KEEPING IT WARM.

Virtual Intimacy

It was a Friday evening, and as she approached her mother with a request to stay over at Jel's house, the old lady granted her wish without hesitation. In truth, she didn't need to make any special arrangements to spend time with Jel. Kahit ano pang ipaalam niya, basta malaman lang nito na ang kasama niya ay ito, siguradong papayagan siya agad nito.

As the clock ticked past 9, she found herself waiting alone in the parking lot. Jel had mentioned they were tied up with something important and had requested she arrive early to avoid being seen together. Mabuti na lang din na wala naman nang gano'ng tao dahil halos lahat ay nagsi-uwian na.

Fumbling through her bag, she searched for the car key, using the soft glow of her phone screen as a makeshift flashlight. Suddenly, a noise in the distance made her pause and scan her surroundings. She couldn't spot anyone nearby. Dismissing her unease, she continued her quest. But then, the mysterious sounds returned, this time accompanied by tiny meows.

Rather than succumbing to fear, she found herself intrigued by the noises and began to investigate further. She circled the car, trying to pinpoint the source of the faint meows. When she heard them again, she crouched down and peered beneath Jel's car, convinced the source was nearby.

To her delight, she discovered not just one but two kittens sheltering beneath the vehicle. "Aw, anong ginagawa niyo r'yan sa ilalim, mga mingming?" tanong niya sa mga ito na animo'y naiintindihan siya.

The kittens responded with more meows, their eyes squinting against the harsh light from her phone.

Realizing her flashlight was causing discomfort to their sensitive eyes, she reached out cautiously, nearly lying on the ground in her efforts to reach them. Pilit niya itong inaabot ngunit sadyang malayo ang mga ito para mahawakan niya.

With a sigh, she tried again. "Mga mingming, lapit kayo sa 'kin, please," pakiusap niya sa mga ito na patuloy pa rin sa pagmeow.

As one of the kittens inched toward her, someone's voice interrupted, startling the kitten and causing it to retreat. "What are you doing?"

She quickly rose to her feet at the sound of that familiar voice, brushing dust from her clothes. Jel stood before her, dressed in disheveled attire, holding a stack of papers.

Jel's expression demanded an explanation, so she cleared her throat and spoke, "There are kittens underneath your car."

"What?" Jel asked, baffled by her statement.

Before she could repeat herself, the kittens meowed again.

Nang maintindihan na nito ang sinabi niya at kung bakit siya halos nakadapa kanina sa sahig ay bigla nitong binuksan ang pinto ng kotse gamit ang susi na meron ito at saka nilagay sa loob ang bag at mga papel na dala.

"Let me take a look," Jel said.

Gaya niya ay sumilip din ito sa ilalim ng kotse at nakita ang dalawang kuting na magkatabi sa ilalim ng kotse nito. Just like she had, Jel tried to reach for them but met with the same futile outcome.

"I can't reach them," Jel admitted with a sigh.

She gave Jel a pleading look, silently urging them to try again or come up with a solution.

"Fine, I'll get them, don't worry."

Pagbalik nito sa tabi niya at may hawak na ito na dalawang bagay sa magkabilang kamay. One was a car jack, which she recognized, but the other was unfamiliar.

Jel began working on the car, raising one side slightly, creating a small gap for someone to crawl beneath. They placed the other tool on the ground and lay on their back.