Chapter Eight
Pain
Rian:
I'm home.
I put on a robe and dried my hair with a small towel. Rian's two-word text message made me absentmindedly bathe myself. Buong oras nang paliligo ko ay sya at ang usapan namin kanina ang nasa isip ko.
If I have to be his confidante just so we would stay as friends, I definitely would. Painful but better than not being able to talk to each other.
Tumihaya ako sa kama at muling nag-isip.
What if I confess to him?
Napabalikwas ako ng bangon.
The hell are you thinking, Rafaella?
Halos mapatalon ako nang tumunog ang cellphone ko. I glanced at the locked screen and saw Rian's name. Mabilis kong dinampot iyon at halos hindi ako magkandarapa sa pagtitipa ng password ko.
Rian:
Can I call?
Oh, dear. Hindi ba sya makatulog dahil sa sobrang pag-iisip ko sa kanya?
Ako:
Sure.
Hindi lumipas ang isang minuto ay tumunog na ang cellphone ko. I cleared my throat and I answered the call.
"Hey!" I greeted first.
"Hello, Rafa..."
Hindi ako agad nakapagsalita. I can imagine him. In his bed. Covered with his gray sheets.
"Are you sleepy?"
Inilayo ko ang cellphone at napabuga ako ng hangin. Kanina pa pala ako hindi humihinga.
"Not yet. Ikaw?"
"Hindi pa rin. Are you gonna watch a movie?"
I looked at the flatscreen. Kapag sinabi kong oo ay siguradong ibababa na ni Rian ang tawag.
"Hindi na. Baka... hindi ko rin matapos," I bit my lower lip.
"Hindi ka ba napagod sa maghapon?"
Tumihaya ako sa kama at napangiti. We don't usually talk like this. It's the first time, actually. Madalas ay tatawag lang sya kapag may importanteng sasabihin at ganoon rin ako.
"Konting pagod lang. I enjoyed so much. Ikaw? Naghatid ka pa naman..."
"Hindi naman ako napagod at maliit na bagay lang ang paghatid. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Was that your... first picnic since you came back?"
"Uh. With friends, yes. Sila Mommy lang ang nakasama ko at sa plantation kami madalas kaya..." hindi ko tinapos.
Napakagat ulit ako sa labi ko. I feel like I'm saying too much when what he asked was just a yes or no question.
"Masaya sa rancho dahil maraming pwedeng gawin kumpara sa plantasyon."
"Oo nga, nakakalibang..."
He chuckled and my cheeks flushed. "Masaya ako na nalibang ka. Sa sinabi ni Tito Franco, parang ngayon ka lang ulit nakapunta roon mula noong dumating kayo?"
"Oo, hindi kasi ako pinapayagan ni Nana kapag... wala akong kasama..." I pouted.
"Of course, it's not like your greenhouse, Rafa. Puro lalaki ang nasa sa rancho. Kaya kapag gusto mong pumunta don, dapat ay sabihan mo ako para masamahan kita..."
That didn't happen. Rian got so busy with something else. I thought it was because of their harvest but I received a pocket dial from him last night.
