Loving Persephone

Chapter 7: Back In Town

My posters greeted me when I entered my bedroom. Tatlong EXO posters iyon na nakapaskil sa pader, dalawang OT12 at ang isa'y OT9 na lang. I purchased the latter months after KrisHanTao left the group. Ayoko pa nga sana dahil ayokong isipin na totoong kulang na sila ng tatlo pero hindi ko natiis ang kagwapuhan ni Yixing sa poster na iyon kaya binili ko na lang.

I felt like I've been away for a year as I roamed my eyes around. Maraming nagbago sa loob lang nang tatlong araw. The curtains hanging in the window of my bedroom were replaced with a floral one. Hindi na ito plain maroon kundi pink na may halong dandelion sa gitna at mga guhit na bulaklak na. My bedsheets were renewed too and so were the cushions. Nagmukhang bago ang silid sa paningin ko.

"Bakit pinabago ni mommy ang kwarto? Halos bago lahat," I asked Aling Petra as she was serving the dinner.

"Wala kasi siyang ibang magawa noong wala ka rito," she answered. "Sayang nga't ngayong narito ka na'y may lakad naman siya."

Mom isn't around. May dinaluhan siyang medical mission sa Dublinton. She'll be back later this evening but I am most probably sleeping by then. The whole trip exhausted me. I wanted to rest. I don't even have the appetite to eat. Kung hindi lang mapilit si Aling Petra, marahil ay natutulog na ako ngayon.

"Hindi mo na ba siya mahihintay?"

"No, I don't think I can stay awake for long. Mabigat na ang mga talukap ko sa mata, Aling Petra. I will sleep right after this," sagot ko.

"Sige't kumain ka na," she dismissed. "Mukhang pagod ka nga talaga. Masyado ka bang nag-enjoy sa trip niyo't hindi ka nakapagpahinga?"

The truth is, hindi ako nakatulog sa byahe. Binagabag ako ng mga mumunting tanong na namuo sa'king isipan tungkol sa mga nangyari. Will things be different now that we're back in town? Will there be more trips like that in the future? Will I be able to join them again? And if I do, will things be easier for me than the first time?

I've fallen asleep that night with these thoughts in mind. Nagising na lang ako kinabukasan sa pukaw ni Aling Petra. Naghihintay na raw sa'kin si mommy sa hapag-kainan para sabay kaming mag-agahan. Kapag nasa bahay siya'y sabay talaga kaming kumakain kaya inaasahan ko nang ganito ang mangyayari.

Mabilis akong naghilamos at nagsuklay ng buhok bago tuluyang lumabas ng kwarto. I spotted mommy at the round table sitting on her usual chair, waiting for me. My pace quickened and when I finally reached her, I kissed her cheek and greeted, "Good morning, Mom."

"Good morning. Maupo ka na," she commanded.

I immediately settled myself across her. She started serving food on her plate and I did the same on mine. Habang ginagawa iyo'y bigla siyang nagtanong, "How's your trip to Anda?"

"It was fine," I answered, my heart throbbing nervously. I noticed her stern eyes on me but I didn't dare look back at her. Not when I know she's going to interrogate me about the trip and I'm going to lie about the whole thing.

"Petra told me you slept early last night because you were too exhausted from the trip. Bakit? Ano bang ginawa niyo roon at napagod ka yata ng husto? I hope it wasn't due to hangover." Suspicion was clearly dripping in the tone of her voice.

"I wasn't drunk! Nakapapagod lang talaga ang buong byahe at wala naman na akong gagawin pa kaya natulog na lang ako nang maaga," I defended.

"Himala't hindi ka nagpunta kina Arisa."

I gazed at her. "Arisa's not in town. She and her family went to Covington to visit her grannies and to unwind na rin. They'll stay there until Friday kaya sa Friday ko na siya madadalaw." Arisa's doing great actually. Hindi na siya umiiyak araw-araw.