His Invisible Halo 15 Chapter 14

Days passed and I really felt like Draven is avoiding me. I'm always messaging him but he's telling me that he's busy. Hinayaan ko na lang sya kasi ramdam ko na nakukulitan na sya sa akin. Everything went back to normal. Naging successful yung operation ni tita Menissa na isang malaking bagay na ikinatuwa namin. Another thing, nrealize ko na sa sabado na yung birthday ni mommy kaya't ginawa ko lahat para makatipid.

"Ate Kelsey." napalingon ako sa tumawag sa akin. Napangiti ako ng makita ko si Mara kaya't niyakap ko ito. I am heading my way to the cafeteria kaya't inaya ko ito na sumabay ng maglunch sa amin.

"Ate Kelsey, pasensya na po. Kailangan ko pa po kasing magpractice para sa aming extemporaneous speaking sa friday." sagot nya. Based on my first impression in her, pansin ko na masyado syang mahiyain at mahinhin kung magsalita. Sinanay ko na yung sarili ko pagdating sa public speaking. I know I can help her with this.

"I'll help you. Don't worry." alok ko na mas lalong ikinatuwa nya.

"Thank you ate. Hindi na po ako tatanggi kasi idol ko po talaga kayo. Ang galing nyo po kasing sumagot sa mga q and a dati. Sobrang confident."

To be honest, I am also too shy before. Mommy just help me to boost my self confidence to stand infront and face many people. Lahat naman ng takot noovercome kung susubukan. That's what I did.

I introduced Mara to Ersy. At first, hindi sya makapaniwala na kapatid ito ni Asher. Mas magkamukha pa nga daw kami ayon sa kanya. Nang pumasok kami sa cafeteria ay nakita namin sina Asher at River. Bumukod kami ng table sa kanila kasi hindi ko kayang kumain kapag may mga mapanuring mata na nakatitig sa akin. Pakiramdam ko ay mabubulunan ako.

"Can I ask you?" Ersy said pertaining to Mara. Tumango naman ito.

"Do you know Laurene?" my eyebrow raised because of what she asked. Paano sya napunta sa usapan namin ngayon? I know Ersy hates her more than I am. Laurene was suspended for three weeks dahil marami na din pala syang nakaaway. Hindi ko maiwasang mapaisip kung bakit bigla syang nagbago at kung bakit bigla syang naging ganito.

"Yes, ate. Madalas po sya pumunta sa bahay pero madalang po kaming magkausap." magalang na sagot ni Mara. Asher told me that she's not his girlfriend pero pumupunta sa bahay nila. Ano kayang ginagawa nila?

"Ah, I see."

Pagkatapos naming kumain ay kinausap ako ni Ersy. She told me na hindi kami magkakasabay na umuwi mamaya kasi may group project pa sila na kailangang tapusin. I also told her that I will go to Mara's house to help her so she had nothing to worry. Pagkalabas ko pa lang sa may pinto ay sinalubong na nya kaagad ako.

"Ate, sumabay ka na po sa amin." alok nya. Hinawakan nya yung kamay ko papunta sa carpark. Maya maya ay dumating na si Asher.

"Kuya, ate Kelsey told me that she will help me. At kung magkakagirlfriend ka man kuya, pwede bang sya na lang po?"

Nasamid ako matapos kong marinig iyon mula kay Mara. Asher's expression is still blank. Kung anong itsura nya noong unang beses na nagkita kami ay gan'on pa din ngayon.

"Friends lang kami ng kuya mo." sagot ko. But it's not even impossible. I know deep inside, Asher is secretly falling for me. Ayoko lang na sabihin sa kanya dahil baka bigla syang mahiya sa akin.

"Get inside. I'll drive you home." hindi na ako nakapagsalita pa ng hinila na ako ni Mara papasok sa loob ng kotse. We are sitting at the backseat of his car. Maya maya ay ipinakita sa akin ni Mara yung piece na ginawa nya. Binasa ko iyon hanggang sa kaduluhan. She's actually good in writing. I can see that she has a potential.

"I already memorized it, ate. Kaso nga lang everytime na pinpractice ako ni kuya nakakalimutan ko. He's not good in teaching e." mahina naman akong napatawa dahil sa sinabi nya. Nang magtama ang paningin namin ni Asher ay itinikom ko ulit yung bibig ko.

"Don't worry, you'll get something from me. Learn from the experts." I smiled at her after that. Hindi nagtagal ay nakarating na din kami sa bahay nila. They're house is actually big. Halos kasinglaki ng bahay namin.

"Wait lang ate, baka may naiwan po akong kalat sa loob. Linisin ko na lang. Nakakahiya po kasi." paalam sa akin ni Mara at nagmamadali itong pumasok sa loob. I was left here with Asher. He opened the gate for me. I'm just following him until he returned his back at me.

I still remember the first time I saw him smile. He's more handsome when he's smiling rather than having this kind of blank emotion. Mukha syang masungit.

"Where will you go?" tanong ko ng lumampas ito sa akin.

"School." tipid nyang sagot. Pinagmasdan ko sya hanggang sa makabalik sya ng kotse. Akala ko pa naman magbabago ang papkikitungo nya sa akin ngayon. He told me that we can be friends yet he's still cold like an ice.

Nagdecide na lang ako na pumasok sa loob. Nilibot ko ang tingin ko sa paligid. I like the style and composition of their outdoor and indoor spaces. I went to the receiving area where there is an art gallery that display the image of papa Jesus.

"Ate Kelsey, nalinis ko na po ang room ko. Tara na po sa taas." nakangiting sumunod naman ako sa kanya. I noticed that there are no other people here except for the two of us. Wala akong nakikitang maids as well as the pictures frames displayed.

"I want to hear you first deliver this piece. Always make an eye contact to the judges." turo. I still remember those times that I am like her. A shy student trying to build her self confidence.

She took a deep sigh before starting.

"achieving the sustainable development not just in our c-country but through the w-whole world is what... is what everyone wants. P-progress is not an i-impossible thing but... "

She look at the piece I am holding to look for the next words that she forgot.

" but a priviledge if we will be a wise decision maker. T-through understanding the roles of e-economic statistics we will be able to....we will be able to achieve..."

She stopped again. Mukhang alam ko na kung ano iyong problema.

"Relax, Mara. I just want to give you a technique. You should familiarize and understand every key words in your piece rather than memorizing it. If you will keep on doing that thing, there's a high tendency that you'll forgot it. If you understand everything you wrote in this piece of paper, you can  make an adlib incase you don't know what to say next. And your hand gestures, stay still. Avoid necesarry movements that can distract the judges and maintain your eye contact." tumango naman ito sa sinabi ko. We repeat again until I can see her improvement.

"Make sure also to make your speaking voice louder." I added. Mabuti naman at nakinig sya sa lahat ng sinabi ko. After of almost 2 hours ay natapos na din kami. She just need to do a practice again so she will not forget everything I said.

"Thank you ate Kelsey. Kuha lang po ako ng pagkain sa baba." paalam nito kaya't naiwan ako sa kwarto nya. I was busy replying to Ersy's text kaya hindi ko namalayan na naiwan na mag isa na lang pala ako dito. Dumako ang tingin ko sa picture frame sa study table nya. It was a picture of her and Asher. I wonder if they have parent since I haven't see anybody here. Or baka naman nasa ibang bansa lang.

I just decided to follow Mara downstairs dahil masyado itong nagtagal. I was about to find her kung hindi lang naagaw ng atensyon ko ang isang bukas na kwarto. Out of curiousity ay pumasok ako sa loob.

I can smell the manly scent and I was so sure that this is Asher's room. Almost everything here is black. Malaki din yung kama nya. Hindi ko maiwasang mamangha dahil sobrang linis ng kwarto. If I'm going to compare it to Mara's room, it is more clean and well organized na parang walang gumagamit.

Asher also has a collection of watch. I like the cold temperature in this room to the point na nakaramdam ako ng antok. I don't want to touch his things pero dahil pakielamara ako ay hindi ko na din naiwasan. I opened his closet at maayos na nakasalansan yung damit nya. Nabuksan ko din yung drawer at nanlaki ang mga mata ko dahil sa nakita ko.

My innocent eyes! I just got curious that's why I touch one of it. Saktong pagkakuha ko noon mula sa drawer ay ang pagbukas ng pinto. Mabilis ko pa namang naitago ito mula sa likod ko. Damn! Anong kawalangyaan yung ginawa mo Kelsey!?

"What are you doing here?" Asher asked. Ramdam ko naman yung pamamawis ng noo at mga kamay ko dahil sa sobrang kaba.

"N-naligaw l-lang. akala ko r-room ni M-mara." pagdadahilan ko. Mas lalong umakyat ang kaba sa dibdib ko  ng lumapit sya sa akin.

"What are you hiding?" umatras ako ng lumapit sya sa akin. How did he know? At bakit ko ba kasi kinuha 'yon?

"W-wala! alis na ako." I replied but he blocked my way. Nakita nyang bukas yung drawer. I'm dead!

Lumapit ito ng lumapit hanggang sa mapasandal ako sa pader. I was still hiding behind my back the thing that I got in his drawer. I didn't mean to get it. I just got curious that's why.

"Tell me what you're hiding baby." he said in a husky voice. Napalunok naman ako sa sinabi nya. What did he said?

"Tell me what is it?" because we're an inch far from each other, I can smell the alcohol in his mouth. Why did he drink?

"Asher, are you drunk?" I asked. He just made a soft laugh because of my question.

"Will it made you mad then? Tell me that you're mad baby. I won't drink again." I pulled him after he said those. Lasing nga. Ang lakas ng tama e.

I was about to leave kung hindi nya lang naagaw kung ano iyong nasa kamay ko. He seriously look at me after seeing what I stole.

"ano k-kasi n-nakita ko l-lang."

I can't think of any reasons! I may look stupid right now but I don't care. He's drunk and there's a high possibility that he will forget everything happened tomorrow.

"Why do you look so tense? Is it the first time that you saw something like this?"

I nodded. He laugh again. I can't help but to get distracted by the way he do that.

"I guess they're right. You're cute."

Gusto ko sanang kiligin kaso naalala kong may tama nga pala ang lalaking ito. He may not be showy pero atleast nasasabi nya lahat ng gusto nyang sabihin sa akin pagka ganitong lasing sya.

"Do you know what is this for?" He asked holding the thing that I get in his drawer. Pakiramdam ko tuloy ay pulang pula na ako ngayon. Naglakad sya papalapit sa akin hanggang sa ilang dangkal na lang kami sa isa't isa.

Namumungay na yung mga mata nya at halatang bibigay na ito. Maya maya ay napasigaw ako ng bigla nya akong masukahan. Inis na inis ko syang itinulak habang sya ay tawang tawa pa din.

Arrrrg!

"Damn you Asher and your condoms!"

Inis kong wika at padabog na nagmartsa papalabas ng kwarto.

Chapter end