Euphoria: Dosage of Rhapsodies

Chapter 4

Israel looks familiar to Stacy? Do they know each other?

"You're not answering my question, Irene! Sino ang lalaking 'yon?!"

I came back to my senses nang magsalitang muli si Stacy. All I can do is to stare at her blankly, finding the right word to utter at this moment.

"Whoever he was... He's none of your business."

Binangga ko ang nakaharang niyang balikat sa dinaraanan ko, piniling hindi pansinin ang paulit-ulit niyang pagtawag sa pangalan ko para lang i-drop ko ang pangalan ni Israel.

Asa.

But what I'm curious about is that, how did Stacy knew who Israel was? Bago ba kami nagkakilala ni Israel, nagkakilala na silang dalawa ni Stacy?

Pero paano naman 'yon mangyayari? E hindi naman sa university na pinapapasukan ko nag-aaral si Stacy.

"Aish! Why should I be concerned about that? Ano naman kung magkakilala silang dalawa?"

Nang tuluyang makapasok sa kwarto ko, wala kong ginawa kung hindi ang sumalampak sa kama upang ihiga ang pagod kong katawan.

How much I tried to divert my attention to other things, still my mind kept thinking about that over and over again.

And it makes me feel uneasy... With no specific reason why.

Maybe I was just afraid about the things Stacy could do. Hindi ko naman sinasabing takot akong mawala sa akin si Israel, 'cause in the first place, I do not owe him, yet.

But just now, I will not deny the fact that every time I was with him, I felt delighted.

Noong kinausap niya ako suot ang napakainit na mascot, binigyan niya ako ng comfort during those times that I needed one. I have no reasons to deny that I really like his company.

He makes me smile, which I seldomly did these past few days. Masaya siyang kausap, masayang kaibigan at kasama. 

I don't think I could lose someone like him in my life. Mabilis man siguro na gumaan ang loob ko sa kanya, but can you blame me? During those times na gusto ko ng kausap, he was there to catch me.

Hindi ko pa alam that time na siya pala 'yong secret admirer ko, pero doon pa lang sa araw na sinubukan niya akong pasayahin, he accomplished his mission.

I consider him as a friend, a special person to me now. Losing him, especially if that was Stacy who tried to extort him from me, I don't think I could endure the pain.

Ang dalang kong magkaroon ng kaibigan na lalapit sa akin at talagang totoo ang pakikisama. Kung mawawala pa siya, sana sinaksak n'yo na lang ako.

Kaya ako kabado noong marinig ko sa bibig ni Stacy na familiar sa kanya ang mukha ni Israel. Unang sumagi agad sa isip ko, baka isa si Stacy sa naging ex girlfriend ni Israel.

What if tama ang hinala ko? If ever Stacy dared to win him back, for the second time, surely I will lost another friend.

"Baka masira ang tuktok ko nito, Milo. Paano ba mag-stop sa pag-o-overthink, huh?" pagkausap ko roon sa pusa kong nakahiga sa sahig, dila ng dila sa sarili upang paliguan.

As if makatatanggap ako sa kanya ng sagot. Siraulo rin ako, e.

But I do hope so, things in my mind shouldn't be happened in reality. Kahit ngayon lang, sana maging mabait sa akin ang tadhana.

*****

"Hindi ba't kakasahod lang natin noong nakaraang linggo? Ubos na ba agad ang kinita mo?" tanong sa akin ni Mylene.