His Girl Friday

Chapter 26: Indak

CHAPTER 26

"Makikinig ba ako sa aking isip na dati pa namang magulo?

O iindak na lamang sa tibok ng puso mo?"

- Indak by UDD

Maaga pa lang ay magka-chat na kami ni Sari. Wala pa ako sa wisyo pero dahil sa taas ng energy at kulit ng pinsan ko ay unti-unti na akong nagigising at nababahala. Tama ba na kinakausap ko pa rin siya without telling Mama? Am I being shady for doing this? Magugustuhan niya kaya ang paglilihim ko about this kapag nalaman niya na ito?

Well, I'm already lying to her. With me being in a relationship with Apollo secretly, ano pa bang mas malalang sikreto ang itatago ko sa kanya? Being with my supposedly future stepbrother is kind of a big deal.

Sari: Is there a chance na mapapadpad ka ng Manila sa Christmas break?

Now, how will I answer her if I can't fully understand our family dynamics? Meeting my father's family shouldn't have to be a struggle, right? But what can I do? Mukhang bago pa ako nagkaisip, may mga sikreto na sila sa akin na wala silang balak sabihin.

Ara: Di pa ako sure. I'll ask Mama and Tito Eric tho. Baka kasi may balak kasi sila or something.

That's the safest thing that I could say to her without being rude and fair to my mother.

Sari: Yay! Sana payagan ka! I really want to meet you!

I sighed. Yeah. Me, too. I really want to meet them and I want to know my father through them. I want to see him through their eyes and I want to hear his jokes and his stories through their memories.

There's no harm in talking to her. Medyo madalas na rin kaming nagkaka-usap ni Sari. Hindi naman siguro masamang makilala ko ang pinsan ko, diba? I've never met a cousin even on Mama's side. She has sheltered me so much. Its kind of annoying, now that I think about it.

Ara: Me, too! Gusto ko rin kayo ma-meet!

Sari: Hey, I know hindi pa tayo close...

Ara: Yes...?

Sari: Is it okay if mag video chat tayo? Hehe.

Ara: Okay lang naman.

Wala pang ilang segundo ay nakatitig na ako sa screen ng aking smartphone, laman nito ang pangalan ni Sari. Ganun ba siya ka-excited talaga na makausap ako?

Sari Israel is requesting for a  Video Chat...

Huminga ako nang malalim at ngumiti bago sinagot ang tawag. Agad na lumabas ang nakangiting mukha ng aking pinsan. Halos naniningkit na ito dahil sa laki nang kanyang ngiti. 

"Hello!" paunang bati ko sa kanya.

Kumuway ito sa akin. "Hi, Sahara!"

"What's up?"

Nagkibit-balikat siya bago mas itinutok ang mukha niya sa kanyang phone. "Nothing much. Gusto lang kita makita kahit via video call lang."

That explains it. Gusto niya lang talaga akong makita at makausap. But did I pass kung meron man siyang test sa akin? What's her first impression? What did she expect to see? Nagandahan ba siya sa akin? Did I meet her expectations?

This time, I'm the one who's squinting at her. "So, what's the verdict?"

"You look so pretty. Ang ganda ng hair mo! Nakakainggit!" she gushed.