Where the Sun Sleeps

Chapter 05

CHAPTER 05

[Shet! May spark kayo?!]

"Hindi nga spark, 'te, ang kulit naman nito! I'm sure Science can explain it!" I bit the inside of my cheek before shrugging the thought away. Nilipat ko ang laptop mula sa lamesa papunta sa gilid ko sa aking kama. I finished folding my clothes and went to my closet to put them there.

It's been more than a week since that happened. Ngayon ko lang iyon na-kwento kay Serena dahil ngayon lang kami parehong nagka-oras. I was busy finishing my plates and keeping up with some, I don't even know if I did good enough to get good grades that will save me this semester. Wala pa akong ni isang gawain na talagang nagustuhan ko, marahil hindi ko naman alam kung gusto ko ba itong ginagawa ko.

Nag-usap pa kami ni Serena, or more like nag-rant sa isa't isa nang kalahating oras bago ko pinatay ang video call. I sighed and massaged the bridge of my nose before getting my drawing table.

Napailing ako nang maalalang muli ang huling sinabi ni Serena.

[Silver invited me to come to his birthday party this Saturday. Ay! Tomorrow na pala 'yon. Sabi niya, I should invite a friend, too.]

"Silver? Sino 'yon?"

[Ay, future ko, sis, hihihi. Basta, sumama ka, ha! Nandoon din ang kinabukasan mo, for sure!]

Silver? Eh. Not familiar. Kaya bakit naman ako pupunta roon? Tsk, ewan. Hindi ko pa alam.

I sighed and just focused on doing another activity. It was just around 4PM at alas-sais pa ang pasok ko sa aking trabaho mamaya.

***

I was just silently doing my job, organizing the junk food, chocolates, candies, and other stuff in every aisle. It's almost 6AM at malapit nang matapos ang shift ko. Sabado na.

"Eli, halika na muna. Kumain muna tayo," I glanced at Nina who was already sitting at a vacant seat. "Libre ko naman ngayon."

Saktong kakatapos ko lamang sa aking ginagawa kaya't tumango ako sa kanya bilang tugon at saka tumayo para makalapit na.

"May raket ka pa rin?" I asked Nina and also smiled a little when she gave me my breakfast meal. Hinintay ko siyang sumagot ngunit tipid na pagtango lamang ang nakuha ko. "You deserve to rest even for just a day. Huwag mo ngang masyadong pinapagod ang sarili mo."

"Kaya nga ako tumigil sa pag-aaral ay para makapagtrabaho, 'di ba? Eh, ganoon talaga," mahina siyang tumawa ngunit bakas na bakas doon ang pagka-peke, maitago lamang ni Nina ang kalungkutan. "Wala akong oras na dapat sayangin. Para na rin akong nag-aksaya ng pera."

I did not reply anymore. I get what Nina wanted to tell me and, of course, I empathized with her. Mahirap ding magbitiw ng mga salitang hindi naman ako sigurado kung anong magiging dating sa kanya. Isa pa, wala ako sa posisyon para diktahan siya.

I just smiled, and then silently prayed that my friend would live a fulfilled life as I stared at her meaningfully. I prayed for that for all those who are special to me, because through this, I would also feel that I would be living the same way.

Tahimik kaming kumain at mabilis din namang natapos. Sa trabaho kami nagkakilala at naging magkaibigan ni Nina.

Her name's Frances Nina Lopez. She's 19, too, kagaya lang namin ni Serena. She stopped studying after graduating Senior High School. Nabanggit niya sa aking gusto niyang mag-take ng Accountancy ngunit hindi niya agad maitutuloy iyon dahil hindi rin natuloy ang kanyang pagko-kolehiyo.

We were supposed to be schoolmates but she was not able to enroll this school year in the university. Nina's still young and yet, she has a family to feed since her father died already and her mother cannot work anymore. Ang alam ko ay may kuya siyang OFW at nakababatang kapatid na lalaki rin.