Under Your Skin

UYS 29: Trip to Busan Part 1 • Stay Here With Me

Liberty

Humingi ka ng sign? Anong sign?

To Liberty

Secret

Liberty

Grabe ka beh! Hindi ko naman sasabihin kay Jamesy para lang pigilan ka makipagtanan!! Ano nga!!

To Liberty

Basta kapag binigay yon sakin, yun na ang sign

Liberty

Hay nako!! Lumapit lapit ka dito sasampalin kita! Sign na naman? Wag ka lang umasa sa mga signs! Buksan mo ang isip mo at puso mo beh!! Yun ang kailangan mong gawin!

Tiffanie placed her phone on the table and sighed. Gusto niyang tumawa pero hindi niya magawa. If she'll watch her own life and its little complexities, she'll probably be amused. Ang kaso, hindi naman niya pinanonood ang buhay niya, siya mismo ang bida nito at ngayon ay namrumrublema siya.

It has been two weeks since her last talk with Evan. Kinasal ito kahapon. Liberty told her about it. Parang biro lang ang kasal, pagkatapos ng lahat ng preparasyon, ipagpapawalang-bisa din. But for Tiffanie, marriage for business sounds really more like a joke. Palibhasa nga, hindi naman siya mayaman. Rich problems ang kay Evan at hindi naman siya maka-relate dito.

Inisip niya kung ano ang mangyayari kung pumayag siya sa alok nito. Aatakihin kaya sa puso ang daddy nito? What will happen to Almirah? Bakit madali lang dito na gawin iyong kalokohang kasal at annulment? Dahil ba talaga kay James? So what happened between Evan and Almirah? Naglandian lang ba talaga saglit ang dalawa at parehas na na-realize na hindi nila kaya maging mag-asawa habangbuhay? What will be her mother's reaction?

But since tomorrow, she'll be going to Busan with Liberty, she would try not to think about these thoughts first. Dapat isipin niya ang pag-e-enjoy muna. O baka naman kapag nagpunta siya sa malayo ay mas mainam din na makapag-isip siya ng mabuti kahit papaano. She'll be able to stay away from James, too, so probably, she could think more about her decision. Ayaw niya man aminin, pero malaki ang parte ni James sa magiging desisyon niya. Saying "yes" to Evan's plan means saying "no" to James.

Tiffanie stood up and packed her things. Halos wala naman siyang dala kung hindi damit at ilang toiletries. Wala naman siyang camera kung hindi ang cellphone niya.

Summer pa raw ngayong September sa Busan. The temperature is hot and sometimes, it also rains during this time as per James. Kaya naman nagdala na rin siya ng payong para sigurado.

Matapos mag-ayos ay lumipat na siya sa kabilang kwarto. James was seated on the bed. He was scribbling something on a piece of paper.

Pagupo niya sa tabi nito ay bigla itong nagbiro na tila susulatan siya sa mukha. Agad siyang umiwas at pinalo ang braso nito. She took his pen and pulled his arm. Hindi naman ito nagpumiglas kaya sinulatan niya ito.

It seemed like he didn't mind, so she doodled a banana and a cat's face on his arm. Unfortunately, she  isn't talented in drawing.

"Hala, nagmukhang... iba," she said before biting her lower lip. Ampangit ng resulta. Her lack of artistic skills resulted in a demon-looking face and beside it, the banana that she drew didn't look like a fruit but more of a phallic symbol.

James laughed.

"Pusa dapat 'yan at saging," she said before pouting. "Madali lang naman 'to mabura, 'di ba?"