“S-Second base—” napatakip ako ng bibig.‘Tang ina, anong nangyayari sa akin? Para akong virgin kung mag-react dito, pota!Tumawa si Savannah sa sinabi ko. “I know you’re not a virgin,” she smirked. “Come on, make me want to have a home run with you.”I looked at her, couldn’t believe what I am hearing. “Babe, saan mo ba natutunan ‘yan . . .” pahina nang pahina ang boses ko.Savannah is one of the most open-minded people around me, but she, talking about the bases of love, feels so damn different. I’m turned on. Fuck!“Terrence said that there are four bases of love.”Napahilamos na lang ako sa binanggit niyang pangalan. Ito na nga ba ang sinasabi ko. Ilang beses ko pa lang isinama sa lakad namin, kung anu-ano na kaagad ang natutunan. Hindi ko man lang napapansin!“And?”She smiled. “I want a home run—” napahigit ako ng buntonghininga sa sinabi niya. “But not now, I think?”What’s wrong with me? Parang kanina lang, pinaghahandaan ko ang mga p’wedeng mangyari sa amin ng
“You dreamed about her,” she said after blowing her first batch of smoke.I sighed, nodding. “I didn’t know that you smoke,” I said, trying to divert the topic.She smirked. “Hindi naman. Noong nakaraan lang,” she faced me while her cigarette was in between her middle and index finger. “Tell me what you dreamed about, and I’ll tell you my déjà rêvé.”Napakunot-noo ako sa sinabi niya. “Ano? Déjà rêvé?”She nodded. “Already dreamed, in English. I have repetitive dreams about you and a girl. Do you want to know?” she asked.I nodded, hesitating. Why does she look cool now? Hindi ba siya galit? Why does she look . . . argh. Bakit ba iniisip ko pa ‘to?“Tell me what you dreamed first, that made you went to the rooftop to get some fresh air.”I sighed, remembering what I dreamed about earlier. “It was Grace and I. A part from the past that will always haunt me,” I sighed again as I smoke from my cigarette. I blew the smoke after a few seconds. “It’s not the breakup that hurts,
I wanted to follow her to the unit but I know that there’s no use. I need a break from all these haunted pasts I have. Baka hindi ko rin maayos ang tampo sa akin ni Savannah kung pipilitin ko.Nang maubos ko ang ikatlong stick ko simula nang umalis si Savannah, bumalik na ako sa unit. Nandoon pa rin ang mga damit na nagkalat sa living room, at hindi ako sigurado kung kaninong mga damit ‘yon at kung kaninong babae naman yung nandito ngayon, base sa mga damit na nagkalat. Hindi ko na lang din pinansin pa at dumiretso na sa k’warto.Nakita ko si Savannah doon na natutulog at nakatalikod sa gawi ko. Nakahinga ako nang maluwag nang dahil doon. Ibig sabihin, hindi siya masiyadong galit o nagtatampo sa akin dahil hindi siya umalis. Hindi niya ako iniwan.Lumapit ako sa higaan at nahiga sa tabi niya, tsaka siya niyakap. I felt her stiffened. I buried my face on her nape and hugged her tighter.“I love you, Sav. I’m sorry . . .”I felt her hand held mine. And so, we went back to sl
“I told you I don’t believe in that,” I said.She looked at me before chuckling. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m really that invested about past lives and the parallel universe.” I sighed as I saw her wiped her tears. “Sorry, naiyak ako.”I smiled before pulling her closer to me. Ipinatong niya ang ulo sa dibdib ko at yumakap sa akin pabalik.“Hindi ako naniniwala sa gano’n at kung totoo man ‘yon, kung totoo man na may parallel universe, ikaw ang mahal ko sa mundong ‘to. Another world or another universe will never matter to me, as long as you are mine right here, right now. And if there’s a reality about past lives, it all stops there. Kung hindi ikaw ang minahal ko nang ganito noong panahong ‘yon, ikaw at ikaw na lang ang mamahalin ko nang ganito sa panahong ito, at sa mga susunod pa.”Tumango siya bago nagbuntonghininga. “I’m sorry, Con. I love you.”Napangiti ako kasabay ng pagpikit ko, bago ko siya niyakap nang mas mahigpit at hinalikan sa ulo. Sobrang dalang ko marinig sa ka
“Whatever you say. I won’t come with you,” Savannah said on the screen of her laptop before shutting it. Naupo ako sa tabi niya at ibinaba ang juice niya sa gilid ng laptop. “Sorry about that.”I shrugged. “It’s okay. It’s your dad.”She smirked before drinking her juice. “I don’t fucking care.”Nahiga siya sa couch na ipinatong ang ulo sa kandungan ko, bago niya ibinaba sa center table ang baso. Ipinikit niya ang mga mata niya bago siya nagbuntonghininga.“That man really sucks. He loved mama but he made her a mistress. I don’t get his fucking point about that. Mama died blaming herself for that.”I nodded before planting a kiss on her lips that made her eyes open. “Don’t think about that too much.”“Why?”I shrugged. “You’re stressing yourself out.”She smirked. “I really wanted to stop thinking about that but he’s still my father, though. At hanggang hindi ko pa kayang tumayo sa sarili kong mga paa, I can never leave.”She sighed again before taking her phone in her
Tnce looked very offended after hearing the story that I told them tonight. “‘Tang ina naman, bakit ka gan’yan? Si Savannah na ‘yong girlfriend mo!” bulyaw niya sa akin.Terrence might be a real dork but he can be really scary when angry, tulad ngayon. Sinalinan ko ng alak ang baso ko bago ininom ‘yon nang diretso.“Wala naman akong ginawa,” sagot ko.Wala naman talaga akong ginawa. I just watched Grace walked away from us after introducing herself to Savannah. Tinapos namin ni Savannah ang pag-e-enroll niya hanggang sa nag-aya na siyang umuwi dahil pagod na siya.The exhaustion is evident in her face so I believed her. After all, we did so many things in the university and I, myself, felt so tired.“Wala ka ngang ginawa, pare,” Aldrin said, calmly. “‘Yon na nga. Normally, nasa bahay ka pa ni Savannah ngayon. ‘Tang ina, 8:30 pa lang nang gabi. Ang normal na uwi mo, alas onse. Minsan nga doon ka na natutulog, ‘di ba? May problema talaga. Hindi mo na p’wedeng ikaila ‘yon.”
I cupped her face and kissed her lips before talking.“I have two ways I know.” I looked away when I saw her face turn bright red. She might’ve known what I am about to say. “Using my hands or . . . dry . . . humping?”She laughed with the way I said that. I am really careful with the words I used with these things to her, because I know she didn’t do these things yet.“Why are you being like that? Don’t treat me like a child. I know about those things.”I gulped but smiled at her. “So what do you want?”Itinagilid niya ang ulo niya na parang nag-isip. “Uhm, I don’t want the flesh to flesh yet, so, can we do the latter?”I nodded. This will be the first time I’ll do this, damn.“Where do you want?”“Studio.” She winked at me.Naupo na ako at binuhat siya, tsaka tinungo ang hagdanan papunta sa studio niya. Nang makapasok kaming dalawa doon, nakita ko kaagad ang closet niya na minsan kong binuksan, dahilan ng ilang linggo niyang pag-iwas sa akin.“So, what part of this
The school started already and for some reasons, I am so nervous.“Ano?” tanong sa akin ni Terrence nang tumingin ako sa kan’ya. Umiling ako, dahilan ng pag-ismid niya. “Tigil-tigilan mo ako, ah? Naiinis pa rin ako sa ‘yo, pare.”I sighed before laughing as I put my arms on his shoulder. “Wala nga. Bati na tayo, pare, ‘wag ka nang magalit.”He rolled his eyes at me before removing my arms on his shoulder. “Ayusin mo sarili mo. Halatang ninenerbyos ka. Bakit ka ba ninenerbyos? Dahil p’wede kayong magkita ni Grace?”Hindi ako nakasagot dahil kahit ako, nagtataka rin dahil ninenerbyos ako ngayon habang naglalakad kami papasok sa campus. Gusto ko sanang sunduin si Savannah para sabay na kaming pumasok, kaso mamaya pa ang first class niya at ako naman ay may klase ng 7:30 AM.“Wala naman nga.”Umiiling si Terrence na nauna nang umalis. Wala rin si Aldrin dahil mamaya pa ang klase niya kaya naman nauna na kaming umalis ng condo ni Terrence. Napabuntonghininga na lang ako bago p