Andrew

Kababalik lang ni Niki ng phone ko

PJ

Musta pre?

Ok ka na?

Andrew

Okay na

I'm still on SL

Mike

Glad to hear it bro

Pahinga ka na lang muna. Deliks din kasi 'tong Covid.

Andrew

Yep

Saka di pa ni Niki binabalik yung cables ng PC ko. Di ko rin magamit

PJ

Wala ka pala kay Niki e

Batas 😂

Andrew

Haha

Baka napagod pag-aalaga

Mike

At least inaalagaan haha

Andrew

Yeah

I should get sick more often

PJ

Mukhang malala na ang tama mo pare ah

Hindi mo ba gagawan ng paraan yan?

Andrew

Paraan?

PJ

Yeah. You're never gonna get rid of the feeling if you don't do something about it.

Andrew

What if I don't want to get rid of it?

PJ

Then what do you plan to do about it?

Andrew

Nothing

I don't know

I told her I love her

I guess that's just it

Mike

What do you mean you told her you love her???

Andrew

I said it last night

PJ

What did she say??

Andrew

'Love you too'

Mike

Nilinaw mo ba yung meaning nung sinabi mo? Kasi parang magkaiba kayo ng sinabi

Andrew

I didn't

But at least I told her right?

Fuck

I love Niki

PJ

I think you've been in love with her ever since

Ayaw mo lang aminin sa sarili mo

Andrew

...

Andy started typing his reply, but as he got to thinking about it, he realized that PJ was right. Maybe he was not in love with Niki all the time, but he has loved her since high school. But PJ was wrong. He did admit it to himself, many times in the past. But he has also convinced himself that he would not do anything about it.

They have been friends for a very long time, and that friendship was the only relationship that he could not sever. He couldn't imagine his life without Niki.

He locked the phone and put it on the computer table. Tinitigan niya ang nakapatay na monitor. Hindi pa ni Niki ibinabalik ang cables ng computer niya. She insisted on holding on to them until he was completely okay.

Binuksan niyang muli ang phone saka binuksan ang mobile game na naka-install sa phone niya. Unfortunately, he was not in the mood to play a game. He closed the app again, grunting in frustration. Nilingon niya ang kama niya. Matulog na lamang kaya siya?

But he had been sleeping for hours and hours. He was tired of sleeping.

Andy sighed. Picked up his phone again and checked the apps on the app library. Nadaanan ng mata niya ang dating app na ilang buwan na niyang hindi ginagalaw.

Maybe he should try dating too?

Umiling siya pagkalipas nang isang minutong nakatitig sa phone. He got sick because Niki went out on a date. They just couldn't risk it. Baka sa susunod na magkasakit sila ni Niki, hindi na ganoon kadaling gumaling. The death tolls from the virus had been rising alarmingly. It got to a point where the government has threatened to arrest people who break quarantine rules.

Grunting once more, Andy got up and looked for the cat. He would just play with Ponkan.

–

"Hey!"

Andy narrowed his eyes at Niki's greeting. Kanina pa ito nakakulong sa kwarto nito. She figured he was asleep so she didn't bother him, but he didn't look like he just woke up. Andy's eyes zeroed on Ponkan who was sitting on her lap. They were watching a movie.

"What's up? Nagugutom ka? I didn't cook," tuloy-tuloy niyang sabi.

Andy sat down next to her and immediately after, Ponkan stood up, stretched, and walked towards him. He settled on Andy's lap.

Pinaningkitan ni Niki ng mata ang pusa. Napakalambing nito kanina nang pinapakain niya ito ng popcorn, but Ponkan clearly has a favorite and it was not her.

"I hate it when he does that."

"Do what?"

"Pick you," she replied.

Andy let out a laugh. He cupped Ponkan's face and leaned close to kiss the cat's nose when his allergy started acting up. He sniffed and pushed Ponkan away.

"Uminom ka kaya ng gamot."

"I'm building my immunity." Hinayaan nitong bumalik sa kandungan nito si Ponkan. He clicked his tongue when he finally paid attention to the TV and saw that she was watching her favorite animated movie. "Yan na naman."

She looked him dead in the eyes and put the TV on mute. "It's orange and small and white stripes... Me. And the next one, just a guess, me. Okay, that's just scary. Wait. I've definitely seen this floating speck before. That means we've passed it before and that means we're going in circles and that means we're not going straight! Hey! We've gotta get–HEY–the surface. Come o–"

Andy picked up Ponkan and covered Niki's mouth with the cat's paw. Niki swatted Ponkan's paw away and let out a laugh. Ibinalik niya ang volume ng TV.

"It's just a great movie. You have to admit."

"You've seen that like a million times."

"Mooo weee neeed tooo fooind his soooon," she mimicked the fish perfectly, down to the intonation, like she has done countless times in the past. .Andy shook his head and finally broke into a smile.

"You're silly."

Niki gave him a sheepish smile. "I know. That's why you love me."

"Yeah. That's why I love you," he muttered.

"What's that?" She lowered the volume.

"Sabi ko iba naman ang panuorin natin."

"Tatapusin ko lang 'to."

Andy rolled his eyes. He slumped to his chair and breathed out a sigh. "Fine." Inangat nito si Ponkan at inilapag sa sahig saka ito tumayo.

"San ka pupunta?"

"Matutulog."

Niki pursed her lips. "Tampo ka naman agad."

Andy stopped walking and turned to look at her. Pinaningkitan siya nito ng mata. Niki offered him the remote. "Fine. You pick the next movie."

–

"When will you start looking for work again?" Andy asked after they had finally agreed on a movie. Niki loves movies, especially the horror genre. Gusto nitong horror movie ang panuorin. Andy is a bit jumpy so he hates jumpscares. Umiiwas talaga siya sa horror movies. Kapag si Niki ang kasama niyang manuod, maraming scenes na nakatakip ang tenga at nakapikit ang mga mata niya.

She must be feeling generous because he was still slightly sick, so she let him choose a movie and if she agreed to watch it, then they would start the movie.It took them 10 minutes.

"Magpapasa uli ako next week. Why?"

"Naisip ko lang bigla na baka maubos na savings mo tapos wala ka pang trabaho."

"Thanks." She didn't hide the sarcasm in her voice. "Hindi ako nakapag-apply because I was busy taking care of you all week."

"I took care of you when you were sick."

Niki rolled her eyes. Andy smirked at her. "You still keep tabs, huh?"

Andy leaned back on the chair and casually draped his arm over Niki's shoulder. "I'm just worried about you, Niks. I know you don't like worrying about money."

"I'm not worried yet. Pwede pa kitang utangan kung wala na talaga."

That made him chuckle. "Wala akong ipon."

"You really haven't started saving yet?" Kumunot ang noo nito, nasa mukha ang pag-aalala. She had been telling him to save up for his future ever since high school. Niki didn't know that she had already influenced him to do just that. Hindi niya sinasabi rito na may kaunti na siyang ipon.

He just started a few years ago, when Niki cut ties with her family. Back then, he didn't know exactly why he started saving up, and he didn't know why he didn't tell her. Later on he realized that he started doing it because he was scared for her. Niki might have planned A to Z, but something could still go wrong and he wanted to make sure that he could help her if she needed it.

"Pa'no kapag ikaw naman ang nawalan ng trabaho?" tanong nito sa kanya.

"Nandyan ka naman."

"Ha!" Niki scoffed. "Maybe you'll start saving up when you meet the woman you would want to marry."

Andy opened his mouth to say something but Niki turned the volume up. The movie was already starting. He turned his attention to the TV. Romance-fantasy ang pinili niyang genre. Walang nakakatakot na scene. They both like fantasy movies. Kaya nilang i-marathon ang Lord of the Rings o Harry Potter nang walang tigil kundi bathroom breaks at meal breaks lang. Wala nga lamang sa mood si Andy na tuloy-tuloy manuod. He was sure he would want to sleep again later.

–

"You know, sometimes I wish I were in a movie," Niki told Andy a few minutes later. "Hindi pala sometimes. Madalas." He gave her a questioning look. "I just think that my life is too boring. I mean I can choose to experience nice things, if I have the money, but I will never experience something as spectacular as magic."

"Sabi mo nga dati gusto mong pumunta sa Narnia."

"Di ba! I mean can you imagine having access to a world where anything and everything is possible?"

"Yung mag-aaral ka pero magic yung pag-aaralan mo."

Tumango-tango siya. "And your job can literally be hunting vampires."

"Ah... ayoko nun."

She smiled at Andy. "I just wish our lives were not so mundane, you know? Lalo na ngayon. Nakakulong lang tayo sa unit. When we could be going on an adventure in search of something. Fantasy movie characters have the best lives. They get to go on an adventure. May magsasabi kung ano ang purpose nila sa buhay. They get to be the chosen ones. They never have to wonder as hard as we do... if our lives even have meaning.

"Feeling ko yung genre na available sa mga totoong tao, drama or slice of life lang. Minsan romance din. But even romance, minsan too good to be true."

"I think you just need to go out and touch some grass."

She playfully punched his arm. "Nagsisenti ako rito, ha."

"You're just bored, Niki. You've been cooped up here all week."

Bumuntong-hininga siya.

"Kaya lumabas ka bukas. Mag-grocery ka."

She scowled at him. "Haynako! Ang tino mong kausap talaga minsan!"

Tumawa ito. "Let's watch a zombie movie after this."

"Ayaw mo ng romcom? Or something from the 80s?"

Andy shrugged. "Okay. But I'm kinda hungry. What do you want to eat?"

"Why are you asking me? Ikaw ang gutom."

"Kumain ka ba?"

"Popcorn. And I've had cereal earlier."

Andy gave her a disapproving look. Niki knew he would scold her for not eating properly, pero may mga panahon lang talagang wala siyang gana, lalo na't wala naman siyang ginagawa. May mga tirang pagkain naman sa ref nila kaso puro may sabaw. Niki wanted some chicken but she didn't want to order. Nagtitipid. Hindi naman siya makapagluto dahil mabibwisit lang siya kapag hindi niya magustuhan ang lasa. She wanted to make Andy cook it, but he was still sick. Nagi-guilty siyang utusan ito.

"What do you want to eat?" pag-uulit nito.

"Chicken," she finally answered. "Pero matatagalan pa kasi nasa freezer yung karne. Umorder na lang tayo?"

"Oka–"

"Wag na pala. Kahit ano na lang."

"Akala ko gusto mo ng chicken?"

"Nagtitipid ako."

Bahaw itong tumawa. "Come on. It's not wrong to indulge yourself kung pagkain naman."

"Yeah but like you said earlier, paubos na ang savings ko. At wala pa akong trabaho."

"Hay... fine. Libre ko na."

"Hala, wag na. Ang dami ko nang utang sa 'yo."

Andy rolled his eyes and got up to get his phone. "I want to eat chicken too," sabi nito bago ito pumasok ng kwarto.

"Thanks! Love you!"

He answered with a grunt.