“We should do it again this coming weekend.” His white pearl teeth shone at my eyes.

Why I find him attractive, is it Zandro’s absence? I can’t explain why I got this feeling whenever he’s  talking to me. His smooth and deep voice is more soothing than tea. He talk normal but he has a big impact to me. The way he looked me in my eyes, I could feel the same exact feeling from Zandro. What is happening to me?

“You, okay?” he asked me while we were heading to our next class. He was gentleman earlier, he tried to carry my bag but I insisted that I can carry my own things since I am not impotent.

I just nodded to his question and I immediately entered to our next class. Parang ayos lang ang lahat, wala namang kakaibang nangyayari pero mayroon talaga akong malakas na pakiramdam na mayroon akong matutuklasan ngayong araw. Hindi ko lang alam kung ano iyon pero sigurado ako na mayroon talagang mangyayari.

At the second time around, Lancelot just sat next to me. He wanted to feel my presence every time. He wanted to make skin contact. That’s  really creeped me out. He was acting like he was my boyfriend where the fact is not. Is that a good thing or should I distance myself to this guy?

He's nice. Gentleman. Tall. Old Minded. Handsome. He's much mature to me when he’s talking. Every time he just release a words from his mouth, the words were just foreign in my ear. A deep words with a deep interpretation. When we were in café, he shared so many novel stories to me. A novel called The Great Gatsby, Edgar Allan Poe’s Poems, Where The Crawdads Sing, and many more. Thank God it was all about literature because if he talk about science, I will slit his throat, I’m  just kidding.

“Do you find me interesting?” That question made my head spun faster than Earth’s rotation. What on Earth he asked that kind of question.

“W-What do you mean?”

“Just forget the things I said.” And then he chuckled just to cover up the awkwardness he did.

After our class, he just waved to me for saying goodbye. I don’t  what to feel because many people caught his attention because he was doing his goodbye at the parking lot.

Sa kanyang mga ginagawa ay mayroon talagang posibilidad na aakalain ng marami na magkasintahan kaming dalawa. Ano ba kase ang nangyari sa kanya at ganun nalang siya. Hindi ko na hinintay pa na umalis siya at sinimulan ko na ang aking paglalakad palabas ng campus. Nang nasa tapat na ako ng labasan ay biglang huminto ang kotse ni Lancelot sa aking harapan at nagulantang naman ako sa kanyang ginawa. Mabilis niyang binaba ang windshield ng kanyang kotse at hindi ako sigurado kung totoo bang mayroon akong naririnig na testosterone score sa aking tenga nang ginawa niya iyon. Sa aking tenga ay mayroon akong naririnig na musika, sa aking mga mata ay bumabagal ang kanyang paggalaw.

Nasisiraan na yata ako ng bait dahil sa lalaking ito.

“I can see that you’re commuting, you want a lift? Ihahatid na kita.”

Mabilis namang itinaas ng kaunti ang dalawa kong mga kamay at winagayway upang ipahiwatig sa kanya na hindi ako interesado sa kanyang inaalok sa akin.

“Are you sure? It’s  almost dark.” Dagdag niya.

“I’m fine in my own. I just want something —’

Hindi na siya nagdalawang-isip pa at bumaba mula sa kanyang magarang sasakyan at pinagbuksan ako ng kanyang pinto. Para makumbinsi akong pumasok sa kanyang sasakyan ay binigyan niya na naman ako ng matatamis na ngiti na talagang namumukhaan ko sa kanya si Zandro.

“Please?”

Para tumahimik na ang kaluluwa ng lalaking ito ay pumasok nalang ako sa kanyang kotse. Nang marinig ko ang tunog ng pagsara ng pinto ay ang sumunod namang tumunog ay ang kanyang makina. Tumakbo ang kotse. Sa bawat minuto na nakasakay ako sa kanyang kotse ay naalala ko si Zandro.

Biglang tumigil ang pag-iisip ko kay Zandro nang huminto ang kotse ni Lancelot sa isang mamahaling restaurant. Napalunok ako ng laway sa wala sa oras dahil hindi ko gusto ang susunod na mangyayari. Hindi na talaga kaibigan ang pagtuturing nito sa akin. Iba na.

“It’s already five o’clock PM, I think we should here first. For our dinner.”

“N-No, I think I have no money to pay for that.” I squinted after I pointed the restaurant’s big window.

He just scoffed and he gently grabbed my hand out of his car. Even though we’re  in the entrance of this elite restaurant, I can already smell from the outside the elegant air conditioner perfume and the scent of foods wafted in the air, welcoming my nostrils with watery food smell.

All of the people inside the restaurant wearing elegant dresses and formal attire. Even I am living in a small town, there’s still elite people here, living peacefully. One waiter assisted us to sit in a circle-shaped table at the middle of the restaurant. The embroidered flowery designs are so beautiful in their tablecloths. It’s  simple but it’s elegant. I can’t  stay here forever if my eyes can’t handle the foreign surroundings.

“Don’t be scared. Hindi naman sila nangangain ng tao.” Pagpapatawa niya pero habang ako ay hindi na alam ang gagawin.

“I’m not scared. I’m  just nervous because —”

“Because of the people around here?” he asked it politely.

I just nodded to say yes. He gently hold my right hand and I immediately freed my hand from his. He was confused of what I did and his cool broke down. He cleared his throat while trying to heat up the conversation he was giving to me.

“I’m  just wanted to treat you like…” he paused for a while processing his thoughts inside his skull. “Oh— there it is.”

Agad niyang tinuroang mga waiter na mayroong dala na mga pagkain. Nang pinatong nila sa lamesa ang aming in-order na mga pagkain ay nalanghap ko ang napakasarap nitong amaoy na naunuoy hanggang sa kailaliman ng aking baga. The sauce of the pork is dripping from the juicy meat to the bone. I wanted to eat it already but I acted like I am not affected from its aroma.

“We should eat now but before that, let’s  pray,” he said and we started to pray.

After that prayer, he begin to create a good conversation with me. I let him talk whatever his heart desire until one topic caught my whole attention.

“I am the only son of my family and the whole responsibility of the future of our House is weighted heavily on my shoulders.”

I stopped from what I was doing and I listened carefully from everything he said. Because every details and information are worth to hear for.

“What’s your family business? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t  ask that.”

“N-No, It’s okay.” He smiled a little bit. “My both parents are all professional Engineers and they owned color roofing business.”

“And they are okay with you taking up the degree of Accountancy?” I asked.

“They’re against it but…”

He didn’t  continue because there’s  something holding his thoughts. Hindi ko nalang siya pinilit na magsalita dahil kung gusto niyang ibahagi iyon ay ibabahagi niya iyon ano man ang magiging reaksyon ko. I still respect personal boundary. I’m not a gossip girl like everybody else.

***

Matapos ang lahat na nangyari sa loob ng magarang restaurant ay agad kaming lumabas ni Lancelot para makalanghap ng masarap na hangin. Rinig ko pa rin sa labas ang malakas at humahagod na musika na Jazz sa loob ng restaurant. Nang tinignan ko na ang oras sa aking cellphone ay nakita ko lagpas 6:30 na ng gabi at kailangan ko nang umuwi dahil magluluto pa ako ng hapunan kay Mom at kuya.

“I’m sorry but I think I need to go now,” sabi ko sa kany. “Thank you for the dinner and thank you for the ride. Just leave me here and I’ll walk straight to my house—”

“No, I insist,” he said and he immediately grabbed my hand in a second time around. He gently opened his car door and I went inside.
How long will end this gentleman thingy of him? It’s kind of repetitive but I like it. I wish more boys are like him. A respect for a girl and a good speaker and listener at the same time.

Matapos niya akong mahatid sa aking bahay ay kumaway pa ito para magpaalam sa akin. Mabuti nalang talaga ay palaging 9:00 pm umuuwi ng bahay sina Mom at kuya. Kung nakita nilang hinatid ako ng lalaki ay paniguradong ano na namang mga salita ang aabutin ko mula sa kanilang mga bunganga.

Tumalikod na ako para maglakad papunta sa harap ng aming bahay nang mayroong anino ang biglang nagpakita sa aking mga mata.
L Nakasandal ito sa kanyang kotse at sa tingin ko ay namumukhaan ko ang kotse na iyon. Maging ang hubog ng pangangatawan ng anino ay pamilyar sa aking paningin.

Kinusot ko pa ang aking mga mata kung totoo ba ang aking nakikita at kinabahan ako ng matindi nang napagtanto ko na totoo nga aking nakikita. Biglang naglakad ang anino palapit sa akin at sa bawat hakbang na ginagawa niya ay humahakbang naman ako ng paatras hanggang sa mayroon akong naapakan na bato na dahilan para matumba ako sa lupa.
Dali-daling pumunta sa liwanag ang anino ay nasilayan ko nga ang mukha na gusto ko nang makita.

“Z-Zandro?” kunot-noong tanong ko. “Kailan ka pa bumalik?”

Thank you for reading:)