Lost Stars

Chapter 9 | Late Night Conversation

Chapter 9 | Late Night Conversation

"Friendship...is born at the moment when one man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself.""
-C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

•••

Shane's Pov

"It's only 6:15 pm, bakit nandito ka na? Himala ah."

Napa tigil ako sa pag akyat ng hagdan papunta sa kwarto ko, nang mag salita si ate. Lumingon ako, seeing her standing sa dulo ng hagdan, hands on her hips. Obviously na kakauwi lang din galing sa trabaho.

"Will you fuck off?." Walang gana kong sagot opening the door of my bed room as I entered.

"No, you get lost!" Sigaw niya mula sa labas, saka ko na dinig na umalis na siya sa tapat ng kwarto.

Don't worry, I will. Soon.

Removing my bag from my shoulder, I placed it on the floor beside my bed. Nag bihis na ako ng walking shorts at gray v-neck t-shirt, saka humiga sa higaan ko, putting my headphones on my head and turned it on, drifting to sleep.

Bandang 8:15 pm, na gising ako. Putting on my gray hoodie, lumabas ako ng kwarto and went sa dining room para kumain, pero na datnan ko 'yung dalawa sa mga maids na nag liligpit na ng kinainan ng tatlong tao. That means dumating na galing business trip sa Paris sina mommy at daddy, and as usual they don't give a damn checking on me.

"Sir Shane, kakain na po ba kayo? May mga na tira pa pong ulam, initin ko na lang po." Sabi ng isang maid, whose name was Shekina. She was thirty years old.

"Kumain na ba kayo?" Tanong ko, sitting in one of the chairs in the table. They simply shook their head for an answer.

"Sige initin niyo na, sabay-sabay na tayo, pa tawag na din 'yung iba." Sabi ko, giving them a small smile. Ngitian din nila ako, saka pumunta sa kusina dala ang mga kinainan and probably para mag init na din ng ulam.

The maids, cooks and guards are the ones na often kong na kakasama every dinner o kung kailan kakain, instead of my own family na once in a blue moon ko lang makasama, simply because I'm not comfartable with them. Mas close pa ako sa mga house staffs, honestly. Mas gusto ko pa 'yung mga taong gaya nila, mga simpleng tao lang.

"Uhm, sir Shane dumating na po 'yung mommy at daddy niyo kanina, kaso umalis din agad." Sabi ng isang made who's name was Anastasha, habang kumakain kami, together with the other staffs. She was two years older than Shekina.

All of the staffs are years older than me, and even though I insist them na wag na mag po at opo, call me sir, they still does.

"Okay." Tipid kong sagot, at nag patuloy na kumain. "Kailan dadating si nanay Belen?" Tanong ko naman.

Nanay Belen was mine and ate's yaya pagka panganak pa lang namin. She's aready 64 years old, pero malakas pa din. At sa lahat ng house staffs, sa kaniya ako pinaka close. She was so caring and sweet, ipinaparamdam din niyang mahalaga ako at may nag cacare sa akin. Kaso na sa probinsya siya ngayon, na matay kasi 'yung asawa niya. A trait na hindi ko makita sa sarili kong nanay.

"Baka next week po."

After dinner, I went back to my room para matulog na sana ulit, pero hindi ako inaantok, dahil nga kagigising ko lang. Dala-dala ang isa kong pang body bag, na may laman na cellphone, wallet, journal at ballpen, saka headphones kong naka sabit sa leeg ko, I went outside our house gamit ang bike ko.

Lumabas ako ng private subdivision where our house was located, then made my way sa nearby park, kung saan ako laging tumatambay, during some sleepless nights and hard times, para mag star gaze, write poems and sometimes, panoodin ang mga taong nandodoon pa. I'd rather be there all alone sometimes kaysa sumama sa mga pag paparty nila Sandrew. Kasi tahimik at payapa. I really have no idea either kung bakit ako na sama pag nag paparty sila, e hindi ko naman hilig pumarty.