Chapter 11

Thirty minutes before my shift end, nililinis ko na lamang ang mga lamesa. Halos mga estudyante lang din naman ang labas-pasok dito ngayon. Wala akong pasok today and I have a schedule today for my shift.

So far, for the past two weeks, hindi naman ako hirap mag-adjust sa schedule ko. Kasabay ng research project namin, may ilang activities and discussion pa kami sa ilang feeling major subjects and sa isa pang major subject. Napatunayan ko lang na hindi ko kailangan ng offer ni Bennett dahil for the past few years, nagagawa ko naman ng maayos ang trabaho ko. Walang problema sa akin 'yon, mapilit lang talaga siya.

Saglit lang ay may lumapit sa aking batang lalaki at tinuro 'yong table kung nasaan ang ibang mga kasama nito. Pinapalinis lamang nila ang table at agad ko rin naman siyang sinundan at sinimulan ko nang linisin ang mga plato, baso, at kalat sa mesa.

Kinalabit naman ako no'ng nanay no'ng bata. Nilingon ko siya at bakas naman ang pagtataka sa mukha nito.

"Artista ka ba?" tanong nito sa akin.

Bahagya naman akong natawa at umiling. "Naku, hindi po. Baka may kamukha lang po."

"Baka nga... pero ang ganda mo, ha."

Napangiti naman ako sa sinabi. It's not always to hear some people those kinds of compliment kaya minsan makarinig lamang ng mga bagay na 'yon ay sobrang nakamomotivate nang kumilos.

"Pero kung hindi ka pa artista, subukan mo."

"Maraming salamat po pero sa tingin ko wala sa direksyon iyon ng career ko." Tinapos ko na rin agad ang paglilinis para takasan siya at kung saan pa mapunta ang usapan namin. That was weird, but enough to put a smile on my face. Minsan lang ako masabihang mukhang artista... baka nga. I should try it in the near future, baka nando'n talaga ang career ko.

Saka marami namang graduate ng masscom na artista ngayon so I guess what I'm learning now could top it off.

Pero ang layo pa no'n, sa totoo lang, I can't see myself to be an artista.

Bitbit ang tray papunta sa disposal area, saglit lamang akong napatingin sa counter area at na-stuck kaagad ang paningin ko nang mapansin ko ang pamilya na lalaki ro'n.

Nagmadali akong kumilos at habang naglalakad ako papunta sa direksyon kung saan siya nakatayo. Napansin ko naman na parang may hinahanap siya. Palinga-linga ang ulo niya at nang saktong lumingon siya sa likod ay nakita niya ako. Biglang lumapad ang ngiti sa labi ni Archie. Napangisi na lamang ako dahil parang inaasahan niya ngang makikita niya ako today.

"Criselda!" pagbati pa nito sa akin. Ang lakas pa ng boses niya kaya iyong mga ilan kong kasamahan na nakarinig no'n ay napatingin. "Good, you're still here."

I pressed my lips and narrowed my eyes. "Tungkol na naman 'to sa kaibigan mo?"

Agad naman niya akong inilingan. "No, no. It's not about Bennett. I actually came to see you."

"But I'm working... and I'm still working so balikan kita mamaya."

"Oh, okay... when will your shift end?" he asked.

"Ah, malapit na. Less than thirty minutes na lang din. Bakit ba?"

"I'll tell it to you later." Kindat pa nito sa akin.

I was a little confused the way he did that kaya naman dahan-dahan na rin akong naglakad papalayo. Bumalik naman ako sa trabaho ko at inubos ang natitirang oras hangga't sa mag-end ang shift ko.

I quickly finished everything and prepared to go. As I got out of the staff room and on my normal clothes, I look for Archie sitting and munching the meal he bought for himself. As I walk towards his direction, he lifted his eyes to see me. He wipe his mouth with a napkin and a smile I saw earlier plastered in his face again.

"Please join me," he invited as he maneuver the chair next to him. Umupo naman ako at pinatong ko ang dala kong bag sa lap ko. "So, you're done with your shift now?"

I nodded. "Yes, my shift just ended. Hindi mo pa rin pala ubos 'yan?" Pagtukoy ko sa burger, fries, at spaghetti na in-order niya.

"I'm already full."

"Hindi naman nakabubusog 'yang in-order mo, e."

He smirked and shrugged off. "Yes, I know, but I don't usually eat fast food so it kinda make me full."

"Ay, sosyalin naman pala talaga ng sikmura mo. Pa'no na lang kaya 'yong mga binibili mo sa cafeteria sa school? Pa'no ka kumakain?"

"Well, I had my ways," aniya at gusto ko pang magtanong kahit confuse ako, hindi ko na lang din sinundan pa ng tanong at mas lalo pa akong malito.

"Pero may order ka pang isa," aniko at pagtukoy sa number na nakapatong sa mesa niya. "Busog ka na pero may order ka pa?"

He didn't answer my question dahil mayamaya lamang ay lumapit ang kasamahan ko na may hawak na tray. She put down two chocolate sundaes and when I look at her face, I'm not sure what's going on her mind, but her smiles means something. As she left us alone, bumaling muli ang tingin ko kay Archie.

"Why did you buy two sundaes? Take out mo 'yong isa?"

He shook his head, smirking. "No. That would be gone to waste and melt if I took it home. That's for you... you know, I didn't forget what you said the other time... ice cream?"

"Ah... I see... pero hindi mo naman ako kailangang bilhin."

"Got used to this shit?"

Bahagya naman akong natawa at napakibit-balikat na lamang. "Hindi naman... siguro nagsawa lang over the time. But ice cream is my comfort food. Kahit ano pang flavour, it would make me feel fine."

"Same here, Criselda, but I do like the Coffee Crumble flavour."

"So... you're here isn't because of Bennett. And you only wanted to talk with me? Sure ka, this isn't really about Bennett?"

He scoffed. "Criselda, I'm not here to talk you about it again. If you don't want what he's offering, then it should be fine. You don't have to push yourself to that idea if you're loving what you were doing here, right?"

"Right. That's what I was saying to him pero mukhang ini-ignore niya lang."

"Sometimes... Bennett likes to do everything on his way. But anyway, I'm not here for him. I'm here to see you."

"Oh... okay... about sa research natin?"

He squinted his eyes and shook his head a little. "Not so much. I just want to hang out with you. And hey, you should eat your ice cream now or it will melt."

"Ah, sige... thank you ulit!"

Kinuha ko naman ang maliit na kutsara at sinimulan ko rin ang pagtikim-tikim sa sundae na binili niya para sa akin. I'm not really sure who did we end up to be on this situation, but I kinda feel like it's okay to be around him rather than Bennett.

"Hey, Archie," tawag ko sa kanya. "You mentioned na hindi ka naman mahilig sa fast food pero nandito ka ngayon? How in the word you've decided to be here?"

Before he answers, he scooped a spoonful of ice cream and eat it.

"Just like what I said, I came here for you."

"At pa'no mo naman nalaman na nandito ako ngayon?"

"Take a wild guess," he challenged.

Napabuntonghininga na lamang ako nang sumagi sa isipan ko kung paano niya nalaman 'yon. "Si Bennett na naman?"

"I just had to ask, you know," aniya. "But, you don't have to worry about Bennett, he has a girlfriend and he maybe offering you to be his tutor because of his national pageant. He doesn't care about his last semester anymore. He had his internship in London last year."

"Oh... galing siya ng London?"

"Yup, I think he was there for three months."

"Oh, nice! 'Yong pinsan ko rin, si Ate Kiersten, she had her internship in London tapos alam mo ba—" hindi ko na naituloy ang sasabihin ko kasi parang chismosa ang kalalabasan ko.

"Hey, what happened to them? Don't you dare not to tell it when you already started, Criselda."

I chuckled and rolled my eyes. "Well, she's an intern to someone who's courting her now. In short, her boss—the CEO of that company fell in love with her and I guess they were lucky to find each other. Mapapa-sana all na lang talaga ako."

"I believe you'll find someone for you, too. Just never lose hope for it. Baka hindi mo alam, nasa harapan mo na pala."

"Don't joke about that, Archie," paninita ko pa. "For sure, kung hindi pa tayo naging magka-group, hindi mo ako makikilala and I had a pretty guess na you didn't even know me since that day na nag-groupings, right?"

He sighed and nodded. "I must admit, yeah... but it's not too late to be friend with you, right?"

I shook my head. "I think it's never too late when the intention is right."

"I agree," he nodded, affirming to what I said. "But let's get back to you."

Napakunot-noo naman ako. "And what could that be?"

"Are—oh, nothing, forget it. Are you done with your sundae?" he asked.

"Hindi pa nga ako nangangalahati... medyo tunaw na rin."

"Do you want to go somewhere else?"

"Saan naman?"

"I've been wanting to go to Rizal Park at night. Have you been there by night?"

Inalala ko naman kung nakapunta na nga ba ako ng gabi o hindi. "I don't think I did... siguro no'ng bata pa ako kasama ko sila mama pero ngayon, nawalan ako ng time, e."

"Then we should go, Criselda!"

Nataranta naman ako sa kanya dahil bigla rin siyang tumayo sa kinauupuan niya. "Ngayon na?"

He abruptly nodded his head. "Yup. I got my car there and I'll take you home if we ended up late in the streets. What do you think, Criselda?"

"I—I don't—sige na nga, tara na."

We were about to leave the table and he still has food left kaya naman pinatawag ko 'yong kasamahan ko at pinabalot 'yon. He was confused for the first time, pero dahil ayokong may nasasayang na pagkain and he could eat it later when he felt hungry.

Dali-dali na rin naman kaming tumungo ni Archie palabas ng fast food at tumungo sa sasakyan niya. Pinagbuksan pa niya ako ng pinto at inayos ko ang sarili ko sa pagkauupo sa loob. It was nice and comfortable.

"How do you feel?" he asked as he settled inside as well. Tumango na lamang ako. "Please, put your seatbelt on."

"Ah, sige." Nilingon ko ang seatbelt sa tabi ko at hindi ko siya mahila ng maayos.

I heard him chuckling. "Wait, let me do it." He leaned closer to me and he's the one who pulled the seatbelt and lock it on me. "You just have to pull it slowly. Aggressively pulling it will make you feel like it was stuck. But there you go, you'll be fine. Are you ready?"

I nodded to him. "I am."

As he started his car. Malapit lang naman ang Rizal Park and could probably take us eight to ten minutes ride, iyon lang ay kung hindi traffic. But, surprisingly it didn't us take too long to reach the place. Agad na naghanap si Archie ng parking area and a few minutes later ay pinagmamadali na niya akong lumabas ng sasakyan para maabutan din namin ang sunset.

I reminded him that there's still half an hour bago mag-sunset, but he was like a kid and I'm not mad na hinihila-hila lang niya ako. As soon as we got there, we were chasing our breath, but it was the most fulfilling thing we have seen when we saw the sky turns into pastel pink, violet, and blue. It's like a unicorn live inside these clouds, but it's just a sunset...a wonderful one.

"Criselda, we should take a picture," Archie initiated. Hindi na ako nakapalag nang ilabas niya ang phone niya at mag-pose. Ni hindi nga ako nakapag-ayos masyado dahil clinick na niya agad 'yon. "This is perfectly beautiful. I'll post it, is it okay?"

I shrugged off. "Mukhang okay naman..."

"Thanks." He giggled.

And at that moment, I thought the sunset was the only wonderful one... but his smiles, too.

***

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