Chapter 47: River

Hindi ako makapagsalita dahil sa kanya. Why is he being like this towards me? Bakit ba nagiging ganito si MK? He's driving me crazy! Ang gulo-gulo niya! Ano ba ang nagawa ko sa kanya at bakit ganito siya umasta?!

"Umalis ka nga!" Inis kong sabi sa kanya.

"Hindi mo naman pag-aari 'to, ah." Nakangisi niyang sabi.

Ba't ba ang bipolar ng lalakeng 'to? Minsan masungit, minsan good mood. Tapos na ba ang monthly period niya? O kaya naman tumigil lang saglit?

Gusto kong tumawa sa mga naiisip ko. Pero syempre, pinigilan ko lang.

Tumayo ako at amba na akong aalis ng magsalita siya, "Wait, where are you going?"

"Aalis na ako. Gumagabi na."

"Hindi pa naman, ah. Stay for a bit. I want you to listen to something."

Nagtaka naman ako. Ano naman ang gustong iparinig ng lalakeng 'to? "What do you want me to hear?"

Naglakad naman siya papunta sa kung saan ako. Bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko at kumakalabog talaga ito. What the heck, why does this man have this effect on me?

Hinawakan niya ang palapulsuhan ko at nagitla ako dahil sa elektrisidad na dulot ng kanyang hawak sa akin. I'm scared of this feeling.

Nagtaka naman siya dahil nagitla ako. "A-Ah s-sorry... Nagulat lang ako."

Tumango lang naman siya at hinatak niya ako papunta sa kung saan ang piano. He sat down on the chair that piano comes with.

"I want you to listen to this song," Sabi niya at binitawan niya ang palapulsuhan ko. "But this is just instrumental."

"It's fine. I'll listen." Sagot ko. I don't know what's happening to me but I want to see him play piano up-close.

Naalala ko na naman yung time na nakita ko siyang nagpia-piano dito. Nag-ingat ako para hindi siya maistorbo pero nahuli niya ako. I want to laugh because I recalled that memory... The memory that rushed back.

MK started pressing the keys of the piano. I can't stop but to admire him. It looks like he's really an expert with this.

While he plays the instrumental song, I immediately familiarized the song. It's River Flows In You by Yiruma! I really love this song so much! I first discovered this song at my previous school, bago pa ako napadpad dito sa Death University.

Pinigilan ko ang umaapaw kong emosyon at pinigilan kong magsalita upang hindi madistorbo si MK. I want him to finish playing the song. I want him to take his time while playing the song. Ang sarap pakinggan ng pagtugtog niya at ang sarap niyang tignan.

After he played River Flows In You, he looked at me. Mula sa pagkakatulala dahil sa kagandahan ng pagtugtog niya, bumalik ako sa aking huwisyo. I was dazed.

"Ang galing mo..." Hindi parin maka-get over na sabi ko. I want to clap for him, for real!

He smirked. "Syempre, ako pa. Small thing."

Agad namang bumusangot ang mukha ko. Wow, just wow... Masyado niyang dinibdib ang pagpuri ko sa kanya! At hindi lang yun ha, pinaspas-paspas niya rin ang damit niya na para bang simple lang ang pagpia-piano para sa kanya! Ang feeler din talaga ng lalakeng 'to!

"Aalis na ako," Nakabusangot kong sabi.

"Sandali lang. Mamaya na."

"Gumagabi na po, Mr. Officer. Baka ano pa po ang mangyari sa akin sa daan." Sabi ko naman sa kanya na may 'paggalang'. Insert the sarcasm. Diniinan ko talaga yung 'Mr. Officer'.

"Oh come on, it's just 4:30 in the afternoon... And do you think I'll let you go home at this hour, alone?"

Kumunot naman ang noo ko sa sinabi niya. "What do you mean?"

"Ihahatid kita sa dorm mo mamaya, so don't worry." Nakangiti niyang sabi.

Damn, why do I feel that my heart is about to explode, huh? Can someone tell me why I'm feeling this?! I'm scared... Natatakot ako... I shouldn't be feeling this. Hindi, hindi pwede 'to. This can't be.

"Are you alright? Why do you look scared?"

Bumalik kaagad ako sa aking huwisyo. "A-Ah I'm not... I really love that song you played."

I need to change the damn topic!

Sumigla naman ang mukha niya dahil sa sinabi ko. "Really? That's good to hear, Miss Dawnt."

I smiled at him. "I first heard that song in my old school, bago pa ako napadpad dito. And I started to like River Flows In You until I learned to love it."

"I'm gonna tell you something," He huskily said. "Ikaw lang ang sasabihan ko nito."

Nagtaka naman ako. "What is it?"

He smiled again, a genuine smile. "If I have a son in the future, I'll name him River."

Mas-nagtaka ako. Why is he telling me this? I didn't know MK has this side! "W-Why are you telling me t-this?"

"I just wanna share this with you, since... you like the song River Flows In You."

Oh, okay. I get it. "Oh, okay... But why 'River'?"

"The River may not flow forever but for a lifetime, it will. And love... lasts for a lifetime. Just like the river." He said seriously.

Sumikdo ang puso ko dahil sa narinig mula sa kanya. He's damn right... Pero hindi ako makapaniwala sa kanya! I never knew he has this side. I never thought that he is thinking about his future. I mean, I didn't expect that he's thinking about having kids in the future. Hindi ko inaasahang nakakapag-isip siya tungkol dito.

"Ihahatid na kita,"

Natigilan naman ako sa sinabi niya. "H-Ha?"

"Diba sabi ko kanina, ihahatid kita? Ayaw mo pa bang umuwi?"

"A-Ah o-oo, gusto ko ng umuwi. Magluluto pa ako at maglilinis." Sagot ko sa kanya.

Pero ang totoo, hindi pa naman talaga ako magluluto pagkarating ko sa dorm at hindi rin ako maglilinis. I'm just telling this to him as an excuse kasi hindi ko na kaya ang walang humpay na pagtibok ng puso ko sa hindi malamang kadahilanan!

"Okay, let's go." Sabi niya at tumango ako bilang sagot at magkasama kaming lumabas mula sa Music Room.

Habang naglalakad kami, nagtitinginan ang mga estudyante sa amin. Okay, this is so awkward!

"Umm, MK?" I called him in an uncomfortable tone.

"Yes?"

"B-Bakit kung makatingin yung nga estudyante sa atin ay parang hot issue? Ang awkward!" Pabulong kong sabi.

"Hayaan mo na lang sila. Maybe they're thinking that you're so lucky to be with a handsome guy." Nakangisi niyang sabi.

What the fuck? Just what the... Napaka-bwesit ng lalakeng 'to! He's so full of himself!

"You're so full of yourself!" I said and rolled my eyes.

He just chuckled as an answer. I never thought that today, I will discover a lot from MK. First, he thinks about his future children and second, he's also so full of himself!

Ilang minuto lang naman ang nilakad naming dalawa hanggang sa nakaabot na kami sa dorm namin ni Julia.

"A-Ah, thanks." I awkwardly say.

"You're welcome... I'll get going now." Sabi niya at nakapamulsa pa ito.

"Okay. Take care, then." Sabi ko at agad na akong pumasok sa dorm at dali-dali ko itong isinara.

Hindi ko maiwasang maisip ang mga nangyari ngayong hapon. Hindi parin maalis sa isipan ko ang sinabi ni MK sa akin. He told me about what he wants to name his son if he has one in the future. Ang gulo lang... Why would he tell me about his future son? Bakit niya sinabi sa akin na gusto niyang pangalanan yung anak niya ng 'River'?

Okay, iba naman yung rason na alam ko yung kantang River Flows In You. Just why would he mention it to me? Bakit niya sinabi sa akin ang tungkol sa gusto niyang ipangalan sa magiging anak niya in the future? Does anybody get what I mean?

I have a lot of questions in my mind right now that only MK could answer. But of course, I wouldn't ask him anymore. It's just gonna be awkward. Baka mamaya, he just wanted to share it with someone and he decided to share it to me kasi wala siyang masabihang iba.

And just wow, I never realized that he has his own definiton of love. For him, love is like a river, it may not flow forever but it'll flow for a lifetime...

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