Chapter 4

Habang naglalakad kami papunta sa hallway, saka ko lang ulit naalala ang sinabi ni Dad kanina.

He was staying here.

For a few days.

Bigla akong napahinto at napalingon sa kaniya. “Wait.”

Huminto rin siya at tumingin sa akin. “What?”

“You're staying here?”

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

“A few days.”

Napakunot ang noo ko. “Pero wala ka bang sariling bahay dito sa pilipinas?”

Umiling siya. “Wala, at di rin naman kailangan"

“Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“Then saan ka nakatira kapag nasa Philippines ka?”

“Usually, I don't stay long enough to need a place.”

Napatingin ako sa kaniya. “So sa States ka talaga nakatira?”

“Yes. I have a house there.”

I nodded slowly, trying to process it. “Then bakit hindi ka na lang mag-hotel?”

He looked at me as though the answer should've been obvious. “Your father offered.”

“Okay, pero pwede ka namang bumili ng condo.”

He chuckled. “Why would I buy one if I'm rarely here?”

“Sabagay, may point."

Nagpatuloy kami sa paglalakad, pero ilang hakbang lang ay bigla siyang nagsalita.

“Why? Ayaw mo ba akong mag-stay dito?”

Napahinto ako tsaka ako napalingon sakankya.

“No.”

He raised an eyebrow.

I immediately corrected myself. “I mean… hindi naman. I just thought mas comfortable ka sa sarili mong place.”

“I'm comfortable here.”

“Okay.”

Tahimik akong tumingin sa unahan, suddenly aware that I sounded like I was trying to kick him out of our own house.

Which, technically, wasn't even my house.

Before I could say anything else, his voice came again, this time much quieter.

“You really look like your mother.”

Napatigil ako. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero iba ang dating ng pagkakasabi niya.

Hindi siya parang simpleng compliment.

There was something behind it.

Something heavy.

Slowly, I looked at him.

His eyes weren't on me anymore. Instead, nakatingin siya sa hallway ahead of us, and for a brief moment, parang may taong ibang nakikita sa harapan niya.

My mother.

I swallowed. “Talaga?”

He nodded faintly. “Very much.”

I didn't know what to say.

Sanay akong makarinig ng ganitong comparison. Madalas sabihin ng relatives ko na hawig ko si Mama, especially kapag ngumiti ako or kapag naiinis ako. Pero coming from him, it felt different.

Maybe because he had actually known her.

Maybe because he had been there before I was even old enough to remember him.

Or maybe because of the way he said it.

I suddenly felt the need to change the subject.

“So…”

I forced a smile and pointed toward the glass doors at the end of the hallway. “Garden?”

He looked at me.

“Maganda doon,” mabilis kong dagdag, sabay lakad ulit. “Mas okay kaysa dito. Medyo boring sa loob.”

He didn't question my sudden change of topic.

“Okay.”

I smiled to myself, relieved that he followed.

Mabilis akong naglakad papunta sa garden, partly because gusto kong makaalis sa awkward silence at partly because ayokong pag-isipan kung bakit parang may kung anong lungkot sa boses niya kanina.

Unfortunately, sa pagmamadali ko, hindi ko napansin ang hose na nakalatag sa daanan.

“Shit!”

My foot caught on it.

Everything happened so fast.

I lost my balance and instinctively reached for something to hold on to, but instead of hitting the ground, a strong arm immediately wrapped around my waist.

Napahawak ako sa balikat niya habang siya naman ay mabilis na sinalo ang buong bigat ko.

For a few seconds, neither of us moved.

I looked up.

He was close.

Too close.

I could feel his breath against my forehead, and his hand was still firmly around my waist.

My heart suddenly started beating faster.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

I nodded, but my voice came out much softer than I intended. “Yeah.”

His eyes briefly moved over my face before he carefully helped me stand properly.

“Careful.”

I straightened my dress and tried to laugh it off. “I was careful.”

He glanced down at the hose.

Then back at me.

“You almost fell because you were walking too fast.”

“H-hindi ko kasi napansin... malay ko bang may hose pala diyan.”

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

“Still the same.”

I frowned. “What?”

He looked at me for a second longer before answering.

“Nothing.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, but he had already turned toward the garden.

I followed him, pretending that my heart wasn't still racing from the way his arm had felt around my waist.

And pretending that I didn't notice how familiar it somehow felt.

I narrowed my eyes at him, but he had already turned toward the garden, leaving me with no choice but to follow. I tried to act normal kahit hanggang ngayon ay ramdam ko pa rin ang init ng kamay niya sa bewang ko kanina. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ganoon kabilis ang tibok ng puso ko, pero mas lalo akong nainis sa sarili ko nang mapansin kong parang may kakaiba sa paraan ng paglapit niya sa akin—hindi naman malandi, hindi rin mapangahas, pero enough para maging conscious ako sa bawat galaw ko.

“Hindi ka ba talaga marunong maglakad nang mabagal?” tanong niya habang papunta kami sa dulo ng garden.

Napatingin ako sa kanya at napasimangot. “Marunong naman. Hindi ko lang ginagamit.”

Napailing siya, pero may bahagyang ngiti sa labi niya. “I noticed.”

“Wow. Two days pa lang yata tayo magkakilala, napapansin mo na agad mga flaws ko.”

“Two days?” Bahagya siyang huminto at tumingin sa akin. “Sure ka?”

Napatigil din ako. For a second, nanigas ang buong katawan ko dahil sa tanong niya, pero agad kong pinilit ngumiti para itago ang kaba. “Technically, yes. I mean, hindi naman kita kilala before today.”

Tumitig lang siya sa akin na parang may gustong sabihin, pero sa huli ay hindi rin niya itinuloy. Sa halip, nagpatuloy lang siyang maglakad habang ako naman ay napailing at tahimik na sumunod. Hindi ko na lang pinansin ang kakaibang expression niya, kahit sa loob-loob ko ay nagsisimula na naman akong magtanong kung ano ba talaga ang ibig niyang sabihin.

“Okay, if that you say so” bulong niya.

Napalingon ako. “What?”

Umiling siya at tumingin sa harap. “Nothing.”

“Ang weird mo, Ninong Rafa.”

Natawa siya nang mahina, at hindi ko alam kung bakit parang lalo akong naging conscious sa sarili ko nang marinig ko iyon. Maybe because this was the first time na nakakausap ko siya nang ganito. Maybe because he was technically a stranger to me, despite the fact that everyone in my family seemed to know him. Or maybe because somewhere in the back of my mind, I was still trying to reconcile the fact that the man I had spent one reckless night with was now casually walking beside me in my father's garden.

And the worst part?

I had no idea what was going to happen next.

I followed him, pretending that my heart wasn't still racing from the way his arm had felt around my waist, while desperately trying not to think about how familiar that feeling somehow was.