LOVE-NAT, isang makulit na lovestory!

Sa kusina ng mga Monteverde

Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan

Pramis!! Maniwala kayo!! WALA NA KONG CHOICE!! I can’t back out now. Leaving only means na AFFECTED ako kay Bea!!

AND I TELL YOU -- HINDI. AKO. AFFECTED. GGGRRRRR.

“I’ll just take a shower.” Bea announced up the staircase. “Be down there in a minute.” Nakakainis lang, wala naman kasing nagtatanong nuh?!

“Follow me -” Sef then told me in a very controlled voice.

Ako naman, tahimik na sinundan siya papunta sa kusina. Okay, magluluto lang naman kami ee, what harm will it do? Di ba? Di ba? Mabilis lang toh... or better yet, BIBILISAN ko na lang. Pero bakit ganito?? My chest aches. Parang kinukurot.

Pootek!! Scrap that Ellie!! SCRAP THAT!!

Habang pinagmamasdan ko yung likuran ni Sef, gusto kong sabihin sakanya na... “Sef, kung pwede, kalimutan mo na yung sulat ko. Kalimutan mo na. Binibiro lang naman kita dun ee. Hahaha.” Pero naisip ko na kapag sinabi ko ba talaga yun sakanya, babalik na ulit kami sa dati? Yung dating kulitan? Asaran? Atchaka, ngingiti na ba siya ulit sakin? Kasi kung oo, I’ll be more than willing to tell him that lie.

“Teach me how to do this.” Sabi ni Sef in a casual manner na kala mo employee lang niya ko. Nilagay niya sa counter yung mga recipe na mukang pinrint lang niya mula sa internet. I browsed through it. Shrimp Cocktail. Guinataang Hipon. Crispy Garlic Shrimp. Gambas Al Ajillo.

I blinked. “Puro HIPON?!” I wasn’t asking Sef, nasabi ko lang ng malakas yung iniisip ko. He looked at me, and I was almost sure na gusto sana niyang ngumiti sakin but of course, he didn’t. Ano ba yan? So kailangan IPAGDAMOT na niya ang SMILE niya sakin? Ganun? Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay, gusto ko iparamdam sa kanyang, NAIINIS AKO!!

Tumayo ako sa harap ng counter. “So, what shall we cook first?” He was standing beside me like an excited boy na papakitaan mo ng magic, we weren’t touching but I was very much aware of him. Sheet!! Nakaka-conscious tuloy!! ANIMALES!!

I looked around, kinuha ko yung chopping board, knife, sibuyas at bawang. Bakat na bakat yung inis sa muka ko habang dire-diretso kong binalatan at hiniwa yung mga sibuyas. Nakatayo lang si Sef sa gilid ko, watching me like I was some expert.

“Wait.” I heard him say. Pero dinedma ko lang. I continued slicing the onions. “S-sanda--” He was protesting until he took my hand na may hawak-hawak nung kutsilyo to stop me. I froze. His hand was warm and soft against mine.

BADUMP-BADUMP!!

Ayoko siyang tignan. Ayokong tumingin. Feeling ko kasi namumula na yung buong muka ko ee. ANIMALES NAMAN!! WAG GANITO LORD!! PLEASE!! BAKA MAGULAT SI SEF, HINDI KO NA BITAWAN YANG KAMAY NIYA!! HAHAHA. Toinks!! Lechugas lang talaga Ellie!! Wag ka ngang ambisyosa!! I slid my hand away from his touch and that was when he spoke. “Y-you’re supposed to teach me. At wala akong sinabing ikaw ang magluluto.” He took the knife from me that I was forced to step aside.

Sef stared long and hard at the onions while I was just doing the same to him. I could have laughed, yung itsura kasi ng muka niya parang sa tanan ng buhay ni Sef, ngayon lang siya nakahawak ng SIBUYAS. Sayang, sana hawak ko ngayon si Mr. Big, yung DSLR ni Borge. Parang mas masayang picturan si Sef sa loob ng kusina, kesa sa loob ng basketball court. HAHA.

“Hinihiwa kasi yan diba?”

“Oo nga, ito na.” He grimaced, and he carefully started slicing it. A minute or so, he started sniffling. His eyes were watery. He used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the tears forming in his eyes. Ow, umeepekto din pala ang powers ng sibuyas sa isang Monteverde!! :)

“Pfffttt...” I tried to contain my laughter. Sorry naman, di ko napigilan. I just love the thought of Sef crying over an onion. BUTI NGA!! HAHA. :) :)

He peered down on me through his squinting eyes that I have to suppress my amusement by clearing my throat. “Ehem.”

Suddenly, Japo burst into the kitchen, grinning like crazy. “You dirty dog!” Sabi niya kay Sef. “Dito natulog si Bea?” His voice was low as though Japo was careful na wag marinig ng iba yung boses niya. “You slept with her didn’t you?”

Nawala yung tawang pinipigil-pigil ko. Naka-glue lang yung mata ko kay Japo trying with all my might na wag siyang batuhin ng kutsilyo!! Ee kasi naman diba? How can he ask something like that? AT SA HARAPAN KO PA TALAGA!!

Oo na. Sige na!! I AM NOTHING LIKE BEA. In fact, I am nothing like any of the girls Sef has asked out!! Sige na, ako na yung kahit kelan HINDING-HINDI yayayain ni Sef sa isang date ng walang involved na PUSTAHAN!! Ok na. Sige na. Ako tong ambisyosa na gumawa pa ng love letter only to get myself REJECTED OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN!! AKO NA TALAGA!! AS IN!! Hindi naman kasi kailangan ipamuka sakin ng ganito diba??

I looked down the chopping board. Human nature na ba talaga ng tao na gumawa ng mga bagay na makakasakit lang din sa sarili niya? Haaayyy, Ellie... LECHUGAS KA TLGA KAHIT KELAN!! Sinabi na kasing wag ka ng naglalalapit jan kay Sef ee!! Ikaw lang talaga tong may napaka TIGAS na ulo at laging nagpupumilit!!

“Shut it dobe!” Sef hissed, his cheeks turning bright red and I was just moving simultaneously with my head bent low. Asan ba yung mga kaldero dito?! Asan na yung hipon na lulutuin?! Pinapangako ko sa sarili ko... HULI NA TOH!! I won’t go near this GUY ever again!!

“Toh naman, nahiya ka pa samin ni Ellie.” Japo sat across the counter in the middle of the kitchen. Kumuha siya ng grapes na nakalagay sa fruit stand sa pinaka gitna nung counter and started eating it. Naka-ngiti si Japo kay Sef. Parang merong joke na silang dalawa lang ang nagkakaintindihan. I glanced up at Sef only to realize na nakatingin din pala siya sakin. SHEEET!! Napayuko na lang ulit tuloy ako. Dios ko, bakit ganun? Pakiramdam ko matutunaw ako sa tuwing magkakatinginan kami??? GGAAAAH!! Gusto ko tuloy i-untog ang ulo ko sa pader!! HAHA. KAINIS!

“You better stop watching porno!! You’re head is filled with it already, you idiot!” He frowned. “Oh, ano susunod dito?” Hindi ko namalayan ako na pala tinatanong niya,

“Ah, yang bawang.” My voice came out so small. ARGH!! Nawawala ang poise ko!!

“Sef?” Sabay-sabay kaming biglang napatigil. All eyes on the figure that came behind Japo. It was Bea, all dressed up. Her long hair was still damp, obvious na kakagaling lang sa shower. Tinalo agad ni Bea ang amoy ng sibuyas at bawang at ang malansang amoy ng hipon. The sweet scent of her shampoo drifted across the kitchen. It was painful to even look at her. “Oh, hi Japo!” She beamed, standing beside Japo. She took some grapes as well sabay tingin sakin.

Although she was smiling at me, her eyes were telling otherwise. “And you’re Ellie...” She let her words hang in the air for a moment like there was something missing with her sentence. The Clown.

I only nodded sabay titig dun sa kopya ng recipe ng Guinataang Hipon kahit na wala naman talaga kong binabasa.

“Wow.” Bea gasped. “You’re cooking?” She leaned on the counter, sa harap ni Sef. “You do know that I love shrimp.”

Something then clicked!! That explains everything!! Bakit nga ba eager si Sef na magluto ngayon? Bakit ba gustong-gusto niyang matuto?? Biglang sumikip ang dibdib ko, anakshutang animales naman talaga oh!! Napaka galing mo Ellie!! Andito ka ngayon, tinuturuan magluto si Sef para kay Bea!!

Kung pwede lang, gusto ko ng MAWALA sa kinakatayuan ko ngayon!!

“Ah. I d-didn’t know that.”

Che! Pa-simple pa ang loko!! Nakakainis nuh? Kapag sa ibang babae, napaka gentleman niyang makipag-usap!!

“Aaaahh. Hindi daw pala alam.” Mapang-asar na banat ni Japo. “So, did you two had fun last night?” Sabay bato ng tanong kay Bea.

She giggled. “Oo naman!” She even playfully slapped Japo by the arm. “Oh I tell you, it was one crazy night!”

Habang patuloy sa kwentuhan ang dalawa, patuloy din naman kami ni Sef sa pagluluto. A minute or so, Bea excused herself kasi biglang may tumawag sa cellphone niya at si Japo naman tinawag ni Yaya Kusing para ipaayos yung pag-park nung kotse niya.

Tahimik lang ako, at lahat ng sinasabi ko kay Sef related sa pagluluto. Kahit nung tinanong niya ko ng “How was your stay in Max’ house?”

“Tanggalin mo yung ulo ng hipon.” Yun ang sagot ko sakanya. Don’t get me wrong though!! WALA LANG TALAGA AKO SA MOOD MAKIPAG-KWENTUHAN TUNGKOL KAY MAX AT LALO NA MAKIPAG-KWENTUHAN KAY SEF!!

“Look,” He finally said. “I didn’t, ok?” Naintindihan ko kaagad yung sinasabi niya. It was about Japo’s accusation kanina tungkol sakanila ni Bea.

I looked at him, trying to secure my feelings. “SO?” Inis kong sinabi sakanya. TAMA YAN!! GO ELLIE!! WOOOHOOO!! Tarayan mo pa!!

“Sinasabi ko lang. I know how crazy you can be... and I... just don’t want you to conclude any foolish things.” He looked straight into my eyes, searching me and I felt my heart drumming wildly than ever. FOCKER!! MAKATINGIN NAMAN TONG BOYPREN KO WAGAS!! HAHAHA. :D

To be continued.