[MESSENGER]

Rigo Riorson

11:13

Rigo
san ka?

11:16

Rigo

san ka?

11:20

Rigo
san ka?

Jachin
NASA KUBO

Jachin
Bwisit. May ginagawa yung tao.

Rigo
oks manoks sunod kami ni abe

Rigo
bili lang pagkain

Jachin
Si Mila?

Rigo
aba ewan

Rigo
kasama yon ni fatima

Jachin
Pabili ako chimken 🥹

Rigo
ano na naman

Jachin
Yung fried tapos palagyan ketchup
Damihan mo
Dalawang kanin
Kung may sabaw din na libre pakuha

Rigo
ikaw bumili pagkain mo

Jachin
Pabili lang pota

Jachin
Magbabayad naman

Rigo
k
Jachin reacted 😡

Rigo
si abe na pinagbayad ko mayaman naman

Jachin
Pasabi thanks

Jachin
Wala kang silbi
Rigo reacted 🖕🏻

Rigo
otw na
binili ka na rin tubig nakakahiya sayo e

Jachin
Lamats ogir

* * *

[DIALOGUE]

< KUBO. BEFORE NOON. >

Sumilip si Evie sa gazebo na pinagtatambayan ni Mila at mga kaibigan nito at wala siyang nakitang tao bukod kay Jachin. Likod pa lang nito ay kilala na niya.

Tahimik itong nakaupo sa sementadong upuan at may hawak na ruler at lapis at mukhang may ginagawang plates.

Evie didn't want to be a bother, so she approached him as quietly as possible, only stopping once she was within his field of vision.

She then waved her hand because he still hadn't notice her.

Bakas ang gulat sa mukha nito nang makita siya. Tinanggal nito ang suot ng earphones at ngumiti.

Evie
Hi! Whatcha doin’?

Jachin
Sorry, naka-earphones ako. May tinatapos lang na plate. And then magre-review pagkatapos.

Evie
Oh, busybee? Pupunta ba si Mila? I have something to give her.

Jachin
Ah, not sure. Kanina ko pa rin hinahanap. Pwede ka namang maghintay dito.

Jachin
Keep me company for a bit.

Sumimangot si Evie kaya naman natawa si Jachin.

Evie
Ginagawa mo 'kong entertainer.

Jachin
Nakakaboring 'pag walang kausap. Wala pa rin sina Rigo.

Evie
Paano kayo nagkakilala?

Jachin
Kami nina Mila?

Evie nodded as she sat down. Saglit lang dapat siya dahil may pupuntahan pa siya, pero mukhang kailangan nga ng kausap ni Jachin.

It wouldn't hurt to stay a little longer.

Jachin
Magkababata kami Rigo, as in magkapitbahay, kaya magka-klase kami nung pre-school hanggang grade school. Lumipat siya nung high school, pero hindi naputol communication namin.

Jachin
Then nung high school, nakilala ko si Mila kasi mag-classmate kami tapos naging lab partner ko siya. She came with Fatima, of course. 'Di mapaghihiwalay 'yong dalawang 'yon.

Jachin
Then, nakilala rin namin si Abe kasi tinulungan niya kami sa isang project. Kung 'di dahil sa kanya, malamang bumagsak kami sa chem.

Evie laughed—the laugh that felt like what he was saying was the most important thing in the world.

Evie
Did you like her already noon?

Sandaling napatigil si Jachin sa pag guhit, thinking about whether he should be even telling Evie this. But then again, hindi naman na ito ibang tao.

So after a while, Jachin nodded.

Jachin
I don't. . . I don't know how it happened. I guess gano'n lang talaga kapag gusto mo na 'yong tao. Everything becomes quick and para kang nahuhulog sa kawalan.

Evie
Mm-hmm.

Jachin
'Di ka naniniwala?

Evie
Oh, I do. Hindi ko pa lang nararamdaman first hand. But I do see that you like her.

Jachin smiled.

Jachin
Well, at least, ikaw nakikita mo.

Evie
Hmm?

Jachin
Everyone in our friend group thinks it will complicate things—which naiintindihan ko naman.

Jachin
Ah. . . why am I dumping all of this sa 'yo? Sorry.

Evie
No, it's okay. Entertainer, remember?

Jachin
I just feel that they don't really take my feelings seriously. Alam mo 'yon? Pero hindi naman ako galit sa kanila, I understand that they don't want any rift between us.

Evie was about to say something when Rigo and Abe arrived, followed shortly by Mila and Fatima.

Mila
Evieeee!

Yumapos si Mila kay Evie.

Evie
Oh, may bibigay lang ako sa 'yo.

Mila
What's that? May nakalimutan ba ako kanina sa room?

Evie
Yes. Test paper mo, sayang din 'yan. I already corrected some items.

Mila
Thank you! I need this para ma-review ko rin.

Evie wanted to talk to Jachin more, pero bukod sa may pupuntahan pa siya, ayaw din niyang marinig ng iba. So she waved at them para magpaalam, but not before stopping to look at Jachin—for which she was rewarded by a smile.

* * *

a/n: kubo is the term they use for gazebo. tambayan ng barkada.

#ATSWHIwp