All I Ever Wanted

• 20 •

Tahimik lang kaming dalawa ni Kale habang nasa sasakyan. Ako, nakaconcentrate sa daan samantalang siya naman ay inaabala ang sarili sa pagtingin sa mga establisyamentong nadadaanan namin.

Maya-maya pa, naabutan na kami ng stoplight. Dahil hindi ko na makayanan ang katahimikan, binuksan ko ang radyo. At ang kanta ni Greyson Chance ang agad na bumungad.

So long to electric fences
Not much left for me to run from now
Guess I'll turn myself around
I'm putting down my defenses
These wings are gonna take me off the ground
It's freedom sweet as sound

Inabot ko ulit ang radyo para lakasan ang volume nang saktong abutin din ito ni Kale.

And I'll admit that I was wrong
And it is obvious that I'm
Finally taking my fist down

Nagtama ang mga kamay namin. His hands were on top of mine.

Would you stop and take a look at me now

When I turned to look at him, he was looking at me already.

Could you stop and take a look at me now
When your standing right in front of me
Your looking at the positive that was negative
Would you stop and take a look at me now

"Ililipat mo ba?"

"Are you going to change the station?"

Sabay naming tanong sa isa't-isa.

"No."

"Hindi."

Sabay ulit naming sagot.

Kale chuckled as I bit my lip and laughed softly.

"Lalakasan ko lang sana ang volume," sabi ko.

"That's what I'm planning to do, too," sabi ni Kale.

"Oh," that was all I could utter. Then I felt something's unusual. Napunta ang tingin ko sa mga kamay namin na nasa ibabaw pa ng radyo, magkadikit pa rin.

"Um," I said as I stared at our hands.

Parang dun pa lang napansin ni Kale ang lagay ng mga kamay namin.

"Oh sorry," sabi niya at agad na inalis ang kamay sa ibabaw ng kamay ko.

Talk about awkward. Nilakasan ko na ang volume. Tamang-tama namang nag-green na ang traffic light. Pinaandar ko na ang kotse at nagdrive papunta sa destinasyon namin.

Ten minutes later, nasa tapat na kami ng Max's. Pinark ko na ang sasakyan sa bakanteng parking space. Sa pagpatay ko ng engine, nilinga ko si Kale. He was staring blankly at the front window. Is he spacing out? Bakit hindi pa kaya siya bumababa?

"Kale," tawag ko sa kanya.

"Hmmm?"

"We're here."

"I know."

"Bakit di ka pa lumalabas ng sasakyan?"

He breathed deeply then moved his eyes to me. "Do you think I really need to go in there?" he asked back.

"Well... yeah?" Ugh. Am I helping him with that answer? Parang pati ako di sigurado eh.

"What if it'll turn out like the other two?"

"It's gonna be fine," I said firmly, encouraging him then added the words, "I think" in my head. Hindi nya na kailangang malaman na nagdadalawang-isip din ako tungkol sa bagay na ito.

"Alright," he said in defeat. "Just promise me you'll stay here just in case..."

I nodded eagerly. "Yeah, yeah. I promise I won't leave. I'll wait for you just in case."