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Lumapit ako sa dining room, pero di ko muna binuksan ang pinto, I tried to stand on the other side of the door and listen. Naririnig ako ang tawanan ng dalawang tao. Likely si Iza yun, nakauwi na. I checked myself, made sure na presentable at walang bakas o ebidensya ng mga nangyari kagabi at saka ako pumasok. Pagbukas ko ng pinto ay tuloy padin ang tawanan at kwentuhan ng dalawa.
“Morning.” ang bati ko at napalingon sa akin si Iza at saka tumayo at niyakap ako.
“Morning ate. Lika na, kain na tayo. Kuya Phil here made the breakfast.”
Napakurap pa ako sa narinig ko mula sa kapatid ko. Kinabahan ako dahil baka kiss and tell ang loko, pero syempre di ko pinahalata.
“Ako na nagluto, as a thank you.”
“Kahit kailan ikaw ate napaka clumsy mo. Ayan tuloy, nag stay pa dito si Kuya Phil.” nawala ang kaba ko, likely ang kinwento niya lang ay ang pagkakatapon ko ng coffee at ang paglalaba ko ng damit niya.
“Ikaw babae ka, anong oras ka nanaman dumating?”
“Ah eh, nagpaalam naman na ako kay mommy. Nasermunan na ako, wag mo nang dagdagan hehe.”
“Anyway, I need to go na din, Layza, Iza.”
“Huh? Let’s have our breakfast na muna Phil.” ang sabi ko sa kanya.
We had our breakfast and in fairness masarap ang pagkakasangag niya sa kanin. It was a full Filipino breakfast. Sinangag, itlog, gisadong cornedbeef at kape. It was ten in the morning when Phil went home on his own. I could still feel some body ache from last night, pero sulit naman. May kubra na ako atleast for the next six months, sa isip isip ko.
That day, walang tutor session si Phil at kapatid ko. Understandable, alam ko naman na pagod din si Phil. Wala akong ginawa the whole day, binge watch lang samantalang ang kapatid ko ay nag aaral. Atleast she starting to be more responsible. I received an SMS from Phil na nakauwi na siya, yun lang. The whole day wala siyang paramdam, at ayoko din naman na mangulit. I do not have any reasons at all din naman.
Kinagabihan naman ay maaga akong nag work, feeling ko super ganado ako dahil buong araw ba naman akong nakantot eh. It was midnight when I received an SMS from Phil saying that he will be tutoring Iza the next day at maaga daw yun. I just replied okay, just to acknowledge his message. Nag stalk din ako ng kanyang FB at IG, at wala naman akong nakitang unusual, super boring nang FB at IG niya. Well, ganun din naman sa aking FB, wala kang halos makikita. Pero sa IG ko, yun, dun ako babad.
Kinabukasan nga ay maaga dumating si Phil, parang seven palang nang umaga ata yun. Agad ko din naman siyang pinapasok at inalok na mag breakfast. Hindi ko maintindihan sa sarili ko, kahit na nagkantutan na kami, his glares and stares has still the same effect on me. Shit. Iba na to. We moved to dining area at pinag gayak ko siya ng plato at baso para sa coffee niya.
“Anything that you want for breakfast?”
“Any choices?”
“Uhm, hotdog and egg? I guess? Or spam.”
“Anything else?” Shit. Hindi ako ready dun ah. Pero dahil inumpisahan niya na ako, it was my turn.
“Anything else in mind that you want to eat?” sabay kagat ko ng labi ko. Napasandal siya sa kinauupuan niya. Dang.
“Uhm, siguro medyo basa? Yung hindi greasy?”
Tangina netong lokong to, ang aga aga. Pero I could feel that my pussy got wet. Shit, this guy is turning me on, umagang umaga.
“I cannot cook yung mga medyo masabaw, it will take time, you know.”
Akmang sasagot siya nang bumukas ang pinto ng dining room. Si Iza, gising na.
“Good morning guys.”
“Ang aga ng tutor niyo today ha.”
“Para maaga kami matapos.”
“O siya, I’ll prepare breakfast lang muna. Pumunta nalang muna kayo sa study room.”
Napatingin ako kay Phil at nakita ko sa mga mata niya na may panghihinayang. Kinindatan ko nalang siya, at napangiti nalang siya sabay kamot nang ulo.
Hindi kami active mag text or mag message ni Phil. I don’t think there was a reason for that at that time. We would flirt pag nasa bahay siya at nag tutor. Our sex encounter only happened once during the duration of his tutoring session.
After three months, Nakapasa naman si Iza sa Ateneo, La Salle, at San Beda. It was a feat actually kahit na hindi niya nakuhang makapasa sa UP. We celebrated her passing, kahit na mag start palang naman actually ang kanyang college days. After namin malaman ang result ng exam ni Iza, dun na din nag stop ang tutoring session ni Iza. We talked about it, and in case she would need it again in the near future, we prefer na si Phil ulit ang maging tutor niya.
September came and that was one of my busiest months sa work ko. Sobrang hectic ng schedules at ng mga pinapagawa. Tambakan ng workload literal, and all I am praying was sana matapos na. Nagkakatext padin naman kami ni Phil, pero yung mga reply ko sa kanya, inaabot ng two or three days. Wala din akong masyadong ganap, halos di rin ako naglalalabas ng bahay, wala akong social life in short.
I was able to escape yet another year of September na buhay at buo. Parang yun yung end ng fiscal year namin. October to January, petiks nalang kami at yun din months na free kami mag leave ng matagal, like a week for max. It was a Saturday afternoon when I decided na mag shopping. If I remember correctly, that was into the second week of October. Gusto ko lang talaga makahinga from all the month long stress sa work.
Actually, it is bizarre for me to go shopping even before pa magkaroon ng lockdown and whatnot. I used to do online shopping, pero from time to time gusto kong lumalabas. I booked a ride from our place to Podium. Kaya gusto kong nagpupunta sa Podium or sa Rockewell is because, I know hindi ako mag stand out. Normal lang ang datingan ng mga tao doon, regardless of your get up. Yun nga lang, limited lang ang pwede kong mabili dahil mahal ang bilihin.
Come by maybe six in the afternoon/evening I decided to move nalang sa Megamall since alam kong mas may mabibili ako doon. Well, my shopping only includes food, kaunting damit, and lingerie. May fav store ako doon na binibilhan ng lingerie. When I was walking to building C, may nakita akong familiar na mukha, and you guess it right, si Phil. I decided na lapitan ko ito when suddenly, a woman, a pregnant woman walked straight to him at umakbay sa kanya sabay lakad palayo.
I was stunned for a moment from what I saw. Just what the fuck I saw. Phil has actually a wife? A partner? Pregnant. I don’t really mind if that is the case, at ganun siya ka galing sa kama. I wouldn’t really mind kasi di naman ganun ka in depth ang pagkakakilala ko sa kanya. I just felt cheated that time, dahil ayokong makasira ng pamilya. Lalong ayoko naman maging panakip butas for someone else. The nerve of that guy.
Umuwi nalang ako, nawalan na ako ng gana mag ikot sa mall that day. I am still fuming inside from what I saw. Gusto ko siyang i confront, pero para sa ano? Wala naman kaming relationship. Ako pa nga ang nanlandi sa kanya. I teased him, so ano ang inaarte ko diba.
It was a week after that sight at the mall, I received a message from Phil, inviting me and Iza sa isang dinner. The dinner will happen at the tail end of October. Hindi naman ako nag commit since di rin naman ako sure na gusto ko siyang makita or pumunta. Sinabihan din ako ni Iza na hindi siya pwede dahil exam week niya yun. Until one night, naka receive ako ng tawag from Phil.
“Hello, Layza.”
“Hey Phil.” ang matabang kong sagot sa tawag niya.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Ano kasi, I haven’t received any response from you about the invitation.” the nerve of that guy.
“Uhm, I don’t know. I don’t feel like coming. What’s with the dinner ba?”
“Ano kasi, birthday ko yun. But if you will not be able to come, okay lang naman din.”
“Okay. I think Iza will not come too, exam week niya yun.”
“Oo, nasabi nga niya sa akin.. Is everything okay ba?” na sense niya na nagsusungit ako at walang tono ang mga s…