Mistakes We Can't Laugh About (Loser #2)

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

It is true what they say, that one day you will meet someone who will understand how to really love you.

Their hands will be big enough for you to fit in between them. They will catch your laughter in a jar and open it in the middle of the night to listen to it again. They will remember every breath and laugh. They will pursue your heart even if you don't know that it desires to be captured in the first place.

One day, you'll find someone . . . because right now, I know I've found mine.

Everything that Leon said and planned did come true.

Nag-avail siya ng may kalakihang locker para sa aming dalawa at doon namin iniiwan ang mga libro at ibang gamit namin. He also put my makeup trolley and ring light there, basically taking up all the space. Kaya kapag may raket ako ay hindi na ako umuuwi sa apartment. He'd accompany me to carry my stuff. Hindi pa siya pumapayag na hindi siya kasama.

Itinira lang namin ang DSM-5-TR niya at ang Theories of Personality book na binili ko noon gamit ang voucher niya . . . but other than that, we sold all our books together.

Lagi rin akong may libreng breakfast at lunch dahil hindi siya nakakalimot magdala noon. He'd make sure I ate everything before we started working on our thesis.

"Thaddeus told me that you borrowed money from Shaira . . ." he said one time when we were in the library. "Kaya tinatanong kita noon kung may problema ka. You're not telling me anything."

I sighed. "Syempre, nahihiya ako, Leon. Bago pa lang tayo. I don't want to dump all my problems on you."

Sumeryoso ang mukha niya bago iniayos ang salamin.

"When I fell in love with you, I was ready for all that," he said. "I didn't love you just for convenience."

There comes the familiar flutter in my heart. Laging ganoon. Kahit gaano kaseryoso, basta sabihin niya lang na mahal niya ako, parang nakakawala sa wisyo.

"Now you'll pout like I'm scolding you," pagsusungit niya.

Kinagat ko ang pang-ibabang labi. "Eh, kasi . . . okay naman na, eh. Ba't mo pa ako pinapagalitan?"

"I'm just saying that you should practice telling me about your problems better. Para alam ko kung paano at saan kita tutulungan."

Tumango na lang ako dahil alam kong may punto siya. Matagal na akong ganito . . . kahit sa mga kaibigan ko. I'm not good at talking about my problems because I was raised to think that no one cares or that they have their own problems to deal with. Lahat naman kasi tayo ay may dinadala. Nakakahiya namang ipabitbit pa ito sa iba.

Naging mas madalas ang pagsasama namin ni Leon. We became partners in everything. Sabay kaming pumapasok araw-araw. Una kaysa sa mga kaklase ko. We'll have breakfast by ourselves in our rooms and lunch with our classmates. Most of them knew we were together already. Hindi naman kasi ma-ide-deny sa kilos namin.

After class, we'll work on our academic papers, and then we'll head to my makeup sessions or his clients. Salitan ang ginawa naming pagtanggap ng kliyente. Tinutulungan niya akong magdala ng mga gamit ko tuwing ako ang may trabaho at tinutulungan ko naman siyang tapusin ang commissions niya kapag siya ang meron.

This was easier. Nakakapagpahinga ako at kahit papaano ay nakakaipon. Una ko munang binayaran si Zoey dahil iyon pa lang ang kaya ko at nangako naman ako kay Shaira na sa susunod na buwan ako maghuhulog sa kanya.

I was thinking of introducing Leon to all my friends at home, but I don't know how to tell them. Gusto ko sana ay bago umalis si Kat sa apartment. She'd graduate soon. Kapag nagkataon ay baka mahirapan na kaming magkita-kita.