Chapter 12

Awkward

It's Sunday the next day kaya lalo tuloy awkward dahil nasa bahay lang kami pareho ni Castiel at walang ibang gagawin, unlike when we're at work and we're doing something that can distract us from this awkward situation.

Something really happened to us last night. My body was still sore when I woke up this morning so I know that it's true. Na nagyari talaga iyong kagabi.

Naunahan pa ako ng gising ni Castiel. Because usually it's me who gets up early at gigisingin ko na lang siya para pumasok na kami sa trabaho.

And now I woke up later than him. Ayos lang naman din dahil Sunday pa naman ngayon. At pagkagising ko ay may isang tangkay pa ng rosas na nasa may bedside table ang nakita ko.

Kinuha ko ito at inamoy pa sandali, bago ako natauhan at bumangon na rin sa kama.

My head was still a bit like in a haze from what happened last night. But I can't stay like this. I have to get up now. At nagugutom na rin ako.

Siguro ay nakakagutom rin iyong ginawa namin ni Castiel kagabi...

Because usually ay hindi pa naman ako talagang nagugutom nang ganito kaaga.

I shook my head with the thoughts I'm having early in the morning.

Naligo muna ako at nagbihis bago ako nagdesisyong bumaba, pero hindi ko pa man naaabot ang pintuan ay kusa na itong bumukas at nakita ko si Castiel na pumasok at may dala nang tray ng pagkain na mukhang para sa akin...

"Oh. Good morning!" Mukhang nagulat din siya na makita akong malapit na sa pintuan. "You're awake..."

Tumango naman ako at umatras na lang.

"I brought you breakfast in bed..." He said, sounding a bit unsure...

"Sina Manang lang ang nagluto nito. But I asked them to prepare this breakfast for you." Castiel said.

"Uh, okay..." I guess, dito na lang ako kakain sa kwarto ngayon...

"Ikaw, uh, kumain ka na ba?"

Tumango naman siya sa akin. "Tapos na. Kanina sa baba sa kitchen habang nagluluto pa sina Manang. So that when they're done I can immediately bring this food to you."

Tumango na lang din ako sa sinabi niya. At tinuon ko na ang atensyon sa pagkain. Pero muli ko rin siyang tiningnan at nagpasalamat ako sa kaniya. "Thank you."

And Castiel gave me a one bright smile.

Umiwas na rin ako ng tingin pagkatapos at tinuon na lang ang atensyon ko sa pagkain.

May small balcony kami sa kwarto namin kaya naman naisipan ko na doon na lang din kumain ng breakfast. At sinamahan pa ako roon ni Castiel.

And it was still awkward.

"Do you have other plans for today?" He asked me while I eat.

Nag-angat naman ako ng tingin sa kaniya at umiling. "Wala naman..." It's Sunday after all. Pero naisipan ko rin na magsimba. "Maybe go to church..." I said.

Ngumiti naman agad sa akin si Castiel. "Right! Let's go to church together today and attend the mass." He said.

At tumango na lang din ako sa sinabi niya.

Back in Cebu we also go to church and attended mass every Sunday. Because the Madam was also a bit more of a religious woman. Kaya siguro ay nasanay na lang din ako na nagsisimba kami palagi tuwing linggo. It was as well said that the people of Cebu were also quite religious.

Kaya pagkatapos kong kumain ay nagbihis na rin ako at nagpalit ng damit pang-simbahan. Ganoon din si Castiel na nagbihis din. And then we left the house to attend the morning mass.

Natapos naman ang misa na almost lunch hour na rin so we decided na sa labas na lang din kumain.

"Where do you want to eat?" Castiel asked me while he drives our car. Siya lang din ang nagmaneho ng sasakyan ngayon at wala kaming kasamang driver. Dahil sinabi niya kanina sa bahay na siya na lang daw ang magdadala sa sasakyan ngayon.

"I'm not sure. Ikaw?" I asked him, too.

"Wherever you like to dine is okay with me."

Pagkatapos may naalala naman ako na isang alaala dati nang nasa Cebu pa kami. Back when Castiel was still in college, he would often ask me to accompany him when he sometimes had some game practices sa basketball niya.

Minsan kahit may bibilhin lang din siya sa mall ay nagpapasama pa sa akin. And we would often eat out, too. Kaya nga ang dami ko na rin nasubukan at nakainan na mga restaurants sa Cebu dahil sa kaniya.

At dati pa ay okay lang din sa kaniyang kumain sa kung saan ko gusto...

I looked out the window for a while. Before I thought of a place where we could eat our lunch now. Napili ko na lang din na iyong favorite restaurant din namin kainan ng parents ko dati pa. And Castiel drove us there.

"Masarap naman ang mga pagkain nila rito. I grew up always having lunch and dinners here with my parents." I said to Castiel when we parked on the parking lot of the restaurant.

"I'm sure it is." He said and then he smiled at me.

Huminga na lang ako at inaya ko na siyang pumasok na kami sa loob ng restaurant.

And we ordered and ate our lunch there. At gaya ng inasahan ko ay nabusog din kami ni Castiel sa kinain namin doon.

At dahil maaga pa naman kaya niyaya pa ako ni Castiel na mag-mall kami pagkatapos. Dahil may bibilhin daw siya. We also have personal shopper, pero mukhang gusto rin mag-shopping ni Castiel ngayon kaya sinamahan ko na lang din siya. Just like before...

May sariling shopping malls din ang Villarama Group and it's called the V Mall or Villarama mall. And for some reason ay sa ibang mall pa nag-shopping si Castiel. Siguro dahil ito rin ang on the way lang na mall na nadaanan namin ngayon.

"What are you actually looking for?" I asked him.

"Hmm. New shoes?" He said.

"Basketball shoes?" Pero natigilan din ako sa sinabi ko. I realized that unlike before when we would often buy him his basketball shoes, but after graduating from college ay hindi na muli pang nakapaglaro ng basketball si Castiel...

Ngumiti naman siya sa akin. "Maybe shoes that I can use at work..." He said.

Although marami na siyang sapatos sa bahay para magamit niya sa office.

But maybe he'll just do a window shopping now, at kung may ano siyang makita at magustuhan ngayon ay bibilhin na lang din namin.

But then I still asked him. "Castiel, do you still want to play basketball?"

Bumaling siya sa akin para sagutin ako. "Hmm. I'll probably continue to play basketball if I'm not going to be CEO, or the next chairman..." He said but then he stopped and didn't finish.

Castiel continued looking at me. Maybe he saw the pity in me as I looked at him. Dahil sa totoo lang ay naaawa rin talaga ako kay Castiel. And I mean to say that, he has potential with basketball, too. I've seen that although I'm not a sport expert. And I even think that sports could be his career, too. But then he's the heir of the Villarama...

And I can only wish for him to be able to do what he wants and be happy...

I just want him happy...

And he smiled at me again. A reassuring one. "Hey, I'm just kidding... Don't be serious now. I know that I'm bound to be the leader of the Villarama Group of Companies... And, actually, I feel very lucky already that I am. Because I got to marry you." He said this with a smile on his face.

Pero hindi ko naman matanggap ang sinabi niya sa akin ngayon.

Umiling na lang ako at hinila ko na ang kamay niya papasok ng mall.

Humigpit naman ang hawak niya sa kamay ko. "You're so soft and sweet, Hasmine... And I like that about you. Thank you." He said.

And I looked at him again. Siya naman ngayon ang bahagyang humila sa kamay ko hanggang sa may napasukan na kaming isang mamahaling store sa loob ng mall na puno naman ng mga pambabaeng gamit.

Ang akala ko ba ay siya ang may bibilhin kaya nga kami dumaam sa mall ngayon? Pero bakit parang ako yata ang pinipilian niya ng mga gamit at ako ang bibilhan niya...

[Chapter 22 was posted in Patreon and Facebook VIP Group! To join VIP kindly message me on Facebook Rej Martinez for only 150/month and read all my other exclusive stories, too! Thank you so much for your support!]