Malay Natin: Siguro Tayo

CXXV

Part 125

The leaves rustled as the cold wind gushed softly in the air. She closed her eyes, holding her breath as the breeze gently caressed her cheek.

It managed to brush away the tears hanging at the edge of her eyes.

Kanina pa pinaalalahanan ni Nika ang sarili niya. There's no sense in crying now. It's long overdue.

Nika wrinkled her nose after taking a sip of her beer from the can. It was stale, but it's the only thing she wanted off the restaurant's menu.

"Nika?" he called her name on the other line.

A smile automatically appeared on her lips. "Hmm?"

"Still there?"

"Yes, Miko. Nandito pa."

And you're still here, her mind whispered.

"Okay. Ten-minutes na lang sabi dito sa GPS."

"Sige lang."

She never expected anything from Miko, and it's not that she was actually waiting for him, too. He could take as long as he needs. It doesn't really matter. Even if today's her birthday.

Apparently, she could wait twenty-two years for people to come through for her.

Twenty-two years . . .

Napangiti siya't nailing.

That's the record to beat.

Nika placed her phone on the table. She inhaled deep, filling her lungs with all the fresh air she could get, then breathing out all the frustrations she had for the day.

She licked and tucked her lower lip when she decided to check her phone once more.

Wala pa rin.

For twenty-two years, wala pa rin.

Pero hindi naman na bago.

She kept on convincing herself that she was used to it. The waiting. The silence. The anticipation whenever her phone lights up.

But for every greeting and every name flooding her notification, Noella Clark wasn't on the list.

"Nika," Miko called again on the other line.

Pinatay ni Nika ang loud speaker saka dinala sa tainga niya ang cell phone.

"Bakit?"

"I'm here at the reception. Pero not accepting pala sila ng walk-in for overnight tour. I have no reservation, can you come here?"

"Okay, sige. Wait lang."

***

His smile greeted her when she made it to the reception.

They weren't even near each other, but Kenzo opened his arm to invite her in while he was busy talking to the receptionist. As if it was by instinct. As if they already did that hundreds of times for it to become involuntary.

And just like clockwork, his hand reached for her waist, locking in. And his lips softly grazing on her forehead.

It was like one of the most natural thing in the world, and he didn't even notice it.

But his kiss seemed to lull the uproars in her chest . . . even just a little.

And for that day, Nika have finally breathed out.

They were walking back to the al fresco when Miko's accommodation was settled.

The wind softly brushed through her hair again and the sky was in array of colors. Mulberries colliding with teals and clementines. For something so mundane, the sunsets were always pretty.

But his warm touch on the small of her back was making her feel something else . . .

Something so inexplicable. Something she couldn't name.

Something she has never felt before.

Nika chewed on her inner lip, zeroing in to the feeling  that's flooding her system.

So it would score on her memory long enough for her to realize what it was.

"Nika," Kenzo called.

"Hmm?"

"I wish I knew what day it was today," he said.

A faint smile crossed her lips. "Hindi, okay lang. 'Wag mo alalahanin 'yon."

But instead of answering, Miko's hand fell down to her wrist. Allowing them both to stop walking.

A second of stillness hanged in the air. And Nika knew there were hundreds of questions running on his mind.

She was waiting for him to ask the first one, but Miko only reached for his back pocket.

It was a silver Ronson lighter.

"This is for you," sabi ni Miko.

Medyo nangunot naman ang noo ni Nika. "Para saan?"

He smiled, his shoulders rising and falling when he placed both of his hands in his pocket.

"It's a gift."

"Gift? Hindi ako tumatanggap ng regalo," sagot ni Nika.

She was handing him back the lighter when he finally asked his first question, "Did you smoke today?"