All I Ever Wanted

• 7 •

Minutes passed when suddenly, the door opened and I saw a wheelchair. Oh my! Tinupad agad ni God ang hiling ko?

And then, Kale walked in. Tulak-tulak niya ang wheelchair hanggang umabot ito sa akin. I kept staring at him. Totoo ba ito? He came back and brought me a wheelchair. He furrowed his eyebrows. Then I realized masyado ko na pala siyang tinititigan.

"Is that for me?"

Tumango siya.

"Salamat. Saan ka nakakuha ng wheelchair?"

"Sa bahay."

"Thanks again." Gusto kong itanong kung sino ang gumamit nyan dati? Siya ba? Someone in their family? But I don't think it's the right time. We're not even friends para magtanong ako sa family niya.

Suddenly, naisip ko ang tungkol sa bill sa clinic, yung pinambili ng gamot ko... Sino nagbayad n'un?

"Yung bill sa clinic-"

"Don't worry about it. Naayos ko na yun."

"How much-"

"I said don't worry about it. And if you're thinking of paying me, don't 'cause I won't accept it," he firmly said.

And as usual, nanahimik na lang ako. And the house was filled with silence. Nandoon lang ako sa sofa, tahimik na tinitingnan ang paa ko while Kale was there, standing like a statue. Teka bakit di pa siya umaalis? I hesitantly looked at him. And thank goodness! He wasn't looking at me.

"Kale, bakit di ka pa umaalis?"

Tumingin na siya sa akin. "Bakit? Gusto mo na ba akong umalis?"

Umiling ako agad. "No... ah... I mean baka you have something to do, okay naman na ako kaya pwede mo na akong iwan."

"No, I've got nothing to do," he said as he sat down. "And I don't think you're okay so I won't leave you."

Napatulala ako. Hindi niya ako iiwan? I don't know but I'm happy that he won't leave me. "Thank you."

"Nagbreakfast ka na ba?" he asked suddenly.

"Hindi pa pero di naman ako gutom," sagot ko. Pero iba ang sinabi ng tiyan ko. It growled loudly causing me to bit my lip because of embarrassment.

I reluctantly looked at Kale and he was giving me an amused look. "Hindi ka nga gutom," tukso niya. "So what do you want to eat?"

"Are you gonna cook for me?"

"Bakit ayaw mo?"

"Uh..." Nakakahiya pero nagugutom na rin kasi ako. "Sige."

"Anong gusto mong kainin?" tanong niya ulit.

"Okay lang kahit ano."

"Walang pagkaing kahit ano."

"Ham and egg would do. Meron sa fridge."

"Okay," sabi niya at tumayo na pagkatapos ay dumiretso sa kitchen.

Ilang minuto din ang lumipas bago bumalik si Kale sa living room na may dala-dalang tray. And I would say mas lalo akong ginutom sa amoy ng niluto niya. My feet were both resting on the couch kaya naman sinimulan ko ng galawin ito para makaupo ako ng maayos but Kale stopped me.

"Wag ka nang gumalaw. Ganyan ka na lang," sabi niya.

"What?" tanong ko. Paano ko makakain yun kung di ako uupo ng maayos. He didn't answer but got some thick cloth. Pinatong niya iyon sa kandungan ko tapos pinatong niya dito ang tray.

"There," sabi niya tapos ay umupo sa katabing upuan. I remained looking at the food-rice with ham and sunny side-up egg.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" tanong niya.