Be with You Again [ON-GOING]

Chapter XIV

SAVANNA

I love you.

"Anak, are you okay?" tanong ni Mom. "Yes, I think I just missed him," I told.

"Do you wanna know our love story of your father?" she asked.

I nodded.

"Noong panahong 'yon, hindi pa pwede ang mga mag-boyfriend-girlfriend. Sikat ang dad mo noon kasi anak siya ng isang sikat na negosyante nung araw,"

"Paanong hindi ko po nakilala yung lolo't lola ko sa side ni papa? Wala na po ba sila?" I asked.

She nodded as an answer.

"Tahimik siya. He barely speaks with others. Lagi rin siyang nadadamay sa mga gulo. Then, one day he approached me. He said, if sasama ako sa kanya sa isang karinderya katapat ng school namin. I was confused but, I agreed. Ayoko naman siyang i-reject kaya ayon," she continued.

"So, doon na nagsimula?" kinikilig kong turan.

"Yes," she laughed.

"By that time, we had a great day together. Parang hindi siya 'yung kasama ko. He's not the always-in-trouble guy," she narrated.

"At the end, inihatid niya ako sa bahay. My parents are confused. They asked your dad, kung nanliligaw siya sa'kin. I was about to tell na hindi, sabi niya kaya raw siya nandoon para hingiin ang permiso nila. Then, ayon," she laughed.

Tumawa na rin ako. I kinda miss my dad too. Obviously, I'm a daddy's girl.

Hindi ko nga inaasahan na iiwan niya kami-iiwan kami na walang paalam.

Ah! I don't want to talk about it. "Uhm, mom. I'm going to bed now," I told.

She nodded and smiled at me.

Kinabukasan

I went out for a jog.

Tapos, nakasalubong ko si Andy.

"Magjojogging ka rin?" he asked.

"Malamang," pabalang ko sagot.

He laughed. I just rolled my eyes. Tumawa rin ako.

"Masarap palang gumising ng maaga," I laughed.

"Oo naman. Anong oras ka ba nagigising noong nasa Maynila ka pa?" he asked.

"Maaga pa rin naman. May trabaho ako-" I told.

"Alam ko," he simply told. I just shrugged.

Nakarating kami sa dalampasigan. He sighed. "Ang ganda talaga ng pagsikat ng araw," bulong ko.

"Oo. Dito ako tumatambay pagkatapos kong magjogging," kwento niya.

I nodded. "Alam mo ba kanina ko pang napapansin 'to e," panimula niya.

I frowned. "Ha?" I asked.

"Halaman," sabi niya. I glared at him. He laughed at me.

"Bad ka," sabi ko habang tumatawa. Tumawa na naman siya.

"Namimiss mo na ba?" he asked out of the blue.

"Ha?" I frowned. "You misses him, right?" he asked more clearly.

I sighed. "You don't need to be sad. Alam ko na namimiss ka rin 'non," sabi niya.

"Paano mo naman nalaman?" I asked. "Nakita ko ang isang bagay sa mga mata niya noon at nakita ko rin 'yon sayo," wika niya.

"Ano 'yon?" tanong ko. "Love," he told habang nakatingin sa pagsikat ng araw.

I'm speechless. Nanatili muna kami doon. "Tara na. Gutom na 'ko," wika niya.