Best for Us (GU #3)

seven

Seven: Vanessa Gerleen

I smiled as I stared at the knitted phone case that I was holding. It was a gray one with blue buttons as its design in the middle.

I was not into making handmade crafts. First, they seemed so hard to do. Second, I was just not into it.

But this time I made an exception. Dahil sobrang natuwa ako sa regalo ni Tyler, pakiramdam ko'y may kailangan ding akong gawin para sa kanya bilang pasasalamat. So I downloaded this pattern in the internet—how to make a knitted phone case—and learned it for a week.

Matapos nga ang paghihirap, ito na ang nagawa ko. Why handmade when I could just buy? Simple lang. Because what Tyler had given me was something he created in his hands. I just felt like I had to give him something made of the same means.

It was not perfect, the one I made, I've got to admit that. But this was the best I was able to come up to. I just hoped Tyler would appreciate this.

Matapos ang birthday party ko ay hindi ko pa siya muling nakikita. Kahit dito sa school. Sa mga pagkakataon na nakikita ko ang barkada nila sa cafeteria, lagi siyang wala doon. Hindi na ako nag-abalang magtanong kay Kuya Robert kung nasaan siya dahil baka maghinala pa ang kuya ko ng kung anu-ano.

So, I just let it pass. Isa pa, hindi pa rin naman tapos 'yung ibibigay ko kaya ayos lang din kahit hindi ko pa siya nakikita. But now that it was finished, I had to see Tyler. I wanted to give it to him today.

So I was here, waiting in the parking lot, right in front of his car.

Today's Friday and I heard earlier at lunch that they will all head to our house after their class. Narinig ko rin na susunod na lang daw si Tyler dahil mayroon pang dadaanan.

Doon na ako nakaisip ng plano. That was to wait till Kuya Robert and his friends leave school then I'll wait for Tyler. Nagpauna na akong magsabi sa dalawa kong kuya na hindi ako sasabay dahil mayroon pa kaming group meeting. Which was a lie.

But what could I do? This was my only chance.

Nakatingin pa rin ako sa hawak nang makarinig ng mga yabag, sunod ang mahinang pag-uusap ng dalawang boses. And when I looked up, my face fell as I saw Tyler was not alone. He had a girl clinging on his arm.

Pamilyar 'yung mukha nung babae. If I was not mistaken, she's in senior high. A year or two ahead from Tyler.

Like the most girls I knew in McGregor, her uniform was also improvised. Meaning mas maikli at mas masikip sa kung anumang normal na uniporme. She's wearing a little too make up also. But I could not deny the fact that she's really looking beautiful.

Bakit naman hindi? Lahat 'ata ng kumapit sa braso ni Tyler ay mayroong sinasabi sa physical department. Binulsa ko ang hawak na phone case. I don't think I could give that to Tyler now seeing that he has a company.

Hinayaan kong makalapit sila sa pwesto ko. Ang babaeng kasama ni Tyler ang unang nakapansin sa akin. Nahuli ko pang tumaas ang kilay nito't bumaba ang gilid ng labi bago ko ilipat ang tingin kay Tyler na meron namang nagtatakang ekspresyon.

Right. He was probably wondering now what I was doing here.

Inalis ko na ang tingin sa kanilang pareho saka ibinaba sa leather kong sapatos. There were actually different thoughts running in my head right now. Pero ang pinakananaig doon ay ang katanungan kung dadalhin ba ni Tyler itong babae sa bahay.

None of Kuya Robert's friends brought a girl to our house. Kapag nagha-hang out sila, sila sila lang lagi. Pero bakit si Tyler, mayroong kasama ngayon?