To The Tune Of

Restless II

AN: Sa uulitin, isang paalala na ito ay fictional lamang. Anything na kahalintulad nito sa totoong buhay ay hindi talagang konektado sa mga totoong tao na pinagbasehan ng istorya na ito. Yun lang. Alexa, play Restless by Cold War Kids. 🤗

*****

"That's weird."

Tumingin si Leon sa anak nyang panganay na nakatingin sa phone nya.

Hindi man sya nagsalita dahil baka naman kinakausap lang nito sarili nya but Aya looked at her questioningly and asked. "Ma, did you do something? Said something? To Tita Sen?"

Saktong kakalabas naman ni Janine na papasok pa lang sana sa school. "Or kung ano ba ang hindi nya ginawa, di ba Ate Aya?"

"Wala akong ginawa ah." She defended. "Ang galing galing nga eh. Pinadalhan ko pa nga ng vitamins kasi meron nagpadala nung berocca sa atin di ba? So pinadalhan ko din."

"Eh bakit parang tentative sya to hang out with us?" Aya wondered.

"Malay ko. Last week pa nga yung last text nya sa akin. Which is nagpasalamat lang dun sa vitamins." Leon paused. She pulled her phone out and texted Therese again.

Hi! Are you busy?

Was wondering. Labas tayo? My treat?

With the kids of course.

She waited for few minutes.

Normally, matagal na yung five minutes na reply ni Therese. Personal number ang nasa kanya and not the one for her work so she expected her to reply pero wala din.

She remember na naka-ilang text din sha dito but mostly, one liners lang ang sagot sa kanya.

"Oh. Ikaw din, Ma no?"

Natatawa ang panganay nya.

"Okay lang, Ma. Baka busy nga." Singit ng pangalawa nya na lumapit na sa kanya para humalik sa pisngi nya at yumakap sa Ate nya. "Pero try ko din i-text mamaya, Ma."

"Sus. Parang may pera panlibre."

Nilahad nito ang palad sa kanya. "Eh kaya nga hihingi ako sa'yo. Baka sakali pumayag. Alangan naman na ako nangyaya tapos sya pa din ang sasagot di ba?"

"Blackmailer." She muttered.

"Ay sinabi mo pa, Ma. Budol yan si Janine."

*****

It's Eleonor's turn to do some groceries. If she's being honest, she's really pissed of because it's been a month since her and Therese's last interaction.

Sure, Janine and Aya told her they invited them to dinner when she's in Naga but whenever she's in the city and invite her herself, palaging busy. Worse, she's left unreplied.

"Leon?"

She looked up and saw Anton and Franco na kasama ang mga asawa nila.

"Uy!" She beamed. She kept in touch with them pero through social media lang. Minsan lang din umattend ng reunions but they understand how demanding her work is. "Mga mokong!"