Yus waited for me at the spot where I left him. His eyes stayed on his phone before he finally looked up at me.
"Ano? Tapos kana?" he asked, his gaze narrowing slightly.
He was sitting with his legs crossed, an elbow propped up on the wooden table. Tumango ako hanggang sa huminto na ako sa tapat niya.
"Have you already found a place that we can dine in?" I asked, gathering my hair into a low ponytail.
The mix of freshwater and sand lingered in the air around me. The wind picked up suddenly, and the chill made the hair on my arms stand.
He nodded. "Yes, commander. Nakakahiya naman at magreklamo ka pa,"
I reached out to pinch him, but he was already standing, dodging it with a grin. He then started walking, and I simply followed him, letting him lead the way to wherever we were going.
–
"What're your best sellers po?" I asked the uniformed woman in her mid 30s, while holding their menu.
"Ay, inubarang manok po tsaka ano...kinilaw!" she suggested enthusiastically.
Nandito na kami sa loob ng nahanap niya sa internet. We were lucky to snag a table immediately, especially with so many people coming in and out as we walked in.
I glanced at Yus sitting across from me. He was still scanning the menu, brow furrowed, really trying to decide with so many options.
"We should try the hinubarang manok. I haven't tried that before e," I suggested, handing the menu back to the woman with a smile.
"Say what?" he asked, almost chuckling.
"The hinubarang manok nga!"
Nag angat siya ng tingin sa ginang kaya napatingin tuloy ako. "Did I mispronounce it po ba?" I asked.
She let out an awkward chuckle. "Inubarang manok po kasi, ma'am" she said, emphasizing the ‘inu’ part.
I chuckled back with heated cheeks. "Okay, okay...sorry po,"
Soon enough, we had made our decision on what to oder. We went with her suggestion and added one more dish—sinigang na baboy, courtesy of Yus.
After the woman excused herself, Yus couldn’t help teasing me about the mispronunciation. Umirap lang ako sa kaniya bago tinuon ang atensyon sa iba kahit hindi pa rin siya tumitigil.
He only stopped when our foods arrived. He straightened up immediately, helping with the serving as the new uniformed waiter excused himself.
I took a sip of the cold water, letting it cool down the slight heat in my cheeks, before starting to eat.
It probably took us half an hour to finish our meal. The food was so good, we spent most of the time discussing the ingredients and wondering why it tasted so delicious.
"My, I think I ate too much" I said, lightly caressing my stomach, now slightly bulging.
"They really lived up to the hype,” Yus agreed, glancing over his shoulder at the restaurant we had just left.
I gave him a thumbs up, completely agreeing with him. Ngayon ay naglalakad na kami palabas at hindi alam kung saan pupunta. I was just following him.
Then, Yus pointed to the right with his index finger. There was a
wooden cart with dozens of coconut. May lalaking nagsasalin sa isang plastic cup ng coconut water galing sa plastic juice container.
"Bibili ako ng buko juice. Gusto mo ba?" he asked, glancing back at me.
I shrugged, then followed him. I really couldn’t fit anything else into my stomach—it felt like a balloon that was about to burst.
Pinanood ko lang ang lalaki habang nakahalukipkip. Our eyes met when I caught him glancing at me again. He glanced at me multiple times already!
"Girlfriend mo, sir?" he asked Yus, chuckling.
Nagkatinginan pa kami ni Yus. His brows furrowed, and I arched my left brow in confusion. Yus scoffed, and I quickly looked away. I might as well have written a sign on my forehead saying ‘he’s not my boyfriend’
Gosh, do we really look like we're a couple?!
"Hindi," Yus answered.
Yus wanted the fresh coconut juice. Ayaw niya nung nasa container dahil baka maraming asukal ang nakalagay para lang maging matamis. After all, coconut already has a natural sweetness.
Nilingon ko muli sila at nakitang kinakayod niya na ang laman habang pasulyap
sulyap pa rin saakin. I just gave him an uncomfortable smile before slightly nudging Yus's left side.
"Ano?" He asked lowly
"Tell him to hurry up. I want to rest my feet na," I said lowly.
"Ay, akala ko nobya mo e" he said, turning back to me again. "Pwede bang makuha number mo? Single ka naman yata e," he asked, showing an eerie smile, as if though he had an ulterior motive.
Yus was about to respond, but I gestured for him to stop. I caught him rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Uh, no. Sorry,"
Please, just zip up your mouth. I don't want to be rude!
"Hala, bakit? Number lang naman e," he said, his tone disappointed as he wiped his hands with a towel. The coconut was finished, and Yus handed over some money, his expression darkening.
I only give my number to people I actually want to be friends with.
Pero hindi pa rin nawawala ang ngiti ng lalaki na akala mo ay talaga ay natutuwa ako na nakikipag usap ako sa kaniya.
I just gave him an awkward smile again, not wanting to respond anymore.
"Sige, f*******: nalang. Add kita, ma'am. Ganda mo kasi e," he said, nodding as if that would convince me to tell him my account.
I let out a deep sigh, feeling my patience snap. Sabi ko hindi na ako sasagot e!
"Would you please stop na, kuya? You're making me uncomfortable," I said, my frustration clear. My patience was running thin.
I was not even active on any of my social media accounts. I don’t post anything, just keep it for school stuff and news.
"Grabe ka naman, ma'am" he said, looking a little offended.
I was about to say something, but Yus pulled me away before I could. He didn’t even bother taking the change for the 200 pesos.
"Hindi mo na sana pinatulan," he said.
"E he is really making me uncomfortable na e. Paano siya titigil kung hindi ko 'yon sasabihin?" I snapped, my voice rising a bit.
Nang makabalik sa hotel, imbes na dumiretso sa suites namin ay sinabi kong magpa massage muna kami. There was a massage room here that we can avail anytime we want.
It felt like the perfect way to end the day. My whole body was sore, and I knew a full-body massage would do wonders.
The session lasted about an hour and a half. My eyes were heavy as the masseuse worked her magic, and I ended up dozing off through most of it.
Pero nawala rin naman ang antok ko nang matapos na at kailangan na naming bumalik sa suite namin. My body felt light now. I glanced at Yus, who was yawning and covering his mouth.
–
"Goodnight," I said, unlocking my door.
"Yeah, goodnight. Don't forget to double check if your door and windows are properly
closed," he said.
I nodded at him before stepping inside my suite. Agad akong naghanap ng pangtulog na damit bago pumasok sa banyo para mag half bath at nang makatulog na agad.
Yawning, I went to check if my door was properly locked before I switched off the lights leaving only the side lamp next to the bed on.
Sunod kong tinignan ang mga bintana na yari sa babasagin. When I saw they were properly locked, I closed the curtains to cover the windows and block out any unwanted views that might invade my privacy or comprise my safety.
–
Today was the first day of our midterm examinations. I was already in my uniform, was about to go, but could not find my pencil case.
It was still early, though—two hours before my first exam, but Macy told me to come an hour early for a quick review session.
Kagabi niya ako inaya na mag review kami at nag suggest pa na isama si Amara dahil siya ang magaling sa klase at close ko pa. Thankfully, Amara agreed to join us for the review.
Nang mahanap ang pencil case sa loob ng side drawer ng kama ay agad akong bumaba. I flipped my damp hair away from my face when they danced with the wind as I head downstairs.
I got into the waiting car outside and heard the door slam shut as I placed my pencil case into my tote bag.
–
When I stepped out of the elevator, and I pulled out my phone to check Macy’s message. They were already at the library and had been waiting for me. As I glanced around, someone greeted me, and I smiled back, returning the greeting.
Lumiko agad ako papunta sa kung saan sila at nahanap naman sila agad. They were inside the private study room, located in the right wing of this library.
Macy immediately waved her hand at me, and Amara was talking to her, but then looked at me when Macy waved at me. Agad akong naglakad papunta sa kanila.
"I'm so sorry, the elevator took forever to go down e" I apologized sincerely before sitting on the vacant chair as I put my tote bag on my lap.
"We should start na since you're already here," Amara said before opening the textbook that was in the middle of the table.
Ngayon ay nasa labas ako ng silid ni Yus. Our class had finished the first test earlier than expected. I glanced at the people in the hallway, who were discussing the exam.
Some were comparing answers to specific questions, and others were complaining about parts of the exam that weren’t covered properly in the lectures.
Si Macy at Amara ay nandoon sa grupo na pinag uusapan ang mga naging sagot nila sa mga tanong. I greeted our proctor as she stepped out of our room, holding the answer sheets in her right hand. She gave me a faint smile in return.
Mamaya pa ang huli naming exam ngayong araw kaya mahaba ang magiging vacant. I decided to eat lunch outside the university and take a nap afterward in the private study room, which had beanbags perfect for resting on.
I could still feel the jetlag lingering, and I knew it would take a few more days for me to fully recover from it.
Ilang minuto pa ang nakalipas bago siya lumabas at naglakad papalapit saakin. He was covering his mouth as he yawned before running his fingers through his hair.
"Kain na tayo, hindi ako nakapag breakfast nang maayos" he greeted.
Tinawag ko na sila Macy at Amara dahil sasabay sila saamin kumain hanggang sa bumaba na kami at lumabas. Amara suggested a place with the best lunch meals, so that’s where we went.
–
I flipped to the next page of my textbook. I was now in the car, heading to school. Today was the last day of our midterm examinations.
At kung kelan huling araw pa ay tsaka pa ako natagalan nang gising. I still had about 30 minutes before I had to get there, so I decided to review on my own, rather than risk a last-minute cram session with the others.
Sila Macy at Amara ay kanina pa nandoon at hindi ko na masagot sagot ang mga mensahe at tawag nila mula pa kanina. I didn’t want to be disturbed at this crucial time.
I went to bed early last night, but I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t get back to sleep. That doesn’t usually happen to me; I was the type who sleeps early and wakes up early.
Saktong 15 minutes nang makarating ako sa university. As soon as I got to our building, I went straight in and pressed the ‘up’ button on the elevator.
My heart was pounding–anxious and panicked. I just hoped they hadn’t started yet. Sometimes, they don’t stick to the schedule; if the proctor and all the students are there, they begin right away!
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