Running After The Dusk

23

Halt

"Choose there. Don't be lazy in looking at the menu."

I rolled my eyes before getting the menu peacefully laying on top of the table. I can't remember the time I told him that I was lazy in picking food or did I? How come did he knew that? Kaunti nalang talaga iisipin ko nang dati palang binabasa niya na isip ko.

If that's the case, for sure narinig niya na yung mga masasamang bagay na sinabi ko sakanya noon. I badmouthed him pa naman for a lot of times tapos magkakagusto rin pala ako sakanya.

"Done picking?" I tried to stay busy while looking at the menu, convincing him I was really choosing.

Ang dami naman kasing pagkain dito! I'm hungry as hell but I can't really choose a food. Kaninang nasa mass, I was craving for a chopsuey since I was planning a healthy diet and gaining weight isn't really much advisable this month but right when I saw Lechon Kawali on the front bigla nanaman nagbago ang isip ko.

I have tasted every single food here dahil dito naman talaga kami sumisimba before with Dad and my relatives nung nasa grade school pa ko. Good thing, this restaurant was built near the church kaya walang problema kung gutumin ka after mass kasi may naghihintay na restaurant pagbaba mo sa baba ng simbahan.

"Uhmm." Pinagbalik balik ko ang tingin ko sa Lechon Kawali at Chopsuey. I don't really know if I should start my diet o ipagpabukas ko nalang?

Sayang naman kasi kung di ako kakain ng marami. Besides, umagahan naman kaya pwede naman sigurong mag fully loaded ako.

"I'm sorry, she's really hungry that she can't even choose what to eat." Sinamaan ko ng tingin si Vino bago ibalik uli ang mata ko sa menu. Bahala na! bukas na magdiet.

"The Lechon Kawali and Chopsuey please and give me extra rice, make sure it's cooked." Isinara ko ang menu kaya lumikha ito ng kaunting ingay bago bawiin ng waiter sa kamay ko. He nodded lightly before turning his back away from us.

Narinig ko namang tumawa si Vino kaya napatingin ako sakanya. He even told the waiter that I am hungry! Nakakahiya, ano nalang iisipin nun? Patay gutom ako?

"Hindi naman sila nagseserve ng hilaw na kanin dito."

Inirapan ko siya. "Duh, I'm just making sure! I don't trust people nowadays when it comes to food, baka kasi lasunin nila ako."

"This is a restaurant. Why would they do something that will give their business a low rate?" He reached out a bit to flick my forehead, causing me to move backwards. Hinimas himas ko ang noo ko at pasimple siyang sinipa sa ilalim. Agad naman siyang nakaiwas kaya mas lalo akong nainis.

"It's not my problem if you easily trust people."

"They look trustworthy." Vino uttered innocently. Halata talaga sa mukha niya ang pagka walang alam sa lahat ng bagay. Hindi na ko magtataka kung may ilang beses na siyang naloko minsan sa buhay niya.

I shook my head. "Looks can be deceiving, dimwit."

"Don't you trust me?"

I stopped for a while.

Aaminin ko naman na hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin buo yung tiwala ko kay Vino. There is always this one voice that takes me back on trusting people I don't made a long time memory. But for him, I don't know. Ayoko lang talaga bigyan ng pansin kasi maybe sooner or later, he'll gain my full trust. Just not today, I feel like I still need to place a little barrier between us.

"We're talking about the waiters, not you." He then chuckled. Pero ramdam ko ang pagkahilaw sa likod nun. I felt guilty pero pakiramdam kong mas maguguilty ako lalo  kung sasabihin kong di pa buo yung tiwala ko sakanya.