Kabanata 6: Good Morning

Hindi ko alam kung bakit ang aga kong nagising ngayong araw.

Our first subject will start at eight o'clock in the morning and I woke up before my alarm clock rings. Ganito ba talaga kapag good mood ang isang tao? When I try to remember what happened last night, there's nothing more to it. (Well, at least for me). Wala naman kami ibang ginawa kagabi bukod sa kumain ng dinner na galing 11-Eleven. Ano bang kina good mood ko dun? Tch.

I climbed down slowly, making sure that I won't create unnecessary commotions and creaking para hindi magising ang roommate ko. Hindi ko talaga alam kung ano ang pinaggagagawa ni Ivy kapag hindi kami nagkikita nito.

I went outside to see the dawn. Semidarkness was blinding the sky kaya hindi ko masabi kung maganda ba ang umaga kasi mukha pa namang gabi. And, I could still see the moon's half part.

Naupo ako sa tambayan yakap-yakap ang aking tuhod.

“Ang ganda talaga ng buwan sa kahit na saang anggulo,” mahina kong sambit habang nakatingala sa langit.

“And so are you,” sabi ng isang boses.

I did the courtesy of turning around to see him. He was wearing his favorite pale gray jacket. Sobrang aga n'ya naman atang nagising ngayon?

“H-Huh?” I asked, clarifying what he said to me a while ago.

“Nevermind,” anito n'ya at muling bumaling sa buwan. “Ang aga mo ata ngayon? Nakatulog ka ba ng maayos?”

Tumango ako, my eyes were fixed at the moon. “I did. How about you?”

“Barely did.”

“Hindi ka nakatulog ng maayos?”

“Y-Yeah,” he lazily sighed as he sat down on the unoccupied space beside me.

Pahaba ang upuan dito kaya kasya rin ang iilang katao. Tinignan ko s'yang mabuti, he seems bothered. Kaya ba hindi s'ya nakatulog ng maayos?

“Bakit naman?”

“You don't want to know trust me,” mabilis n'yang sagot. He averted his gaze.

What’s up with him? I usually do that kind of thing to him. How could the tables have turned so quickly today?

“Paano kapag sinabi ko na gusto kong malaman? You'll tell me?” I asked. I was actually bluffing, baka kasi kumagat s'ya sa sinabi ko.

The side of his lip rose a little. I can’t see it clearly since the only light that's illuminating our dark space was the light coming from the moon.

“When did you become so curious about what's bothering me?”

Napalunok ako.

Since when?

I cleared my throat to calm myself. It's still too early to be red.

“Ngayon lang naman. Don't worry, hindi na ako magtatanong sa susunod,” I nonchalantly reply as I could.

“Would you believe me if I say it was you?” seryoso niyang tanong sa akin.

I pointed at my appalled face, gulat na gulat ang mga mata ko dahil sa kanyang sinabi.

“M-Me? Ano na naman bang ginawa ko sayo?”

He shrugged, placing his hand at the back of his head like a pillow. "Ano nga ba? It was you who's bothering my night.. Kung bakit ba kasi sinabi mo sa akin na hindi mo ako gusto," naiiling n'yang binalik ang tingin sa buwan.

My lips parted after hearing his explanation. Seriously? The fuck is this guy saying? Sinisisi n'ya pa ako sa maliit na bagay na yun.

"Malay ko bang iniisip mo ako," ang yabang ko talaga pero mas mayabang naman s'ya no. Hindi pa ako nakakaabot sa dumi ng kanyang kuko pagdating sa kayabangan. "And I was telling you the truth. I don't like you in that kind of way... romantically. Period."

He slowly shook his head like a disappointed parent. "Precious, Precious, Precious–"

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?" inis kong tinapon sa kanya yung tsinelas kong pambahay. Sapul nga sa mukha e, pero hindi s'ya nagreklamo. Magising pa ang iba sa amin, malalagot s'ya.

"Bakit ba kasi ayaw mo? Maganda naman, ah. Pampabango ng pangalan."

"At kailan pa naging mabaho ang pangalan ko? Psh," I scratched my head when I only got him laughing for what I said. Gago talaga s'ya kahit kailan. "Parang sa Lord of the Rings kasi. Ang panget."

"Yan lang ba ang problema mo kaya ayaw mong tawagin kitang 'Precious'?"

"Marami akong problema kaya 'wag mo na iyang idagdag pa," untag ko. I looked at my slippers and he was still holding it. "Akin na tsinelas ko."

"Kiss muna," ngisi n'ya.

Automatic na namang lumipad ang isang pares ng tsinelas sa mukha n'ya. Napaaray s'ya dun pagkatapos at napahawak sa kanyang ulohan. Mukhang nabukol ko yata pero hindi naman ganun kabigat ang flip flops ko (Sa pagkakaalam ko).

“Ano ba? Kanina mo pa ako sinasaktan, ah?” hindi na s'ya nakapagpigil ng galit. Bigla s'yang tumayo hawak-hawak ang pares ng tsinelas ko. He pinned me against the wood.

His eyes were furious. Mukhang nagising ko yata ang natutulog na leon sa loob n'ya.

“Umalis ka nga,” pagtulak ko sa kanya. “Lumayo ka nga sa akin.”

This damn guy is making my heart crazy again. Kung hindi s'ya aalis sa harapan ko (take note: super lapit pa ng mukha n’ya sa mukha ko and his breath smells like cinnamon), baka sumabog na ako rito ng wala sa oras.

“No. You just threw two slippers at my handsome face. Sa tingin mo ba mapapatawad kita sa ginawa mo?” he asked indignantly with a gritted teeth.

Freakin' chihuahuas, seryoso nga s'ya. He's in a galit-na-galit-ustong-manakit mode ngayon.

Napalunok ako ng ilang beses. “Sorry.”

“Not enough.”

“Huh?”

“Your sorry is not enough,” he repeated.

“I told you before hindi ako bingi. I was giving you a chance to change what you said to me.”

“I don't care. One sorry is not enough when you threw two slippers at my face!” he hissed.

Napairap ako sa kawalan. “E ano naman ang gusto mong gawin ko? Lumuhod at magmakaawa?” sarkastiko kong sambit.

“That's a great idea,” he grinned. “Kneel and beg.”

My jaw literally dropped after what he said. Am I hearing things right? Wala naman siguro akong deperensya sa pandinig, as far as I know hindi pa ako bingi.

“Do you hear yourself?”

“Of course.”

“Ewan ko sayo. I will never kneel and beg for your forgiveness! You don't deserve to be treated like a king.”

Mabuti at hindi pa nagigising ang iba sa sumbatan naming dalawa rito. Masyadong mahimbing ang tulog nilang lahat.

“Thought you'd say that, so I came up with a better idea,” he beamed.

I don’t like the sound of that.

“Okay. Dahil mapagbigay ako, mabait na, gwapo pa, at matalino. In short, package deal na. I'll favor you freely,” ngisi nito na parang batang tuwang-tuwa dahil makukuha na niya ang kanyang gusto.

Kunot noo ko syang tinignan sa mata. “Anong pinagsasasabi mo dyan?”

“Well, my band practice kasi kami mamaya sa COE. Pumunta ka at manood, yun lang naman.”

Mas lalo lang kumunot yung kunot kong noo. Dun ko lang nalaman ang secret talent ko. Magpakunot pa lalo ng kunot na noo.

“At bakit naman ako pupunta? Pupunta lang ako kapag kasama si–”

“Angela?” he asked, cutting my words off, still grinning. “I already texted her. She said yes. Ikaw na lang ang kulang. So ano? Game?”

My chest tightened when he told me about Angela. Mas nauna n’ya pa lang ni-invite ang friend ko kesa sa akin. That's good. I bet Gelai likes this guy. Mahilig yun sa exotics e.

“So? Natahimik ka yata, Precious?” pagtataka n'ya.

“Okay,” I forced a smile. “I'll come and watch your practice later."

Biglang lumiwanag ang kanyang mga mata, kasabay nun ang dahan-dahang pagliwanag ng buong paligid. It was morning already.

“Good morning, Precious,” he placed my flip flops properly in front of my feet and saw him beamed a smile at me. “See you later then.”

Mabilis s'yang nawala sa paningin ko. He already went back to his room. I decided to head back as well, mukhang dinalaw ulit ako ng antok.

I whispered. “Good morning din.”

-x