His and Mine / ZNN

4. Of Phonographs and Vinyl Records

Zee did not report to work since truckers were delivering most of his items. He took them out from storage facilities and he needed time to sort them. He had to be at his condo to receive his stuff because the items are things that he cherished. He’s staying in Thailand for good, that’s what he decided to do so it was time to take them out.

His dad loved music. As a result, a small amount was taken from Edward’s salary every month which was solely dedicated to buying the vinyl that will add up to his stash. A phonograph player was at a special spot at their old home, one that Zee remembered his father using since he was young.

On particularly lazy Sunday’s Zee would wake up to his mom and dad slowly swaying to the music coming from the phonograph. His mom had her head on his dad’s shoulder while the older man hugged her by her waist. It was his favorite memory of them. When his mom would see him, she will let go of his dad and take Zee’s hand. He used to hate it when that happened as a kid but as he grew older, he got used to doing it learning the rudiments of dancing from his mom.

He was close to his dad. He naturally gravitated to him being the only boy in a brood of 3. He was also the youngest which made him the baby of the family.

At the age of 12, he acquired his first vinyl. It wasn’t intentional. Zee just happened to pass by a garage sale by a neighbor a few houses from their home on his way from school. He was just being nosy, but then he saw a stack of vinyl on one of the tables. Interest piqued, he started looking into the pile when Mr. Carl approached him.

“Do you even know what those are, Zee?” said the house owner.

“Vinyl’s sir. My dad has them.” The boy answered politely. He knew Mr. Carl. The old man was always nice and greeted him when he passed by his house.

“Is that so? Tell you what, since I won’t be needing these anymore and I’m not even sure if it's still working, you can choose one and bring it home.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that sir. I was just looking around. I’d hate to take any of your things when I did not pay for it.” Zee said shyly.

“No, I insist. Just pick one and give it to your dad. It's not a big deal as I’m getting rid of stuff as you can see.”

Feeling flustered yet extremely happy, he sifted through the pile and took a vinyl that was from a certain Frank. He didn’t know who he was but it looked the shiniest of the pile so it must be okay still.

“Good choice, Zee! That one’s a classic” the old man said.

“Really? Well, thanks for this Sir Carl. I’ll be sure to tell my dad that you gave it to me. I’ll go now, sir. My mom’s expecting me around this time. Thank you!” said Zee as he waved goodbye to Carl and ran all the way home.

The vinyl played in their phonograph much to Zee’s delight. He learned that it is a song from Frank Sinatra entitled “The Way You Look Tonight” and to this song, his mom and dad danced up until the last day that his dad was able to do this before cancer took him away.

He loved his dad and the vinyl collection they started when he was twelve are items very close to his heart. He continued buying and adding up records and was sure that the old ones in his possession will be prized handsomely nowadays. It wasn’t the amount that mattered to him though. He just feels that he gets a tiny part of his father back every time he buys one, every time he plays one.He went to an auction shop after he signed the delivery of his things to settle the details of a phonograph he purchased. It was near his place so he decided to walk and not bring his car. Looking for a parking slot will be too bothersome for the simple task that he meant to accomplish.

He finished earlier than he thought. The weather grew too hot for his liking. Since he no longer has other plans for the day, he decided to get something cold to drink from the first café that came into view. The cold air coming from the aircon was a relief. He was enjoying his drink and a sandwich when a familiar person walked in. The person was immediately waved at by several people occupying the table at the far side of the room.

Zee was pleasantly surprised. Yes, he found Nunew engaging and definitely pretty. It has come to his mind to ask Mark or Max about him, several times in fact, but this was better. Only, the boy was obviously busy, so he decided to wait. He had time, so he watched Nunew as he conversed with his classmates.

He noted how the boy will tilt his head to the side when something confuses him and then smile widely when everything became clear. He also noticed the cute pinky finger that seemed to bend backward a bit when he drew his hands together, he saw this several times and found it amusing. Nunew also seems to have a habit of fixing his hair, unconsciously tucking it behind his ear. He found it funny too, when he would pout and puff his lips when he is concentrating on something. All these things Zee observed, and found especially captivating.

“I was having a snack when I saw you come in. I wanted to say hi but you were busy.” Said Zee to try to fill the silence that ensued when he got to where Nunew was sitting. May I? Zee asked while pulling a chair opposite the young one.

“Oh, yes please, do sit.” Nunew seemed to have lost his ability to think. .Come on, Nunew. Get a grip. Don’t be a complete idiot. "You saw me come in?" Good Nunew…that’s it. That’s how you talk…. baby steps. Nunew laughed despite himself. His mind cracks him up at times.

“Yes, I did. As I said, you seemed busy so I decided to wait.” Zee smile radiantly as he answered.

Please, not that smile again…oh god! Wait! What did he say? He waited to say hi? That was like two hours ago. NuNew thought. He couldn’t very well tell Zee that right? So, he decided to smile and start a conversation with the gorgeous man in front of him.

“Do you live near here?” NuNew continued smiling.

“Yes. I bought a unit at One Emerald Residences a few blocks down. I like this area as it's near to everything I need.” Zee answered.

“I like this area too. There are still plenty of trees even though high-rise buildings are also around. Have you been to the park behind your block? Tomson Park, it's called. It’s pretty there. There’s plenty of flower beds and, the walkways are made to have arches with plants climbing on them, so it’s not hot even if you walk under the sun.” Nunew caught up with himself when he realized that he seemed to be babbling. Why would Zee want to go to a park? Honestly, Earth to Nunew! He berated himself in his head, his face coloring in embarrassment.

“Oh, I saw that from my condo but I haven’t been yet. I was planning to though. It seemed like a good area to go jogging:” Zee answered when he noticed that Nunew stopped talking abruptly. He also noticed, the blush that crept on the younger’s cheeks and could not help himself to smile and stare. Can he get any cuter? Zee pulled from his thoughts.

“So, have you guys finished your work? Looks like there’s still a lot to do.” Zee continued.
“There’s still a bit more but we can manage till submission time. We're a big group and thankfully, everyone’s doing their share of the workload so we're confident that we’ll finish ahead of time.”
Zee still remembered how they were during this point when he was still studying so he said, “That’s good to know. It gets busy as the Finals come near, especially for people in line for graduation, so I know that you might be swamped with work now.”

“That’s what they say but with me and my friends, we usually like to stay ahead of things. We're really not into cramming that’s why we plan, which makes everything easier.” NuNew said a bit smugly. He liked this study habit that he and his friends have grown accustomed to over the years.

“That’s a good practice to follow. Very wise of you.” Zee complimented.

Nunew shyly smiled and when the boy did not talk, Zee blurted out “Are you in a hurry to go home? Would you like to take a walk in the area with me?” which surprised the man in front of him.

Sensing this, Zee continued “I planned to do that for some time now, but I had to settle things at my old company and get acquainted with the new one, which did not give me much free time. Now that I have three days off to fix up my place, I can actually get to know the area. And besides, it's till the rush hour. Rather than being stuck in traffic on your way, wouldn’t it be better to get some fresh air, look at the stars and enjoy good company to pass the time?”

NuNew smiled. He had no idea that his night will turn out like this. Zee, from the time he sat, was pleasing and funny. He considered the invitation. A walk, why not? Much as he thought about it, there was nothing wrong with the man’s offer. Truth be told, he felt excited by the prospect of spending time with someone who up until yesterday, was in the running to be added to the list with Jin of BTS and Chris Evans. Someone special yet unreachable. So, it was no surprise when he heard himself say “Sure, let’s go take a walk!”