THIRTY EIGHT
“I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close.” - Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets
QEN'S POV
“Oh, date na to ha?” sabi ko, habang nagpapacute sa kanya. Kakatapos lang naming manood ng Divergent at ako lang naman ang naging punching bag ni Kara.
Tinignan nya ako ng parang nandidiri.
“Date mo mukha mo!!”
WAT.
Just as I was about to retort, pumasok na naman sya kaagad sa Topshop. Sabi ko nga, hindi nga to date. We’ve been walking around the mall for three hours at wala pa ring palya si Kara from going from one store to another. I insisted on buying whatever she wanted pero sabi nya, may pera naman daw and if I wanted to please her that much, sa food na lang daw ako tayo. I said okay without another word. What can I do? Siya yung boss ko e.
Ganito yung set-up: I will wait for her just outside the fitting room, tapos she’ll come out to ask me if it looks good on her. And every time she does that, mas lalo akong napapatulala sa kanya. I mean, really, I never thought it was possible to be that damn beautiful kahit anong suot nya. Kahit nga siguro sako lang isuot nya, she would still be beautiful.
“Qen,” she said, calling me. E eto naman ako, sunod kaagad.
“Tingin mo maganda ba to?” sabay kuha nung dress sa rack at ipinakita sakin.
“Mas maganda ka.” I said, giving her tight-lip smile. Actually I was waiting for another hit, but she stepped back at saka dun lamang sya tumawa ng malakas. “HAHAHAHAHHA! Siraulo ka!”
“Totoo naman.” I said simply, as if it was the universal truth.
“Okay.. “ she said, still smiling. I’m glad I still have that effect on her. “..pero, maganda ba?”
“Oo,” tapos nung nakita ko yung details ng dress, “Hindi pala. Look o,” I said, pointing out the unnecessary cuts at the waist and the deep neckline. Naknamangaso o! Parang bikini na to e! I waved my hand, a sign of dismissal. “I’m sure you can find another one, yung di ganyan ka-sexy.” Her mouth formed into an O-shape, “Okay,” she said, giving me the dress tapos naghanap na ulit sya ng panibagong dress to try on. Girls. Binalik ko yung dress sa rack and then I felt a light tap on my shoulder.
“Qen?” I turned around to see a familiar face whose eyes glowered while looking at me. I returned the smile although at the back of my head, I was still trying to figure out who she was. As if noticing my difficulty, she hit me on my shoulder and introduced herself so as to not make things any harder for me, “Ano ka ba, Anika Henares.. Remember?” She threw me a piercing gaze, the type that can instantly make men get on their knees.
“Uhmm..”
She let out a fake exasperated sigh, “Ano ka ba, we were together for a month! Grabe, Enrique ha, ang bilis mo naman akong nakalimutan! It hasn’t been that long!” She reminded me.
“Ah, yes.” An awkward silence fell through us despite the noisy background. She takes another step forward and points the shopping bags that I’m carrying. “Never took you for a shopper ha. . Or is that for your girlfriend?” Nagpanic ako. Pagsinabi kong girlfriend baka magalit si Kara kaya ngumiti na lang ako. Safest answer.
