The buzzing sound from my phone woke me up, I searched for it under my pillow and switched off the alarm. I slowly got up from my bed and stretched my arms while yawning. When I finished combing my hair I went straight to my door and opened it so that I could go to the bathroom and wash my face.
As soon as I opened the door of my room the same goes with the room across mine, and there I was a greeted by the man residing at that room. The house of Lola Trining has five rooms to be exact, four rooms are located at the second floor while the other room serves as the maids' quarter. And the only available room left was the one across my room.
Right, I totally forgot that he stayed the night here.
"Good morning" he greeted
"Morning" I responded while slightly nodding. Didiretso na sana ako sa comfort room na nasa dulo ng pasilyo but then I halted and looked back at Axl.
"If you need to use the comfort room it's that white door." I pointed
I was washing my face when a memory flashed into my mind and I can't help but to chuckle. Naalala ko lang kung paanong naglakad si Axl papunta sa kwartong 'yun na para bang bahay niya ang pinasukan niya. He was actually not that drunk but also not that sober. Pwede pala 'yun? Para kasi siyang wala sa sarili nang gisingin namin siya nina Lolo ay agad itong tumayo mula sa pagkaka ub-ob niya at dumiresto sa loob ng bahay. Basta-basta na lamang itong nagbubukas ng pinto kaya kailangan ko pa rin siyang sundan para masigurong tamang kwarto ang napasok niya.
Nang buksan ko ang pinto ay mukha uli ni Axl ang bumungad kaya naman mas lalo akong natawa. Puno ng pagtataka ang mukha nito kaya naman iniwan ko na siya sa harap ng comfort room.
"Good morning po" I greeted the four who are now sitting at the dining area. I went straight to the sit across my Lolo Carling, katabi nito ay si Lolo Ed at Lola Melda habang si Lola Trining ay nasa dulo ng mesa. The sit beside me is empty pero may nakahayin nang plato dito at mga kubyertos.
"Nasan ang bisita mo?" Lola Melda asked
"Pasunod na po siguro, sabay lang po ata kaming nagising"
Nang lingunin ko ang hagdanan ay nandoon na pala si Axl at tila nagulat yata at nakita ko siya. Napatawa ako ng bahagya kaya naman pati sina lola ay lumingon sa dako ni Axl.
"Axl iho! Pumarine ka na at sabay-sabay na tayong mag agahan." masiglang anyaya ni Lola Trining.
Axl was walking with his head down hanggang sa maka upo na siya sa tabi ko. Problema ba nito?
"Uhm... G-good morning po." panimula ni Axl kaya naman lahat kami ngayon ay nasa kanya ang atensyon.
"May, nagawa po ba ako kagabi? Pasensya na po..."
Pulang pula ang tenga nito at agad na tumungo pagkatapos humingi ng pasensya.
"Pfft. Ano ka ba, 'wag kang mag alala wala ka namang ibang ginawa kagabi" I said trying to convince him
Slowly he breathed deeply, feeling the relief after hearing what I just said.
"Pasensya na po talaga, hindi po kasi ako sanay na uminom" muling hinging paumanhin ni Axl at ngayon ay nakaharap na siya kina Lolo.
"Ay sya, ay 'di dalasan niyo ang dalaw niyo dito ng apo ko at nang ikaw e aming masanay ni Carling, ano nga?" Lolo Ed, habang nililingon si Lolo Carling. Agad namang nahampas ng lola Melda ang balikat ni lolo kaya naman napa igtad ito palayo sa asawa. Jsko ang kulit!
"Magtigil nga kayong dalawa at huwag na ninyong igaya sa inyong mga lasenggero. Hala sige tayo nang kumain at may pupuntahan pa tayo." this time I looked at Lola Melda trying to get an answer.
"Pupunta raw tayo sa farm, kasama si Axl. At doon na manananghalian. Madami pa riyang tirang pagkain. "
Nabilaukan ako sa kinakain ko nang marinig ko ang sagot ni Lola Melda, kaya naman agad akong nagsalin ng tubig sa baso.
"La, uuwi na si Axl. 'Di ba?" I looked at Axl, who's also looking at me now, as if I said something wrong.
"I thought were going back together?"
"Eh?!" I said not believing what I heard. Luh wala naman kaming ganung usapan ah? Tsaka ano ba 'yun, why does it sound so wrong?!
"Oh, 'yun naman pala e, siya kain na, kain na." Lola Trining interrupted and with that, we ate our breakfast silently.
Napagdesisyunan nina Lolo na sa owner na lamang sila sumakay samantalang kami ni Axl ay sa sasakyan niya. I just don't get it kung bakit kailangan pa kaming ibukod, sigurado naman akong kasya kaming lahat sa owner.
"Malayo ba 'yung farm niyo?" Axl asked pagkaupong pagkaupo niya sa drivers seat. Inayos ko muna ang seatbelt ko at saka siya nilingon.
"Hindi naman, mga ilang minuto lang." He just nodded and started the engine of his car. Umandar na rin ang sinasakyan nina Lolo kaya naman sumunod na rin kami.
"Buti may damit ka pa." I stated
"I thought I would stay at the resort for a while, that's why I packed extra clothes."
I just nodded not knowing what to say next. Minutes passed at narating na namin ang farm. We parked under the shade of a kaymito tree. Isa isang binababa nina lola ang mga pagkain kaya naman nang makababa ako ay dumiretso na ako para tumulong.
The place has a lot of coconut trees, niyugan nga lang ata ito 'nung una, tinamnan lang ng ibang mga gulayin ang mga bakanteng lote. May talong, okra at sitaw akong natatanaw. Aside from coconut trees ay may mga indian mango at puno ng saging din. There are hired helpers but I guess they don't have work today. May mga alagang manok, baka at kambing din.
"Madalas ka bang umuwi dito?" Axl asked habang pinagmamasdan ang paligid.
Nauna na sina lola sa pamumuti ng mga gulayin samantalang isinama naman ng Lolo Carling ang Lolo Ed para tingnan ang mga alagang hayop, kaya naman naiwan kami ngayon dito ni Axl sa ilalim ng puno ng kaymito.
"Hindi, sa totoo lang ay ngayon lamang uli ako naka-uwi dito. Biglaan nga e, kaso alam kong nagtatampo na sina lola kaya pinilit ko lang"
Pagkatapos kong ilatag ang picnic blanket ay agad akong naupo rito at dinama ang maaliwas na simoy ng hangin. Dahil may kalakasan ang hangin ay ipinuyod ko ang aking buhok para hindi ako masurot. Si Axl naman ay sa may duyan naupo.
"I hope you don't mind, but where's your parents?" he asked with his head down. Nang hindi ako sumagot ay tumunghay ito at saka lumingon sa akin. I smiled.
"Hiwalay na sila, matagal na. Actually sina lola na talaga ang nagpalaki sa'kin. People find it weird nga e kung bakit ba sila close, they keep on saying na no matter what happen they will never leave me at ako ang paborito nilang apo... As a child that really comforted me before, and now I am still very thankful to them"
There was a moment of silence between us. I was thinking of what to say next but then Axl stood up from the swing and sat beside me. He did not say anything hanggang sa makabalik na sina Lola at Lolo.
We decided to leave the farm nang lumilom na. Masyadong maraming naputing gulayin sina Lola kaya naman pati kami ni Axl ay may kabahagi, kulang na nga lamang ay padalhan din nila kami ng buhay na manok. Tinanggihan namin ito because we both don't know kung paano kumatay ng manok.
Dumating ang hapunan at pagkatapos nito ay nag-gayak na ako ng gamit dahil kailangan ko nang bumalik sa Manila, ganun din si Axl. I was about to get down the stairs with my bag nang kunin na lamang ito ni Axl at sya na mismo ang nagbitbit pababa. Sa dulo ng hagdan ay nandun ang Lola Trining ko, she was smiling at me kaya naman nang maka baba ako ay agad ko siyang niyakap.
"Thank you La..."
Hinaplos niya ang aking ulo at saka ako niyakap pabalik.
"Hindi ka ba talaga makakauwi sa pasko? Baka naman umiiwas ka lang talaga sa mama mo?" she asked with concern in her eyes
"Hindi ko po alam La... Madami po kasing trabaho, and you don't like it when I work here" I pouted
We parted from our hug when Axl showed up, calling me na pwede na kaming umalis. Kaya naman sinamahan na rin ako ni Lola palabas. Nandun na rin pala sina Lola Melda. Mukha namang nakapag paalam na si Axl sa kanila kaya naman bumalik na siya sa sasakyan.
I was about to leave when Lola Trining held my wrist. I looked at her almost asking why did she stop me.
"Mukhang mabuting bata 'yang si Axl. 'Wag mo nang pakawalan ha" nagulat naman ako sa sinabi ni lola Trining kaya naman nahigit ko papalayo ang aking braso
"La, ilang beses ko po bang sasabihin na hindi ko nobyo si Axl, at hindi rin po siya nanliligaw... Tsaka, wala pa po sa isip ko ang mga ganyang bagay" I defended
"Don't you want to have someone to grow old with? Katulad namin ng mga lolo mo?"
"Hindi naman po sa ganun La, kung katulad lang din naman po ng samahan niyo nina Lolo e bakit hindi po, pero... What if it's like with my parents? What if it won't work out well too?"
Lola just smiled at me, a sad one. That's my cue then to walk away and went inside Axl's car.
"Okay na?" Axl asked as soon as I got inside his car. I just nodded and with that the long drive back to Manila started.
Hindi ko namalayan na nakatulog pala ako, kung hindi pa nag ring ang phone ko ay hindi ako maaalimpungatan.
"Sorry, I fell asleep"
"It's okay. Sagutin mo na 'yang phone call, actually kanina pa 'yang nag-ri-ring"
I looked at my phone to see who's calling me at this hour, and just as what I have expected, it was Lewis. I then immediately answered my phone.
"Hoy Rylee Raine! Saang lumalop ka ng Pilipinas nagsuot at kahapon ka pang wala sa apartment mo?!" Lewis shouted, kaya naman bahagya kong nailayo sa aking tenga ang cellphone.
"Will you please tone down your voice? Pauwi na ako, umuwi ako ng probinsya. Okay na?"
"Huh? Pauwi ka na? Saan ka sakay? Wala nang biyahe ah?"
For a moment I didn't know what to say. I mean there's nothing wrong to say that I'm with Axl right now, wala namang malisya 'yun. But this is Lewis, lahat na lang may ibig-sabihin sa kanya, I don't want to be bombarded with questions kung bakit kami magkasama kasi kahit ako, hindi ko rin talaga alam kung paano nangyari.
"Ryle? Hello? Buhay ka pa ha?"
"Basta! 'Wag ka nang madaming tanong. Bye."
With that I ended our phone call. I can get away with it naman 'di ba? There's no way that she will find out that Axl stayed at our province with me. Tama, I didn't tell anyone about it either. But Imran knew na sumabay ako kay Axl, pero baka nalimutan na niya? Ay ewan!
Unknowingly I slapped my forehead kaya naman napalingon sa gawi ko si Axl.
"Antok ka pa? You can sleep, no need to stay up with me." He said with full of concern. Umiling lamang ako dahil hindi ko alam kung anong sasabihin ko. Aish, lagi naman e.
"By the way, gutom ka na ba? Sabihin mo lang pwede naman uli tayong mag stop over kapag may madadaanan tayong pwedeng kainan."
"Naku hindi na. Hindi pa ako gutom, pero... Ikaw ba?"
"Nah, I was just wondering, baka kasi gutom ka na."
That was the last thing that I can remember before I dozed off to sleep. And before I even knew it, we were already in front of our apartment. A light tap from my right cheek woke me up, and instead of the cars ceiling I was greeted by the face of Axl.
