Status: in-progress.
LOVE-NAT, isang makulit na lovestory!
Chapter 43-3. Suntok sa Buwan
Sometimes, life can really take us by surprise…
Sef opened his bag na kakakuha lang niya ke Japo. He needed something to distract him… The moment na nasilip niya ang laman ng bag niya… there was this odd looking notebook that stood out, he was sure it doesn’t belong to him. Kay Japo kaya? But then, hindi uso ang notebook sa isang kagaya ni Japo.
Sef took out the said notebook, suddenly curious kung kanino ito. Walang pangalan, ni walang section na nakalagay. He scanned the first few pages, mga accounting notes, puro numbers na wala namang saysay. Just by looking at the handwriting, Sef suspected that the owner is probably a lady. Sef thought na kahit nga ata yung may-ari nito hindi maiintindihan ang sariling notes. Tapos bawat page pa ee puro may doodle ng dahon, ng spiral, ng zigzag at ng kung anu-ano pang shapes. Ni wala na sa linya yung mga numbers, para bang scratch paper ng solutions ng tamad na estudyante. Until sa mga sumunod na pages, hindi na notes ang laman nito… nagmistulang listahan na ito ng mga pagkain. Drawing ng burger, ng coke, ng fries… and for some unexplainable reason… this reminded Sef of… Ellie.
“Tsk.” He grunted. Throwing the notebook on the foot of his bed. Hindi niya namalayan yung yellow pad na lumabas mula dito, and the letter landed underneath the bed – completely unnoticed.
Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan
Kung pwede lang talaga, gugustuhin kong maglaho na lang bigla!! Four days na ang nakakalipas, but I’m still nervous as hell, I couldn’t think of anything else besides that letter... and Sef. Yung parang kahit anong gawin ko, kahit anong pagkain pa nasa harap ko, kahit ano pang movie ni John Lloyd Cruz ang panuorin ko, papasok at papasok pa din ito na parang naka-TATOO na sa isip ko. Hindi lang basta henna tattoo, permanent ink na talaga!!
Gaaah, nabasa na kaya ni Sef? Ano kayang itsura niya habang binabasa? Nanghihina ako sa mga sarili kong tanong. I could imagine Sef na teary-eyed sa kakatawa. I could clearly hear his laughter in my head, so vivid and lucid as though anjan lang siya sa tabi ko.
NGAYON KO LANG NAPAHIYA ANG SARILI KO NG GANITO!! Dios ko, may reputasyon akong inaalagaan!! At dahil lang sa iisang papel, masisira yun!! Sheet tlga. Sheet na sheet!!
Dios ko, ano ba naman kasi tong napasok ko?? Bakit ba umabot pa sa ganito Eleonor?? Gggrrrr... hindi ee, kasalanan toh ni AJ!! Tama, si AJ!! Punyemas!! Lahat na lang ng plano niya PALPAK!! Kung hindi naman talaga niya ko pinagawa nun ee di sana wala na kong pinoproblema ngayon!! RRRRR... KAINIS!! KAINIS!! WWWAAAH, bakit ko ba kasi inilagay sa BAG na yun???
I scratched my head angrily at ng di pa ko nakuntento I covered my face with both hands. Hiyang-hiya talaga ko!! Hindi ko nga alam kung anong dapat kong reaksyon kapag nagkita kami ng gagung yun!! Actually, sa apat na araw na yun, hindi ko pa din nakikita ni anino niya dito sa MUP. Mabuti naman. That’s a good thing right? Or... it means... he’s...
“Ms. Dimaculangan!” Sigaw ng bakla kong professor. I’m probably close to gay people pero isang malaking exception to the rule itong prof kong ito. Galit na galit yan sakin. Ayaw kasi niya sa mga kagaya kong ginagawa lang daw ang mga gusto kong gawin ng walang pakialam kung maganda ba o pangit sa mata ng ibang tao. Yeah, that was how he sees me. Lagi din kasi niya kong nahuhuling naghihikab sa klase niya. Haha. “You seemed very... distracted. Is there anything you might want to share with the class?”
“Huh?” I muttered in confusion. “Wala po sir.”
“So, Ms. Dimaculangan tell me... what word that starts with the letter ‘I’ that is concerned with the processing of raw materials and manufacturing of goods?”
“Uh,” Sinubukan kong mag-isip. “I? Uh...” I looked around the room to scan the faces of my classmates. Hinihintay kong may mag bulong ng sagot. “Starts with the letter I sir?”Tinaasan na ko ng kilay ng prof ko. “I as in... Istablishment?” Bisaya ka man dong? Ee wala na ko maisip, basta daw nag-start sa letter I ee. Naririnig ko ang pigil na pagtawa ng mga kaklase ko.
Tumaas pa lalo ang kilay ni sir sakin. “Letter I, Miss Dimaculangan! Don’t you even know how to spell?” Parang konti na lang sasabunutan na niya ko.
Wala talaga ako sa mood ngayon!! At wala pang ibang sinasabi si sir kung hindi puro LETTER, LETTER, LETTER!! Itsura lang tuloy ni Sef ang nasa isip ko!!
“I said, it starts with the LETTER I!!”
I swallowed hard, and gave him a weak smile. “I? Uh, I... I don’t know sir?!” Kulang na lang magpalakpakan ang buong klase sa sagot kong yun but they could only control themselves before they burst into laughter. Ultimo si Max na laging naka kunot a noo ee napangiting tumingin sakin.
Pulang-pula ang muka ni sir as he told me to take a sit at tinawag na lang niya si Rica na boluntaryong nag-taas ng kamay.
Whew. Parang ang haba tuloy ng oras... parang gusto ko ng umuwi at mag-kulong na lang sa kwarto ko. Kahit ng sumapit na ang lunch para kong paranoid na lingon na lingon sa bawat estudyanteng dumadaan sa likod at harap ko. Part of me doesn’t want to see Sef... higit apat na araw na siyang hindi pumupunta dito sa MUP. Pero... alam niyo naman yun, minsan-minsan parang kabuteng sumusulpot... and I wanted to be prepared.
I went to seat by the terrace sa may 4th floor, my back against the railings and my legs outstretched on the dusty floor. Umiiwas muna ko sa mga lugar tulad ng bleachers sa may field, sa lobby sa 2nd floor kung san madaling makita yung clinic ni Ms. Elena, sa may malapit sa car park at sa mga lugar na madali akong matatanaw... okay matatanaw ni Sef.
“Mm,” someone then sat beside me, halos himatayin ako sa nerbyos. Akala ko kasi si Sef. I let out a sigh of relief ng makita kong si Max naman pala. He just sat there beside me, without saying any word. This was what I love about Max, hindi yan magtatanong kung may problema ba ko o kung okay lang ako, he knew I hate answering questions... but his oppressing silence was killing me.
“Max...” I sighed deeply, my shoulders dropping in defeat. He turned sideways to look at me but waited still for me to go on. “Meron akong ginawang...” I probed for the right words, “Meron akong... ginawang sulat... para sa isang...” Napatigil ako... para nga ba sa isang ano, Ellie? “Ahh... Ganito Max, pano kung gumawa ka ng sulat para kay Sara pero hindi mo naman talaga gustong ipabasa sakanya... pero nagkamali ka at nailagay mo mismo sa bag niya. Pano kung nabasa niya? Ano ng gagawin mo?” Hindi ko din alam kung papano ko nasabi ang lahat ng ito without even taking a pause.
I felt Max’s stare intensified. His brows creased, halos magkasalubong na ito into one straight line. Parang bigla naman daw akong natakot... like there was something about his eyes... pero bago ko pa malaman Max quickly looked away. I waited... but he didn’t answer.
“Anjan ka lang pala.” I felt my heart jumped ng biglang umupo si Japo sa tabi ko. Animales yan!! WWWAAAAH!! NABABALIW NA ATA KO!! Pakiwari ko lahat ng tao si SEF!! “Oh ayan.” Japo handed me a notebook. I blinked. YUNG NOTEBOOK KO!! “Grabe ka talaga, para lang sa notebook na toh, sinigawan mo pa ko sa telepono?”
I hold my breath as I took it with shaky hands. Napalunok ako. D-dito ko naipit yung SULAT!! “A-anjan si Sef?” I asked nervously... and I hate it kasi parang... half of me was wishing na SANA anjan nga siya!! Lechugas ka Ellie!! RRRR...
“Hindi. Umalis na. Inabot lang niya sakin yan.”
Binuklat ko yung notebook ko... madaming yellow pad na nakaipit dito, mga quizzes ko sa Tax, sa Law last sem at kung anu-ano pang related sa school... pero... pero... I felt my heart stopped, WALA YUNG SULAT!!
“ITO LANG?” I blurted out at Japo. “ITO LANG BINIGAY NIYA?”Walang pintor ang magtatangkang iguhit ang itsura ng muka ko ngayon. I was turning paler by the minute. Kahit si Juan Luna, aayawan ako.
Japo raised a brow in wonder, halatang nagtataka na ito. “Oo. Bakit? Ano pa bang kulang?”
Oh sheet!! Don't tell me, pina-frame pa ni Sef ang sulat ko?! AMP YAN!!
“Max, may masarap daw na restaurant sa may street na yun!” Sara said excitedly. She is always excited and highly energetic sa tuwing inihahatid siya ni Max. She just loves the feeling na solo niya ang binata, kaya nga bigla siyang umapila ng magyaya si Borge kanina na tambay mode daw muna silang lahat sa Starbucks. Sara quickly said no and pulled Max along with her even though na feel niya din na nagdadalawang isip si Max especially when Ellie was coming.
Is it wrong to want to spend more time with him? Oo, Sara could be a spoiled brat at times... pero... tuwing uwian lang naman niya nasasarili si Max ee... kaya nga she would always suggest places na pwede pa nila puntahan bago siya tuluyang ihatid nito. Kung pwede lang talaga patagalin ang oras... Sara would have done it in a heartbeat. “Sabi ni Borge, na-try daw nila ni Nico nung isang araw.” She beamed.
But Max was rather silent. His face was, as usual, serious. His mind was off some place again that he didn’t get what Sara was saying as he missed the turn na kanina pa tinuturo ng dalaga.
“Ayun! Ayu—n oh...” Sara’s voice gradually weakened, her smile slowly fading ng dire-diretso lang si Max, missing the street kung nasan yung restaurant. Sinundan lang tuloy ng tingin ni Sara yung street as she quietly sat back down the passenger seat.
Max didn’t seem to notice the sudden change of mood in the car. He was too preoccupied with more important things... Ellie for instance. He wasn’t that stupid not to figure out what she was trying to say a while ago. She made Sef a letter. Yun yung sulat na nakita niyang ginagawa ng dalaga nung isang araw sa bench sa walkway. She even lied about it, claiming it was an assignment na pinapagawa sakanya ng kapatid na si Eddy. Sheet, he should have seen this coming!! Max couldn’t bear the thought of Ellie... with Sef... and an uncontrollable rush of anger came knocking in his chest. Unconsciously, humigpit ang hawak ni Max sa manibela as though he could punch anything, anyone in that moment.
Sara noticed this. The anger emanating out from Max was obvious, and she thought... Was he mad at her? Pero bakit? May ginawa ba siyang ikagagalit ng binata? Or could it be that... he wanted to go with Ellie sa Starbucks, but she forced him to drive her home instead... Si Ellie nanaman! Parang bumigat ang dibdib ni Sara. No, no, no... She shouldn’t be thinking about things like this, lalo na’t si Ellie yun. Isa sa mga matatalik niyang kaibigan. Maybe, Max was just in a bad mood...yeah, that must be it.
Pero alam ni Sara, niloloko lang niya sarili niya.
Starbucks
6:30 pm
Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan
Natuwa ako ng nagyaya si Borge, naisip ko kasi baka sakaling mawala sa isip ko yung sulat at si Sef... pero sa lahat naman ng Starbucks sa buong Pilipinas, talagang dun pa kami sa Starbucks na... punong-puno ng memories ni... Sef!! Haha. Amp yan. Dun lang naman kami sa Starbucks na ginawa naming meeting place nung may pustahan pa kaming date. Pagtapak ko pa nga lang sa entrance, my heart already gave a loud thud. I scanned the room with nervous eyes, baka kasi mamaya isa pala si Sef sa mga naka-upo dun sa mga couches.
Hhaaaiii... apat na araw ko ng hindi nakikita si Sef... hindi ko alam kung, matutuwa ako o ano ee. Diba ito yung matagal mo ng hinihiling Ellie? Yung ni anino ng lokong yun ee hindi mo na makikita? Pero... bakit ganun? Parang... parang... hindi naman ganito yung gusto kong mangyari... tapos... ibinalik nga ni Sef yung notebook ko, pero... wala naman yung sulat... tapos... pinaabot lang niya kay Japo, ni hindi man lang siya pumasok sa MUP... ano kayang ibig sabihin nun? I thought of the possible reasons... pero ayoko yung mga sagot na pumasok sa isip ko... Siguro we shared the same sentiments, tapos naman na yung pustahan ee, bakit pa nga naman niya ko kikitain? And my letter? Haha. Siguradong natapon na niya yun pagkabasang-pagkabasa niya... AAARGH!! PUNYEMAS!! ANO BA ELLIE?? Sumama ka kela Borge para hindi na muling isipin pa yan! Tapos na yan, okay? TAPOS NA!! NABASA NA YUNG SULAT!! THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE!!
SHEET!! Being here didn’t help me at all... it just made my condition a lot worse!!
“Pa-order na lang ako Ellie oh, please?” Lambing sakin ni Borge as she was handing me her money. “Vanilla sakin, venti.”
I just nodded, even though in normal circumstances I would have made a protest.
“Ikaw Meg? What’s yours?” Tanong ni Jill. Yep, all girls kaming nag-punta dito. Si Japo kasi meron daw gagawin. Same goes with Ken. Si Sara naman, niyaya ng umuwi si Max.
“Uh, Caffè Mocha. Decaf.” Meg smiled sweetly as she gave Jill a 200-peso bill. “Thanks.”
“Ok.” Jill nodded. “Lika Ellie, sama na ko sayo sa counter.” Tumango na lang ulit ako.
“Are you really okay?”
“Huh?” Napatingin ako kay Jill. “Bakit mo naman natanong?”
“Ee kasi, you’ve been acting odd lately. Nag-away nanaman ba kayo ng kapatid mo?”
I smiled at Jill. Sana ba kung ganon na nga lang ang nangyari ee. “Hindi, uh, puyat lang ako. Lagi kasing nasa bahay si AJ atchaka yung mga classmates niya. Dun sila gumagawa ng thesis.”Well, totoo naman ang sinabi ko kay Jill... madalas na nasa bahay yung group ni AJ para sa thesis nila, including Brad.
Ewan ko ba, bakit hindi ko magawang makwento sa mga kaibigan ko kung ano ba talaga itong bumabagabag sakin... itong malaki kong prublema kay Sef... hm, siguro chaka na lang... kapag nasolusyunan ko na.
Nauna ng kong umorder kay Jill and I stood by the claiming area, hinihintay na matawag ang pangalang Bea Alonzo. Oo. Haha. Tuwing umo-order ako dito sa Starbucks, I make sure na creative ang pangalang binibigay ko. Hehe. Nung minsan nga ginamit ko Piolo Pascual, lahat ng lalaki napa-lingon!! HAHA.
“Vanilla, venti & Java Chip, grande for...Bea Alonzo.” Kahit yung barista naka-ngiting inabot sakin yung mga order ko, he’s probably hoping na si Bea Alonzo nga talaga ang makakaharap niya. Jill was grinning knowingly at me habang hinihintay yung sukli niya. I shot back a grin at her before I turned around only to bump hard into someone, who was standing behind me na ike-claim din yung order niya. “Sorry po.” I mumbled. Matandang businessman na lalaki ang natamaan ko, “No harm done.” He said with a fatherly smile. Buti na lang may takip yung mga drinks at hindi natapon.
I was just about to walk back kela Borge when... when I froze from head to toe. Gusto ko mang tumakbo, ayaw gumalaw ng mga paa ko. My eyes widening in shock... there... walking through the entrance door papunta sa may counter was Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde. Halos mabitawan ko yung mga inuming hawak-hawak ko. Nanlamig buong katawan ko, and I felt the need to get a hold of my chest, pakiwari ko kasi, tatalon na papalabas ang puso ko!! He was, as usual, looking so incredibly handsome especially with that sexy smile of his. My world stopped but in reality, everything just happened so fast. Nakatayo lang ako dun na parang estatwa, my wide eyes glued on him. I was just watching him, at nanunuod pa din ako ng umakbay si Sef sa babaeng hindi ko napansing kasama pala niya. Nagkatinginan kami, his eyes were focused on me and I felt something ache in my chest... he knew... he knew I was there... pero dinaanan lang niya ko na parang... na parang... hindi niya ko kilala.
“Uy Sef!” I heard Jill behind me, greeting him with a warm smile. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Mukang busy ka aa?” Jill giggled, obviously referring to the girl Sef was with. Yeah, the girl... Actually, mestiza yung girl, with long brown hair na halatang pinakulayan lang niya. She was slim at obvious naman agad sa unang tingin ee maganda, kutis mayaman, definitely pang girlfriend material... Yung tipo ng mga babaeng lapitin ng mga lalaki, yung kahit ata pag-pawisan at paliguan mo ng putik ee, maganda at mabango pa din. Yung tipong... match na match kay Sef.
“Hey.” Sef sounded delighted upon seeing Jill, na kala mo they were long-time friends. “Yeah. Sort of. By the way Jill, this is---”
Hindi ko na pinakinggan... I don’t want to hear the rest of their conversation... Okay, ako na ang dinedma ni Sef!! I marched my way towards Borge and Meg, who were both eyeing me strangely. Na para bang, nakita din nila yung kanina... at ngayon tinitignan nila ko, yung mga mata nila parang nagtatanong ng, WHAT’S UP WITH YOU AND SEF??
Tahimik lang akong umupo sa tabi ni Borge, my chest getting heavier by the minute... Hindi ako makatingin kela Borge at Meg as I tried to gain CONTROL of myself, of my emotions... I casually took a sip of my favourite Java Chip while staring madly against the table. KAYA MO YAN ELLIE!! KAYA MO YAN!! ANAKSHUTANG ANIMALES!! SUS. WALA LANG YAN ELLIE!! REMEMBER OUR SECRET TECHNIQUE: DEDMA. IGNORE... but to no avail... I COULDN’T!!
My head was swirling with questions... Ito na ba yun? Ito ba sagot ni Sef sa sulat ko?? So anong ibig sabihin nun??
I gulped. I couldn’t seem to breathe as something throbbed at the pit of my stomach.
Ang galing mo talaga Ellie... first time mo na nga lang gumawa ng love letter, BASTED KA PA!!
Yaya Kusing entered Sef’s room. Oras na para maglinis ng kwarto ng binata. Hindi naman makalat si Sef, pero madalas may mga bote ng beer o kaya coke-in-can sa lamesa, sa ibabaw ng drawer at madalas sa ilalim ng kama. Yaya Kusing took the dirty clothes off the reclining chair. Walis dito, walis doon... alikabok ng konti dito, alikabok doon... Yaya Kusing then bent low, reaching underneath the bed, baka kasi may natitira pang bote ng beer... but to her slight surprise, iba ang nakuha niya sa ilalim ng kama... it was a piece of yellow paper... Her brow raised in wonder, ni minsan hindi niya nakitang nag-aral si Sef... It seemed very unusual to find a piece of paper in this room...
She reluctantly opened the paper, parang hindi pa nga ito nabubuklat ee... She stared at it for a while... Her eyes scanning it... it appeared to be a letter of some sort... pero wala siyang maintindihan sa mga nakasulat dito. Tagalog kasi ee. But, deep down, Yaya Kusing knew it was a matter of importance. Suddenly, something caught her attention... at the bottom of the paper was a name that made her slightly gasp... ♥ Ellie.
“Ellie?” She murmured the name as if trying to recall. “Ellie?” She almost laugh and remembered the kind, sweet girl na nagluto ng porridge sa kusina nung may sakit si Sef. “No way! There’s got to be some mistake...” She stared at the paper, parang hindi makapaniwala. Parang hindi naman tipo ni Ellie ang magsulat ng ganito... siguro ibang Ellie toh... this must be just one of the many fan letters na nakukuha ng amo niya. With that thought, Yaya Kusing crumpled the paper and threw it in the pocket of her apron and went on with cleaning the room.
TO BE CONTINUED.
Sef opened his bag na kakakuha lang niya ke Japo. He needed something to distract him… The moment na nasilip niya ang laman ng bag niya… there was this odd looking notebook that stood out, he was sure it doesn’t belong to him. Kay Japo kaya? But then, hindi uso ang notebook sa isang kagaya ni Japo.
Sef took out the said notebook, suddenly curious kung kanino ito. Walang pangalan, ni walang section na nakalagay. He scanned the first few pages, mga accounting notes, puro numbers na wala namang saysay. Just by looking at the handwriting, Sef suspected that the owner is probably a lady. Sef thought na kahit nga ata yung may-ari nito hindi maiintindihan ang sariling notes. Tapos bawat page pa ee puro may doodle ng dahon, ng spiral, ng zigzag at ng kung anu-ano pang shapes. Ni wala na sa linya yung mga numbers, para bang scratch paper ng solutions ng tamad na estudyante. Until sa mga sumunod na pages, hindi na notes ang laman nito… nagmistulang listahan na ito ng mga pagkain. Drawing ng burger, ng coke, ng fries… and for some unexplainable reason… this reminded Sef of… Ellie.
“Tsk.” He grunted. Throwing the notebook on the foot of his bed. Hindi niya namalayan yung yellow pad na lumabas mula dito, and the letter landed underneath the bed – completely unnoticed.
Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan
Kung pwede lang talaga, gugustuhin kong maglaho na lang bigla!! Four days na ang nakakalipas, but I’m still nervous as hell, I couldn’t think of anything else besides that letter... and Sef. Yung parang kahit anong gawin ko, kahit anong pagkain pa nasa harap ko, kahit ano pang movie ni John Lloyd Cruz ang panuorin ko, papasok at papasok pa din ito na parang naka-TATOO na sa isip ko. Hindi lang basta henna tattoo, permanent ink na talaga!!
Gaaah, nabasa na kaya ni Sef? Ano kayang itsura niya habang binabasa? Nanghihina ako sa mga sarili kong tanong. I could imagine Sef na teary-eyed sa kakatawa. I could clearly hear his laughter in my head, so vivid and lucid as though anjan lang siya sa tabi ko.
NGAYON KO LANG NAPAHIYA ANG SARILI KO NG GANITO!! Dios ko, may reputasyon akong inaalagaan!! At dahil lang sa iisang papel, masisira yun!! Sheet tlga. Sheet na sheet!!
Dios ko, ano ba naman kasi tong napasok ko?? Bakit ba umabot pa sa ganito Eleonor?? Gggrrrr... hindi ee, kasalanan toh ni AJ!! Tama, si AJ!! Punyemas!! Lahat na lang ng plano niya PALPAK!! Kung hindi naman talaga niya ko pinagawa nun ee di sana wala na kong pinoproblema ngayon!! RRRRR... KAINIS!! KAINIS!! WWWAAAH, bakit ko ba kasi inilagay sa BAG na yun???
I scratched my head angrily at ng di pa ko nakuntento I covered my face with both hands. Hiyang-hiya talaga ko!! Hindi ko nga alam kung anong dapat kong reaksyon kapag nagkita kami ng gagung yun!! Actually, sa apat na araw na yun, hindi ko pa din nakikita ni anino niya dito sa MUP. Mabuti naman. That’s a good thing right? Or... it means... he’s...
“Ms. Dimaculangan!” Sigaw ng bakla kong professor. I’m probably close to gay people pero isang malaking exception to the rule itong prof kong ito. Galit na galit yan sakin. Ayaw kasi niya sa mga kagaya kong ginagawa lang daw ang mga gusto kong gawin ng walang pakialam kung maganda ba o pangit sa mata ng ibang tao. Yeah, that was how he sees me. Lagi din kasi niya kong nahuhuling naghihikab sa klase niya. Haha. “You seemed very... distracted. Is there anything you might want to share with the class?”
“Huh?” I muttered in confusion. “Wala po sir.”
“So, Ms. Dimaculangan tell me... what word that starts with the letter ‘I’ that is concerned with the processing of raw materials and manufacturing of goods?”
“Uh,” Sinubukan kong mag-isip. “I? Uh...” I looked around the room to scan the faces of my classmates. Hinihintay kong may mag bulong ng sagot. “Starts with the letter I sir?”Tinaasan na ko ng kilay ng prof ko. “I as in... Istablishment?” Bisaya ka man dong? Ee wala na ko maisip, basta daw nag-start sa letter I ee. Naririnig ko ang pigil na pagtawa ng mga kaklase ko.
Tumaas pa lalo ang kilay ni sir sakin. “Letter I, Miss Dimaculangan! Don’t you even know how to spell?” Parang konti na lang sasabunutan na niya ko.
Wala talaga ako sa mood ngayon!! At wala pang ibang sinasabi si sir kung hindi puro LETTER, LETTER, LETTER!! Itsura lang tuloy ni Sef ang nasa isip ko!!
“I said, it starts with the LETTER I!!”
I swallowed hard, and gave him a weak smile. “I? Uh, I... I don’t know sir?!” Kulang na lang magpalakpakan ang buong klase sa sagot kong yun but they could only control themselves before they burst into laughter. Ultimo si Max na laging naka kunot a noo ee napangiting tumingin sakin.
Pulang-pula ang muka ni sir as he told me to take a sit at tinawag na lang niya si Rica na boluntaryong nag-taas ng kamay.
Whew. Parang ang haba tuloy ng oras... parang gusto ko ng umuwi at mag-kulong na lang sa kwarto ko. Kahit ng sumapit na ang lunch para kong paranoid na lingon na lingon sa bawat estudyanteng dumadaan sa likod at harap ko. Part of me doesn’t want to see Sef... higit apat na araw na siyang hindi pumupunta dito sa MUP. Pero... alam niyo naman yun, minsan-minsan parang kabuteng sumusulpot... and I wanted to be prepared.
I went to seat by the terrace sa may 4th floor, my back against the railings and my legs outstretched on the dusty floor. Umiiwas muna ko sa mga lugar tulad ng bleachers sa may field, sa lobby sa 2nd floor kung san madaling makita yung clinic ni Ms. Elena, sa may malapit sa car park at sa mga lugar na madali akong matatanaw... okay matatanaw ni Sef.
“Mm,” someone then sat beside me, halos himatayin ako sa nerbyos. Akala ko kasi si Sef. I let out a sigh of relief ng makita kong si Max naman pala. He just sat there beside me, without saying any word. This was what I love about Max, hindi yan magtatanong kung may problema ba ko o kung okay lang ako, he knew I hate answering questions... but his oppressing silence was killing me.
“Max...” I sighed deeply, my shoulders dropping in defeat. He turned sideways to look at me but waited still for me to go on. “Meron akong ginawang...” I probed for the right words, “Meron akong... ginawang sulat... para sa isang...” Napatigil ako... para nga ba sa isang ano, Ellie? “Ahh... Ganito Max, pano kung gumawa ka ng sulat para kay Sara pero hindi mo naman talaga gustong ipabasa sakanya... pero nagkamali ka at nailagay mo mismo sa bag niya. Pano kung nabasa niya? Ano ng gagawin mo?” Hindi ko din alam kung papano ko nasabi ang lahat ng ito without even taking a pause.
I felt Max’s stare intensified. His brows creased, halos magkasalubong na ito into one straight line. Parang bigla naman daw akong natakot... like there was something about his eyes... pero bago ko pa malaman Max quickly looked away. I waited... but he didn’t answer.
“Anjan ka lang pala.” I felt my heart jumped ng biglang umupo si Japo sa tabi ko. Animales yan!! WWWAAAAH!! NABABALIW NA ATA KO!! Pakiwari ko lahat ng tao si SEF!! “Oh ayan.” Japo handed me a notebook. I blinked. YUNG NOTEBOOK KO!! “Grabe ka talaga, para lang sa notebook na toh, sinigawan mo pa ko sa telepono?”
I hold my breath as I took it with shaky hands. Napalunok ako. D-dito ko naipit yung SULAT!! “A-anjan si Sef?” I asked nervously... and I hate it kasi parang... half of me was wishing na SANA anjan nga siya!! Lechugas ka Ellie!! RRRR...
“Hindi. Umalis na. Inabot lang niya sakin yan.”
Binuklat ko yung notebook ko... madaming yellow pad na nakaipit dito, mga quizzes ko sa Tax, sa Law last sem at kung anu-ano pang related sa school... pero... pero... I felt my heart stopped, WALA YUNG SULAT!!
“ITO LANG?” I blurted out at Japo. “ITO LANG BINIGAY NIYA?”Walang pintor ang magtatangkang iguhit ang itsura ng muka ko ngayon. I was turning paler by the minute. Kahit si Juan Luna, aayawan ako.
Japo raised a brow in wonder, halatang nagtataka na ito. “Oo. Bakit? Ano pa bang kulang?”
Oh sheet!! Don't tell me, pina-frame pa ni Sef ang sulat ko?! AMP YAN!!
“Max, may masarap daw na restaurant sa may street na yun!” Sara said excitedly. She is always excited and highly energetic sa tuwing inihahatid siya ni Max. She just loves the feeling na solo niya ang binata, kaya nga bigla siyang umapila ng magyaya si Borge kanina na tambay mode daw muna silang lahat sa Starbucks. Sara quickly said no and pulled Max along with her even though na feel niya din na nagdadalawang isip si Max especially when Ellie was coming.
Is it wrong to want to spend more time with him? Oo, Sara could be a spoiled brat at times... pero... tuwing uwian lang naman niya nasasarili si Max ee... kaya nga she would always suggest places na pwede pa nila puntahan bago siya tuluyang ihatid nito. Kung pwede lang talaga patagalin ang oras... Sara would have done it in a heartbeat. “Sabi ni Borge, na-try daw nila ni Nico nung isang araw.” She beamed.
But Max was rather silent. His face was, as usual, serious. His mind was off some place again that he didn’t get what Sara was saying as he missed the turn na kanina pa tinuturo ng dalaga.
“Ayun! Ayu—n oh...” Sara’s voice gradually weakened, her smile slowly fading ng dire-diretso lang si Max, missing the street kung nasan yung restaurant. Sinundan lang tuloy ng tingin ni Sara yung street as she quietly sat back down the passenger seat.
Max didn’t seem to notice the sudden change of mood in the car. He was too preoccupied with more important things... Ellie for instance. He wasn’t that stupid not to figure out what she was trying to say a while ago. She made Sef a letter. Yun yung sulat na nakita niyang ginagawa ng dalaga nung isang araw sa bench sa walkway. She even lied about it, claiming it was an assignment na pinapagawa sakanya ng kapatid na si Eddy. Sheet, he should have seen this coming!! Max couldn’t bear the thought of Ellie... with Sef... and an uncontrollable rush of anger came knocking in his chest. Unconsciously, humigpit ang hawak ni Max sa manibela as though he could punch anything, anyone in that moment.
Sara noticed this. The anger emanating out from Max was obvious, and she thought... Was he mad at her? Pero bakit? May ginawa ba siyang ikagagalit ng binata? Or could it be that... he wanted to go with Ellie sa Starbucks, but she forced him to drive her home instead... Si Ellie nanaman! Parang bumigat ang dibdib ni Sara. No, no, no... She shouldn’t be thinking about things like this, lalo na’t si Ellie yun. Isa sa mga matatalik niyang kaibigan. Maybe, Max was just in a bad mood...yeah, that must be it.
Pero alam ni Sara, niloloko lang niya sarili niya.
Starbucks
6:30 pm
Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan
Natuwa ako ng nagyaya si Borge, naisip ko kasi baka sakaling mawala sa isip ko yung sulat at si Sef... pero sa lahat naman ng Starbucks sa buong Pilipinas, talagang dun pa kami sa Starbucks na... punong-puno ng memories ni... Sef!! Haha. Amp yan. Dun lang naman kami sa Starbucks na ginawa naming meeting place nung may pustahan pa kaming date. Pagtapak ko pa nga lang sa entrance, my heart already gave a loud thud. I scanned the room with nervous eyes, baka kasi mamaya isa pala si Sef sa mga naka-upo dun sa mga couches.
Hhaaaiii... apat na araw ko ng hindi nakikita si Sef... hindi ko alam kung, matutuwa ako o ano ee. Diba ito yung matagal mo ng hinihiling Ellie? Yung ni anino ng lokong yun ee hindi mo na makikita? Pero... bakit ganun? Parang... parang... hindi naman ganito yung gusto kong mangyari... tapos... ibinalik nga ni Sef yung notebook ko, pero... wala naman yung sulat... tapos... pinaabot lang niya kay Japo, ni hindi man lang siya pumasok sa MUP... ano kayang ibig sabihin nun? I thought of the possible reasons... pero ayoko yung mga sagot na pumasok sa isip ko... Siguro we shared the same sentiments, tapos naman na yung pustahan ee, bakit pa nga naman niya ko kikitain? And my letter? Haha. Siguradong natapon na niya yun pagkabasang-pagkabasa niya... AAARGH!! PUNYEMAS!! ANO BA ELLIE?? Sumama ka kela Borge para hindi na muling isipin pa yan! Tapos na yan, okay? TAPOS NA!! NABASA NA YUNG SULAT!! THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE!!
SHEET!! Being here didn’t help me at all... it just made my condition a lot worse!!
“Pa-order na lang ako Ellie oh, please?” Lambing sakin ni Borge as she was handing me her money. “Vanilla sakin, venti.”
I just nodded, even though in normal circumstances I would have made a protest.
“Ikaw Meg? What’s yours?” Tanong ni Jill. Yep, all girls kaming nag-punta dito. Si Japo kasi meron daw gagawin. Same goes with Ken. Si Sara naman, niyaya ng umuwi si Max.
“Uh, Caffè Mocha. Decaf.” Meg smiled sweetly as she gave Jill a 200-peso bill. “Thanks.”
“Ok.” Jill nodded. “Lika Ellie, sama na ko sayo sa counter.” Tumango na lang ulit ako.
“Are you really okay?”
“Huh?” Napatingin ako kay Jill. “Bakit mo naman natanong?”
“Ee kasi, you’ve been acting odd lately. Nag-away nanaman ba kayo ng kapatid mo?”
I smiled at Jill. Sana ba kung ganon na nga lang ang nangyari ee. “Hindi, uh, puyat lang ako. Lagi kasing nasa bahay si AJ atchaka yung mga classmates niya. Dun sila gumagawa ng thesis.”Well, totoo naman ang sinabi ko kay Jill... madalas na nasa bahay yung group ni AJ para sa thesis nila, including Brad.
Ewan ko ba, bakit hindi ko magawang makwento sa mga kaibigan ko kung ano ba talaga itong bumabagabag sakin... itong malaki kong prublema kay Sef... hm, siguro chaka na lang... kapag nasolusyunan ko na.
Nauna ng kong umorder kay Jill and I stood by the claiming area, hinihintay na matawag ang pangalang Bea Alonzo. Oo. Haha. Tuwing umo-order ako dito sa Starbucks, I make sure na creative ang pangalang binibigay ko. Hehe. Nung minsan nga ginamit ko Piolo Pascual, lahat ng lalaki napa-lingon!! HAHA.
“Vanilla, venti & Java Chip, grande for...Bea Alonzo.” Kahit yung barista naka-ngiting inabot sakin yung mga order ko, he’s probably hoping na si Bea Alonzo nga talaga ang makakaharap niya. Jill was grinning knowingly at me habang hinihintay yung sukli niya. I shot back a grin at her before I turned around only to bump hard into someone, who was standing behind me na ike-claim din yung order niya. “Sorry po.” I mumbled. Matandang businessman na lalaki ang natamaan ko, “No harm done.” He said with a fatherly smile. Buti na lang may takip yung mga drinks at hindi natapon.
I was just about to walk back kela Borge when... when I froze from head to toe. Gusto ko mang tumakbo, ayaw gumalaw ng mga paa ko. My eyes widening in shock... there... walking through the entrance door papunta sa may counter was Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde. Halos mabitawan ko yung mga inuming hawak-hawak ko. Nanlamig buong katawan ko, and I felt the need to get a hold of my chest, pakiwari ko kasi, tatalon na papalabas ang puso ko!! He was, as usual, looking so incredibly handsome especially with that sexy smile of his. My world stopped but in reality, everything just happened so fast. Nakatayo lang ako dun na parang estatwa, my wide eyes glued on him. I was just watching him, at nanunuod pa din ako ng umakbay si Sef sa babaeng hindi ko napansing kasama pala niya. Nagkatinginan kami, his eyes were focused on me and I felt something ache in my chest... he knew... he knew I was there... pero dinaanan lang niya ko na parang... na parang... hindi niya ko kilala.
“Uy Sef!” I heard Jill behind me, greeting him with a warm smile. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Mukang busy ka aa?” Jill giggled, obviously referring to the girl Sef was with. Yeah, the girl... Actually, mestiza yung girl, with long brown hair na halatang pinakulayan lang niya. She was slim at obvious naman agad sa unang tingin ee maganda, kutis mayaman, definitely pang girlfriend material... Yung tipo ng mga babaeng lapitin ng mga lalaki, yung kahit ata pag-pawisan at paliguan mo ng putik ee, maganda at mabango pa din. Yung tipong... match na match kay Sef.
“Hey.” Sef sounded delighted upon seeing Jill, na kala mo they were long-time friends. “Yeah. Sort of. By the way Jill, this is---”
Hindi ko na pinakinggan... I don’t want to hear the rest of their conversation... Okay, ako na ang dinedma ni Sef!! I marched my way towards Borge and Meg, who were both eyeing me strangely. Na para bang, nakita din nila yung kanina... at ngayon tinitignan nila ko, yung mga mata nila parang nagtatanong ng, WHAT’S UP WITH YOU AND SEF??
Tahimik lang akong umupo sa tabi ni Borge, my chest getting heavier by the minute... Hindi ako makatingin kela Borge at Meg as I tried to gain CONTROL of myself, of my emotions... I casually took a sip of my favourite Java Chip while staring madly against the table. KAYA MO YAN ELLIE!! KAYA MO YAN!! ANAKSHUTANG ANIMALES!! SUS. WALA LANG YAN ELLIE!! REMEMBER OUR SECRET TECHNIQUE: DEDMA. IGNORE... but to no avail... I COULDN’T!!
My head was swirling with questions... Ito na ba yun? Ito ba sagot ni Sef sa sulat ko?? So anong ibig sabihin nun??
I gulped. I couldn’t seem to breathe as something throbbed at the pit of my stomach.
Ang galing mo talaga Ellie... first time mo na nga lang gumawa ng love letter, BASTED KA PA!!
Yaya Kusing entered Sef’s room. Oras na para maglinis ng kwarto ng binata. Hindi naman makalat si Sef, pero madalas may mga bote ng beer o kaya coke-in-can sa lamesa, sa ibabaw ng drawer at madalas sa ilalim ng kama. Yaya Kusing took the dirty clothes off the reclining chair. Walis dito, walis doon... alikabok ng konti dito, alikabok doon... Yaya Kusing then bent low, reaching underneath the bed, baka kasi may natitira pang bote ng beer... but to her slight surprise, iba ang nakuha niya sa ilalim ng kama... it was a piece of yellow paper... Her brow raised in wonder, ni minsan hindi niya nakitang nag-aral si Sef... It seemed very unusual to find a piece of paper in this room...
She reluctantly opened the paper, parang hindi pa nga ito nabubuklat ee... She stared at it for a while... Her eyes scanning it... it appeared to be a letter of some sort... pero wala siyang maintindihan sa mga nakasulat dito. Tagalog kasi ee. But, deep down, Yaya Kusing knew it was a matter of importance. Suddenly, something caught her attention... at the bottom of the paper was a name that made her slightly gasp... ♥ Ellie.
“Ellie?” She murmured the name as if trying to recall. “Ellie?” She almost laugh and remembered the kind, sweet girl na nagluto ng porridge sa kusina nung may sakit si Sef. “No way! There’s got to be some mistake...” She stared at the paper, parang hindi makapaniwala. Parang hindi naman tipo ni Ellie ang magsulat ng ganito... siguro ibang Ellie toh... this must be just one of the many fan letters na nakukuha ng amo niya. With that thought, Yaya Kusing crumpled the paper and threw it in the pocket of her apron and went on with cleaning the room.
TO BE CONTINUED.