Chapter 18

I've got my laptop, notepad, pen, and other stuff that I needed to make this day happen. I hardly believe that this day will come, but I've come to decide what's best for my decision.

Nang sinabi ko sa parents ko ang pag-alis ko sa part-time job ko sa fast-food, nag-alala sila on how I will support my needs sa school lalo na't it was a big help na rin for my daily needs and other stuff. Aside kasi sa nakukuha kong scholarship, it was a decent amount to help me finish the course I am taking.

Dalawang semester na lang din naman, kaunti na lang.

I walked out of the elevator as I landed on the 17th floor of the condominium building where he was staying for the last five years. He's been all alone—but I guess, not at all dahil nandiyan ang jowa niya and they probably did a lot of things there.

Hindi ko gaanong kabisado ang room niya and I've been only here for a single time so I just followed my instinct and stopped to the door where I feel like it's the right one for me.

I cleared my throat and started knocking on the door. At the back of my head, I keep wishing that it should be him who will come to see me. I'll be so embarrassed if he didn't show up and there's a stranger behind this door.

Sinabi ko rin naman kasi sa kanya na kitain niya ako sa lobby para sabay na kaming umakyat, but he's not welcomed with the idea dahil may inaayos pa raw siya so I have to go upstairs alone. Naglakas loob na lang din naman ako since I really have no other choice. It's either I'll get paid or uuwi akong walang datung.

A second while, I heard footsteps coming in from the other side of the door. I felt my legs shaking. Hindi naman ako ganito and I don't usually feel anxious about this. Though this is my first time to be asked and get paid to be someone else's tutor. And this isn't just someone else. Maraming nakikilala sa kanya. He's thriving on both academic and extra-curricular activities. I believe, malayo ang mararating ng lalaking 'to.

Pero hindi naman ako naiingit. He was born and live with all the things he needed while I work so hard to get mine. There's a big difference, but I'm not jealous just because they are wealthy than my family.

A moment later, someone drew the door open and there I saw the man I was hoping to see. Bahagya akong nakahinga ng maluwag nang tama ang unit na kinatok ko. I would run back to the elevator kung maling kwarto ang pinuntahan ko.

He smiled, might be his way of greeting.

"Nice to see you again, Mister Rochon."

He scrunched his face when I mentioned that. "That's too formal, but yeah, it's nice to see you again—it's like we've never seen each other, but anyway, please come in."

As he invited me inside the room, I timidly walk and try not to roam my eyes around. I've been here before, but it still felt strange to me.

"Sorry, I wasn't able to meet you at the lobby. I was actually cleaning..." He said and then look on the other way.

Napatango na lamang ako. "That's alright. Narating ko rin naman dito. Though aaminin ko, kabado ako kanina kasi hindi ako sure kung tama ba 'yong unit na pinupuntahan ko."

"And what are you going to do if you mistakenly knock on the wrong door?" He asked, but I can sense the hint of a smirk on his face. Hindi ko na lang din pinansin, but it's hard not to notice.

"I was thinking of running back to the elevator."

"So, you're just gonna leave and then bail on me?"

I shrugged off. "Pwede... 'di ko sure, sabi ko nga, nag-aalangan lang talaga ako so I still hope for the best and I'm finally here—"

I wasn't able to finish what I'm saying when he lifted his finger that made me stop talking.

"Wait a minute, I'll be back in a minute and please be comfortable around."

"I see..."

"Okay, I'll be back. You can stay there for now." He said, pointing to his living room area.

At first, I was a little confused about what was going on. Akala ko ready na siya to start our session pero bigla siyang kumaripas ng takbo sa banyo and by that moment, I just realized what happened. Gusto kong matawa, but I tried not to dahil ako rin naman ang may kasalanan kung bakit nangyayari 'to sa kanya ngayon.

Hinanda ko na lang din naman ang mga gamit ko para paglabas niya ay ready to start na kaming dalawa.

While I'm setting my laptop and the other stuff, I noticed that there's a cardigan stuck on the couch. Hinila ko nama kaagad iyon. Tinitigan ko pa 'yon and believing that it's not Bennett's clothes dahil may embroidery ng pangalang Cirsoia Imena. I believe that this belongs to Cinema. Itinupi ko na lang din naman ito at inilapag sa isang tabi para hindi ako masisisi na may kinuhang gamit nila.

Ilang saglit lang din naman ay lumabas na si Bennett ng banyo. But he excuses himself again for a few more second para magpalit ng damit. Salubungin ba naman kasi ako kanina nang naka-white sando at boxer lamang. As if naman makapag-fo-focus ako on our session if he did that. Kaya makalipas ang ilang segundo, lumabas siya ng kwarto niya ng naka-short at t-shirt na.

Nang tingnan ko siya habang naglalakad siya papalapit sa akin, hindi ko namang mapigilang mapangiti. Napangisi at iling na lang din naman siya at saka niya ako tinabihan sa kinauupuan namin. Napabitaw pa ito ng malalim na hininga.

"Sorry..." Napangiwi na lamang ako.

He kept shaking his head. "I shouldn't have listened to you. And now I feel so terrible. My stomach hurts so bad and I hated it."

"Sorry naman! I thought you'll be fine."

"Clearly, you don't know what Archie felt right now."

Napakunot naman ang noo ko sa sinabi niya. "Oh... so nag-LBM din siya ngayon?"

He smirked. "Of course, hindi naman sanay 'yon sa mga pagkaing gano'n. I just told him to drink some medicine and it will help him to ease the pain. I felt that before and Cinema as well, so I know what it feels like."

"Nakainom ka na ba ng gamot mo ngayon?"

"I did, earlier just after I woke up."

"Ngayong araw lang ba 'yan?"

He nodded. "Yes, fortunate of me because I have training yesterday."

"Ano nga palang ginagawa iba mong team mates kapag walang training?"

"Some went to their internships and some attended their classes."

Napakunot naman ako ng noo. 'You could've done the same thing and won't miss your classes, right?"

"I did consider that, but the schedule was given to me clash with our training so I had no choice, but to ask if you could tutor me and I guess here we are now."

"Ah, I see... at least now I know why you've been doing this. At least, hindi mo lang pala ako inuuto."

Bahagya siyang natawa sa sinabi ko. But I thought it was true. He could have other intentions pero dahil ito lang naman talaga ang punto ng pag-o-offer niya sa akin ng better job, e 'di mas better din for me.

"I guess, we should start now or else I'll feel my stomach rumbling again."

"Right, right. Let's start."

We then proceed with the lessons he missed from his classes. At first, I was insecure about how he will perceive everything I would say. Maiintindihan niya kaya ako or lalabas lang sa kabilang tainga 'yong sinasabi ko? But I've judged too easily at nagkamali ako.

He's a great listener. Nakikinig talaga siya sa mga sinasabi ko at kapag may mga hindi naman siya naiintindihan ay agad niyang itinatanong. Our discussion would only last for two hours pero may mga time nab aka ma-extend lalo na kapag hindi ma-gets ni Bennett o kaya naman kailangan niyang humabol talaga sa discussion.

He actually didn't fail me and I enjoyed what I'm doing. Though nakamimiss ang amoy ng mga fries, spaghetti, at mausukan ang mukha sa mga bagong luto. When I told my manager about my resignation, he thought that it was all so sudden kaya naman nang sabihin ko rin sa kanya ang opportunity na kapalit no'n ay naintindihan naman niya. He let me go because he wants me to have something that would help me.

Hindi pa man ako nakatatanggap ng bayad mula kay Bennett, but I feel like this won't be a problem for me. Maybe, it was really a great thing for me to accept this job. Maarte lang talaga ako sa simula kasi inakala kong may intensyon si Bennett, but now that everything's getting a little clearer na, possibly ito lang talaga habol niya sa akin.

Or maybe he really cares for his future kaya okay lang maglabas siya ng malaking pera. It doesn't really bother him.

It's been an hour and a half. Hindi ko naman inakala na sobrang bilis pala ng oras. I've only been helping sa math stuff dahil may ilang subjects na hindi ko talaga alam. So, he had to read the notes by himself. Nakapag advance class na rin pala siya before so he would only have fewer subjects at this point. Good for him though dahil kung gano'n, medyo mahihirapan talaga siyang ibalanse ang schedule niya.

While we're in the middle of our discussion, someone knocked on the door.

"Si Cinema?" tanong ko sa kanya.

He creased his forehead and shook his head. "No. She's not coming here today unless she say so. I know she's in her practice today so I'm sure this is not her."

"Okay... puntahan mo na kaya. Tingnan mo kung sino," utos ko pa.

"This could be someone else." He said as he stood up. He made his way to the door and peep through the peephole. Natigilan pa siya saglit saka niya mabilis na binuksan ang pinto at bumungad doon ang isang babae. At first, I thought it would be Cinema, but it's not her. Obviously not based on her looks. "Ate? Anong—huh?"

That's the part where I confirmed that it's not any other person, but his sister.

"Anong ginagawa mo rito, ate?" tanong ni Bennett. Bakas ang pagtataka sa tono nito.

"Nandito ba si Cinema?" his sister asked.

He shook his head. "Wala. She's training for the competition."

"Good." She said and then walked inside his unit and then she stopped and a little surprised when she saw me.

I think she's a little taller than me. Mga 5"8' siguro ang height nito. Matangkad si Bennett, I think six footer na rin ang isang 'to. She's wearing as casually simple as it looks, black jeans and white blouse. Naka-black sandal lang din naman ito.

"Oh! Who are you?" Tanong nito sa akin pero agad niyang hinarap ang kapatid niya. "Akala ko ikaw lang mag-isa rito ngayon. Bennington. May kasama ka pa rito ngayon."

"Oh, of course, she's the one whom I told you about a few times. She's my tutor and you just crashed our first session. We're still in the middle of our discussion."

"My bad, sorry naman. Anyway, I'm Mallory Rochon, only sister ni Bennington." Pakikipagkamay pa nito sa akin.

Tinanggap ko naman iyon at saka ako nagpakilala. "I'm Criselda, Bennett's tutor."

She smiled at me. "Nice to meet you."

"Ate, we'll continue our discussion now so please give us some space," Bennett request.

She faces him and nodded. "Sure! And Criselda, don't go home yet, have dinner with us. Magpapa-order ako ng foods natin so stay ka lang after ng session niyo, is that alright?"

Tiningnan ko si Bennett to get his approval at tinanguan na lang din naman niya ako. Tumango naman ako kay Ate Mallory at pansin ko naman na hindi maalis sa labi niya ang mga ngiti nito. Bennett pushes her away from the living room so we could continue our discussion. Natatawa naman si Ate Mallory and she's a sweetheart.

"Don't mind her. She's just here to bother us," Bennett said, shaking his head.

"No worries. Malapit na rin naman tayong matapos so, we should finish this session na rin and you have to ace your quiz, ha?"

He nodded determinedly. "Of course, I'll show you I can do that."

"Bet Bennett?" I challenged.

"How much?" He smirked.

I shrugged off. "Okay, I'll write it down and whoever won the bet, should do it, understand?"

I nodded. "Game!"

He wrote down something on the paper. Hindi niya pinakita sa akin kung ano iyong sinulat niya, but he just slid the piece of paper in his notebook. Malalaman ko lamang 'yon after seeing the result of his quiz, but as of now, I anticipate na may natutunan siya sa mga pinagsasabi ko dahil para lang akong nag-aaksaya ng laway kung gano'n.

But I believe Bennett can do it. He's a very determined and confident with his situation, so I might have a guess he'll win this bet. And whatever that is, sana hindi tungkol sa pera.

***

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let me know your thoughts! I would appreciate it so much!

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