Housemates

CHAPTER 1

ARA

*Wearing Jersey number eight, Ara Galang! (loud screams from audience)* Kapag wala akong magawa, I do watch replays from our games during my collegiate years. Those were the good days I will always treasure until my last breath. I closed all my doors in playing professional volleyball when I got injured. I pushed myself during my last playing year pero sinabi ko sa sarili ko that it would be my final.

Despite that, playing volleyball will always be in my heart. My life after was all focused on running our business. We own a Top Sports Brand here in our country and so do the side of The Torres. In the business field, there's definitely a rivalry between both sides.

I remember years before, everyone was anticipating if me and Thomas will ever interact since be we both entered the same university. But, no. Not until Thomas started making fuss, praising me on all interviews, and he and his teammates started watching our games whenever they had a chance.

I started seeing people making some "theories" about us on social media, people started "shipping" us. And that was when ThomAra was formed, I was all aware of that, me, my teammates even my coaches. Some even fantasizes about me in Thomas being in a relationship to the point they started creating fictional stories for fun.

We remain silent about it, we let them think what they want to think about us, let them assume as long as they do no harm. And lastly, it's because Thomas and I were both in a relationship with different people.

And we'd never knew years after magtatagpo kami ni Thomas, not in a reunion or kahit anong party but we'll be seeing each other every single day. The business situation was quite vague, hindi ko mawari kung ano ang puno't dulo, hindi malinaw kung ano ang mga "Ano" at ano ang mga "Bakit" basta na lang kami pinunta sa "Kailangan" at "Kung Paano".

Para bang isang pelikula o drama. "We cannot marry each other". "You cannot force someone". If we'd ever do it, magiging pranka na ako, dahil lang siguro 'yun sa pera, dahil yun lang naman ang nagpapaikot sa dalawang magkalabang kompanya. Nakakalungkot, dahil sarili naming magulang ginagawa kaming pantaya.

"Galit?" Sambit ng kasama ko rito. Paulit-ulit niya akong kinakalabit at kinukulit pero hindi ko siya pinapansin. Paano, hinagisan niya ako ng cellphone kahapon. Sinong matinong lalaking may respeto sa babae ang gagawa no'n?

"Please I'm sorry, ikaw naman kasi. Bakit mo pinapatay 'yung WiFi nang walang pasabi? Naglalaro ako, rank game 'yun. Importante 'yun. Syempre nabigla lang ako hindi ko naman sinasadya 'yun. Sorry na, tulungan mo na ako maglaba. Sige na."

"Akala ko ba nag-sosorry ka? Bakit nag-eexplain pa? kapag nag-sosorry dapat hindi na nag-eexplain. Asan ang sincerity?" In denial ako syempre, kasalanan ko rin. Sinadya ko talaga kahapon patayin, kase wala siyang ginawa magdamag kundi maglaro.

"Sorry." Halatang napilitan pa, hindi pa ako tinignan. Ganyan siya lagi kapag may kailangan.

"Oh, hala. Parang ayaw pa, ayoko na nga. Ayoko maglaba, pagod ako, ansakit ng kamay ko, tsaka likod ko. After work kahapon, naglinis din ako. Ngayong weekend tutulong pa ako maglaba?"

He gave me a cold stare sabay alis. After he left, umakyat naman ako sa kwarto para magpahinga. It's only 2 in the afternoon at ganito lang naman lagi ang setting naming ni Thomas every weekend, it's either me or him that will do the chores, wala naman kaming katulong, and kapag weekdays naman parehas naman kaming busy sa trabaho. To us, it's nothing special, it's just that we're living together.

Few hours later, I guess I've been on dreamland for a while. As I turn on my right, Thomas is sleeping beside me too. Mukhang napagod sa paglalaba ng mga damit. The thing about Thomas is, he knew nothing about chores when we arrived here. We argue a lot, but then he's willing to learn, he's trying and that's one good thing I can say about him, 'yun lang wala na akong maidagdag.

I checked the clock and it's almost 7pm. Bumaba na ako to prepare dinner, and a huge bouquet of flowers immediately caught my eye. Naisip kong tignan or i-check man lang but then, I just decided na magluto na lang ng dinner namin ni Thomas, thinking maybe that's for Arra, baka Thomas will give that to Arra.

After spending almost an hour in the kitchen cooking, tinawag ko na si Thomas para bumaba at kumain. It took him a while at pagbaba niya halatang antok na antok pa siya. We're sitting on opposite ends of the dining table, walang nagsasalita sa amin. And it's me again who decided to break the silence.

"Saan galing 'yung flowers? Sino nagbigay? Or para kanino?" I asked.

"Para sa'yo" he answered.

I almost choked. Napainom ako ng tubig, hindi makakalma 'yung sikmura ko. Tama ba yung narinig ko? Para sa akin daw? Ano namang pumasok sa kokote netong lalaking 'to. Bakit naman ako bibigyan ng flowers?

"Ha, sus. Ganyan ka pala, okay na naman sa akin 'yung apology. Hindi na kailangan ng flowers nag-abala ka pa."

Bigla siyang napatigil sa pagkain. Tumitig sa akin. Ngumiti. At sabay bitaw ng mapang-asar na tawa.

"Ha? Anong sinasabi mo diyan? Galing kay Gabby 'yan. May nagdeliver niyan kanina dito. Sabi galing daw kay Gabby for you, for advance anniversary?"

Sobrang nag-init yung pisngi ko sa hiya, halos hindi ako makapagsalita. I almost forgot that me and Gabby's anniversary is next week. Why would I ever think Thomas will give me flowers. Tangina.

He's smirking, god I hate it. "Why? Do you want to receive flowers from me? I'd get you if you want."

"Of course not. kagigising ko lang kanina, masyadong lutang isip ko. Kilabutan ka nga sa sinasabi mo."

He did not answer back anymore at nagpatuloy na lang kami sa pagkain. He offered washing the dishes dahil ako na raw ang nagluto ng dinner. Usually kasi, it's him who always cook for the both of us, and it's me who do the cleaning. Pero aangal pa ba ako.

I left him. And I checked on the bouquet, I found a letter that says:

"I hope you're doing well, this is an advance gift. I'm afraid I won't make it on our anniversary trip next week. But, you know I love you. Happy anniversary- Gab"

As always. Gabby's always busy, if I say I'm busy, he's more than busy. If I'd describe Gab, he's an ideal man. He's smart, he's good-looking, a gentleman. Way back in college I never really thought we'd match. It was all Mika & Kim's plan to set the both of us; we talked and eventually got to know each other.

My parents knew everything about me and Gab, they were all supportive until this thing happened. Aaminin ko, Gabby didn't took it well, both of us didn't. We were on the verge of separating but I told him, I'd handle things my way, at magtiwala lang siya sa akin. Kahit, alam ko sa sarili kong hindi ko alam paano.

"Nakasimangot?"

I dropped the letter, at bigla niya namang dinampot. Sinubukan kong kunin sa kanya kaya naghabulan pa kaming dalawa, hanggang sa binasa niya pa ng malakas kung ano 'yung nakasulat.

"Okay na? baka may hindi ka pa nabasa?" hinablot ko 'yung papel sa kamay niya at binalik ko na lang ulit sa may bulaklak.

"Apology gift? Not an anniversary gift? Hmm. Gab never changed. I never really liked his attitude since college."

Then he left. How dare him.