Magkahawak ang aming mga kamay habang naglalakad kami sa Mall. Actually marami na kaming nagawa at nakapaglaro na din kami habang hawak ko ang stuff toy Pikachu na nakuha nya. I'm smiling all the time when I remember how he keeps playing hard just to get this cute stuff toy in Tom's World.
"My treat, let's go to the Tom's World." Aya nya sa akin pagka pasok namin ng Mall ay nag escalator kami papuntang itaas habang nakahawak ang mga kamay namin.
I want to let go his hands of mine because of the people are staring at us, smiling widely like they are teasing us and hearing some their sweet comments make my heart flutter.
"Don't you ever dare." Banta nya sa akin kaya hinayaan ko na lang sya na hawakan ang kamay ko.
We are slightly running when we reached the Tom's World. He looked like a child, wanting to play after the years after. I even saw his face smiling widely like he never experienced this before.
"Do you want me to get this yellow thing for you?" Tanong nya habang naglagay sya ng 200 sa machine upang mabaryahan at maging token ang kapalit.
"If you want it too." Hindi ko sya sinagot ng oo o hindi dahil alam ko naman na kapag tinaggihan ko ay may possible na magtampo sya. Kapag naman sinagot ko sya ng oo ay baka doon na lang sya mag focus sa isang bagay.
"Sure, watch beside me and don't left me here okay? This is our date." Natutuwang sabi nya matapos kuhanin lahat ng token at ibinulsa bago hawakan ang kamay ko papunta sa Toy Machine.
"There's no reason for me to leave you alone." I unconsciously said to him when we reached the stuffed toys in the machine. He stunned in a bit before smiling at me.
"Ah, I can't believe those words came out from your mouth." Tumingala pa sya at bumuntong hininga, hindi makatingin sa akin kaya pinag kunootan ko sya ng noo.
"Mukha ba akong nagbibiro?" Takang tanong ko na ikinailing naman nya agad.
"No" He shooked his head before playing the game. "But my first impression to you was serious. Like.."
"Like ano?" Pa curious pa sya, sasabihin din naman nya yan Tinignan ko ang nilalaro nya at nagulat ako ng makuha nya iyon ngunit nang malapit ng mahulog ay tsaka naman bumitaw yung pang hawakan.
"Like you doesn't know what romantic it is." Ngisi nya matapos madismaya dahil hindi nya nakuha.
I scoffed at him in disbelief. How can he say that straightly in front of my face?
"Bakit, mukha bang kahapon lang ako pinanganak kaya mo nasabi yan?" Napipikon na sabi ko at hindi makapaniwala sa narinig.
"No, it's was my first impression, it always wrong with my thoughts. You were serious that day, isama mo pa ang atmosphere sa paligid mo kaya parang wala kang kainte-interest sa maraming bagay." He shrugged his shoulders and focus on the thing.
Am I like snob before? I really can't imagine that I am serious. May pumasok bigla sa isip ko na sa mission agad ang unang pinag usapan namin matapos nyang makarating ng late sa Starbucks. I don't even have enough time to communicate with him in other things.
Pinanood ko na lang sya maglaro sa tabi at hindi na nagsalita. Ilang minutong nakatayo roon ng higitin nya ako at pinasubukan laruin ang bagay na iyon.
At first, I thought it was an easy because the silver metal hold the toy but in the end, that thing always failed me. I expect that toy will mine for today but disappointed in the end.
Tawa ng tawa si Lucas sa itsura ko ng mapikon ako at sya na ang pinaglaro. Nagsisimula na akong mangalay ulit ng hindi pa rin sya tapos at mag-iisang oras na kami. It's almost 6pm when he was done and gave me the cute stuffed toys.
"Thank you, love." I happily said to him before hugging the cute and small tuffed toys. Niyakap ko na rin sya sa sobrang tuwa at hinalikan sya sa pisngi.
"W-welcome love." Nawala ang ngiti ko ng ma realize ang ginawa ko. I bit my lower lip to stop myself from talking.
"Let's play basketball." Aya ko sa kanya habang yakap ng isang kamay ko ang binigay nya ng pumayag sya.
Nagpasok sya ng token doon kaya inilagay ko sa gilid nya ang stuffed toy bago kumuha ng bola upang maka score. I'm getting excited plus enjoying when I shoot the ball in the ring many times. Ang katabi ko naman ay panay reklamo dahil nasasabayan daw iyon ng bola ko kaya hindi makapasok ang kanya.
"Getting enjoy huh?" Sambit nya habang pinapasok ang bola sa ring.
"Of course, I always liked playing this game ever since." Sambit ko at nagsisimula ng hingalin ng makitang may Round 2 pa.
"You're a girl, I can't believe you can play basketball." Hindi ko sya sinagot dahil alam kong nacu-curious sya. Nginitian ko na lang sya matapos ay naglaro ulit.
We are playing and enjoying in a half of time. I didn't feel tired because of happiness when I cut the ticket.
"Ipunin natin, sa ngayon iuwi mo muna yan sainyo para makaipon tayo if ever na may gusto kang kunin sa mga iyon." Sambit ko matapos naming maglaro ng kung ano ano.
He laughed. "Are you serious?"
"Mukha bang nagbibiro ako? Kung ayaw mo ako na ang mag uuwi." Kalmadong sambit ko at kinuha ang ticket sa kanya.
"I'm sorry, it was my first time playing.." Natigilan ako sa paglalakad upang lingunin sya. So I was right? He never experienced the game of his childhood?
Yakap ko ang binigay nyang laruan ng pumasok sa isip ko kung ano ba talaga ang totoong nangyari noong bata pa sya. Did the father caused traumatizing to their children? or some personal reason of the unknown?
"Chloe, did you hear me?" I blink once, twice and thrice before looking at him.
Kumunot ang noo ko sa kanya nang makita ang nag aalala nyang mata. "You're spacing out in a minute, are you okay?"
Tumango ako matapos mag process sa utak ko ang sinabi nya. "O-of course, gutom lang ako." I even stuttered
He sighed on relief before holding my left hand again. "Alright which fast food is your favourite to eat?"