Chapter Four

Aletheia

Elias Alexander never asked to be friends. But we always read our books together behind the college buildings. And even when we just read quietly there, and we didn't even really talk. But I was comfortable.

And one time I fell asleep while reading. And Elias Alexander just let me sleep. He only woke me up when it was already time to go back to our class.

"Sorry, I fell asleep." I said.

"It's fine. Let's go back now."

I nodded at him and I gathered my book.

Naglahad pa siya ng kamay sa harapan ko at humawak naman ako sa kaniya para makatayo na rin rin. And we went back together.

And some of our classmates already noticed us...

But no one dared to talk to me about it. But then I heard some of them talking to Elias Alexander and asking about me.

"Are you friends with Aletheia Rozovsky now?" Yelena asked him.

It's the same girl that I once made cry...

I should apologize to her.

"We just read books together on our breaks." I heard Elias Alexander said.

"Man, I heard that the Rozovkys are quite dangerous, too..." said a guy classmate.

"What are you talking about? She's just a girl..."

Narinig ko pa ang sinabi ni Elias Alexander pero naglakad na rin ako palayo...

"You didn't come here yesterday during the break?" He noticed it, too.

Bumaling ako sa kaniya at bahagyang ngumiti. It was yesterday that I heard him talking to our classmates. "Uh, I went to the library..."

"Oh." He nodded at me.

Pagkatapos ay bumaling na rin ako sa libro ko para magpatuloy na magbasa.

"Your name's Aletheia, right?" He asked me after a while.

Bumaling muli ako sa kaniya. "Uh, yes..."

"Then, can I call you by your name?"

I was looking at him. And I slowly nodded my head. "Okay..."

"Okay..."

"Uh, what do I call you?" I asked him, too.

"Depends on you..."

My lips parted. "What do you mean? What does your parents call you at home?"

"Alexander." He answered.

And our classmates just called him Alexander or Alex, too.

"All right..." Tumango-tango ako.

"But my grandmother used to call me Elias..." He said.

"Your grandmother?"

He nodded. "I used to live with her, in the Philippines. And my parents worked here in Germany. I was with her until I was in high school..."

Oh. So he was still in the Philippines until he's in high school...

"Where is she now, your grandma? She's still in the Philippines, or she's came here with you, too." I asked.

Umiling naman siya. "She passed away before I finished high school..."

Napatakip ako sa bibig ko. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."

Umiling naman siya sa akin. "It's fine. My parents asked me to move here after my lola's passing..." He said.

Ngayon ko lang din yata siya narinig na gumamit ng salitang Filipino sa sinabi niyang lola...

I smiled a little.

Tumingin siya sa akin kaya tinigil ko rin ang pagngiti...

"So, uh, you're now living here in Germany with your parents?"

He nodded. "Yes. They both work here at a hospital."

"Oh. Your parents are doctors?"

Umiling siya. "Just my Dad. My mom's a nurse."

Tumango na ako sa kaniya.

He seemed normal...

"You won't be a doctor like your Dad?"

Umiling siya. "I'm not really sure about that yet. I also didn't plan to go to college and I just wanted to work..."

"Why?" Medyo kumunot ang noo ko sa kaniya.

He shrugged. "My Dad wants me to take after him, too. To be a doctor like him. But I only thought of working to provide for myself."

"Bakit naman?"

He looked at me.

"My parents actually got divorced. And they have their own different families now... So I guess, I just wanted to live on my own, too..." He shrugged his shoulders again.

"But you're here at the university now and not working..."

He nodded. "Yeah. Well, about that, my cousin is just in the same course as us. And his dad provides for my education now. Hinila niya lang din ako na pumasok dito sa university, where I first came here in Germany and I stayed at their house."

I smiled at his story. But, wait, he has a cousin in one of our classmates? "Who's your cousin?"

"The guy who's always with me? That's my cousin, Gerald."

Napatango naman ako sa sinabi niya... That guy who said that my family was dangerous...

"But you're pretty good with studying. I guess you should just continue doing it..." I said, and I looked at him.

Nakatingin din siya sa akin at tumango sa akin.

And then I ended up smiling at our conversation. He smiled, too!

"Then! I'll start calling you Elias now." Nataranta pa ako sa munting ngiti na pinakita niya ngayon sa akin. "Like what your lola used to call you before... is that... okay with you?"

And he just smiled at me again as he nodded his head...

I was only looking at him...

"I will also start calling you Aletheia now..." He said.

At tumango lang naman ako sa kaniya.

After our little reading break at the back of the building, we went to our lecture room and Elias introduced me to his cousin, Gerald.

And Gerald gave me a friendly smile.

After our class dismissal, Gerald and Elias invited me to have snacks in a nearby cafe before going home.

"Aletheia, would you like to come with us?" Elias asked me.

Tumango naman na ako sa kaniya pagkatapos kong inayos ang mga gamit ko sa loob ng bag at ready na rin akong sumama sa kanila. "You know, you can just call me Ali instead of Aletheia. That's the name I'm mostly called with, anyway. Medyo mahaba rin kasi ang Aletheia." I told him.

"I'm fine with Aletheia..." He said.

Napatingin pa ako sa kaniya at pagkatapos ay tumango na lang. I'm fine with that, too...

So with my bodyguards na nakabuntot pa rin sa akin, I went with Elias and few of our classmates to the cafe they were talking about.

"Hope you're fine with this. Ikaw lang ang niyaya namin ni Gerald, but I guess some of our classmates went with us." Elias whispered to me.

Bumaling naman ako sa kaniya at ngumiti lang. "I think it's fine now..." I said and gave him a reassuring smile.

He nodded at me.

When we arrived at the cafe I used the washroom. And Yelena who came with us too went with me... And I took the opportunity while I we were alone to apologize to her for what I did before...

"Yelena?"

"Yes?" Bumaling naman siya sa akin.

"I'm sorry about what happened the last time..." I said.

And she just remained looking at me.

At pakiramdam ko ay parang may nag-iba rin sa kaniya ngayon na kaming dalawa lang dito... I feel like her over friendliness was a bit gone now...

"Don't think about it." She said after a while. At pagkatapos ay nauna na siyang umalis sa akin ng washroom without saying anything further...

Hinayaan ko na lang din muna siya.

I was being a little rude to her the last time... I sighed. So I understand if hindi niya rin nagustuhan iyong ginawa ko sa kaniya...