Not Me

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT

I'm not the type of person who's comfortable invading someone else's solitude but here I am, in front of someone's door, getting all my courage just to do a simple act of knocking.

Parang tanga because I never saw myself doing this but I took a deep breath, gathered all the positive energy from the universe, then started to knock.

No one answered on my first try so I tried once more. This time, louder.

I was surprised to see someone else open the door.

"Hi." I awkwardly greeted. "Si Val?"

"Nandito po." He answered as awkwardly as I did.

Hindi yata niya inasahang kakatok ako the same way I did not expect to see him in Val's unit. But what do I expect? Ni hindi ko nga kilala kung sinong roommate ni Val and all this time, si Jerome naman pala.

Sumilip si Val sa pinto at kahit siya, hindi yata inasahang makikita ako ngayon. Hindi ko rin naman pinlano

"Hi." I greeted him.

"Ano pong kailangan mo?" Jerome obviously knew something. Siya na ang kumakausap sa akin kahit na si Val naman na ang tinanong ko.

"Manghihiram lang sana ng notes ni Val." I explained. Nakita ko naman agad na nag-aaral siya ngayon kaya't nahiya akong istorbohin pa siya dahil lang wala akong notes. "Pero never mind. Busy ka pala. Sorry sa abala."

Hindi na ako naghintay ng isasagot niya at umalis na lang agad. Hiyang-hiya ako sa ginawa ko. Sana pala, hindi na talaga ako tumuloy.

Itanong ko na lang siguro kay Max. Baka naman nasa notes niya.

Hindi ko naman kasi alam kung bakit si Val ang unang pumasok sa isip ko. I could've asked Max, Carl, or even Symon. I should've asked them instead. May isa naman siguro sa kanilang nakakaalam ng sagot.

Upon entering our unit, I immediately noticed Tonton weirdly looking at me.

"Bakit?" I asked.

"Bakit ganyan mukha mo?" He curiously asked in return.

"Hihingi ka ba ng tips paano magkaroon ng ganitong mukha? Prayers lang tapos hilamos." I jokingly answered. Narinig ko lang kay Symon and I really found it funny. I never thought I'd have the chance to use that answer.

"Never mind."

He rolled his eyes and went back to reading. Napailing na lang din ako habang tumatawa dahil sa usapan naming 'yon.

Before going back to studying, I sent my message to Symon and Max hoping na sana, alam nila kung ano ang tinutukoy ko. Unfortunately, pareho sila nang sinagot and maybe, that's a sign na hindi naman yata ganoon ka-importante ang hinahanap ko. Besides, it will just be a point if ever. Hindi ko naman yata ikakabagsak kung hindi ko masagot 'yon.

Exactly as I opened my notes, someone knocked on our door. Nagkatinginan kami ni Tonton.

"Expecting someone?" I asked him curiously. Ngayon pa lang may dumalaw sa kanya kaya nagtaka ako.

"Wala naman. Ikaw ba?" He returned the question to me.

"Wala naman din." I answered. "Ako na magbukas." I told him. Besides, ako naman ang malapit sa pinto.

Tumayo ako pagkasabi noon at binuksan ang pinto.