Chapter 28

Slipping Out

She waited for more than thirty minutes for him to call, but her phone never rang.

Hindi na rin naman 'yon gaano pinansin ni Nika. She knew he was busy and they could always talk next time whenever he's available, but she was having a hard time dealing with the silence around the room.

It was too quiet and the voices inside her head kept on screaming it was almost ringing in her ears.

Nakakasulasok. Nakakabingi.

She didn't want to regret anything she said.

Kasi totoo naman. She's been feeling that way for far too long, but she also didn't mean to snap at her mom.

And for some reason, maybe she didn't deserve that from her, too. Especially when she knows nothing of her hardships abroad.

Pero hindi pa rin naman talaga siya naging nanay sa 'kin. Totoo din 'yon, 'di nga niya alam kung ilang taon na ako, her other voice reasoned.

A tired roll of breath escaped her lips and her attention was caught when her phone pinged from a message.

It was from her tita again. She had been checking up on her if she's okay, and to her disappointment—which she had already expected at the same time—there was nothing from her mom.

Daig talaga siya ni Tita.

The day went by so slowly, and she never knew that for once in her life, she was actually thrilled for Monday to come faster.

She didn't do anything for the night but to lay around and sleep. And when she checked her phone in the morning, there was nothing.

"Nika? Okay ka lang?" tanong ni Mithi pagkatapos isara at i-lock ang pinto nila. Kababalik niya lang din sa dorm nila galing Bulacan.

She arrived with a bag filled with fresh laundry, and another bag for snacks that she would often share with Nika and Lana.

"Ah, oo. Ice lang ako. May mani ka ba d'yan?"

"Wala akong nuts. Chicharon—"

"P'wede na 'yan." Nika heaved herself up to get Mithi's snack bag. "May pinakurat ka? Gusto ko sanang ulamin, gutom na ako, e. 'Di ako nakakain ng dinner kagabi."

"Red cane vinegar lang nadala ko, wala na kasi kaming pinakurat. Bakit pala hindi ka nag-dinner?"

"Okay na 'yan, suka pa rin naman. Wala lang akong gana," sabi ni Nika.

Mithi gave her a skeptical look.

Gets niya naman bakit nagtataka kaibigan niya. Especially when they know she doesn't like skipping meals. Ayaw niya kasi 'yong pakiramdam na kumukulo 'yong sikmura niya.

"Really? Why?"

"Wala lang talaga akong gana kagabi."

"Ah . . ." Tumango si Mithi. Pero may rice ka na ba? Paano mo uulamin?"

"Bili ako sa baba," sabi niya.

It didn't take long for Nika to buy some rice. Sakto kasing may eatery din sa baba ng dorm nila. Bumili na rin siya ng isa pang pagkain pambaon niya sa office.

"O? Aga natin, ah? Mamayang hapon pa klase mo 'di ba?" sabi niya kay Lana nang makasalubong niya papasok sa building nila.

"Maaga akong sinundo ni Laslo."

"Sinundo ka? Okay na kayo?"

"Somehow," sagot ni Lana. "Ikaw? 'Di ka papasok sa office ngayon?"

"Papasok. Magpapa-late lang ako konti."

"Ah . . ."

Nika peeked at her phone for a while to see if there's any message from Miko. Kaso wala.

It was already past eight o'clock. Sigurado siyang kanina pa gising 'yon. Because if there's one thing about him, he was punctual. He hates being late.

Pero baka busy para sa hearing, Nika reasoned to herself.

She just sent him a good morning and a good luck text before she got ready for work.

"May problema ba sa 'yo?" bungad sa kanya ni Klein pagkarating niya ng opisina.

"Wala. Bakit naman?"

"Ewan ko rin. Ba't ba ganiyan mukha mo ngayon?"

Nangunot ang noo ni Nika saka siya napakapa sa pisngi niya. She turned to the mirror on her desk to check herself.

"Ayos naman, ah? Maganda pa rin ako."

"Okay. Kung d'yan ka mapapanatag," natatawa at naiiling na sagot ni Klein habang inaayos 'yong rim ng papel.

"Ay, oo nga pala. May irereto ako sa 'yo. Dati pa sana 'to pero ngayon ko lang naalala."

Nika pulled her phone out from her pocket, scrolling through the camera roll for Andy's picture.

"Talaga? Sino 'yan?"

"Teka, ito . . ." She showed him Andy's picture form Jake and Lily's wedding.

"Si Andy. Pinsan ni Miko. Magka-age sila. Maganda 'yan, malambing, matalino, malakas din dating, future lawyer pa," sabi ni Nika.

But Klein was just silently looking at the picture. His brows were slightly meeting in the middle as he skimmed at the picture closely.

"Anong profile niya?" he asked.

"Instagram?"

He shrugged. "Kahit saan, okay lang."

"Andy Venaventura pangalan niya sa facebook. Gano'n lang din username sa twitter pati sa instagram."

"Ah . . ." He nodded. "Okay. Check ko mamaya. Pero sure ka d'yan, ah? Single naman siya? Kasi ang ganda tapos malambing pa kamo. Baka mamaya may jowa pala."

"Single si Andy. Naghahanap nga ng boyfriend no'ng kasama namin siya sa Bacolod kasi naiinggit na raw siya sa 'min ni Miko tapos sabi ko may kakilala ako."

"Pinahapyawan mo na ba ako sa kanya?" he asked.

"Oo. Pero ngayon ko lang naalalang sabihin sa 'yo. Ipaalala ko rin ulit kay Andy 'pag nagkita kami."

"Sige. Message ko na lang siya kapag nasabihan mo na ulit."

"Pero katulad din siya ni Ser, ha? 'Wag ka magugulat kapag minsan bigla silang nawawala," she said, locking her phone and putting it back inside the drawer.

"Ha? Ba't naman?"

"Sobrang busy. May time na ilang oras inaabot 'yong reply. Minsan araw din."

She secretly sighed. Hanggang ngayon wala pa rin siyang message.

"Ah, okay. 'Yon lang pala. Akala ko kung ano."

Nika chuckled. "Wala. May heads up din naman sila kapag sobrang busy talaga. May hearing nga sila ngayon, e."

"Hearing? Agad? Pero 'di ba law students pa lang sila? P'wede na pala agad sa hearing kapag gano'n? O parang mock hearing ba 'yan?"

"Hearing talaga para sa client nila sa firm. Intern din kasi, sinama sila no'ng mentor nila sa hearing case ngayon."

"Napakarami namang ginagawa? Buti nakuha ka pang i-date ng jowa mo?"

"Well!" Nika grinned proudly. "Magaling siya, e."

Pero sana naman mag-reply na, anong oras na, o? she thought.

The day passed and she never heard from him. Natapos na ang trabaho niya, nakauwi na rin siya pabalik ng dorm at nakakain ng dinner kasama si Mithi, pero wala pa rin.

Although she unexpectedly received a message from her mom asking for them to talk. Nika stared at the notification on her phone for a good minute. It was truly unexpected especially when she knew their argument didn't end well.

She left it unopened in her inbox for now.

Hindi niya rin talaga alam kung ano dapat ang isasagot niya sa nanay niya.

She tried to shrug it off for the meantime. Nika waited for him instead until her lids fell heavy and she dozed off to sleep.

Miko
Nika? Are you still awake?
Sorry busy kami the whole day. I barely touched my phone, but I'm free for an hour now. I'm about to study a case for our recit tomorrow.

Miko
I'm so tired.
I want your kisses.

Miko
I love you.

Nika woke up to multiple messages from him. Magtatampo na sana siya pero naiintindihan niya rin naman na maraming kailangang gawin si Miko.

Unfair din kung magagalit pa ako, pagod na nga siya. She breathed. She was about to type in a reply when she slowly hit the backspace button, erasing the letters one by one when she decided it's probably better to call him instead.

His phone rang multiple times and she hoped he's awake at six thirty in the morning to pick up and to talk even just for a minute.

But the operator answered for her just to cut the line.

~

Hi! Apologies for the slow and irregular updates for Nika and Miko, and if you're still here, thank you so muchie! ❤️‍🔥