49

"I don't understand you. You're being crazy, Kim."

She sighed. "You had a great crush on him, hadn't you?"

Lumaki ang mata ko sa sinabi n'ya. "What?"

"Yes, I know you too well. I even saw John's picture at the back of your cabinet's door. I knew you were so obsessed of him because you had cut out our pictures and matched his to yours together." She grinned and looked behind me.

Tumingin ako kung saan s'ya nakatingin. Mas lumaki ang mata ko nang nasa likod ko si John at si Gerald.

Seryoso ang mukha ni Gerald samantalang ang nasa tabi n'ya ay ngising-ngisi. Ang loko!

"Hey, you two there." Bati ni Kim sa kanila.

"Hey, love." Gerald kissed Kim in the temple and her lips.

Nagpaalam ang dalawang bagong kasal at kami nalang dalawa ni John ang naiwan. Aalis na sana ako pero bago pa ako makadalawang hakbang ay nahawakan na n'ya ang kamay ko.

"Where are you going?"

"I guess there's no need to stay here."

Biglang humigpit ang pagkakahawak n'ya sa kamay ko at pinabalik ako sa pwesto ko kung saan ako nakatayo kanina. He never let go of my hand.

"Ouch! You're hurting my arm." He finally let go and looked frantic.

"Sorry."

Tinitigan ko s'ya ng matiim at nagtanong. "What do you want?"

He cleared his throat. "Was it true?"

"Was it true what?" I got confused.

"That you had a crush on me." Ngumisi s'ya ng nakakaloko. "Oh, I knew it. You've said that you love me before."

"Yeah, yeah. Pero hindi na ngayon." Sarkastikong sabi ko at dinuro s'ya sa dibdib. "Kaya ikaw, iwas-iwasan mo na ako dahil hindi na kita mahal, at alam ko namang hindi mo talaga ako mahal kaya umalis ka na or ako nalang ang aalis."

Napakapit ako sa balikat n'ya nang bigla n'ya akong tinulak ng marahas at napasandal naman ako sa railings. Pinagitnaan ako ng mga kamay n'ya na nakakapit sa railings.

"Who said I'm not?"