chapter theme: joan - love somebody like you

Para akong tangang pangiti-ngiti habang naghihintay sa labas ng tapsihan. Medyo malamig kaya naman isinilid ko ang mga kamay sa bulsa ng jacket ko sabay padyak sa lupa. Pinili kong tumayo sa ilalim ng lamp post, malayo sa mga tao pero at least hindi madilim.

Panay ang pagsulyap ko sa mga sasakyang dumaraan, nagbabakasakaling si Jethro na ito.

Makaraan ang ilang sandali, tuluyan kong natanaw ang pagdating ng sasakyan niya kaya naman nagtaas ako ng kamay at kumaway. Hindi ko napigilang mapatalon-talon sa tuwa.

He parked his car and went out with a confused look on his face.

"Jethro!" I called out for him, waving and jumping while smiling uncontrollably. 

I stayed rooted in place as he walked up to me. I bit my lower lip, trying to contain my smile, but to no avail. I ended up giggling like a fool.

Parang nahawa si Jethro sa akin at kahit siya ay napangiti rin hanggang sa mauwi ito sa isang tawa. Lalo rin tuloy akong natawa. 

"Someone looks happy," he said with a smile so beautiful, I could stare at it all day.

"I am." I grinned as I swayed my head from side to side. 

"Mind telling me why?" He chuckled as he squinted his eyes and looked at me from head to toe.

"Bati na kami ni Reika!" I beamed as I jumped up and down, letting my happiness manifest into smiles and giggles.

"Told you she'll come around." he laughed and patted my head lightly. 

I froze in place and jokingly glared. "Hayan ka na naman. Aso ba talaga ang tingin mo sa akin?"

"What? Dogs are the best?" he said, quite defensively. Cute.

"So I'm one of the best?" I grinned and squinted my eyes.

Jethro looked at me flatly. "Can we just get inside so we can eat?"

"You just can't admit that I'm one of the best things in this world, Filimon," I quipped. Pabiro akong humawak sa likuran niya at marahan siyang tinulak patungo sa direksyon ng shop. Patawa-tawa naman siyang nagpadala. Siraulong Gori.

"Libre mo?" tanong niya.

"Yup!" taas-noo kong pagmamalaki sabay talon paakbay sa kanya.

"Hindi ako sanay na good mood ka." He threw his head back as he chuckled.

"Good mood naman ako lagi ah?" Nakunot ang noo ko.

"Well, I guess this is your best mood?" he said in a confused tone.

"I guess?" I smiled and shrugged.

"Well, how about we change it this time?" he scratched the tip of his eyebrows.

Medyo nangalay na ako sa kakaakbay sa kanya kaya naman ibinaba ko ang braso ko at saka ako humarap sa kanya. "What's in your mind, Filimon?"

"How about some take out food and a good view?" Inakbayan niya ako at giniya patungo sa sasakyan niya.

"That sounds great!" I beamed.

***

"Jethro Filimon, have I ever told you how amazing you are?" Lalo pa akong sumaya habang pinagmamasdan ang city lights ng Filimon Heights mula sa naglalakihang salamin ng library. God! It's even more beautiful at night!

The library has already closed but Jethro convinced the guards into letting us in. I normally don't like it when people use their privileges to their advantage but this is definitely an exemption. 

"You can say it to me now." He chuckled and handed me a cheeseburger.

"Nah, ayoko nang sabihin," biro ko saka kinuha ang cheeseburger. 

Dahil kaming dalawa lang ang nasa library, malayang-malaya akong nakapili ng bench na uupuan namin. Siyempre pinili ko ang nasa gitna kung saan naka-sentro talaga ang view.

Habang kumakain at pinagmamasdan ang kabuuan ng Filimon Heights, panay ang biruan at kwentuhan namin. Funny how I used to be awkward and so afraid of Jethro before, but now he has become one of the few people I'm very comfortable to be around. 

"I'll always remember this day," I remarked while looking at his smiling face. "Reika and I, reuniting... and then being here, with you."

He sighed and stared at the city lights ahead of us. He moistened his lips as it twitched to a grin. "Halos ayaw mo pang bumangon kanina," he pointed out.

"Oo nga eh. Weird how many things can happen in just a single day," I mused and stared at the city lights as well.

All of a sudden, my phone rang. I fetched it out of my pocket only to see Slade's name on my screen. I quickly answered it and faced away.

"Hey Slade," I answered with a smile. 

"Mind telling me where you are? Anong oras na, Silverianne? Don't even get me started on your stunt the other day, kung hindi lang tumawag si Mommy para itanong sa akin kung nag-away ba--"

"I'm still at the hospital, on duty," I lied. "Pauwi na rin ako."

"Papasundo ka?" tanong niya.

"No need, matulog ka na. Bye," sabi ko at mabilis siyang binabaan para 'wag nang makapalag pa.

"You didn't tell him you're with me?" Jethro asked kaya napaharap ulit ako sa kanya.

"Yeah." I laughed a little. "Baka kasi kung ano pa ang isipin. Asarin na naman tayo."

"Ah, I see." He moistened his lips and nodded. "Do you want to go home now?"

"Maybe for a few more minutes?" I tilted my head and smiled sheepishly. "I like it here. Pakiramdam ko wala akong ibang problema."

"But you're good with Reika already?" his forehead creased a little. 

"Yeah, we're good. Pero marami pa rin kasi akong problema. If only I could just stay in Filimon Heights and hide for the rest of my life, but I can't because I love my parents so..." I shrugged and smiled. 

"Still about the business thing?" he asked.

"That, and the fact that my future is already sealed." I laughed despite the misery. 

Jethro still looked confused kaya bumunong-hininga na lamang ako. "I haven't told anyone about this before so promise me you wouldn't tell anyone else - not even Reika."

Naguguluhan man, tumango-tango si Jethro.

"See, my Mother has this habit of setting me up on random blind dates. Nagsimula iyon nang mag-sixteen ako. Weird right?" I chuckled. "Most parents forbid their kids to date pero ako, halos ibugaw ako ng nanay ko sa mga anak ng kaibigan niya."

"My parents do that as well. Most are daughters of their colleagues and some friends I don't even know," Jethro said with an upset look on his face kaya natawa ako. Hindi ko akalaing marami pa pala kaming similarities bukod sa kapwa kami pinagbibintangang bato.

"Well, my Mom suddenly stopped setting me up on blind dates. I thought we finally got over that stage, but it turns out, may iba na pala silang plano. There's this guy they want me to marry - he's the son of my Mom's best friend and my Father's business partner. For them, it would be perfect for us to marry kasi kakilala na raw at sigurado na ang --"

"But you're not marrying him right?" Jethro said, looking disgusted at the idea. Same boy, Same.

"I don't want to, but then again, I already agreed to." I sighed.

"Are you out of your mind?" he blurted out with a surprised and disturbed look on his face kaya natawa ako.

"I was so desperate to get away from my parents; to study nursing here in Filimon Heights. Kung ano-ano na ang ginawa ko para kumbinsihin sila hanggang sa nilatag na nga ni Daddy ang kundisyon. He'll let me take the path to be a nurse only if I marry Ruel, so he could run the business that Slade and I refused to handle."

"So you'll really marry him?" he asked.

"Of course not!" Ngumiwi ako. "I'll never marry for business or convenience. Besides, I'm still years away from graduating, so I think I can find my way out of this mess. I'll just cross the bridge when I get there."

"Just let me know if I can help you with anything," he offered.

"How about murder?" I smirked.

"Nahawa ka na ni Reika." He sighed while shaking his head.

My phone rang all of a sudden. I grunted, seeing Slade's name on my screen again.

"Looks like we really have to go now." Jethro chuckled and stood up, grabbing me by the wrist. "Next time, balik ulit tayo rito."

That made me smile. "Talaga?"

"Oo naman," he assured me.

"Daan pala ulit tayo sa tapsihan, bilhan ko ng pasalubong ang kapatid ko." I smiled sheepishly.

"Bati na kayo?" pang-aasar niya.

***

Nang mahiga ako sa kama, kinuha ko agad ang cellphone ko at nagtipa ng message para kay Reika.

Silver:

Kailan ka babalik dito?

Reika:

You're a disgusting roommate

Silver:

Ayaw mo bang makita si Slade?

Reika:

Kung ayaw kong makita si Slade, tinakpan ko na ng sako mukha mo.

Silver:

Hindi kami magkamukha ni Slade

Reika:

And Magno's name isn't weird

Silver:

Okay magkahawig kami nang konti ni Slade

Mas cute lang ako

Reika:

Multo ka, demonyo siya

Silver:

Sige naaaaaaaa

balik ka na dito ulit

Reika:

Di ako sanay sayo. Umayos ka at mauupakan kita

Silver:

Di ako sanay matulog mag-isa sa kwarto huhuhu

Reika:

Kadiri ka!!! Nasapian ka na ba talaga???

Kinikilabutan ako sa huhuhu mo, multo talaga naiimagine ko

Silver:

WAG KA MANAKOT!!!

Reika:

Hala ka, may sisitsit sayo mula sa aparador

Silver:

REIKA!! NATATAKOT NA AKO HUHUHU

Reika:

Wow ha, nahiya ang multo sayo

Silver:

Wala akong kasama dito sa kwarto kaya samahan mo na ako

Reika:

Meron kang kasama diyan :)

nasa ilalim ng kama, lalabas siya kapag tulog ka na

Silver:

BWISIT KA LAMOYON?

Reika:

Papuntahin ko diyan si Haji?

Silver:

YUCK

Reika:

Si Sawyer?

Silver:

YUCK DIN

Reika:

Si Magno?

Silver:

Weird

Reika:

WOW NAMAN SILVERIANNE

Si Apollo?

Silver:

May Piper na yon

Reika:

Si Cohen?

Silver:

KADIRI

Reika:

SI Jethro?

Silver:

Isa pa 'yon. Parang bato.

Reika:

Ikaw hindi?

Silver:

Balik ka na kasi dito

Reika:

Bahala ka

Goodnight sa inyo ng multo sa ilalim ng kama mo

Silver:

reika naman eh!!!

Natakot ako nang sobra kaya naman dali-dali akong lumabas at bumaba sa sala. Pauulanan ko sana siya ng mura nang muli akong makatanggap ng message mula sa kanya.

Reika:

sleepover lang

Napahagikgik ako sa tuwa. Magtitipa sana ako ng reply para sa kanya nang dumating bigla ang isang message mula kay Jethro.

Jethro:

hey

Silver:

nakauwi ka na?

Jethro:

kadarating lang

Silver:

matulog ka na

Jethro: 

yes ma'am

Silver:

good night

Jethro:

can we meet again, tomorrow?

Silver:

sure libre mo?

Jethro:

sure 

it's a date then?

Puchangama what???

| End of 36 - Thank You! |