Keeping Quiet Novels & Stories

Alexander’s POV It was late when I got home. The penthouse was unusually quiet. Not the kind of quiet that invites rest it was heavy, almost tense, as if the air itself was holding its breath. The lights in the living room were off, the sofa untouched, and the only sound was the faint hum of the air conditioning. Something tugged at my gut. I was about to hang my jacket when I heard it a soft, irregular sound, muffled but distinct. At first, I couldn’t place it. Then it hit me. A retch, then a sigh of relief, then silence.

Kung magpapatuloy ang katahimikang ito, baka tuluyan na akong mabaliw. "So..." panimula ko. "Are you always this quiet?" Tumaas nang bahagya ang isang kilay niya. "Usually." Napailing ako. "That sounds exhausting." "Talking just for the sake of talking is more exhausting." Napakurap ako. Hindi ko alam kung maiinis ako o matatawa. "Wow." "What?" "Nothing." Bumalik siya sa pagkain na parang walang nangyari.

sabi niya habang inaayos ang upuan. “It’s okay" sagot ko lang. Tahimik kaming kumain pagkatapos noon. He was too quiet. Too composed. Parang laging controlled lahat ng galaw niya, parang walang puwedeng kumilos nang magulo o mag ingay man lang. And his phone? Hindi rin tumitigil. Every few minutes, may calls. And every time, tumatayo siya para sumagot. Date ba ‘to o business meeting?

I whispered while looking at my tv screen. Ang mga kaibigan ko noon ay may iba't ibang buhay na at settled na sila sa buhay, we're still friends ngunit sa ngayon wala na kaming contact sa isa't isa dahil nga mga busy ang mga ito sa kanila-kanilang buhay nila. Napitlag naman ako sa pag iisip nang bigla'y may mag doorbell sa pinto kaya naman tumayo na ako at nag tungo sa pinto. "Hello, ma'am" Bati ng lalake.

Putol ko sa kanya kaya naman hindi na siya naka kontra sakin. As we sat, silence filled the entire place, the only sounds I could hear were the clinking of plates and spoons, it was so quiet I could even hear the ticking of the clock. I also noticed how quiet Mom was, if I hadn't seen her I wouldn't have noticed she was here. "So what's the important things we need to talk about?" I ask breaking the silence in the room. Dad was still hesitant to answer me, I'm sure he wouldn't be able to talk about the engagement he wanted especially with Khairro being here.

And I knew, deep down, that whatever came next… There was no turning back. The newsroom was unusually quiet that afternoon—too quiet for a weekday deadline. Usually, the low hum of keyboards, ringing phones, and chatter filled every inch of the floor, but today there was a silence so heavy it felt staged. My laptop screen glowed faintly in front of me. The enhanced audio file from Valerio’s office was open in Audacity, the waveform sharp and jagged. I’d played it so many times I could almost memorize every flicker of static; every breath caught between frequencies.

Sandali siyang mapanganga, ngunit walang salita ang lumabas mula sa kanyang bibig. "So tell me, why do you suddenly seem to lose your mood and keep quiet? Is something on your mind?" Dagdag na tanong ko pa. Of course, hindi ba halata? Madalas ko siyang inisin dahil iyon ay nagpapapansin ako. Pero alam ko parin naman kung kailan at paano sumeryoso sa usapan.

Sabihin pa ay nanunukso siya sa uri ng mga titig niya. Kailangan ko ba i-deny na pinagpapantasyahan ko siya habang tirik ang araw? "Silence means yes. Halika nga muna. Mamaya pa ang mga anak natin darating. Let's enjoy the peace and quiet time habang wala pa ang dalawang makulit na iyon. Nagbilin na ako kanina sa chef sa mga appetizer na gusto kong kainin natin later. Maglibot muna tayo. May pupuntahan tayo mag-anak after lunch."

she said playfully. IN THE QUIET sanctuary of the bedroom, Luca and Ronnie sat side by side on the bed, their attention absorbed by the pages of their respective books. As the soft glow of a lamp illuminated the room, the rhythmic turning of pages filled the air, accompanied by the occasional rustle of sheets and the murmur of distant voices from the evening beyond. Amidst the calm, Luca's voice broke through the silence, pulling Ronnie from the depths of his reading. "Ron," he called, his tone gentle yet earnest.

Pero kahit anong gawin niyang pagpepretend, hindi niya kayang mag-focus dahil nakatitig ito sa kaniya. “Sir, wala ka bang gagawin?” “I do,” sagot nito kalmado. “But apparently, my secretary is giving me the silent treatment. So, I thought I’d check on her.” Ano na namang pinagsasabi nito? Anong silent treatment? “Excuse me, Sir? Silent treatment po? Ako?” “Yes, you.” Proud pa itong sumagot sa kaniya. “Wow.” she muttered, almost laughing. “Grabe. Kahit hindi ako magsalita, may issue ka. Kahit magsalita ako, may issue ka rin. Ano ba talaga, Sir?”