Unify Series #3: Verdicts of Yesterday

41

"Ate Niae!"

Abala ako sa pagluluto sa kusina nang marinig ko ang malakas na boses ni Indi. Bahagya kong pinunasan ang pawis sa aking noo bago ako naiiling na bumaling sa bata. She is holding my phone that made confusion to creep in my face. "Bakit?"

"May tumatawag po," she said and handed me my phone. Kumunot ang noo ko.

"Sino?"

"Hindi ko po alam, e. Hindi kasi nagsasalita."

Mahina akong tumango at nilapag sa mesa ang hawak ko. I wiped my hands first before I get my phone from her. Kaagad namang umalis ang bata, iniiwan ako. I let out a light sigh first before I slowly get my phone near my ear.

"Hello?" usal ko. Walang nagsalita mula sa kabilang linya kaya napangiwi ako. "You might have call wrong number -"

"Nirene."

Natigilan ako nang marinig ang boses na iyon. Napako ako sa kinatatayuan ko at wala sa sariling tinignan ang numero ng tumatawag. I then bit my lower lip when I figured out who is calling. It is her. "Yeah? Who's this calling?"

"Amara," she simply said from the other line. Malamya naman akong napangiti, hindi malaman kung ano ang dapat na reaksyon.

"Why did you call?" My knees feel so weak so I sat on the chair nearby. I leaned my back against the chair before I bit my thumb, nervous with her sudden call.

"Aren't you busy?"

"I am," mahina kong sabi. "Bakit ka tumawag? Sabihin mo na. Nagmamadali kasi ako."

"I... I want to talk to you even just for a minute. Can we?"

"Bakit pa? Para saan?"

"Para sa atin."

Mahina akong natawa at nagbaba ng tingin sa aking paanan. "Bakit ngayon pa?" humina ang boses ko. "Bakit ngayon pa, Amara? Don't you have calendar in your house? On your phone? Look what date it is already."

"Nirene, please? I want to talk to you. I know it's not too late yet..." her voice screams pleading. I can't believe that she really is calling now just to tell this to me. Not too late, huh? How can she say? Ayos pa sa kaniya ang buwan? Sa loob ng isang buwan, hindi man lang siya nagparamdam at hinayaan lang akong masaktan. Nanggagago ba siya?

"Sabihin mo na bago ko ipatay ang tawag."

I heard her sigh from the other line. "Why are you being like this?"

"Sabihin mo na," pag-uulit ko, mariin na ang pagkasasabi. I am getting annoyed, really. "Defend yourself."

"I am not going to defend myself, okay? I am calling you to clarify things out. I am to explain and not to defend. If I could just go there and talk to you personally -"

"Tama na, please?" I cut her off with my broken voice. "Explain yourself because I can't take it anymore! Hearing your voice from the other line fine as fuck, you're very well. Let's finish this early."

Saglit siyang natahimik ngunit nagsalita rin naman kaagad. "I don't know where you saw that picture. Hindi ko alam kung bakit galit ka, malungkot ka, nasasaktan ka. Chq told me everything just yesterday. Those pictures, it was the old one, Nirene. That picture was taken last year and funny how you didn't notice that."

Napalunok ako. "I... I don't believe you."

"That was reposted, Nirene. Please, believe me. You know to yourself that I can't do that to you. I don't cheat, I don't hurt someone just that," her voice broke. "Believe me, please?"

I smiled faintly. "Fans were loving the view. You two suits together."

"Nirene, please! That was an old picture!"