Make it With You

- T H R E E -

Kyle

I can't contain my happiness. I couldn't even keep a straight face let alone listen to the meeting. As soon as I laid my eyes on her, all I wanted to do was stare. 'Yung malaki niyang panga, pisngi niyang dating parang siopao pero ngayon umimpis na, tsaka 'yung trademark simangot niya sa akin...ayung simangot na 'yun talaga pinakanamiss ko.

Pinaiwan ako sa meeting room kasi may mga pinapirma pa sa akin. Hinabol ko na lang siya sa labas.

"Chin, hindi na kita mahahatid sa bahay ah. Nagmamadali akong umuwi, hahabol ako sa birthday ng pamangkin ko. I-text mo na lang ako at mama mo pag naihatid ka na ni manong," I hear Ate B say.

"Ha? Kung nagmamadali kayo ate, kayo na lang magpahatid sa van. Magta-taxi na lang ako malapit lang naman—"

"Nako, Chin, hindi pwede. Delikado. Madilim na. Magpahatid ka na, wag mo na ko alalahanin"

"Ate B—" she tries to reason again.

"Ako na po!" I interrupt. They both turn to me. "I'll drive her home."

Ate B smiles and releases a breath of relief. "Sure ka, Kyle? Baka pagod ka na"

"Hala—" Chin tries to butt in but stops when Ate B and I ignore her.

"Okay lang po, walang problema," I assure them.

"It's settled then," Ate B says as she reaches for a hug. "Salamat, Kyle! It's good to see you again. Ingat sa pagdrive ha. Alagaan mo 'yan"

"Always," I say. I catch Chin rolling her eyes behind Ate B. My smile widens.

I google the fastest route to Cavite as we walk to my parking spot.

"Roxas Boulevard na lang tayo 'no? Mukhang traffic sa C-4 eh," I say as we climb into the car.

She looks at me in confusion then laughs. She puts her seatbelt on. "Ihahatid mo ko sa Cavite?" she asks with a teasing smile.

"Oo, bakit? Saan pa ba?" I ask, confused. "Alanganaman iuwi kita. I mean, pwede rin naman—" I muse.

She lightly hits my head.

"—Aray! Miss ka na kasi ni mama! Bakit ka nanghahampas, ano ba iniisip mo? Ikaw ah," I tease as I start the engine. 

"Diyan lang ako sa Project 6. Kumuha kaming condo diyan para pag ganitong ginagabi, madali umuwi," she tells me.

"Oh, nice. Pero sina tita nasa Cavite pa rin? Magisa ka lang diyan?"
"Bakit mo tinatanong?"
"Bakit hindi?"

Why is she suddenly so defensive? Tsaka namumula siya. Okay lang ba 'to? Is she sick?

"Oo, ako lang diyan ngayon," she replies hesitantly.
"Tara, dinner muna," I invite.
"Ha? Gabi na"
"Kaya nga dinner eh. Di ba pag gabi, dinner?"
"Pilosopo ka talaga, kahit kailan"
"Ano, game? Maginhawa muna? May alam akong masarap na pasta place, favorite mo di ba?"

She sighs as she thinks it over. Her phone rings before she could respond.

"Hello, mama?"

The car's quiet enough for me to hear tita's voice even without the call being on speakers.

"Chin, nak, nakauwi ka na?"
"Di pa ma, pauwi pa lang...kasama ko si Kyle. Ihahatid daw po niya ko."
"Oo, nasabi nga ni Bianca sa text. Pakausap ako kay Kyle"

Chin glances at me, unsure. "Ahh..."
"Hi tita!" I say cheerfully. "Long time no see po."
Chin puts the phone on loudspeaker and holds it between us.
"Oo nga, nak. Long time no see. Kamusta ka?"
"Okay naman po, tita. Miss na po kayo ni mama"

Tita chuckles. "Nako, ako rin! Sabihan niya kamo ako 'pag sasama siya sa taping niyo, para makapaglunch ulit tayo, o kaya daan kayo rito minsan!"

I can't help but grin as I look at Chin. "Tita, bukas pwede?"

Chin gapes in disbelief. "Bukas agad?"
"Aba, pwedeng-pwede! Uuwi 'yan si Chin dito bukas, pakisabay na lang—"
"Ma—" Chin tries to interrupt.
"Ano gusto niyo pagkain? May request ba kayo? Kare-kare, di ba mahilig mama mo doon? Ikaw, ano gusto mo?"
"Spoiled na spoiled ka naman sa nanay ko," Chin protests under her breath.
"Syempre," I mouth.
"Kahit ano, tita, basta luto mo masarap 'yan for sure"
"Nako nambola pa. Sige, sige. Bukas na lang ha?"
"Sige po"
"Salamat sa paghatid kay Chin, nak"
"No prob po"

Chin is about to place her phone back on her ear when I remember something. I catch her wrist and hold it in place. "Ay, tita!" I say.
"O?"
"Pwede po ba kami magdinner muna ni Chin bago ko siya ihatid?"

Chin widens her eyes and glares at me. I snicker.

"Oo naman, di pa ata kumakain 'yan eh. Kumain muna kayo, walang pagkain 'yan sa bahay. Pero wag masyado pagabi ha?"
"Yes po," I try—and fail—to tame the victory in my tone.

Rush hour turned a supposedly 5-minute drive to a 30-minute one. We sit in silence, stuck in traffic.

I steal a glance. Her eyes are trained outside the windows. She looks around the lit buildings lining the street. Ang ganda niya pa rin. Ang ganda niya talaga.

I realize this is our first time alone on a night drive (this is counted, right?). Now that we're older and more independent, would this be something we could finally do on the regular? Now that we're more mature, would our parents trust us to go on the adventures we've always talked about when we were younger? Late night drives, road trips, spontaneous out-of-town trips...pwede na ba?

She turns and catches me staring. I clear my throat and reach for the radio. "Buksan natin radyo," I announce unnecessarily.