Running After The Dusk

07

Halt

"Mama mo kasama."

"Did you just smile?" Gulat niyang tanong sakin habang nakatitig sa mukha ko. Agad kong tinanggal ang mga ngiti sa labi ko at bumalik sa pagkakapoker face. Did I really just smile?

Hindi, guni guni mo lang yon." Pagtanggi ko.

"Anong guni guni? Nakita kong ngumiti ka."

I looked at him and arched a brow. "O nakita mo pala, bakit nagtatanong ka pa?"

"So you did smile." He stood up, putting both of his hands to his waist. "Kinilig ka no?"

"Yuck! Can you even hear what you're saying?"

"Sus kinilig."

I kicked the back of his knee and glared at him. My cheeks are starting to get red and so is my ears. Umiwas ako ng tingin bago lumayo ng ilang dipa. "Mag ayos ka nga ng damit don!" He was still covered with sweat, the t-shirt he wore was too dirty that it made him look like a beggar.

He laughed, looking down on his shirt. "Bakit? Concerned ka kasi baka magkasakit ako no?"

"Hindi, ang laswa mo kasing tignan."

Narinig ko pa siyang gayahin ang sinabi ko bago magtungo sa kabilang bleacher para magpalit ng damit. Huminga nalang ako ng malalim at binuksan ang purse ko, binaba ko ang lighter sa may bleacher at tumayo. He was now wearing a new set of jersey– I wonder how many shirts did he brought for him to be confident in switching his clothes.

"Ayan na lighter mo, uuwi na ko."

"Sandali." He grabbed my arm lightly, tinitigan ko ang kamay niyang nakabalot sa braso ko bago iangat ang tingin sakanya. His doe shaped eyes pinned my face like  thumbtacks, sobrang pinong pino ng titig niya.

"Ano nanaman ba?" I tried to keep my voice annoyed and removed his hand on my arm. Nakipaglaban ako sa mga titig ng mga mata niya. "I already gave your lighter, ano pa gusto mo gawin ko dito? Icheer ka?" I said sarcastically.

Kinuha niya ang lighter at binalik sa kamay ko. I watched him enclosed his lighter to my palm. Nakakunot ang noo kong binalik ang tingin sakanya. "I don't need that."

Iritado kong binawi ang kamay ko sakanya. "You don't need it pala eh, bakit pinapapunta mo pa ko rito?" Nanatili akong nakatingin sakanya, naghihintay ng sagot. He let out a stuttering breath before moving backwards.

"I want to see you."

Hindi ko alam kung nabingi lang ba ako o tama lang ang narinig ko. I furrowed my brows more, like I was waiting for him to confirm what he just said.

"Now you already see me, can I go now? I still have a lot of things to do and please stop fooling around."

"Sino bang nagsabi na nagbibiro ako?"

Biglang lumakas ang tibok ng puso ko nang bitawan niya ang mga salitang 'yon, I looked at him and only then I found out how sincere his eyes is, he was just staring at me with no reaction at all, tanging mga seryosong mata niya lang ang bumabalot sa atmospera. I looked away and tried to look at something that will caught my attention, tinry kong i distract ang sarili ko sa mga bagay bagay, nagisip ako ng mga pinagagawa kong katangahan noon, pero kahit anong gawin ko, boses niya lang ang nag eecho sa isip ko.