Mas inuna na ihatid ni Xypheir si Reeve bago ako kasi lasing na lasing siya at kailangan niya ng alalay. Iniliko niya muna ang sasakyan bago niya ako sinagot.
“That was the question that I couldn’t answer kasi biglaan niya lang din sinabi sa amin na uuwi siya dito.”
Hindi ko na siya kinulit pa at tahimik na lang na nagmamasid sa madilim na daan. Tama na ‘yong nalaman ko ngayong gabi. Hindi ko mapigilang isipin na kung hindi ba kami nagkita ng mga kaibigan niya ngayon malalaman ko ba ang mga ito?
The car stopped in front of his house. Bumababa si Xypheir at tinulungan akong alalayan si Reeve. Hindi na kasi siya magising-gising.
“Tangina pre, ang bigat mo,” Xypheir complained when Reeve’s weight shifted on him.
“Lasingin niyo pa kasi ayan tuloy napala mo,” I mocked.
Dahil sa bigat ni Reeve ay hindi sila makalakad ng maayos kaya pasuray-suray silang dalawang naglalakad. The whole time that Xypheir was carrying here ay panay reklamo lang ito.
Laking pasasalamat niya nang makaabot na kami sa loob ng kwarto ni Reeve kaya bigla niya lang itong sinalampak sa kama.
“Henzy, I’ll wait downstairs asikasuhin mo muna siya baka magsuka ‘yan,” Xypheir reminded.
“Sige, thank you,” I told him at lumabas na siya.
Ako naman ay nagsimula na siyang asikasuhin. Kumuha ako ng bimpo at binasa ko sa tubig para pampunas sa pawis niya. Unti-unti ko ring binuksan ang kaniyang damit para punasana ang dibdib niya dahil abot hanggang do’n ang pawis niya.
It was my first time seeing him half-naked kaya medyo kinakabahan pa ako, but I need to do this kung ayaw kong magkasakit siya.
I gulped many times before finally opening up the buttons of his polo shirt. Naka aircon naman ang kwarto niya ngunit ramdam na ramdam ko ang pagpatak ng pawis mula sa aking noo.
Goodness, Henzy! Magpupunas ka lang ng pawis niya pero grabe ka na maka react!
Pigil hininga kong ina-unbotton ang kaniyang polo shirt hanggang sa makarating ako banda sa abdominal niya. Pagdating sa may abdominal niya ay natigil ang mga mata ko nang ilang sandali. Nang dahil sa pawis niya ay nagniningning ang mga tinatago niyang kayamanan sa loob ng katawan niya.
Kung kanina ay panay lunok ako ngayon ay mas dumoble pa nang masaksihan mismo nang aking dalawang mata kung paano nagniningning ang walong abs niya sa katawan. Titig pa lamang ay makakasiguro ka na matigas ito paano pa kaya kapag nahawakan ko na?
Tangina, Henzy hindi six packs ang nakalatag sa harapan mo kun’di walong pandesal! Hindi pa rin maalis-alis ang tingin ko sa walong pandesal na nasa harapan ko kung hindi lang siya gumalaw.
I shrugged off my thoughts para mabalik ako sa katinuan. Tumikhim ako at kinuha na ang bimpo.
I squeezed the bimpo soaked with water and started rubbing it from his face down to his chest. Pagkatapos ay inalis ko na ang kaniyang polo pero hindi pa man ako nangangalahati sap ag-alis ng damit niya ay bigla niyang hinawakan ang aking kamay at namumugay ang mga mata nitong tinignan ako.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, slurry.
I am waiting for his another word pero nakapikit na ulit siya at mahimbing na natulog. Nananaginip siguro to at kung ano-ano na ang mga pinagsasabi. Dinalian ko na ang pag-asikaso sa kaniya at si Xypheir ay nahihintay sa labas.
Nang mapanatag sa kalagayan niya ay pinatay ko na ang ilaw at medyo pinalakasan ang aircon niya bago umalis. Xypheir was waiting for me downstairs at nagkakape at kausap ang isang kasambahay marahil ay nagising sa pagpasok namin.
“You done?” he asked, smirking.
Inirapan ko siya, “Ano sa tingin mo? Kakambal ko ang nasa harapan mo?”
He chuckled, “That man was so lucky to meet you.”
“I just hope the happiness between the two of you,” he suddenly stated.
“Nag New York ka lang ang drama mo na?” asar ko.
Nagpaalam na siya sa kasambahay nila Reeve at inaya na akong umalis. As much as I want to stay here, I can’t, especially that the owner of the house was drunk. At may apartment naman akong uuwian.
“Where are you staying?” I asked, to break the silence between us.
“Greenleaf Hotel, wala sa plano ko ang umuwi ngayon. It was just, mapilt si Andrew at gusto niya na kompleto kaming apat,” he answered.
“I didn’t expect that you and Reeve are friends.”
Bumuntong hininga siya at niliko ang manobela bago ako sinagot, “I didn’t either. Patunay na kahit gaano ka laki ang mundo connected pa rin ang mga tao.”
I laughed at his statement. Hindi rin nagtagal ay nasa tapat na ako ng apartment ko. I bid my thanks to him and before I could go out to his car, he asked me a question about my bestfriend.
“How’s she?”
“She’s fine now. You’re not going to see her?”
“Nah… it’s better if she doesn’t know that I am here, I might disturb her, again…”
“Well, it’s your choice, thanks for the ride, Xy…”
What I have known that night was still in my head. A part of me wants to open up to him and there’s also a part of me, saying I should wait for him to speak up on his own, yet in the end, I choose to stay silent.
Nandito ako ngayon sa hospital dahil clinical rounds namin. I was listening to the nurses’ handover their patients when the other nurse shift was done.
The most important skill that I should practice and learn is how to handover the patient to the other nurse. I was very attentive so that when my time comes, I wouldn’t struggle.
When the afternoon comes, the nurse supervisor assigned me to a patient in room 234 para kuhanan ng blood pressure ang pasyente. This day was busy here in the hospital as well as the staff, kaya kami rin na mga student nurse ay busy din sa pagsunod ng mga naka assigned sa amin.
Agad ko naman itong sinunod at pumunta na sa room ng pasyente. After I finished doing the task that day I could finally see Reeve dahil off duty na rin kami at babalik sa susunod na araw.
Sabay kaming pumunta dito kanina pero pagkatapos no’n ay hindi ko na siya nakita dahil hindi ako nag lunch due to the loaded works today. And when the clock strikes at five p.m my heart goes wildly excited to see him again.
Nang maayos ko na ang lahat ng gamit ko ay lumabas na ako. Sa canteen ng hospital kami magkikita kasi kanina pa ako gutom. I was happily eating my early dinner when someone behind me called my name.
“Henzy?” a voice of a guy called me
I wiped the excess food left on my mouth before facing the guy who called my name.
“Ikaw nga, Henzy!” masayang ani niya sa akin. He was smiling so widely na akala mo ay isa akong relative na matagal na niyang hindi nakikita. I looked at him confused.
Nang mapansin niya ang aking reaksyon ay unti-unti nawala ang ngiti sa kaniyang mga labi. “Hala siya, ilang taon lang tayo hindi nagkita hindi mo na ako kilala,” sabi niya, “ako to, si Ryouijie ka-klase mo no’ng junior highschool!” walang pagdadalawang isip niyang pagpapakilala sa akin.
It took me a second to process what he said. Namilog ang mga mata ko nang maalala siya! I eyed him from his face down to his toes. He’s a bit taller than the last time I saw him he has also a better body built now at nagkalaman-laman na.
“Ikaw yong matalino na patpatin naming ka-klase?!” hindi makapaniwala kong sabi.
He nodded happily, “Iyan talaga ang naalala mo, ano?”
“Upo ka,” pang-aaya ko sa kaniya nang mapansin na may bitbit pala siyang mga pagkain.
“Salamat naman at naisipan mong alokin ako.”
“Naku pasensya na, hindi na kasi kita nakilala sa isang tinginan lang. You grow better at mas lalo kang naging gwapo,” pagbibiro ko.
He laughed heartedly, “Mapagbiro ka pa rin hanggang ngayon, Henzy no?”
“Bakit ka pala nandito?” tanong ko.
He scratched his head first before answering me, “My mom got hospitalized here kaya nandito ako.”
“Kamusta naman siya?” may bahid na pag-alala sa boses ko.
“Ayos na siya. Tumaas lang ang blood pressure niya at prone ‘yon sa hypertension dahil sa sobrang taas kaya dinala namin siya dito sa hospital para maagapan pa,” sagot niya.
“Ikaw how are you? Long time no see.”
“Ito, busy sa pag-aaral at sa duty dito bilang student nurse.”
“Wow, hindi nga talaga nagbago ang gusto mo sa buhay, ano. You really pursued nursing… I still remember clearly back when we were still a junior you’re always saying that someday you will be a doctor. Now, look at you, following the stepping stone to your dream,” he amazingly muttered.
“It was because my heart beats for it. You know me, back then I would always state my motto to the class,” I said.
“Follow the path where your heart beats and not what other people state,” we said in chorus.
“You remember!”
Ngumisi siya, “Of course, our classmates were always amazed at how driven and passionate you are when it to comes to achieving your dream. Your motto leaves a great inspiration to them—including me.”
“Wow… I will take that as a compliment, Ry,” hindi ko mapigilang matuwa sa sinabi niya sa akin.
That motto of mine has always been my guide in taking every path that I take. That motto was molded in my heart, and I will bring it wherever I go. It serves as an inspiration to me, and hearing that word from my former classmate that my simple motto somehow inspires them, was overwhelming on my part.
“Alam mo naman na karamihan sa mga ka-klase natin no’n ay halos pangarap ng mga magulang nila ang sinusunod nila at hindi ang kanila. Parang nakakatak sa isipan nila na dapat sundin nila ang gusto ng mga magulang nila dahil sila ang nagpapa-aral sa kanila,” he stated.
“It was hard not to follow the dreams of your parents for you but it was much harder when you don’t follow your own dreams. Kasi buhay mo pa rin ‘yan. Your decisions now would always reflect your future,” I voiced out.
“You’re the kind of woman that has always a word of wisdom that would inspire others, and I admire you for that,” he commented.
“Ano ka ba, ako lang to,” I proudly replied.
“Nga pala, do you have a boyfriend already?” nakataas niyang kilay tanong.
“Wala pero manliligaw meron,” walang preno kong sabi.
“Ang honest ha,” he asserted.
“Oo naman bakit? Ikaw? Tinatago mo ba ang nililigawan mo?” I joked.
“Wala nga akong nililigawan paano ko e tatago?” tawa niya.
I almost jumped in shock when Reeve suddenly appeared between us and encircled his arms around my waist. Nakita ko rin ang gulat sa mga mata ni Ryouijie nang masaksihan niya ang biglang pagdating ni Reeve.
“Who is he?” he huskily whispered, ramdam ko ang pagod galing sa duty kaya gano’n na lang ang boses niya.
Tumikhim ako at pormal na pinakilala silang dalawa. Reeve shows no interest in Ryouijie while Ryouijie was the opposite.
“Ah sge Henzy, gotta go back to my mom. Nice talking to you and see you soon,” he suddenly bid a goodbye. Hindi pa man ako nakapagpaalam ay agad na siyang tumayo at umalis.
“You didn’t answer my calls,” he suddenly said.
“Omg… sorry, my phone was silent the whole time. I forgot to change it.” Agad ko rin kinuha ang phone sa tote bag na dala ko at tinignan ang missed calls niya.
Bigla niyang isinandal ang ulo niya sa balikat ko at pumikit. Pinag-cross niya rin ang aming dalawang kamay.
“Are you tired?” I softly asked him and brushed my finger to his hair using my other hand.
“I felt better when I’m with you.”
“Then rest if you’re feeling better,” I told him.
“You’re my rest.”
“You’re my rest too,” I confessed.
Hind rin nagtagal ay hinatid na niya ako sa apartment ko. I asked him to go inside with me to rest for a while, yet he rejected. Lumabas lang siya sa sasakyan niya at pinanood akong pumasok sa loob.
My footsteps were getting heavier and heavier. Gusto ko nang sabihin sa kaniya ang matagal ko nang pinag-isipan na bagay. I want to make our relationship official already. Reeve deserves to know my answer, but I was too shy to state it.
I want to make our relationship official because my heart was now ready to love again. Ready to love without hunting by my past.
In his arms, I feel loved and worthy. In his arms, I am free. He made me feel that I am the most important and special girl to him in his arms. In him, I feel the love that I deserved, and with him, I can love without doubts anymore.
In his arms, I am happy.
I stopped midway and turned around. Nakakunot noo niya akong tinignan marahil ay nagtataka kung bakit hindi pa ako pumapasok.
I ran towards him and closed the distance between us. Without any second thoughts, I tiptoed and grabbed the collar of his shirt and suddenly claimed his reddish lips.
I felt him stiffened at my sudden action, but I pushed myself even more. Slowly he adjusted, and he started responding to my kisses, but it didn’t last long as he pushes himself right away.
He stared at me with a questionable look. “What was that,” his voice was raspy.
Pinagdikit ko ang aming noo at ipinalibot ang mga kamay sa kaniyang leeg.
Today, October 4, 2018, I am going to make it official—we’re going to make it official.
“Let’s make it official, Reeve.”