#CTG11 Chapter 11

"Thank you, Miss Viste," Atty. Cabo told me after we discussed about the three cases that I studied. Kakabalik niya lang. Hindi ko nga alam na ngayon pala siya babalik... Mabuti na lang natapos ko na iyong assigned sa akin. Naghihintay na lang ako ng bagong gagawin.

"No problem, Sir," I replied. "If there's anything else?" I asked because I was bored already. And I didn't want to be bored dahil maiisip ko na naman kung sino kaya iyong kasama ni Iñigo the last time na nakita ko siya... Hindi ko na ulit kasi siya nakita dahil sinama siya nung lawyer na assigned sa kanya. I couldn't ask kung kailan sila babalik.

It was boring.

I needed something to do.

"I'll read these first. I'll just call you," he said. I thanked him pero bago ako umalis, binigyan niya ako ng food galing sa pinuntahan niya. He's nice.

I tried to sleep, but I remembered that I just finished drinking coffee... Tinignan ko iyong portal ng school pero wala pang released na grades. Sumilip ako sa Facebook para tignan if may balita ba kung kailan iyong release, but instead of clicking the messages, biglang ang napindot ko ay iyong friend requests.

Iñigo Borromeo

I drummed my fingers against the desk. Wala talaga akong balak na iaccept iyong request niya... Maingay na nga siya in person, what more online? But maybe there's no harm in adding him... It's not as if palagi akong nag-o-online...

I clicked accept.

Pumunta ako sa messages, but there's no news na kahit ano tungkol sa release ng grades. Walang bagong message sa group chat ng block namin. It seemed like everyone's enjoying the vacation... I mean, nag-e-enjoy din naman ako... Though not in the usual way. I just saw some of my blockmates' posts—karamihan sa kanila ay nasa ibang bansa ngayon, enjoying... Habang ako, ito at nagta-trabaho.

"Fine," I uttered. "Just to satisfy my curiosity."

I gave him and started to scroll in Iñigo's profile. Wala siyang masyadong posts... It was different from what I expected... Sobrang ingay niya kasi kapag kasama ko siya kaya akala ko maingay din siya online... I guess I really didn't know him that well yet. I only knew what he showed me so far.

May mga tagged photos siya kasama iyong mga brothers niya yata sa fraternity. He was smiling on the pictures na akala mo hindi niya tinataguan kapag nakikita niya sa school. He's really good at faking.

Walang kahit ano'ng picture kasama ang pamilya niya... Alam ko wala na siyang parents... Pati yata sa relatives niya hindi siya close. Wala ring picture kasama iyong mga kaibigan niya. He's so... different. Just a lot more different from how he's acting when he's in front of me. I didn't know who's the real him.

I kept on scrolling, hoping to find a picture of the girl he was with. Nakaka-isang taon na ako... Nasa college days niya na ako, pero napa-tigil ako nang tawagin ako ni Atty. Cabo.

Next time.

* * *

Sabi nga nila, be careful what you wish for... I asked to be busy, and that's exactly what I got. Kaya pala sinabihan ako ni Mr. Tiu ng good luck dahil kakailanganin ko pala talaga. Sobrang daming pinapagawa ni Atty. Cabo sa akin. He's also very thorough—akala ko thorough na ako, pero mas grabe siya. Sobrang dami niyang tanong sa notes ko. Mas lalo tuloy akong na-inspire dahil pakiramdam ko talaga marami akong matutunan sa kanya. I learned that he's a topnotcher when he took the BAR.

"Iñigo!"

Agad na naagaw iyong atensyon ko nang marinig ko iyong pangalan. My eyes searched his face. He looked tanned. Saan ba siya nanggaling?

He was smiling as he was talking to some of the employees he was friends with. Minsan, naiinggit ako sa kanya... Parang sobrang dali kasi sa kanya makipagkaibigan. I wished I were like him. But it was never easy for me to just open up to people... It would take a lot goading for me to open even the tiniest part of myself.

"Charisse," I heard him say. Huminga ako nang malalim. "Oh."

I looked at what he put in front of me. "Ano 'to?"

"Pasalubong?"

"Thank you," I said as I looked at the keychain with the word Alaminos written on it.

"You're welcome," he said, smiling. Akala ko may sasabihin pa siya pero bumalik na siya sa cubicle niya. I watched his retreating back. Galit ba siya? Parang iba siya.

I wanted to ponder more on it, but then I remembered that I got a lot of things I needed to finish... 'Di naman siguro siya galit. That's probably just my imagination. Binigyan pa nga niya ako ng keychain.

When lunch came, I stood up. Sabi ni Atty. Cabo maglunch daw ako kapag lunch time. Apparently, he's got ulcer. Baka daw magaya ako sa kanya kaya kumain daw ako kapag oras ng kain.

"Kakain ka?" I asked as I went to his cubicle. He looked up. Ang tanned na nga niya... Nagswimming ba siya o nagtrabaho?

"Oo, pero tapusin ko lang 'to," sabi niya sabay turo sa papel sa harap niya. "Sabay ba tayo?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Uh... okay lang."

He nodded. "Okay. Pahintay sandali? O una ka na? Mga 5 minutes na lang 'to," he said. I nodded. Yeah. Something's really different. But I didn't want to overthink it. Pinapansin pa rin naman niya ako.

I stood and stayed. I looked around his cubicle. Wala man lang kahit anong picture doon. Puro stacks of papers lang tapos iyong bag niya na nasa sahig. It was a navy-blue backpack that looked worn out already... Gaano na kaya niya katagal gamit 'yun?

"Okay na," he said, clicking save sa tina-type niya sa laptop.

"San tayo pupunta?" I asked nang hindi daan papunta sa cafeteria iyong nilalakaran namin.

"May ibang kainan dito, e," he said.

"Ayaw mo sa caf?" I asked.

"Okay lang naman... Pero baka mas magustuhan mo dito," he replied, shrugging. "Kapag ayaw mo, balik na lang tayo. Medyo maaga pa naman."

We walked side by side. We were surrounded by silence. Naninibago talaga ako.

"Galit ka ba sa 'kin?" I asked. I didn't want to waste more time thinking kung galit ba siya sa 'kin. Kung galit siya, gusto kong malaman para makapagsorry kung may kasalanan ako.

Kumunot ang noo niya. "Ha? Hindi, ah. Bakit mo natanong?"

"Hindi ka kasi nagsasalita."

He laughed. "Sabi mo ayaw mo kapag maingay ako?"

"Ayoko nga."

"Oh, tahimik na ko," he said, acting as if he was zipping his mouth. I rolled my eyes. He laughed again. That's more like the Iñigo I knew. "Hindi ako galit sa 'yo," he repeated. "May ibang iniisip lang ako."

"Work?"

"Half."

"Ano 'yung other half?"

"Secret."

"Okay."

He smiled. "Kamusta si Atty. Cabo? Daming pinapagawa?" he asked, changing the subject. I nodded and told him about the things I did for Atty. Cabo. Binigyan ako ng tips ni Iñigo. Dati pala siya iyong assigned kay Atty. Cabo pero nagrequest siya na ilipat siya kasi hindi niya na kaya iyong dami ng pinapagawa sa kanya.

Pagdating namin dun sa kainan na sinasabi ni Iñigo, may pares sila. Bigla akong nagutom. Mayroon na yata akong favorite food finally.

Iñigo ordered for the both of us since alam niya naman kung ano iyong order ko. Tahimik lang kami habang naghihintay. Parang biglang naging weird dahil usually, siya iyong nag-o-open ng pag-uusapan namin...

Pero hindi naman daw siya galit.

"Ano'ng ginawa niyo sa Pangasinan?" I asked.

"May dinoble check lang 'dun sa pinasa na report nung insurance company," he said. "Natagalan lang kasi 'di pareho 'yung nasa written report 'dun sa sinabi nung kausap namin."

I nodded.

Silence again.

Ang hirap pala ng ginagawa niya dati. Ang awkward mag-open ng topic.

Finally, na-serve na iyong food. I was about to dig in when Iñigo's phone vibrated. My eyes read the name Gracey.Kinuha ni Iñigo iyong phone niya at saka nag-excuse na sasagutin niya lang iyong tawag.

"Sabaw, gusto mo?" tanong nung babae. Doon lang natigil iyong panonood ko kay Iñigo na naka-talikod mula sa pwesto ko. It's been minutes pero hindi pa rin siya bumabalik. Lumalamig na iyong kanin niya.

Sino kaya si Gracey?

"Sorry," he said, smiling as he took his seat. I merely nodded, knowing that it was not my place to ask. We're friends... but we're not that close. It's probably my fault for always reminding him not to intruce much.

I needed more work.

Pagbalik namin sa building, dumiretso ako sa cubicle ko. I opened my laptop... I knew I needed to research about the cases, but my hands took me to Facebook—specifically Iñigo's profile. Tinignan ko iyong friends' list niya. It's not on private. I typed Gracey. Walang lumabas. I typed Grace. Wala pa ring lumabas.

"Miss Viste."

Agad na nanlaki ang mga mata ko. Mabilis kong isinara iyong laptop ko—kasing bilis ng tibok ng puso ko. Halos tumalon iyong puso ko palabas ng dibdib ko dahil akala ko si Iñigo iyong tumawag sa akin. I couldn't describe the relief that washed over me when I saw that it was Atty. Cabo who called me.

Buong araw na akong naging busy. Thankfully. Pag-uwi ko sa bahay, tinignan ko kung nandun ba si Chester. Hindi kasi madalas nasa bahay 'yun dahil nagrorotation na siya sa hospital. And to my luck, wala pa rin siya sa bahay... Pero sigurado ako na kahit walang rotation 'yun, 'di uuwi 'yun... Not after Dad punching him when he learned that Ches got delayed from his med graduation.

"Ches," I said, calling.

I heard him yawn. "What's up?"

"Do you know anyone named Gracey sa med?" I asked. I just had to ask. Curiosity was killing me. I just needed to know who she is... and then matatahimik na ko.

"Gracey? Ano'ng itsura?" he asked and I described the girl to the best of my recollection. I could remember her being cute... Average height. Shoulder hair length. With a really nice smile.

"Not sure... But maybe Grace Arevalo," he answered. "4thyear med."

I thanked him and told him to message me when he's free para puntahan namin siya kung nasang ospital man siya. Nagpalit muna ako ng damit bago ko hinanap sa Facebook iyong Grace Arevalo na sinasabi niya.

And he's right. This was the girl.

Her profile picture's taken in Paris. She was sitting on a brick wall with the Eiffel Tower on the background. She was wearing a black winter coat, white top, black skirt, black leggings, boots, and red beret.

She's... so pretty.

I scrolled through her Facebook account. Mas madali dahil wala masyadong post hindi kagaya nung kay Iñigo na ang daming tagged photo. My lips parted nang makarating ako sa posts nung nasa high school pa lang siya...

There was a picture that caught my attention. It was a picture of her and Iñigo in what looked like a photography studio. The picture looked really old. Ganito iyong uso dati. Naaalala ko na ganito iyong picture ng mga kaklase ko kasama iyong mga kaibigan nila.

'Future doctor and future lawyer' was the caption of the photo. They were grinning in the picture. Iñigo's arm was draped on her shoulders. He looked really young—looked really carefree. He looked... really happy.

There were other pictures. I looked at them all. Just a reminder.

Whatever I was thinking... that needed to stop.