Love Lingers: Down the Line

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Message Thread

Yuchi picked up her phone before running to her room in sheer embarrassment.

She was biting her lip to prevent herself from squealing and freaking out. Kasi baka marinig pa siya ng mga pinsan niya, or worse, si Chigo.

She even left Ulysses at the living room looking a bit confused before she stormed off.

Yuchi threw herself on the bed as she buried her face in a pillow, letting out a confined shriek. Hindi niya rin mapigilan ang pagpadiyak ng paa niya sa sobrang hiya.

The high pitch vibration almost scraped her uvula, making her swallow hard. Napakapa siya sa may bandang lalamunan niya saka siya tumikhim at lumunok ulit.

It hurt a little, but screaming actually helped. She was clearing her throat when her eyes wandered off to her phone.

Or not . . .

She ran her hands on her face when she remembered the picture Haley had just sent out.

She wanted to scream again.

Nakakahiya! Ano ba! Did I at least look decent there? Or madungis ba face ko? Hindi naman ako madungis, right? She wanted to check her phone again but remembering that the first thing she had ever sent him was her picture makes her skin crawl.

It's too late na, hindi na rin ako p'wedeng mag-unsend, she cried. And even if she does unsend it, Dr. Montellano has already seen her picture.

Wala na ring point, ungot niya.

Yuchi kept squeezing her pillows when the door squeaked open.

"Tita Mochi?" Haley called.

Nagtalukbong siya sa kumot. Naramdaman niya rin ang paglundo ng kama nang umakyat ang pamangkin niya.

"Tita Mochi . . ."

"Not now, beebie."

"Tita Mochi, are you mad at me?"

"No," she answered.

"Ayaw ba ni Mommy sa hair mo? Did she say it was ugly? Did I do a bad job?" her niece asked again.

"No, beebie."

Inalog siya ni Haley sa may braso. "Then what did she say, Tita Mochi?"

She sighed. "Nothing. Hindi mo naman kasi na-send kay mommy mo."

"No! I sent it to Mommy!"

She got out of the blanket. "Hindi naman, beebie, e. Look!"

Yuchi opened her phone. "That's not your mom." Turo niya sa screen. "Wala 'yong picture niya dito sa may circle."

"But . . ." Haley's lips quivered. "I know I sent it to Mommy."

"Hindi nga."

"Are you mad, Tita Mochi?"

"No, beebie. Hindi ako galit."

"You sound mad."

"I'm not mad."

"Sorry. I thought it was Mommy. I don't know how to read yet. I only know letter H and A and L and E and Y," sabi ni Haley.

Yuchi released a breath. She couldn't be mad at her niece, and of course, it was an accident, and she knew that Haley had just started learning her alphabet.

"Sige na. It's okay. Don't cry, I'm not mad."

Her lips quivered even more as her eyes marbled and gleamed. "Promise?"