Hindi ako nakatulog nung gabing yun. How could I? From someone with zero experience when it came to girls, I suddenly had a pretty and intelligent girl chasing after me. It was surreal. Kinakabaha ako kapag naalala kong nag-kiss kami at nangingiti ako kapag naaalala ko yung mga sinabi nya. It was weird.
“Matulog ka na o kaya ay magbasa ka.” I told myself as I sat up on my bed. Feeling ko hindi sya normal na babae o baka naman ako ang hindi normal at ganun pala talaga ang mga babae? I groped for my phone under my pillow and navigated to my photos. “Ang cute nya.” I groaned looking at the picture she took of herself. “Ang cute, cute nyang bata.” I sighed closing my eyes. Kung ano man ang plano nya, it was working kasi hindi na sya nawala sa isip ko and for a very long time, I was actually eager to be alone in my bedroom, not to read, but to think about her. “Hay, Sapphire...you messed up with my mind big time.” I murmured to myself and was surprised when my phone rang.
Sebastian’s Sapphire calling...
“Bakit gising pa to?” I asked myself before I answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Hi, Seb.” She did not sound like her usual perky self.
“Hi, Saff. Bakit ka napatawag at bakit gising ka pa?” I asked.
“I just feel lonely.” She answered. Napakunot ang noo ko. Ang pagkakakilala ko kasi sa kanya masayahin kaya parang napaka-out-of-character yung sinabi nya. “Sorry, nagising ba kita?”
“Hindi naman. Ibaba mo ang telepono, ako nang tatawag sayo.” I said and heard her laugh softly.
“Okay lang, naka-unli call ako.”
“Ha?”
“Di mo alam kung ano ang unli? Yung for a certain amount ay pwede kayong magtawagan at mag-usap without limit.” She answered. May ganun pala? I thought to myself. “Anyway, hindi ako makatulog kaya ako tumawag. Pero naisip ko baka naman iniistorbo kita so goodnight—“
“No.” I immediately cut her off. “Okay lang. Hindi pa naman ako natutulog. Is something bothering you? Pwede kang magkweno sa akin.”
“Wala.”
“Sabi mo kanina nalulungkot ka. Bakit?” I asked and she did not immediately reply. I heard her sigh before she spoke.
“Nalulungkot ako kasi...” She sounded so down and it was disconcerting but I allowed her to speak. Ayoko ko syang i-interrupt because I felt that she was holding all her sadness in and she needed to let it out. “Alam mo, Seb wala naman akong ibang gusto eh kundi yung pamilyang buo. Yung kahit may problema nandyan kayo para sa isa’t isa and you’ll stick together because that’s what a family does. Kaya kapag ako nag-asawa, I will make sure na hindi kami maghihiwalay. I will fight for our marriage. I will fight for my husband. I will see to it that we stay unbroken not because we have children but because we truly love each other. This might sound shallow to you pero hindi kasi lahat blessed na magkaroon ng pamilyang buo—“ She suddenly laughed. “Sorry, ang drama ko lang—“
“Are you crying?”
“No.” She replied but a sob escaped from her lips. “Sorry. Sorry, I could no longer stand my life.”
“Hey, it’s okay.” I said. “Okay lang. Umiyak ka lang. Makikinig ako dito.”
I wanted to ask kung hiwalay ba ang mga magulang nya but I felt that it wasn’t proper to do so. Besides, halata namang may problema sa family nya based on what she said. I knew how she felt, parati kasing wala si Daddy kaya para rin kaming walang tatay. For the longest time, I wondered if he had another family that he went home to but Mom assured us that it was just work—that the reason why my father was always away was because he was striving to give us a brighter future. Hindi ko maintindihan noong una, ano pa bang mas importante sa anak kundi ang presence ng magulang nya? But as I got older, I learned to accept that there were things that you needed to swallow.
