A Far-fetched Love ✓

AFL 23 ✓

It has been two days since my unsought confession and I haven't seen Kael. Hindi ko rin naisipang i-text siya o tawagan dahil sa kahihiyan.

The only person whom I could get an information from was his father. Noong una, nagtaka pa ito kung bakit hindi si Kael mismo ang tanungin ko. Pero dahil nahalata siguro nitong nag-aalangan akong sumagot, hindi na nito naisipang magtanong pa ulit at sinagot na lang ang tanong ko. He told me that Kael's on a business trip in Baguio and would be gone for two days.

Bukas na ang araw ng uwi niya at hindi ko alam kung paano ko siya haharapin. Parang nakikiayon pa yata ang sitwasyon ko ngayon at naharap ako sa isang bagay na mahirap din harapin.

"Miss, nasaan ang bibilhin mo?" the cashier from Watsons asked, putting me back to my senses. "Kanina ka pa kasi nakatayo r'yan at tulala, ok ka lang ba?" usisa pa nito habang sinisipat nang maigi ang mukha ko.

Napakamot ako sa ulo ko sa sobrang hiya. Not because of the fact that she caught me enwrapped by my reveries, but because of what I was about to say. "Ano kasi...ano...." Pasimple kong ipinatong ang I.D ko sa gitna namin nang malaman nitong Psychology major ako. At nang malaman rin nitong may koneksyon ang propesyon ko sa bibilhin ko.

"Ano 'yon? 'Wag kang mahiya." Ngumiti ito nang abot hanggang mata habang inaayos ang Valda pastilles sa shelf na nasa pagitan naming dalawa.

I forced a cough along with the word "Condom." And I settled my gaze somewhere else.

The stall of Turks located meters away from me suddenly became the most interesting sight, not until the cashier asked me a question that I have zero knowledge of, that I quickly returned my gaze at her with knitted brows.

"For male or female?" she asked, wearing a disappointed look on her face. Kulang na lang sermonan ako nito dahil sa binibili ko.

"Ha?" Napalapit ako ng mukha rito sa sobrang gulat.

She heaved a long sigh before whispering a side comment that was loud enough for me to hear. "Ay sus, kunwari pa. Mamaya naman, eh, mabubutas na."

'Wag kang papatol, self. Nagpakita ka ng I.D. kanina, sabi ko sa sarili ko bago pilit na ngumiti. "May sinasabi ka, Miss?" tanong ko. I thought of explaining myself, but seeing how close minded she was, I don't think she'd be able to grasp my point.

Ngumiti ito. "We have condoms available for both men and women kasi. Kaya tinanong ko kung for male or female ba ang bibilhin mo na condom."

"For male," mabilis na sagot ko.

"Ano'ng size?"

Shuta naman, may size pa pala.

"'Yong pinakamalaki."

Biglang nanlaki ang mga mata nito pero agad din naman nitong binawi. "Anong brand po?"

Brand? Wala naman akong alam sa mga ganito. 'Pag daks ba, Bench? 'Pag juts, Moose gear?

"Kahit...kahit ano..." nag-aalangang sagot ko.

Kinuha nito ang isang box ng condom sa gilid ko na may tatak na Trust. It sounded familiar, naipatalastas na yata 'yon sa tv.

"Dalawang box, Miss," pagsingit ko nang i-punch na nito ang isang box.

"Sipag, ha?!" was her comment that made the other customers in line to look at us.

Napapikit na lang ako sa sobrang hiya at hindi na sumagot pa. It took her a minute or two to hand me the small sized paper bag which I took right away and headed home.

Just when I thought everything was in place after I pulled myself from the shame the pack of condoms brought me in, the doorbell rang minutes after I came home. The odds weren't certainly in my favor when I saw the face of a devil incarnate under the name of Gabrielle.