Chapter 14: Twins

Sumama kami ni Noah kanila Ate Michaela at Kuya Sith na magsimba ngayong linggo. I also have a lot of things to be thankful for to Him.

At pagkatapos naman ng mass ay nanatili pa kami ni Noah sa labas ng simbahan kung saan may mga nagtitinda pa ng gaya na lang ng ice cream or sorbetes. Nakatingin ako roon kaya naman tinanong ako ni Noah.

"Do you want that?" He asked me.

Bumaling ako sa kaniya at nakangiti namang tumango. Pagkatapos ay lumapit na kami roon ni Noah para bumili rin.

Una niya akong binigyan at agad ko nang tinikman iyong icecream.

I wonder why people call this dirty ice cream, though? Hmm...

And I watched Noah habang naglalakad lang kami rito sa park na nakita namin matapos magsimba habang kinakain ang icecream na nabili lang din namin kanina. I'm thinking that we look so casual and even simple galing lang simbahan. I feel like I'm having a very simple and normal life here in Dumaguete. At naisip ko that I can just live simply like this with Noah. Kahit dito na lang kami palagi...

"I didn't really understand before why my parents would sometimes still call each other babe," Ngumiwi pa siya na parang hindi gusto ang inaakto noon ng parents niya. "And also my sister's boyfriend then, now her husband, calling my sister baby... Like what..." Pagkatapos ay tumingin naman siya sa akin.

"But now I think I kinda understand..." He said while looking at me. "Because I feel like I just want to call you baby all the time now. You're my baby." He said with a smile.

At kahit pa medyo corny ay naramdaman ko pa rin ang pag-iinit ng mga pisngi ko sa sinabi ni Noah. Napangiti na lang din ako sa kaniya. But I sighed as well. "Bahala ka nga..." I just said.

Nilapit naman niya ako sa kaniya kahit na magkatabi na kaming nakaupo rito sa sofa. At niyakap niya pa ako nang may kasama na halos na panggigigil. Paulit-ulit niya pa akong hinagkan sa pisngi ko na kinatawa ko na lang dahil nakikiliti na rin ako ng halik niya.

"Baby..." He said habang nilalambing ako.

Hindi lang naman mabura ang ngiti ko sa mga labi ko.

Noah's older than me. But when I'm with him I just feel like I'm with the guy my age or even younger! Aside from he really looks younger than his real age because of his angelic facial features, he also acts nonchalantly sometimes. Like he's just so chill and relaxed to be around with. I just love being with this guy. My baby, too. I smiled thinking of it.

Kinabahan na agad ako nang makakita ako ng isang magandang babae na naghahanap kay Noah dito sa Dumaguete at dumayo pa talaga ito. Isang araw ay kumatok na lang ito sa pinto ng apartment ni Noah at ako pa ang nakapagbukas dahil nasa bahay lang din ako ni Noah sa mga oras na 'to.

Pero nalaman ko rin kung sino iyon. And Noah introduced me to her as his girlfriend when she asked after finding a girl in her brother's apartment.

I didn't know that just like me Noah had a twin sister as well...

"Until when are you really staying here? Are you serious about living here for good? Paano sina Mommy at Daddy? You really abandoned your family already? How about Dad? And our family's business! Hindi mo na ba talaga ipagreretire si Daddy? You don't feel pity for the old man. Gusto na lang magpahinga ni Dad kasama si Mommy. At dapat nga ay nagbabakasyon at nagpapahinga na lang talaga sila ni Mommy ngayon in their age."

"Stop being so dramatic, Claudia." Noah just told his sister after her long lament...

"It's Chloe." She corrected her twin brother.

"Claudia is what Mom really named you." sabat naman ni Noah sa kapatid niyang mukhang maiinis na rin sa kaniya. "Chloe is just your nickname." dagdag pa niya.

"All right, Noah Miguel!" Claudia or Chloe sighed at her brother.

Pagkatapos ay bumaling na siya sa akin. Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa at tumayo naman ako nang tuwid nang tingnan niya ako sa tabi lang ni Noah...

"Can I just talk to you instead? As you can see and hear ang hirap kausapin nitong kapatid ko." She said to me.

"Hey!" alma naman ni Noah sa kapatid niya.

Inirapan lang naman ni Chloe ang kambal niya. I think they're a cute twins. Isang lalake at isang babae. Halos mapangiti na ako habang pinagmamasdan ko lang silang dalawa kahit pa halos magtalo na lang sila sa harapan ko ngayon. And I thought that they're so unlike me and Kiah...

"Please come to the 3rd birthday of my daughter if you have time. I would also like to know you better. You can meet our family there, too!" She smiled to me enthusiastically.

Bahagya naman nanlaki pa ang mga mata ko sa invitation sa akin.

Ngumiti lang naman sa akin si Chloe. "Are you shocked to know that a baby face like me already has a daughter?" She smiled. "I already have a husband and I'm married." Pagkatapos ay bumaling siya sa kapatid niya. "Ito lang naman ang kambal ko ang hindi pa rin nagsesettle down despite being already almost in his 30... Pero sana ay mag-iba na kasi nandito ka na." Nakangiti naman siya nang muling bumaling sa akin.

"Bring her with you in Palawan to meet us there, idiot." She called her brother. She's acting like his older sister... "Huwag mong kakalimutan ang birthday ng pamangkin mo. Magtatampo talaga si Alaia sa'yo."

"Fine." Noah answered in the end at mukhang alam din niya na hindi pa siya titigilan ng kapatid niya if ever he refused...

Inisip ko naman agad ang schedule ko and mentally noted na patapos na rin naman ang sem namin sa university. Tapos ay halos tumigil na rin ako sa part-time job ko because I got busy with Noah kapag wala akong pasok sa eskwela. Halos hindi na nga rin ako gumagastos kahit sa apartment ko because Noah already provides for everything. Lahat ng lutuin ko ay siya ang bumibili ng ingredients. And his reason was that kumakain din naman daw siya so I should just let him pay for the groceries. And gusto na rin niya ang mga niluluto ko sa kaniya. Palagi nga siyang maganang kumain at nakikita ko naman 'yon. Hindi lang tumataba dahil nagwowork-out din siya kahit medyo malakas na rin siyang kumain sa luto ko ngayon.

At minsan pa nga ay nakakalimutan ko na rin manghingi pa kay Daddy ng allowance ko rito. Sometimes siya pa ang nagreremind sa akin that he already sent money on my account. Kulang na nga lang magsabi ako kay Daddy na huwag na rin niyang bayaran ang apartment ko dahil parang lilipat na lang din ako rito sa apartment ni Noah since I'm mostly in here now. Pero kailangan ko pa rin naman iyong art room ko sa apartment ko.

Medyo nakakahiya rin kay Sir Geoff pero maayos naman akong nagpaalam noong umalis na ako sa part-time job ko sa cafe nila ni Noah. At pinayagan lang din naman agad ako ni Sir Geoff and even thanked me for my months too of service.

Noah's sister went back to Manila. And as soon as she left Noah's Mom also like almost bombarded her son with her messages and calls asking about me... Siguro ay sinabi na rin ni Chloe sa Mommy nila. Kaya naman ngayon ay ayaw tigilan si Noah sa mga tanong. And sometimes I just look at Noah while he talks to his mom and I would smirk because I find him cute when he's talking to his mother and he looked problematic on the phone. Minsan ay matatawa na lang din ako sa reaction ng mukha niya kapag ganoon.

"Sorry about that." He said to me. At lumapit siya sa akin after having the call with his mom. "It's Chloe's fault." Sumama pa ang mukha niya nang maalala ang kakambal niya. "Anyway, are you fine to go with me in Palawan for my sister's daughter's birthday? And also meet our family there... I'm sorry about this." sabi niya pa like he's still conflicted.

I just smiled and nodded my head. "Sure. It's fine, Noah. Don't worry about it." I reassured him.

But he still looked at me with the unnecessary worry on his face. "I'll just warn you about my mom. As she gets overly excited sometimes, you know..." He sighed.

Ngumiti lang naman ako and put my hands around his neck. "It's all right, really. Don't worry about me so much, okay?" I told him and I gave him a peck on the lips.

Pero nang umatras ako ay hinila niya naman ako pabalik sa kaniya at niyakap ng mga braso niya ang baywang ko na bahagya pa akong umangat dahil sa tangkad din ng lalaking 'to. And then he kissed my lips for real unlike the peck on the lips that I just gave him a while ago. Napangiti na lang din ako pagkatapos ng halik niya sa'kin. And Noah also looked at me with a handsome smile on his ever so gorgeous face.