Speak The Unspoken : TWO

*TWO*

“Couz!!! Oh my gulayness! I missed you so much!” I almost jumped upon seeing Ate Emgee nung nakarating na ako sa condo ko.

  

“Hi Kuya Marco!” bati ko.

Ngumiti sya at agad tinawag si baby Maku na naglalaro sa naka-tiles na sahig ng sala. Ang cute talaga tingnan kapag naglalakad ang 3-year-old kid. Saka ang gwapo pa. Manang-mana sa daddy.

I fell on my knees while saying “Hello baby Maku! Do you still recognize me?”

“Ta Babie!” Ay ang cute talaga ng batang ‘to! Bulol pa eh! ^________^

Kinarga ko sya at kiniss ng kiniss sa face.

“Emityu Ta Babie!”

“Oh. I missed you too baby Maku!”

“Pasensya kana dyan couz. Marami na yang alam,” sabi ni Ate Emgee while smiling.

“I taught him what to say when you’ll arrive,” sabi naman ni Kuya Marco.

“Teka nga pala. Kuya Marco, why didn’t you told me earlier that you’ll arrive this afternoon?” I asked with a wrinkled forehead.

“We wanted to surprise you!” sagot nya with a grin.

“Congatz. Na-surprised nga ako!” I laughed sarcastically.

Binigay ko si baby Maku sa mommy nya. Ang bigat na kasi. Nakakangalay. I told her to sit in the couch para mapag-usapan namin ang tungkol sa friend nila na magiging special guest sa ball namin.

“Eh couz…Where is the special guest-to-be? Ibe-brief ko pa sya tungkol sa gagawin nya.”

“Oh! Oo nga pala. Yung magiging special guest mo ay nandun sa kwarto mo. Napagod siguro sa byahe. Dun ko muna pinahiga. Naku baka tulog na yun. Later mo na gisingin. Tulungan mo muna kami dito sa mga gamit namin.”

I wondered kung sino yung “celebrity” na kasama nila. According to my cousin, hindi raw ito humingi ng talent fee. In fairness, bongga sya. Kaso nakakahiya, di ba? Gusto lang daw kasi nito magbakasyon dito sa Pilipinas kaya hindi ito nag-alinlangang sumama sa kanila nung niyaya.

I guided both of them to the other room. For me, it’s my guest room. Minsan kasi dito ko pinapatulog sina Kim at Ladee kapag nagpaparty in the house kami with our other friends.

“Thanks couz. Pahinga muna siguro kami. May jet lag pa eh,” sabi ni Ate Emgee.

“Hala! Eh panu yung celebrity couz?”

“Pag gising na sya, pwede mo na syang papuntahin dun sa isa pang kwarto.”

“Ha? Ang liit nun eh.”

“Don’t worry, di sya maarte.” Then she winked and closed the door.

Shets!

I went to my room at nakita ko nga ang lalaking nakahiga at nakataob sa kama ko with a blanket in his head. Ang weird naman nito kung matulog.

Kahit nakahiga sya, halata ang impressive nyang height. Matangkad saka masculine na masculine ang dating nya. Sana nga magising na para makita ko na ang mukha.

I sat in my bed waiting for the man to wake up. While waiting, di ko namalayan na nakaidlip pala ako.

(-_-)zzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

“Barbie? Hey…”

“Uhmm… (*yawn*) Nak ng nalantang gulay naman oh… Ang sarap na ng tulog ko eh. Kuya Marco naman….”

“Are you awake?”

“Asan si Ate Emgee….” 

O.O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

O.O!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Again.

Kinamot ko ng husto ang mga mata ko baka kasi nanaginip ako eh!

Pero….

O.O talaga!!!!!

As in O.O!!!!!!!!!

Bumangon ako bigla at lumunok ng laway saka pinagpawisan na nag-blush na ewan.

“Aliff? Is…is that you? A…are you real? Am I just…Am I dreaming? Bakit ka nandito at anong ginagawa mo dito?” I couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t blink my eyes anymore.

Hindi sya kumibo sa halip, nag-smirk lang sya.

Naging question marks na pareho ang mga mata ko pero di parin sya kumibo. Tinitigan nya lang ako ng sobrang nakakatunaw saka bigla nya akong niyakap.

O.O!!!!!!! na naman!

Oh no! Hindi ako makahinga! Help!!!!

“I missed you so much and I’m so happy to see you again. Emgee didn’t disappoint me!”

I could feel him. Hoooh! I could smell him. Holy mother of spaghetti! He was real!!!!

Binitiwan nya ako tapos ngumiti sya.

Emgee didn’t disappoint me…

Ibig sabihin nito, may kinalaman si Ate Emgee dito? Did she plan everything?

Whatever was her reason, it did not matter to me. Kahit shocked na shocked ako, but I couldn’t deny the fact that I was indeed very happy. Ewan ko. Sobrang saya ko nung nakita ko si Aliff.

After five years, I never expected this to happen!

“Just relax okay?” sabi nya.

“How can I relax? Help me to relax!”

He chuckled. Sinundot-sundot ko pa nga ang mga pisngi nya para malamang totoo nga sya.

“Wow! I never thought you still have that necklace,” he said as he pointed his finger in my neck. Hanggang ngayon kasi, suot-sout ko parin ang necklace na nilagay nya dati sa isang baby pink envelope.

“I always wear this. Fortunately, hindi nasira. I don’t want to lose this.This is your only remembrance.”

Suddenly, nagkaroon ng panandaliang katahimikan. I fixed my eyes on him from head to toe. Six footer lang naman sya ngayon. Ang laki ng ipinagbago nya. He was now a man but still wore the same smile.

“What made you came here?” tanong ko.

Umupo sya sa kama ng maayos. Alam ko at naramdaman ko na magpapaliwanag sya kaya nakinig naman ako.

“Ahm. If I’m gonna tell you the real me, or maybe I’ll just show you coz it’s really difficult for me to say this to you right now, are you going to get mad at me?”

“Huh? Why should I?” I wondered.

“Are you still using facebook? It’s not already quite famous this year but there are lots of evidences of my real identity there. Where’s your computer?”

“I have an iPad. We can use it.”

Hindi na ako nagfe-facebook ngayon. Di na kasi uso. Hello? 2017 na kaya. Pagkatapos kong i-open ang iPad ko, nag-search sya kaagad sa search box ng facebook at tinype ang ALIFF AZIZ. So, Aziz pala surname nya.

“Look,” sabi nya sabay turo sa isang FB page.

Aliff Aziz, Musician/Artist???

I viewed the photos and it was like OH MY GULAYNESS!!!

“Are you kidding me? This is you?” I asked with wide open eyes.

Tumango sya pero hindi sya ngumiti. Okay fine. Sya na ang sikat. Sya na ang sinasabi ni Ate Emgee na celebrity na hindi humingi ng talent fee para gawin naming special guest.

“So…you’re popular. Just when?” seryoso kong tanong.

“Uhm. Before you met me…” Yumuko sya after saying that.

“WHAT? You never told me? But….Why?” Ganun? Ginawa nya pala akong tanga nun?

“I don’t want you to think that celebrities are not normal. I mean, I want you to like me as I am. Besides, I wanna be just ordinary and free. Knowing you and being with you at that time was the perfect and most memorable moments of my life,” paliwanag nya.

Hindi ako galit. Sobra ko syang namiss at ayokong magalit sa kanya.

“How did my cousin find you?” tanong ko in a cold voice.

“She’s a member of my fans club.”

I burst into laughter. Si Ate Emgee member ng fans club ni Aliff? What the!

“Is that funny?” he asked, wondering.

“No. I just can’t believe this is all happening now. She never even told me about you.” Umiling ako.

“Then, you’re not angry?”

“I’m not. Actually, I am so happy you’re here. Finally!”

“Finally. I can speak the unspoken.”

“Unspoken what?”

>>>AUTHOR'S NOTE HERE