The Color of Happiness

It's a Date

Chapter Five

“Sorry sa kadaldalan ng kapatid ko ha?” Sambit ni Joy pagkapasok nila ng sasakyan. 

“It’s okay.” August chuckled. “Nakakatawa nga siya eh. I like his bluntness. Siguro laging ma-ingay ang bahay niyo dahil sa kanya.”

Joy blushed in embarassement. “Well, pagtulog siya o di kaya paggumagala kasama ng mga kabarkada niya eh medyo tumatahimik naman ng konti ang bahay. Pero sa totoo lang, hindi lang ingay ang binibigay ni Obet sa bahay kundi pati na rin kulay. Ako at si Nanay kasi ay medyo may pagkadull sa buhay.”

“I don’t find you dull.” Kontra ni August sa kanya. “You are also colorfull like your brother. Your smile brightens up everything.”

Dios ko po. Joy thought as she felt her face turn completely red from the compliment that August gave her. Gusto niyang ngumiti sa kilig pero hindi niya magawa dahil sa hiya kaya inubo niya na lang ito.

“Salamat.” Mahinhin na sagot niya na parang dalagang Filipina ng panahon ni Maria Clara.

August looked at her curiously at this as he turned them around Pasay Rotonda. “Wag mong sabihin na first time mong makarinig ng compliment.”

Napailing si Joy dito. “Hindi naman, first time lang kasi akong nakarinig ng paghangga sa taong kasing gwapo mo.”

Napatigil si Joy pagkatapos at napakagat ng labi sa hiya. Did she just called him handsome in his face?

August laughed amusedly. “Thank you. But seriously, walang nakapagsabi sayo na maganda ka? Na maganda ang ngiti mo? Na lumiliwanag ang mukha mo pagnakangiti ka o nakatawa?”

Tahimik na umiling si Joy.

“Well either people are blind to see your beauty or they are speechless of your beauty.”

Halos ma-ihi na si Joy sa kilig. Dios ko, hindi ko alam kung ano ang ginawa mo para magkrus ang landas namin ni August pero sa ngayon po ay nagpapasalamat na ako sa inyo. Tahimik na panalangin ni Joy sa kilig.

“Wag ka ngang ganyan.” Sambit niya.

“Hmmm?” August raised a brow at her as he was concentrating on their way out of the traffic. “What do you mean.”

“Wag kang ganyan.” She tried to explain. “Yang ganyan, yong mga sinasabi mo.”

“The compliments?”

Tumango si Joy.

“Bakit naman?” Curious na tanong ni August.

“Baka kasi mahulog ako sayo.”

August smiled at this. “Wag kang mag-alala, sasaluhin naman kita.”

Hindi alam ni Joy kung ano ang gagawin niya sa sitwasyon na iyon. Her heart was beating faster and louder in her chest. The awareness of August presence was intensified to the highest level. She felt suddenly hot and she didn’t know if it was from embrassement or something more. Hindi na siya nagsalita pa bagkos ay tumingin na lang sa magulong paligid sa labas.

♥ ∞ ♥ ∞ ♥ ∞ ♥ ∞ ♥ ∞ ♥ ∞ ♥ ∞ ♥

Augsut felt self conscious as he guided Joy to Buca di Beppo the Italian restaurant where he book a reservation for them in BGC. He felt like a teenager who is on a first date with his crush. In some sense it does look like it but he is not a teenager anymore but a grown man who done this a thousand of times. It felt like his bluntness on the car earlier had back fire at him especially when Joy went silent in the car. Hindi niya alam kung good sign ba yon or bad sign ng tumahimik na lang bigla si Joy kanina.