Kanina pa busy si Amara sa cellphone n'ya. I even offered to drive because she was acting a little weird. Ilang araw ko nang napapansin 'yung pagiging masikreto n'ya. Since I wasn't the type to force someone to talk, I stayed silent.
Magkukwento naman s'ya kapag handa na s'ya.
She kept swiping the screen of her phone to reject someone's call. Hindi ko naman nakita kung sino 'yung tumatawag.
"Are you okay?" I asked. Diretso akong nakatingin sa daan habang nagmamaneho.
"Yeah." tipid n'yang sagot. I didn't push it because she sounded annoyed.
Pagkarating namin sa school, kailangan namin maghiwalay dahil sa magka-ibang building ang punta namin. Amara would take BS Biology for college while I'd take Accountancy. She was planning enter med school after college.
Alas dies na kaming nakarating kahit na ang usapan namin ni Amara ay alas siete kami aalis. When I came to her house, she was still asleep so I had to wait. Ilang araw na s'yang late umuuwi. She told us that she was busy with some sideline stuff. Hindi ko alam kung bakit kailangan n'ya pa ng pangalawang trabaho kahit na nakakapagod na sa coffee shop.
When Herra dropped me home from Caius' birthday, it was almost twelve midnight. Napansin kong wala pa 'yung sasakyan ni Amara sa garahe nila. I called her because I was worried. Noong sagutin n'ya 'yung tawag, she told me she was on her way home.
Hindi naman ako masyadong nag-aalala dahil kilala ko naman s'ya. She was old enough to know what was right and wrong.
Noong makapasok ako sa building ko, agad na bumungad si Caius sa akin. He was sitting on the stairs. Kunot ang noo n'ya at hawak n'ya ang cellphone n'ya.
I knew he'd be here because he kept on texting me. The last text that I sent him was yesterday. Ang sabi ko, alas otso ay nandito na ako. I forgot to text him a while ago that I'd be late.
Napansin ko ang pagbabago n'ya matapos ang gabing 'yon. It has been two weeks since his birthday. Sa isang linggo na 'yon, hindi ko na mabilang ang mga texts at tawag n'ya. He kept on reminding me to eat, to take care and to sleep early. Sometimes, he'd call just to crack a joke.
Ilang beses n'yang sinubukan na makipagkita sa akin. Tumatanggi lang talaga ako. But there was one time when I saw him waiting outside the coffee shop after my shift. It was Amara's day off. Alam kong sinadya n'ya 'yon. He brought me some food. Pagkatapos ay hinatid n'ya lang ako pauwi.
He became part of my routine. I had no choice. After I get off work, I'd have to look at my phone. Doon ko palang mababasa lahat ng mga texts n'ya. He never demanded me to reply. All of his texts were reminders, though. Some days, I don't have the mood to reply or to even answer his calls. Some days, I do because I just felt like it.
Noong mag-angat s'ya ng tingin at nakita ako, nawala ang kunot sa noo n'ya. Mabilis s'yang tumakbo papalapit sa akin.
"Tapos na akong mag-enrol sa SHS kasi 8 am pa ako nandito. Samahan nalang kita, ha?" nakangiting bungad n'ya sa akin.
He really came here at 8 am.
"Amara woke up late." sabi ko kahit hindi naman n'ya tinatanong kung bakit ngayon lang ako.
One of the good things on continuing my studies in Verona was that, all who came from the this school didn't need to take the college entrance exam. I've already inquired online. Kailangan lang talagang mag-attach ng recommendation letters galing sa mga teachers para i-absorb ka ng school ulit. They gave me a slot because I've got good grades. Pasado naman 'yung grades ko for accountancy kaya hindi na ako namroblema.
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Salem's Eyes (COMPLETED)
General Fiction[Completed] Salem Ysabel Joson convinced herself that she was content of being numb- just generally devoid of any emotion. Given the fate that she has been given, she lived her life trying to strain herself from associating with anything that could...
