Smile For Me, Ressler

18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

What just happened . . .

"F*ck. Get out of my head!" I groaned, crumpling my watercolor paper. "I've wasted 11 watercolor papers already," I hissed.

"Miss mo na si Kuya Ressler?" Brook asked, raising her eyebrows at me.

"What? No." I looked away.

I'm doing my midterm plate in VTCH pero wala talaga ako sa sarili. Lumilipad lang ang utak ko.

"You can't deny the fact that you loved Ressler for so many years, Tam. So go, talk to him. Comfort him. I think he needs a friend," Brooklyn said, flashing me a half smile.

"Hey, you have a boyfriend already," Marcus reminded me. Well, Zild and Marcus were really good friends. So of course, Marcus wouldn't like it if I'm gonna do things without telling Zild first.

Brooklyn rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Marcus. She'll just talk to Ressler as a friend," she said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Kesa maging dahilan pa ng failing grade mo 'yan sa plate natin, much better if puntahan mo na siya ngayon, Tam. Para hindi na lumilipad 'yang isip mo," Brooklyn said, pushing me out of my bed room and handed me my car keys.

"Alright. I'll be back," I said and kissed her on her cheek.

Pagdating ko sa bahay nila Ressler, ilang beses akong nag-doorbell bago lumabas si Manang Sabel. "O Tam, ikaw pala. Pasok ka, hija," she said and showed me in.

"Wala po sila Tita?" I looked around to check if Ressler's parents were here.

"Wala, hija. Isang linggo sila sa Singapore para sa new project ng Daddy ni Ressler."

Oh I almost forgot. Their whole family is a family of architects.

"Si Ressler po ba nandito?" I asked.

"Ay hija, wala rin. Tatlong gabi nang umuuwing lasing 'yon," pagkukwento ni Manang at agad akong nagmadaling umalis. I know where he drinks all the time. I used to follow him around everyday when we were in high school and I'm sure doon pa rin siya nag-iinom ngayon kung saan siya nagpapakalasing lagi dati noong mamatay ang Ate niya.

I parked my car in front of Lee Vera's. It's a popular jazz bar here in Vera City.

As I entered the bar, I saw a band playing Someone to Watch Over Me. Oh God, I love this song. It was one of the greatest American songs performed by one of America's greatest singers. It was written by George and Ira Gershwin in 1926 and was recorded by Ella Fitzgerald. I really love jazz.

I looked around, trying to find Ressler. But all I can see were people having conversations in each table.

Ressler, where are you?

I ordered a drink and got myself a table. Umupo lang ako doon at halos mabali na ang leeg ko kakalingon sa paligid para hanapin si Ressler.

And there I saw him, drinking alone on his table.

Nagmadali akong lumapit sa kanya at umupo sa harapan niya.

Oh God.

He drank 30 cans of beer already. Seriously? It was like he started drinking early in the morning until this late hour at night.

"Ressler," I called him. Nakapatong lang ang ulo niya sa mesa at dahan-dahan siyang umayos ng upo para tingnan ako.

He scoffed. "Go home, Tam."

He's drunk already, for God's sake, but he ordered for more beers!

"Really, Ressler? You resigned from Vera University just to spend your time here drinking all day and all night?" I hissed.

"You don't know how I feel. I—I never got the chance to ask for her forgiveness, Tam. Our first two years were perfectly fine. We were so happy. Everything was perfect. But 2013 was a whole f*cking year. All I did was hurt her."

I know he's drunk already. Kasi hindi naman talaga siya ganyan kahaba magsalita and hindi niya ugaling magkuwento.

"But you guys look perfectly happy when I saw you on your 24th birthday," I said, flashing a weak smile from my face.

He scoffed softly. "On that day, we both agreed to work things out. We did what we usually do on my birthday, but at the end of the day, we just couldn't do that."

I pressed my lips together.

So that explains what I saw in his room on his birthday. I thought they were happy with each other but turns out I was wrong about that.

"Why did you kiss me?" I suddenly asked. I know this is not the right time to talk about that but I want to know why he did what he did.

He poured himself another drink. "I don't know."

"Right," I said while nodding.

"I honestly don't know why I—you know," he said, trying to skip the *kissed you* part. "And I'm sorry for that. I promise you, that won't happen again," he said calmly and I just nodded.

He was about to drink another beer but I stopped him. "I'll drive you home," I insisted

I pulled him up, but he lost his balance and fell on the floor. Oh sh*t.

Kinuha ko agad ang phone ko sa bulsa ko at agad na tinawagan si Zild.

"Are you busy?" I asked.

"No. I'm just watching Homeland. Why? What can I do for you?"

"Puwede kang pumunta dito sa Lee Vera's? I need your help," I said. I thought he was going to ask me what happened, but he just said he'll be here in 10 minutes. Malapit lang naman ang bahay nila dito.

Oh crap. I forgot to tell him not to bring his car.

I called him again and sinagot niya naman agad. "Don't bring your car."

"A-Alright," naguguluhang sagot niya. Napangiti na lang ako. Kahit naguguluhan siya, he does everything I say.

Fifteen minutes bago siya nakarating dito dahil hindi siya nagdala ng sasakyan. Hinihingal pa siya pagdating niya dito. Halatang tumakbo siya mula sa bahay nila.

"What happened?" he finally asked. I pointed my finger to Ressler who's sleeping on the floor.

Zild furrowed his forehead. "Seriously, Ressler? Are you a kid?" He's shaking his head with disbelief.

He pulled him up and carried him on his back.

Woah. Ang lakas niya naman para buhatin ng gano'n si Ressler?

I shrugged and followed them outside.

"I'll take him home," he said so I handed him Ressler's car keys. He opened the door at the back seat and inalalayan ko siyang ipasok si Ressler doon.

"You alright?" he asked me.

I flashed him a smile. "Don't worry, nakapag-drive ako papunta dito. So I can drive myself home, safely."

"Alright, call me when you're home."

I nodded.

He was about to get inside the car but I pulled him and kissed him on his cheek. "Thank you for coming here."

"Anytime, princess. Happy to serve you," he said, leaning closer to me to give me a quick kiss on my lips.

He flashed me a smile before he gets inside the car. "Good night."

I glanced at my watch. They were gone for about ten minutes already, but I'm still here, standing in front of Lee Vera's, proccessing what just happened.

And when I'm done processing the whole thing, my eyes widened.

Zild Aldrei L. Morris kissed me. Oh God. He kissed me. For real.

____

Tiana: Hoyyyyyy kinikilig ako kina Tam at Zild!!!! Huhu.