I saw how his lips uplifted. He walks towards me that made me voluntarily stepped back.
"I want us to be friends," he sincerely said. Pinilit kong tinatagan ang loob ko atsaka tinapangan ang loob para matignan siya sa mata.
"Then let's be friends," I casually said. Nakita ko pa ang multong ngiti sa labi niya ngunit hindi ko na lang pinansin.
"Okay, tutal magkaibigan na tayo at hindi maganda ang una nating pagkikita at pagkakakilala, let's remake it," eksaheradong saad niya.
Kumunot ang noo ko saka bumaling ulit ang paningin sa pool. "No need. Ang tanda ko na para diyan,"
"Dali na." Inabot niya ang kamay ko na nakatuon sa gilid ng pool kaya nabaling ulit ang paningin ko sa kanya.
I sighed and shrugged my shoulders." Fine."
He smiled and lend his left hand on me. "Hi, I'm James Shymone. How about yours, missy? "
"I'm Leonisa." I casually said and accepted his hand.
"Hi Isa," that made me glanced at his direction.
I nodded and smiled. Napatingin ako sa mga mata niya, ganun din siya sa akin. We stared at each other for a few seconds and I don't know when we start laughing.
"Hmm. Sabi mo kanina na babalik ka rin sa buhay mo dati." Napatigil ako sa kanyang sinabi. I glanced at him and I caught him staring at me. "May I asked what do you mean by that? "
Nag-iwas ako ng tingin. Sinimulan ko ulit igalaw ang mga paa ko sa tubig na nakakalikha ng maliliit na alon. "I'm currently in a vacation. So technically, babalik ako sa amin pagkatapos ng bakasyon, diba? "
I saw him nodding his head in my peripheral view.
Ilang sandali rin kaming nilamon ng katahimikan. Tanging paghampas lang ng alon sa dagat ang madidinig sa pagitan naming dalawa.
"Eh ikaw?" Tumingin ako sa kanya atsaka ngumiti. "Wala sa itsura mo na you are into resort business."
I heard him chuckled. "Ito na lang kasi ang naiwan sa akin ng nanay ko, kaya minahal ko na ang lugar na ito. "
Natigilan ako sa sinabi. Wala sa itsura niya na may pinagdadaanan siya.
"I'm sorry to hear that," I sincerely apologize. I heard his laughters that is so pleasant to hear.
"Wala iyon. It's not like I will cry like a baby," he said. I glanced at his direction and saw him timidly staring at the blue water.
"How are you coping up?" I asked without minding the cold breeze.
Nawala ang ngiti na nakaukit sa labi niya, ang kaninang mala-pilyong ngitian ay biglang napalitan ng ngiti ngunit wala ng halong kapilyuhan."Wala naman akong magagawa kung hindi tanggapin, diba? "
"May I ask what happened?" Ang mga mata ko ay nasa kanya ang atensyon. Hindi ko mawari kung bakit parang dinadaganan ng kung anong mabigat na bagay ang dibdib ko habang nakatingin sa ngayo'y nangungulap na niyang mga mata.
"My dad killed her." My eyes bore to him. My eyes went wide as I gasped at what he had said.
How can his father do that?
"No, it's not what you think but for me it is." My calmness got back. Napahinga ako ng malalim, siguro ay napansin niya iyon kung kaya ay nadidinig ko na naman ang kanyang malakas na halakhak na hindi ko na rin pinagtuunan ng pansin.
"Huh?" Naguguluhan ako. Pa'no niya sinabi na pinatay ang nanay niya ng sariling ama.
Maybe, he just loathed his father that much.
But why?
"My mom loves my father so much but my dad doesn't love her. That jerk still have his mistresses all over even he has my mom. My mom got depressed so she commited suicide. " parang sanay na sanay na siyang pag-usapan ang pangyayari na iyon.
Agad akong nabaling sa direksyon niya, I stopped swamping my feet to the pool. "What? "
"Yeah and funny to think that she did that in front of a six year old kid." He beamed but it didn't reach his eyes. Makikita ang aking repleksyon sa kanyang mata senyales ng unti-unting pamumuo ng luha. "And I hate him more because of that," he casually said. Mabilis ang ginawa niyang pag-iling. "No,I loathed him."
Habang minamasdan ko ang banayad na itsura niya, ay 'di ko makitaan ng problema ang perpekto niyang mukha.
Maybe, he was used to it.
"Alam mo ba kung ano pa ang unfair? "He glanced at me and I saw the ghost smile that formed on his lips. "He got married, the day mom took her life, the bastard and his wife lived happily ever after." He even threw his hands up like he was kidding. Sinundan niya pa ng mga halakhak niya.
I looked around the place, kinurot ko siya ng palihim habang nakatingin sa paligid. I just saw how tourists looks at our direction.
"Don't mind them, as if ngayon lang sila nakakita ng gwapong masaya." He even winked at me. Sinabayan niya ang paggalaw ng mga paa ko sa tubig.
My eyes were on him,thinking on how he can cope up and laugh not minding how tragic his life is.
Hindi naman pala siya ganon kasama. Maybe being with the girls make him forget about that painful past he'd face.
Habang nakikita ko siya, 'di ko maiwasang isipin na swerte pa rin ako sa buhay ko. In my thirty year existence,may tao pa rin akong nakasama at kumupkop sa akin, unlike him, na pinilit mamuhay mag-isa nang mawala ang ina.
Swerte na ako sa naging buhay ko matapos maulila ng maaga. I'm lucky to have Lucille as my bestfriend, na naging dahilan kung bakit ako nandito sa kung nasaan ako ngayon.
And the marriage I'm into, is the only way to repay them.
***
To be continued...