LOVE-NAT, isang makulit na lovestory!

Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan

We walked in peace. Walang away. Walang nakaasar na mga side comments. We just walked. I was beside him with a distance of one good centimetre away. Mahirap na, baka hindi ko na alam magagawa ko kapag nagdikit pa ulit ang balat namin. Hahaha. Habang papalapit kami ng papalapit sa pupuntahan namin, the more na kinakabahan ako.

Gaaaah. Bakit ko ba kasi naisipang isama si SEF?? Of all my friends... pwede namang si Max na lang, o kaya si Japo hinding-hindi makakatanggi saken yun.

Remember Yakap-sul? The one who texted me last night? Yakap-sul was the code name of my cousin, si Karla. Why Yakap-sul you’d ask? Well... malalaman niyo din mamaya pag nakarating na kami.

Nga pala guys, I have a theory in mind. THEORY lang. It still needed thorough investigation. Haha. Kasi diba nga si Sef? Naisip ko kasi, madalas I found him staring at Ms. Elena in the 2nd floor lobby at school. He was MAD at her kaya is it possible na kaya siya laging nasa MUP ee because he was hoping to see his brother instead? Yeah, all this time... he was just wishing his brother would drop by at the clinic of Ms. Elena? With this thought, parang kumirot ang dibdib ko. Sinong magaakala na ang napaka gwapo’t mayaman na Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde ee nagtatago ng ganitong KWENTO?? Gosh. Daig pa niya talaga ang mga teleserye sa tv!! GAAAAD!!

Ganito ba talaga? Pati ako dapat malungkot para sakanya? Pati ako dapat masaktan para lang sakanya?

I stole another glance of him and within a second ibinaling ko kaagad ang tingin ko sa mga bahay-bahay at mga gusali. GULAY!! Nakatingin din pala kasi siya saken!! ANIMALES!! WWAAAAHH!! Nahuli tuloy ako. Wag na wag siyang magkakamaling mangasar, uupakan ko talaga siya.

He smirked as usual. “Oi.” He muttered. “San mo ba talaga ko dadalin?”

I ignored him. Dedma lang. Hindi ko talaga siya papatulan.

“To think na talagang nag-bihis ka pa para lang saken.” He was grinning widely now. “Sana sinabi mo na lang na gusto mo kong ma-solo. Marami akong alam na lugar na malapit pa sa MUP.”

Napatigil ako. I was gritting my teeth in anger. NAKAKAINIS!! SABI KO NA EE,MANGAASAR SIYA DAHIL SA DAMIT KO!! “Kapag hindi ka tumigil, ililigaw talga kita! Remember, ako ang MAPA mo!!”

Gusto kong takpan yung mukha niya!! AYOKO MAKITA YANG NGITI NIYA!! NAKAKAINIS nakaka in love kasi lalo ee!!! RRRRR...

“Iligaw?” He asked. “Ee parang kanina pa ko naligaw aa?”

“Ano?”

“Kanina pa ko naligaw.” He repeated, looking intently at me, as in TITIG talaga. “Jan sa puso mo.”

JOHN LLOYD IKAW BA YAN?? Animales!! Hindi ko napigilan ang sarili ko dahil sobrang natawa ko. Taeng mga BANAT yan oh!!

Grabe nuh? Ngayon lang sumagi sa isip ko... as in ngayon lang. Sef has so many qualities na hindi mo aakalaing meron siya. Haha. Ano daw? I mean, diba unlike sa mga leading man ng mga movies at Korean novelas na napapanuod naten ee Sef LOOKED exactly like one, but he was totally different. Hindi siya yung tipong suplado na BAD BOY image. When in fact, yun yung usual na ugali especially someone like him na mayaman at gwapo.

He was the exact contrary of everything. Sa totoo lang, if he didn’t steal my first kiss that night in Eastwood. We could have started as good friends, really... hmmm... but on second thought? Hindi rin pala kami magiging good friend!!!

Sa totoo lang hindi mahirap pakisamahan si Sef. Except for the fact na SOBRANG YABANG NIYA!! Yabang about his looks, yung gandang lalaki niya... Hahaha. And despite everything he has been through, LAGI pa din siyang naka-SMILE. Madali siyang mapatawa. Madaling makipag-kwentuhan sa kanya. Madaling makipag biruan sakanya... and most especially, madali ding... ma in love sakanya?? OH GOOD LORD. What was I thinking just now?

ELLIE!! PUNYEMAS!! ANO BA?? KUNG ANU-ANO NA YANG PUMAPASOK SA ISIP MO!!

ITIGIL MO NA YAN!! PIGILAN MO SARILI MO!! Iba na lang isipin mo!! Tamaah, dapat accounting na lang pinaguusapan naten. Dapat debit, credit, asset, liabilities at equity!! Yan!! YAN DAPAT ANG NASA ISIP MO!! At hindi yang LALAKING YAN!!

WWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!! ELLIE, STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE!!

Napa-stop nga kami ni Sef right in front of a Pre-School building. It wasn’t too big, and it wasn’t too small either. In fact, cute yung place. Malaki yung playground, malawak. And it wasn’t just any other pre-schools. It gave off an aura of sophistication. So, yep guys... ANDITO NA KAMI!!

Sef was just tagging along behind me, looking curious as to what we were doing in such a place. “Wala pa nga tayong anak, may balak ka ng i-enroll siya?”he was saying with an arrogant smile.

“SHATTAP!!” I hissed.

When all of a sudden... “WWWWWWAAAAAAAAAHH!! ELLIEEEE!!!”It was one deafening scream of excitement na kala mo artista kong matagal na niyang pinapangarap na makita.

I whirled around. And tadaaah ~ Ladies and gentlemen, meet my cousin – si Ate Karla. She wrapped her arms around me and gave me one big hug. Hindi na nga ako makahinga sa sobrang higpit ee - the very reason why I called her Yakap-sul. “Buti dumating ka!!!” She beamed. “HUWAW!!”She eyed my dress. “Dalagang-dalaga ka na ngayon aa? Buti naman hindi ka natuluyang maging tomboy. Wala atang silahis sa angkan naten!!”

Ang lakas ng energy ng pinsan ko ano? Haha. Ganyan talaga yan, hindi mo aakalaing college professor sa ingay. Haha.

“Tita!!!”came the small voice of my pamangkin, ang cute na cute na si Irish. She came running to me. Waaah!! I hugged her tightly. Di niyo na itatanong, I’m really very fond of kids. At isa si Irish sa mga addiction ko.

“Hello!! Ang ganda-ganda naman ng pamangkin ko!!” Gigil kong sinabi while pinching her cheeks. Naka-costume na si Irish. She was wearing a pink fairy outfit. “Galingan mo mamaya aa? Make your tita proud. Haha.”

Irish nodded before waving a hi sa taong nasa likod ko. “Hello.”

“Hi.”Sef greeted.

Karla’s eyes widened as she looked up on Sef. Parang naging bola ng ping-pong yung mata niya as it darted back and forth from me to Sef. “Oh my gosh!! ANG GWAPO!!!”
Wala akong nagawa ee... I could only slap a hand on my face. GAAD!! Tell me, I’m not here!! Good Lord...

“I’m Karla, ang napaka gandang pinsan niya!” She excitedly reached a hand and Sef took it. Nag-hand shake ang dalawa. “This is my daughter Irish and that,”She pointed a guy sa may entance ng auditorium. “That’s my husband.”

“The name’s Sef.” He gave Karla a warm smile.

“Ah. I see. Sef.” Nangaasar na tinignan ako ni Karla. Yung tingin na tipong, Gaga ka! Hindi mo naman sinasabing may boyfriend kang ganito kagwapo. “So, Sef. How long have you been going out with my cousin?” TOOGSH!! Straight to the point agad yung tanong ng loka-loka kong pinsan. Wala ng paligoy-ligoy. Bullseye agad!!

Napangiti si Sef. “Aaah.” He scratched the back of his head not sure as to how to answer that.

“'TE KARLA!!” I shouted. “HIN—“handa na kong sabihin yung same lines na sinabi ko nung sa driver nung Taxi but Sef butted in. “Actually, we started just last Saturday.”

My jaw dropped. SAY HUWAT?? Kumindat saken si Sef. And God, he smiled at me. Alam ko yung ngiti na yun!! Yung ngiting malandi... yung alam mong NANGAASAR LANG TALAGA SIYA!! Rrrrr...

“Ganun ba. Hahaha.” Karla laughed. Hinatak niya ko sa tabi niya as she entwined her arms with mine. “Paalala mo saken ‘insan.”She whispered, pero alam mong rinig pa rin ni Sef yung sinasabi niya. “Reregaluhan ko itong boyfriend mo ng helmet. Para hindi mauntog!!!”

Ee kung siya kaya inuuntog ko ngayon??

“Hon,” it was Karla’s husband, si Andrew. “Magsisimula na daw yung show.”Binuhat niya si Irish and smiled at Sef. Nakipag-shake hands din siya dito. “I’m Andrew pare.” He beamed. “Mamaya we’ll celebrate. First time na nagpakilala ng boyfriend itong si Ellie.”

GAAAAAD!!! Bakit ba lahat ng tao pinangungunahan ako?? Hindi ba pwedeng SAKEN mismo manggagaling na BOYFRIEND ko siya???

Yak!! Nag-feeling ka naman agad Ellie?? Hahahaha.

Konti na lang, paguumbugin ko na itong mag-asawang ito!!!

To be continued.