Uncountable Fond

ii

"Babe, this is Tams, my best friend. Tams, this is my boyfriend, Audie."

My body frozed.

Nakaupo siya ngayon sa tabi ni Evah, kaharap ko. Nakatitig lang siya sa'kin na para bang inaantay ako na magsalita. Kung nakakamatay lang talaga ang tingin baka ineembalsamo na ako kanina pa.

Nagpakurap kurap ako, naaalala ko 'yung interaction namin kagabi, shet!

Tumayo ako para makipag kamay sakanya.

I heaved a sigh. "Hi! Nice to meet you!By the way, I'm Tasmiane or Tams for short." I faked a smile.

Kumunot ang noo ko nang di siya nag response. Nakatingin lang talaga siya!

Sumibol ang ngiti sa gilid ng labi niya.

"I told you about her earlier, babe, right?" basag ni Evah sa awkwardness.

Pero feel ko ako lang ang nakakaramdam ng awkwardness ngayon.

"Yeah." maikling sagot niya, hindi pa rin tinatanggal ang tingin sa'kin.

"What are you doing?" mapanglaro niyang tanong.

"Ha?" kumunot ang noo ko. Naka extend pa rin ang kamay ko para makipag hand shake sakanya.

Hindi niya kinukuha!

"Don't you remember me o nagkukunwari ka lang? We've met once and it's the second time today." nakangisi na saad niya.

"Oh! Really? When, babe?" Evah held his arm.

"It was at my friend's wedding reception, babe."

Umupo na ako dahil wala naman siyang balak maki go with the flow sa'kin.

"Really?" Evah looked at me with a wondering face.

"a-ah, you remember Matt, Ev? I was invited in his wedding." I explained. "Sorry, I didn't recognize you that time. Medyo tipsy na, you know!" napakagat ako ng labi.

"Hmm, I see." Ngumisi siya.

"At Matt's? Oh, we've talked about it naman na di'ba, babe? I was sorry because I wasn't able to attend the wedding with him because of some errands and stuffs." Evah looks at Audie with her puppy sad eyes.

"Don't mention it, babe. I understand." He put him arm over Evah's shoulder and kissed her head.

Napaiwas na lang ako bigla ng tingin.

Mabuti at dumating na agad 'yung beverages and foods. Mabilis naman nabago ang usapan.

Kinekwento ni Evah kung paano at saan sila nagkakilala. They seemed enamoured with each other. They looked like a perfect couple.

I smiled.

"How about you, Tams? Do you already have a boyfriend, hmm?" Nanlilisik ang mata ni Ev.

Tumawa ako at umiling. "I'm good, ano ka ba, Evs. Work work lang muna." Sinulyapan ko si Audie na nasa akin ang atensyon ngayon.

"But you can have someone who can take care of you! You're wasting your beauty, Tams."

"Saka na, Ev." Ngumiti ako.

Nalihis naman agad ang usapan sa  trabaho na offer ni Evah sa'kin. She asked if I were interested in working for their company as her secretary; I declined because I'm not obviously suitable for the position because I'm just a senior high graduate, also alam ko na matatanggal iyong sekretarya nila ngayon kapag tinanggap ko 'yon. I'm not inconsiderate.

I'm not the type of person who finds satisfaction in the suffering of others for my own sake.

The second option was to work full-time in their bar as waitress. Tinanggap ko 'yon dahil may experience na ako sa ganoong trabaho. I was a waitress back when I was 18, I was a 2nd year senior that time and it goes along til my 19th.