PORTION 05

TJ's POV

After 10 minutes, we chose to leave the cemetery.

"Want to have some drinks?" alok niya.

"Don't we have class tomorrow?" I asked him back.

"It's alright."

We went back to the place I rented.

"Why don't we celebrate your birthday now?" I asked, trying to make a conversation.

"Just the two of us?"

I smiled, "Why not?"

"But—"

"No buts!"

Even if it's just the two of us here, it's still good. We had so much fun here. Lakas mag hamon neto, eh isang can pa lang tumba na, jusme.

"Let me tell you something," he said, so drunk.

We're sitting next to each other on the floor, below this bed.

"What is it?"

"He had an accident because of me. I was so stubborn that day."

I came to my senses after hearing those words, "What do you mean?"

"It's my fault!" he shouted, out of nowhere afterwards he started to cry, I never knew he had this kind side of him, "Hindi ko pinakinggan ang side niya kasi mas iniintindi ko yung sarili ko, I'm such a fool!"

Bipolar? You're just happy a while ago and now you're crying, tsk.

"It's not your fault. Even if your grandfather died on this day, there is no reason not to celebrate your birthday 'cause this is the day you were born. Try to accept the fact that he died but it's not your fault, mahirap? oo, pero satingin mo ba magiging masaya siya if makita ka niyang ganyan? For sure, Hindi," I said to him.

He's sniffing, "Do you think it's not my fault?"

How pitiful. I hugged him tightly and patted his back again and again.

"Yes, It's not your fault so don't blame yourself."

"It's my fault!" he shouted.

He is really stubborn!

"If you can't accept it now, it's alright, I know someday, you will."

"But I'm not that strong." And left hugging me to take a sip of a canned alcohol drink.

I laughed at him, "You don't need to be strong, you just need to accept."

At mas lalo pa siyang umiyak.

I'm comforting him now. Ganon rin ang ginawa ni mama eh, she comforted me. It feels so good to have someone there for you whenever you need them, and now I know he needs someone so I will be here beside him.

After 10 minutes, tumahan na rin siya.

I stood up, I picked him up, carried him, laid him down on the bed and fixed the pillows.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" I waited for a few minutes to continue what he was trying to say but still not answering me, "May sasabihin ka ba?"

"I'm sorry that I like . . ."

I'm still waiting for the next word but there's no next word.

The next morning...

I went to his apartment to give him breakfast and medicine for hangovers.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Um."

"Sure?"

"Yeah."

I went to his kitchen to drink some water, because I felt that my throat was dry. I grabbed the glass and grabbed the pitcher, too. And started putting the water in the glass, when I suddenly remembered what happened last night. So, I asked him.

"Er. . . . About last night?"

After asking, I started to drink.

He was shocked, "Huh, about last night? May nangyari ba?"

Bigla akong nasamid sa narinig ko, napa-upo ako habang na-ubo. Saka ko lang din napansin na nasa tabi ko na rin siya.

"Okay ka lang ba?" Inabot niya sa akin yung baso na hawak ko, "Dahan-dahan sa pag-inom."

Uminom na lang ulit ako.

"So, what happened last night?"

I looked away, "Nothing."

"By the way, this coming Sunday, pwede ka ba sumama?" he started a new topic.

"Sure, for what?"

"I want to visit someone."

I was immediately told by my mind that it might be his grandfather that he was referring to, and I hope so.

Sunday morning...

We entered the cemetery, and the second time, we went there.

"Your grandpa?"

He nodded, "I couldn't control myself. I don't know what to do, to decide whether to go or not, but I realized I should just go. Mahigit 10 years ako ng 'di siya nakikita, so ngayon pupunta na ako."

I smiled, buti naman naisip niya 'yon,

"What you did was right. Siguro miss na miss ka na no'n."

Pero iniwan ko siya ro'n na mag-isa. He needed time to be alone with his grandpa, so he went to his grandfather's grave.

After 10 mins of waiting, I felt bored so I decided to approach him.

"Grandpa, it was him." He was looking at me.

I was startled as I walked to him, "Huh? Am I. . . . what?"

"Yes, thank you for coming into my life." He patted my head when I reached him, and also touched a little bit of my ear.

He can easily reach me and do everything for me, because he is a bit taller than me.

Kinagabihan...

Tom invited me, saying that Zack wanted to celebrate his birthday and that they had invited Nathan and Jaybi, so I went to come along.

"Guys, you only live once so be happy! Cheers!" Nathan shouted, ang daming alak dito eh. Jusme pag-alak talaga!

"Let's play a game," Jaybi suggested.

"What kind of game?"

"Truth or Dare." Tom while his eyebrows are up. After his sentence, Tom turned the bottle around.

"It's you, Nathan. Truth or dare?" Tom asked.

"Truth," he answered.

"Ilan na ex-girlfriend mo?" Habang nakaturo pa kay Nathan.

Nathan slightly smiled, "More than 15?"

"Really?" Tom looked at us, shocked, so we just laughed. "You're such a player, Nathan!"

I looked around, wala si Zack. I went to his kitchen and now I just saw him.

"Who are you looking for? Ako ba 'yon?" He is looking at me.

"Um." I nodded.

"I knew it, sabi na nga hahanapin mo 'ko, eh."

"Pa'no ba naman kasi wala ka! Anyway, I have a gift. Nakalimutan ko ibigay sayo nung mismong birthday mo." As I dug into my pocket.

I turned around, sh•t wala!? Nasaan na 'yon!? Nasa bulsa ko lang 'yon nung pumunta ako rito, ah!"

"You mean this?"

I turned around once again, he's holding it now.

"So it was plotted." As I laughed.

He just smirks at me.

Kinuha ko na lang yung earrings at nilagay na sa tenga niya.

"Why is this?" he asked.

You don't know anything.

"I really love earrings. It's small but cute, but there's a deep explanation."

"What is it?" he asked, again.

"Earrings are actually 2 pieces, right? for right and left ear. Earrings is just like being in a relationship, hindi kumpleto kung wala ang kabaak. Look!" Turo ko sa left ear ko, magkatulad kami.

"Then, I'll sing a song. Be my guest." And out of nowhere, he just grabbed his guitar.

Saan nanggaling ang gitara? Prepared si mayor, ah.

"Parang impossible kung isipin~"

And he started singing the verse 1 of LDR by Jem Macatuno. Until Pre-chorus, but then he changed the lyrics of "Davao man to Bataan, bicol to Japan" to "Korea man to Philippines, Batangas to US"

"Luh, sa'n nanggaling yun?" tanong ko, habang medyo natatawa.

He stopped plucking his guitar, and put this index finger on his lips, "Shh! Secret lang yun."

So I just laughed. And he continued singing until the chorus.

"What do you think?" he asked me after singing half of the song

"So, that's why he asked me what my favorite song was?"

He nodded, "Um."

Dahil ang kantang 'yan ang nagsabi sa akin na kahit malayo kayo sa isa't-isa, kung mahal niyo ang isa't-isa, mahal niyo. And it reminds me, too, of though how far where my Papa is right now, he knew how much I love him.

Celebrate his birthday with him, succeed.