Loving Rago Ken Marquez

Chapter 3

Hindi ko siya pinansin kaya si Erva ang kinausap niya.

"Can I request to see how the husband with arthritis dance his wife at the dance floor?" Auntie Lezeil requested.

Dad shouted, "What arthritis, Lez, huh? Sinong may sabi ng may arthritis ako!?"

"Your wife."

Natahimik si dad pero agad ding sumagot, "Ok. Happy wife, happy life!"

Natawa kami sa sinagot ni dad pero inirapan lang siya ni Auntie Lezeil.

"Under!"

Mas lalo kaming natawa nang idagdag pa iyon ni Auntie habang si dad ay namumula na sa kahihiyan at inis pero kinokontrol niya dahil ayaw niyang matulog na naman sa guestroom.

Todo palakpak kami habang magkayakap silang sumasayaw ni mommy sa kantang 'I Knew I Loved You by Savage Garden'. Ngiting ngiti ako dahil sa mukha nila mommy na tumatawa.

"Galingan mo, dad! Para may shoot ka mamaya!" sigaw ni kuya na lumapit sa akin.

But dad is dad, being a good husband when his wife is around, itinaas lang niya ang ring finger niya kay kuya sa likod ni mommy. I laugh so hard when dad mouthed 'fuck you, hulyo' on kuya.

Natapos na ang tugtog pero nasa gitna pa rin sila daddy.

Inabot niya ang mikropono. "Ano na, Lez? Pano ba yan? Walang masakit sa'kin? Sigurado akong makakatatlong puntos pa ako mamaya." humalakhak si daddy pero napatigil siya dahil sa pagkurot ni mommy sa tagiliran niya. "To everyone, let's dance!" sigaw ni daddy na may ngiti sa labi.

'What day is it? And in what month?'

'This clock never seemed so alive..'

Kanya kanyang punta ang mga mag asawa sa gitna. They're happily dancing with their own partners. Ang iba naman ay mga kagaya ko na walang ka-partner pero nagyayaya ng pwede nilang isayaw.

'I can't keep up and I can't back down..'

'I've been losing so much time..'

Nakita ko si kuya na hila hila ni Erva papunta sa gitna kaya napailing na lang ako.

"Can I dance you, Riya?" inilahad niya kanyang kamay.

Napataas ang tingin ko sa makulit na lalaking to. Tinaasan ko lang siya ng kilay.

"Come on, Riya." pamimilit niya.

Tatanggapin ko na sana ang kamay niya nang may humigit doon.

"Ako na lang isayaw mo, kuya. Mamaya mo na siya isayaw, for now, let kuya Rago dance her." sabi ng isang babaeng hinila agad si Rio.

'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do..'

Nagkatinginan lang kaming dalawa. I played with my fingers while bitting my lips.

'Nothing to lose'

"Well?"

Nanlalaking mata akong nag-angat ng tingin sa kanya.

"Uh... sure." nag aalinlangan kong tinanggap ang kanyang kamay.

'And it's you and me and all of the people..'

'And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you...'

Nakatingin lang ako sa kanya habang nagsasayaw kami at ganoon din siya sa akin.

'All of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right..'

I'm tripping on words..'

Mahigpit siya nakahawak sa baywang ko habang seryusong nakatingin sa mga mata ko.

'You've got my head spinning..'

'I don't know where to go from here..'

Nakagat ko ang ibabang labi dahil para akong nauupos na kandila dahil sa mainit niyang titig, para akong nilulusaw.

'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do..'

'Nothing to prove...'

"The MC was right." he whispered.

Napakurap kurap ako, "What?"

He shook his head and shrugged.

'And it's you and me and all of the people..'

'And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you..'

Nahigit ko ang hininga nang maramdaman ko ang hinlalaki niya na parang humahaplos sa aking baywang.

"Breathe, Sariya."

My eyes immediately look at his lips. Why does it sound sexy when my name came from him?

He chuckled.

'There's something about you now..'

'I can't quite figure out..'

Wala sa sariling lumunok ako. His eyes dropped on my lips. Parang nanuyo ang lalamunan ko.

'Everything she does is beautiful..'

Damn myself for feeling this way!

'Everything she does is right..'

His lips opened but immediately close. Parang may gusto siyang sabihin pero hindi niya masabi-sabi.

"If you want to say something, say it." i smiled. "Hindi naman ako magiging angry e."

He chuckled, "Hindi naman ako magiging angry e." he mimicked my voice.

Inungusan ko lang siya.

'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do..'

'Nothing to lose..'

Bumalik ulit kami sa pagiging tahimik. I was shock when he pulled me closer to him making me inhale his intoxicating scent.

'And it's you and me and all of the people..'

'And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you..'

Napalunok ako nang maramdaman ang hininga niya sa aking leeg.

'And me and all of the people with nothing to do..'

'Nothing to prove..'

Halos manginig na ang aking kamay habang dinaramdam ang init na nagmumula sa parehong naming katawan.

'And it's you and me and all of the people..'

'And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you..'

"Kuya! Can i dance with her?"

Napatigil kami nang hawakan ni Rio ang aking kamay. I looked at Rago. He's looking at Rio.

'What day is it? And in what month?'

Mahigpit akong napahawak sa balikat ni Rago. Damn him! Damn him! Please don't!

'This clock never seemed so alive..'

Kagat ang labi na napabitaw ako sa balikat niya. He did let me go. Inilagay ni Rio ang dawalang kamay ko sa balikat niya at iniyapos niya sa baywang ko ang mga braso niya.

Rago look at us again before turning around, walking away from us– from me.

As soon as the song ended, he's nowhere to be seen.