sa kaniya kay Mama. She was her own identity and it's unfair every time I compared her with someone else. I hated being put on a pedestal but I was doing the same with her. Hindi ko dapat siya nilagyan ng eksaktong imahe sa utak ko. She was allowed to mess up. She was allowed to make mistakes.

"Sorry! Markus and my co-candidates invited me to join them sa Bistro. Medyo busy din these past few days and I needed a breather so I agreed," she said apologetically.

Nanatili akong nakahilig sa sasakyan. I had been waiting for her at LFU's parking lot since 5 PM and it was already 8. Nakailang tawag na ako sa kaniya pero hindi siya sumasagot. I was close to conducting a search operation. I called Ico and Chamuel for advice but the brutes mocked me. Parang tanga raw ako.

"Why didn't you answer my call?" I tried not to sound cold but the nervousness on her face told me that I failed to do so.

"My battery died..."

I sighed and looked away. Alam kong busy siya pero noong isang linggo'y napagplanuhan naming magkakaroon kami ng dinner sa mansiyon ngayon. My mother was dying to meet her and she prepared a feast just for tonight. Habang tinitignan ko nga lang ang inosente niyang mukha'y napagtanto kong nakalimutan niya 'yon. I kind of felt relieved because I didn't want her to feel bad. I was thankful that she didn't remember.

She pouted before hugging me. Niyakap ko siya pabalik. A simple hug like that and I wasn't dismayed anymore. I was whipped as fuck.

"I'm sorry," she said in her sweet voice. She drew back and smiled at me. "Hm, how 'bout we go to that Mexican restaurant that you always recommended me? Do'n tayo mag-dinner ngayong gabi!"

I simply nodded. "Alright."

So she didn't really remember the dinner, huh? Ako nalang ang bahalang magpaumanhin kay Mama mamaya, kung ganoon. I sighed inwardly. Somehow, I ended up wishing that she'd remembered. I wasn't thankful that she'd forgotten about it at all.

"Las, hurry!"

I grinned. "Why are you in a hurry? We're not running late in class. Wala rin tayong ibang kasabay dito kaya wala ka namang kailangang maunahan."

She shrugged. "Wala lang. I just want it fast."

"I'll take note of that," I said and chuckled. Sinamaan niya ako ng tingin kaya mas lalo akong natawa. I winked at her. "Don't worry love, I love doing it fast, too."

"Ang bastos mo!"

"What? I'm talking about jogging. Ano bang pinag-iisip mo diyan?"

She pouted. "Just hurry up, will you? I want to reach the top before sunrise!"

We were having our early morning jog at Benavidos Boulevard and like usual, she was being bossy again. She was always like that—not her being bossy, but her always wanting to reach the top. Siguro kaya kami nagkakaintindihan ay dahil pareho kaming may plano sa buhay. Only that her plans seemed too perfect compared to mine. It was a good thing that she had dreams but I always got the feeling that it wasn't hers. That she was only walking in somebody else's shoes.

"What if I'm not who you think I am? Magagalit ka ba?" she asked when we had settled ourselves at the edge of the mountain cliff.

It was a conversation-starter. Sa totoo lang ay gusto ko sa kaniyang sabihing oo, magagalit ako. But then the anger would probably be shallow and short-lived anyway so it's useless to tell her that now. Baka pag-awayan pa namin kapag nalaman niyang kaya kong magalit sa kaniya. Siyempre, kaya ko. Pero lagi 'yong natutupok ng pagmamahal ko para sa kaniya.