SIA: Chapter 2
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From: Jose, Adam D.
To: Miranda, Kathleen L.
Subject: Uwian
Sa Pasig ka rin pala. Sabay na tayo. :)
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Kathleen read the e-mail she'd just received. And then she read it a second time. And then a third. Just to make sure, she read the exchange of e-mails they had before that latest one, to see if she implied anything along the lines of wanting him to go with her in going home. She didn't. So it was only right that she was surprised. She craned her neck to look at where Adam was sitting, a few work stations away from her, and saw that he'd already shut down his computer. He stood up, and walked towards her direction.
"Tara?" he asked when he got to where she was.
"Ah, sige, mag-shut down lang ako," Kathleen said, figuring she didn't have a choice. There usually wasn't anything wrong with leaving the office with an officemate. It was in fact, normal. But Adam was new, and they'd just met earlier that day. Sure, they'd been exchanging e-mails since then, but still she felt that it was all too sudden. Did people really make friends that easily?
She turned off her computer monitor and stood up as well. She was about to get her handbag from her desk, but he got to it first. "Ako na magdala nito," he said.
"Ha?" she was again, surprised. "'Wag na," she said, taking the bag from him. "Kaya ko naman 'yan 'eh. Next time ka na tumulong 'pag may mabigat akong dala."
He chuckled. "Sige sige, next time," he smiled at her again, and then they started to walk towards the exit. "So, ano nga pala 'yung team n'yo? Hindi mo na nasabi kanina."
"Ah, oo nga pala," she said. "Ikaw rin 'ah, hindi mo na nasabi kung anong song 'yung kakantahin mo."
"Ah," he said and laughed. "'Eh hindi naman kasi seryoso 'yun 'eh. Ano lang, Iris. 'Yung sa Goo Goo Dolls."
"O, maganda naman pala 'eh. Ok 'yung song na 'yun," she told him. "I'm sure si Jeff pumayag agad sa'yo na tutugtog siya nun."
"Ah, oo," he said. "Gusto nga rin daw niya 'yung song 'eh."
Kathleen nodded. "Ganon? Ang daya talaga. Unfair!"
Adam laughed. "Kung gusto mo, tulungan kita maghanap ng ibang song," he offered as they walked towards the bus station.
"Ha?" she looked at him. "Tulungan mo na lang ako i-convince si Jeff na tugtugin 'yung Say It Again, mas-gusto ko pa 'yun."
"Haha, ganon? So talagang mahirap pala baguhin isip mo once nag-decide ka na?" he asked.
She nodded. "Oo. Kasi hindi naman ako gumagawa ng decisions nang hindi ko pa talagang napag-isipan 'eh. So once nag-decide na'ko, 'yun na talaga 'yon. Naisip ko na 'yung mga iba't-ibang angles nung decision na 'yon, kaya 'di ko na babaguhin pa."
He nodded in agreement. "Sabagay, maganda ring principle 'yon. 'Yun lang, minsan hindi mo rin kasi ma-control 'yung circumstances, like 'yan, si Jeff. 'Di mo naman ma-aanticipate talaga na ayaw niya pala 'yung song mo."
"Well, pwede pa naman magbago isip niya 'eh," she told him. "Bakit kailangan ako 'yung mag-adjust?"
He laughed again, and nodded. "Buti ka pa ganyan ka, sana ako rin pwedeng maging ganyan."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
He suddenly heaved a sigh. "Wala naman, it's just that, sa family kasi namin, ako 'yung laging kailangan mag-adjust, I mean, ako lagi 'yung nagi-give way 'dun sa mga gusto nila."
"Ah..." Kathleen nodded, and then she kept quiet. Somehow, it seemed too personal a topic to talk about with a person you just met. Although she was flattered that he seemed to already trust her, she felt a bit awkward. "First job mo ba pala 'to?" she changed the subject. She figured it was the safe thing to do whenever conversations got awkward.
He shook his head. "Actually ok naman 'yung job ko before, 'yun nga lang, mas-malaki kasi 'yung sweldo sa'tin. 'Eh, medyo may financial problems kasi kami sa family 'eh."
"Ah, okay..." Kathleen's voice trailed off. She didn't know what to say. She may have brought up an even more awkward topic instead. "Saan ka pala nag-college?" she changed the subject again.
"Sa U.P. Ikaw ba?"
"Sa University of Asia & the Pacific."
"Ah talaga?" he looked at her. "May kaya pala kayo."
"Um..." she was suddenly dumbstruck. But it wasn't her fault, she thought. What exactly did one say to that anyway? She was still thinking about it when the bus they'd been waiting for arrived. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Tara na."
"O, ba't ka bumaba?" she asked him, surprised. "Diba sa may unahan ka pa?"
"Ah, okey lang, magje-jeep na lang ako. Hatid na kita," he said and smiled.
She just nodded. There wasn't anything else she could do anyway. They headed for the sidewalk, and started walking. The weather was cooperative that night. It wasn't too cold, but it wasn't too warm either. It was just right for walking outside. For a moment, Kathleen wondered if what was happening really was happening.
"Ba't ang tahimik mo bigla?" Adam suddenly asked.
"Huh?" she said. "Wala lang, hindi kasi ako sanay na may kasabay pauwi 'eh," she admitted. The truth was, she'd been feeling awkward all that afternoon, ever since they met in the meeting for the singing contest. She just wasn't used to all the attention he was giving her. She'd never experienced being given that much attention before, and although she had plenty of guy friends, the way Adam talked to her was different. The way he looked at her was different. It was all so very strange.
"You mean, hindi ka hinahatid ng boyfriend mo pauwi?" he asked.
Kathleen looked at him without expression. No, she didn't have a handful of ex-boyfriends to be able to call herself "experienced" in relationships. But she wasn't stupid either. That was definitely a leading question to whether she has a boyfriend or not. And it was definitely a sign that he was interested in her. He wouldn't have asked anything like it otherwise. "Kung hinahatid ako, 'di dapat hindi kita kasabay ngayon diba?" she said as-a-matter-of-factly, and instinctively started to walk faster. For some reason, she didn't like where their conversation was going, and thought of ways on how to make the time go by faster.
He chuckled. "That's true," he said. "Well, natanong ko lang naman kasi ayokong biglang may mag-aabang na lang sa'kin sa office tapos aawayin ako, kasi kasama kita ngayon."
She smiled politely and looked away. She didn't say anything.
"Mahiyain ka ba talaga?" he asked.
"Ha?" she said, still not looking at him. "Hindi naman. Depende sa situation. Minsan. Ewan ko."
He laughed again. "Okey lang, hindi mo kailangan mahiya sa'kin," he told her. "Ang totoo, sa ngayon, I'm kind of glad na pinagtripan ako ng groupmates ko at sinali nila ko 'dun sa singing contest. Kasi I got to meet new people, I got to make new friends," he paused and looked at her meaningfully. "Like you."
"Ah," Kathleen just nodded again. She really felt awkward. Somehow, it felt like things were going too fast. And she wasn't ready for them. "Well, marami pang ibang opportunities to meet people. Mayroong activity na parang ganyan 'yung department every month 'eh. Last time, nagkaroon ng Quiz Bee. Masaya rin 'yung mga ganun."
"I'll bet," he said. "Pero ok din 'tong singing contest. I'm really glad."
She smiled again, and figured that the most polite thing to reply was, "I'm glad too."
They reached the entrance to the subdivision where Kathleen lived, and she insisted that she'd be fine walking alone from that point. "Thanks sa paghatid," she told him, and walked slightly faster, so their steps would no longer be in sync, and there'd be more distance between them. "Ingat ka."
He got the hint and stopped walking after her. "Ikaw din," he said, and waved goodbye. He watched until she had passed the guard house at the entrance. When she disappeared around the corner of the street, he suddenly heard a low thunder.
Adam was soaking wet by the time he opened the door of the apartment he shared with his 2 cousins.
"O, ano nangyari sa'yo?" the older of his two cousins, Mike, asked. "Naglakad ka ba papunta dito?"
Adam nodded.
"Bakit naman?"
"Wala lang, may hinatid ako 'eh."
"Si Sandra? Akala ko taga-Quezon City 'yun? Naglakad ka mula Quezon City?" his younger cousin, Raffy, called from the kitchen.
"Ha? Hindi si Sands," he said.
"Weh?!" Mike asked, surprised. He stood up from the couch he'd been sitting on and walked to where Adam was. "Sinong hinatid mo? Ikaw chickboy ka 'ah!" he punched him lightly on the arm.
"Sino? Sino? May bago kang syota, kuya?" Raffy emerged from the kitchen, still holding a spoon.
"Wala," he told them and rushed into his room. He shut the door after him and locked it.
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