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Chapter 5

6/19/2020

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familiarity
​

“Wow,” I blurted out as soon as I entered his apartment.
 
The first thing that came into my view was the spacious living room. The black couch complemented the white coffee table in front of it. Beyond the set, a flatscreen television sat on a short drawer, along with speakers and some equipment I wasn’t familiar with. Katabi ng tv ang dalawang pinto ng mga kwarto habang sa kanan naman ang kitchen at bathroom.
 
I was expecting a single unit, too, but the size of his apartment blew me away. Magkano kaya ang rent niya rito? Sobrang laki naman nito kung siya lang mag-isa. At ang yaman naman niya para tumira sa ganito kalaking unit.
 
Hinubad ko ang sapatos ko na halos basa na ang kalahati. He gave me a pair of indoor slippers and motioned me to the couch. Nakita ko naman sa table ang pile ng yellow papers.
 
“Ah, sorry,” he said. “I’m currently checking exams.”
 
Kinuha ko ang nasa pinakaibabaw at nakita ang solutions sa double integration problems. Wow. Nakaka-miss din pala makakita ng calculus equations.
 
“Math 121?” tanong ko.

He nodded. “Mas madali kaysa Math 37.”

 
Nag-flashback naman bigla ang undergrad memories ko sa Math building at kung gaano ko isinumpa ang Math 37 dahil 1.75 lang ang nakuha kong grade. I was quite confident with my Math skills at mataas din naman ang nakukuha ko sa exams pero nadali ako sa finals.
 
I must have been frowning because I heard him chuckling. Ibinalik ko ang yellow paper sa mesa at nag-check na lang ng phone pero wala namang chat from our group.
 
Napatingin naman ako sa bintana sa gilid. The rain was pouring even harder. Nagulat pa ako nang biglang kumulog. Nakaka-stress talaga. Napakainit kanina tapos biglang buhos naman ng ulan ngayon. Ang lala ng mood swing ng panahon.
 
“Gusto mo rin ba ng kape?” he asked.
 
He was already holding a cup of coffee and the aroma immediately filled the living room. Of course, I’d like to drink one lalo na at umuulan pero nakakahiya. I gulped down the temptation and forced a smile.
 
“No, but thank you,” sagot ko.
 
Umupo siya sa kabilang dulo ng couch at nilapag ang mug niya sa coffee table. In-open ko na lang ulit ang phone ko dahil ang awkward na. Honestly, I’d rather sit with a stranger in silence than an acquaintance. Ang hirap kasi kapag magkakilala kayo pero hindi naman kayo close para mag-usap pero parang ang rude din kung hindi mo naman kakausapin.
 
God, this uncomfortable silence was killing me.
 
“Kukunin mo ba ‘yung sa taas?” he asked, finally breaking the minute-long silence.

Napangiwi naman ako. “I don’t know. Ang mahal, eh.”


“Medyo mahal talaga ang rent dito sa Antonio. Hindi bababa ng 7k mostly.”


“Yeah,” I sighed. “Itong apartment mo? Magkano ‘to?”


“Oh, uhm, 12k.”

 
Napaawang ang labi ko nang marinig ko ang price. My god, 12k?
 
“Pero may roommate ako,” he added at nanlaki naman ang mga mata ko.

“N-nandito siya ngayon?”


He waved his hand frantically. “Wala. Wala na.”


“Wala na?” I repeated.


“Na-accept kasi siya sa ina-apply-an niyang PhD program sa Australia kaya nagp-prepare na siya. Kailangan na kasi niyang umalis by third week of June.”


“Oh.” I exhaled in relief. Nakakahiya kasi kung may ibang tao pala rito tapos nandito ako.

 
Muling namagitan ang katahimikan sa aming dalawa. Buti na lang at may nag-chat kaya agad ko iyong tiningnan pero napabuntong-hininga ako nang makita ko ang pangalan ni Shan.
 
Shanna Rae Palermo
 
Hoy san ka na? Naligaw ka ba?
 
Dali-dali naman akong nagreply.
 
Marigold: Nagpapatila ng ulan

Shanna:
Dazerb naabutan

Marigold:
Nasira pa nga yata ‘yung payong ko

Marigold:
Batrip

Shanna:
Hahaha san ka ngayon?
 
Napahinto ako sa pagcha-chat. I was hesitant to tell her that I’m in Callum’s apartment. For sure ay magwawala at mang-aasar na naman ‘to kapag sinabi ko ang totoo.
 
Marigold: Antonio pa rin

Marigold:
Nakisilong muna

Shanna:
Tangek parang ‘di titigil ‘yung ulan

Marigold:
Kaya nga eh, paka-abnormal

Shanna:
HAHAHAHA puntahan mo na lang si Cal

Shanna:
Sabihin mo pasilong po pls
 
Halos maubo ako nang mabasa ko ang chat niya. I glanced at his direction and thank goodness he was busy checking the papers.
 
Marigold: Baliw

Shanna:
Chat ko nga

Marigold:
HOY!
 
Panic rose to my throat. I flooded her with ‘hoy’ but she wasn’t replying anymore. Napatingin ako kay Callum nang abutin niya ang phone niya . . . at bigla na lang siyang nasamid sa iniinom niyang kape.
 
“Si Shan ba ‘yan?” agad kong tanong.

He looked at me, bewildered. “H-how did you know?”


“Huwag mo na lang siyang pansinin,” I suggested. “Tinotopak na naman ‘yan.”

 
Pinunasan niya ang bibig niya pero mukhang gulat pa rin siya sa kung anuman ang sinend sa kanya ni Shan. I was a bit curious about it but I didn’t want to ask him. Pagbalik ko talaga sa lab ay babatukan ko ang gagang ‘yon.
 
“Pinapahanap ka lang niya sa akin,” he reluctantly said knowing Shan, for sure ay may iba pa ‘yong kasunod.

“Sorry, huwag mo na lang reply-an.”


“Hindi niya alam na nandito ka?”


I pursed my lips. “No. Mang-aasar na naman ‘yon ‘pag nalaman niya.”


He snickered in return. “Sabagay. Ang lakas pa naman mang-asar ni Shan.”

 
Nakita ko naman ang chat head ni Shan kaya agad ko ‘yong binuksan.
 
Shanna: Ampucha ni-seen lang ako ni Cal

Marigold:
Ano na namang pinagsasabi mo sa tao

Shanna:
Wow maka-tao siya kala mo ‘di naging ka-loveteam

Shanna:
May pangalan siya Magi

Shanna:
Tawagin mo na lang siyang labs

Shanna:
HAHAHAHAHA

Marigold:
Heto sampung pakyu hanap ka kausap mo

Shanna:
Ge, tanggapin ko basta sabihan mo siya ng labyu

Shanna:
bOOm
 
I rolled my eyes upon reading her last messages. Pinatay ko na rin ang phone ko dahil napakawalang kwentang kausap ni Shan.
 
Napatingin akong muli sa bintana at nang makita kong medyo humina ang ulan ay napatayo ako. I caught his attention and I told him I’d have to go now.
 
“Baka lumakas na naman,” dagdag ko at sinabayan naman niya ako sa paglalakad hanggang sa pintuan.

“Paano pala ‘yang payong mo?” he asked, pointing at my mangled umbrella.


I cursed under my breath. “Kaya pa naman siguro niya.”


“Wait.”

 
Tumakbo siya sa katabing kwarto ng tv at makalipas ang ilang segundo ay may hawak na siyang black na payong. He handed it to me while taking my umbrella.
 
“Extra kong payong,” he said. “Ito na lang gamitin mo. Isauli mo na lang ‘pag may time ka.”
 
Nakakahiya man ay tinanggap ko rin ‘yon dahil alam kong wala nang silbi ang payong ko. I thanked him and said I’d return it tomorrow. Nag-insist din siya na ihahatid niya ako sa sakayan pero sabi ko ay huwag na dahil maaabala pa siya. I pointed at the test papers he had to check and that settled the situation.
 
Ilang minuto akong naglakad papunta sa shed at unti-until na namang lumalakas ang ulan kaya napatakbo na ako. Buti na lang at saktong may huminto na jeep pagdating ko ro’n kaya nakasakay agada ko.
 
It took me twenty minutes to returned to the lab. Mag-3 P.M. na at nasayangan ako sa oras na ginamit ko sa paghahanap ng apartment kaya naisipan kong mag-late night. Fortunately, mag-o-overnight sina Alex at Olive kaya may kasama pa ako.
 
“Kumusta naman ang apartment hunting mo kanina?” asked Alex while washing the glassware he used.

I heaved a sigh. “Ayun. Na-realize ko na ang mahal ng cost of living dito sa QC.”


“Tagal na, sis.”


Natawa naman si Olive. “May nakita kang unit?”


“Meron kaso nga ang mahal. Hindi ko alam kung kakayanin ko. I mean, para kasing saying ‘yung 7k tapos ang gagawin ko lang naman do’n ay matutulog.”


“Sabagay,” she commented. “Pero kung magco-commute ka naman araw-araw, oras mo naman ang sayang.”

 
Napabuntong-hininga na lang ako habang nakaharap sa laptop ko. I was treating the data I got from my assay a while ago. Buti na lang at maganda ang data ko, pang-compensate man lang sa frustration ko sa apartment rent.
 
Natapos ako around 9 P.M. at nagpaalam kina Alex at Olive. I had to book a car since wala nang masasakyan na jeep sa campus nang ganitong oras. After seven minutes, dumating na ang sasakyan.
 
“Good evening, Ma’am,” the driver greeted.

I smiled despite the exhaustion. “Good evening din po.”

 
I leaned against the headrest and watched the people walking around, the city lights and the night sky. One good thing about commuting is I get to see these. Isn’t it weird? We see the same things everyday, yet we don’t really get tired of them because as humans, whether we admit it or not, we crave familiarity.
 
Because there is comfort in seeing the familiar, may it be things, places . . . or even people.
 
The three-hour long commute was shortened into one and a half hour. Pagdating ko sa bahay ay agad akong nagpalit ng damit at humilata sa kama.
 
It was such a long day.
​


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