The Other Half of Me (Khian Jace & Czerina Keira Story)

Chapter 6 Date Turned Out To Be Official Part 2

Chapter 6 TOHOM

KHIAN

A SHARP breath flew out from my lungs, the moment I turned my back to Keira going to the other side of the landing zone after were done in paragidling. Nauna na akong maglakad palayo sa kanya. I just can't help it, I knew she was bedazzled with the glorifying emotions with my second I love you to her. How can she be so foolish to disregard to what I just confessed?

"Khian" pigil niya na makahabol siya sa akin at hinawakan ang isang braso ko.

"Let's go Kei, masyado ng mainit mamaya sa daan." I said with a sad face.

Napabuntong hininga siya at mas hinigpitan pa ang pagkaka-hawak sa braso ko.

"Nagugutom ka na? You want to grab something to eat?" I looked at her and asked coldly, dahil wala pa naman kaming kahit anong kinain simula ng umalis kami sa bahay nila.

Umiling siya. "Okay lang ako" mababang tonong aniya. I sensed that she was curious about on my sudden action towards her. I saw how her eyes begin to fill with water and her smile wavered.

Nakakapanghina ang makita kong ganoon siya. Di ako sanay because eversince I laid my eyes on her, I always see how her eyes sparkled with happiness. Ipinikit ko na lang ang mga mata ko at huminga ng malalim. Kinabig ko siya at ikinulong ko sa mga bisig ko nang mahigpit na yakap. f**k it. I can't stand looking at her with tears almost falling from her eyes.

"I'm sorry," bulong ko at mas lalo ko pang hinigpitan ang yakap ko. Giving her feathery kisses at the top of her head.

"Bigla ka kasing hindi namamansin" her toned turned sober.

Naalarma ako bigla kaya inilayo ko kunti ang mukha niyang nakadikit sa dibdib ko. She's crying now. She started to sniff. I reached for her and wipe her cheek.

"What made you changed your mood?" she asked me, patuloy pa rin ang pagtulo ng mga luha sa mga mata niya.

I inhaled and breathed deep to fill my lungs with air. Looking intently on her. She's still beautiful on her own kahit umiiyak na ito lahat-lahat. Her simple beauty that caught my attention long time ago.

Nag-ipon ako ng sapat na lakas ng loob. It's now or never, I will try not to stumble with my words. Tang*na, nakaka-bakla pero hindi ko palalagpasin ang araw na hindi niya nalalaman kung bakit ako nagkakaganito.

"I screamed I love you, but you just ignored it. Tinawanan mo pa nga ako. Until we reached the landing zone, you did'nt even bother to re-open that confession I made nang nasa himpapawid tayo. Ano to Kei? One sided love affair?" hindi ko napigilang medyo tumaas na rin ang boses kong tanong.

She shook her head and distance herself a bit parang hindi makapaniwala sa mga sinabi ko. "Wow.! Just wow Khian.! One sided love affair? Sa pakiramdaman mo ba, pumapayag ako sa mga ganitong nangyayari kung wala rin akong nararamdaman sayo? Sa tingin mo ba, ginagawa ko ang lahat ng ito kung wala akong balak na tugunan ang pagmamahal mo? Ang manhid mo naman ata" I froze to what she said.

Realization hits me sa mga salitang binitawan niya. I pulled her closer to me again and I kissed the tip of her nose. "I love you Kei." I sincerely said, nananatiling nakatitig pa rin ang mga mata kong nakatitig sa mga mata niya. When I fiirst met her, I didn't have a clue that I will fall for her. That she would occupy the biggest part of my heart.

"Mahal kita." She lovingly answered back with soft voice and enveloped me with her hands around my waist. My whole world just suddenly froze that I need time to ponder.

Ninamnam kong magkayayap kami, walang pakiaalam sa mga taong dumaraan na nakakakita sa amin sa ganoong posisyon. I kissed her forehead then to the tips of her nose before I freed her.

"I love you. So T-tayo na?" I stammered asking her. Mabuti na ang malinaw.

She smiled at me, "anong alam ko? I'm new to this Mr. Real. Wala akong kahit na anong karanasan pagdating sa ganito."

Natawa ako sa hitsura niya, daig pa niya ang batang nahihiya na gustong humingi ng candy.

I cupped her face "its Official, you're my girlfriend now." I said grinning.

"Ang landi landi mo," sabi niya saka niya ako hinampas sa dibdib. I only chuckled. Bakit sino bang hindi. Daig ko pa ang nanalo sa lottery that finally, I heard those magic words from her.

"Ako pa ngayon.! Kasalanan mo naman eh," pangsisisi kong turan.

"Are you still mad?" She glanced at me, placated expression was on her beautiful face.

"What? I wasn't angry."

"Galit ka kanina, di ka nga namamansin bigla. You're even frowning," umiwas siya ng mga mata.

I sighed in defeat. It seemed that I still need time to convince her that I wasn't really mad. Nagtampo, oo.

"Tara na," kinuha ko ang kamay niya and I interlaced our fingers. We started to walk as I held her hand tighter.

"You seemed so happy" she made me look side ways

"I'm happy. Very, very happy." I told her. The idiot smile on my face says it all.

Wala kaming sinayang na oras ni Keira. Linisan namin ang flysite at bumalik kami sa City proper. We only stopped by drive thru na nadaanan namin para bumili ng pagkain dahil nagrereklamo na rin itong gutom na. Parang bata na nagrereklamong gutom na daw ang alaga niyang anaconda. What a childish girlfriend I can get.

I ordered only burger, fries and coke float. Pagtiyagaan na lang niya muna ang coke float, walang kape na binebenta dito, milk tea lang. I smiled at the thought, I knew how she's so in love in drinking coffee, wala ding pinipiling oras kung uminom siya ng kape. Hindi nagtagal, a brown paper handed me by the crew of the fast food. I handed immediately to Keira as we drove to where she wants to spend the day.

"We still have three hours before it will strikes at 5. Is there any place you want to spend the remaining hours before we go home?" I asked Kei, while my eyes are on the road.

"Tambay na lang tayo sa may Bell Tower, I want to eat my food now." She suggested, with a low voice at the end of her sentence.I chuckled, siguro talagang gutom na siya.

When we reached the side of Bell Tower, I parked my motorcycle near in the entrance gate. I stepped down and I faced Keira to remove her helmet as well. Mas lumapit pa ako sa kanya at hinawi ang buhok sa mukha niya. I even wiped the messy sweat away from her forehead and made me look into her eyes.

According to Kei, Bantay Bell Tower used to be the belfry of St. Augustine Parish Church one of the oldest in Ilocos region established in 1590 and served as watchtower at the same time - against invading pirates - during the Spanish era, hence the term bantay. The belfry itself was built in 1591-1592.

"I love you." I told her out of the blue, and reached her hands to helped her para makababa.

"Pang-ilan na yan," she blurted while she arched a brow. Uma-attitude ang bb ko.

Ngumisi lang ako.

We walked together to find a park bench to seat in. Napili niyang umupo sa bench na mas natatabunan nang sikat ng araw. She place our food in the middle bago siya umupo. She even let out a sighed. Kala mo pagod na pagod.

Umupo din ako pagkatapos and took the burger, I unwrapped it before I gave it to her.

"Thank you" she said shyly.

Kinuha ko rin ang coke float niya at ako na ang nalagay ng straw doon. Then I smoothly slid the coke float across the bench. Umirap siyang kinuha yon.

"How this gonna work?" suddenly she asked. Napahinto ako ng pagsubo sa burger na hawak ko.

Instead of answering her question, I asked a question. "Do you have any plan to tell your parents about us?"

"What?" she said exaggeratedly.

"So, wala kang balak na malaman ng mga magulang mo ang tungkol sa atin?" pag-uulit ko pang sabi.

"Of course not. Just give me some time, you know how exagerated my father is" she answered frowning.

I didn't uttered any word, sa uri ng sagot niya. Natahimik lang ako bigla.

"Not now, please." she begged

"You wanted me to be your little secret. I got it." Nahihimigang may tampo sa pananalita ko. Hindi rin nakaligtas sa paningin niya ang pagtaas ng kilay ko.

I'm not pressuring her to tell about us to her parents. Sa akin lang naman, mas mainam sana na alam nila, at least. Nandoon yong point niya na mapapagalitan siya or worst they will hindered her to go out with me, naiintindihan ko, pero mas gusto ko lang sana na maging legal kami sa pamilya niya. Paano ko mai-adjust ang sarili ko, kung ang kalabasan ng gusto niya ay parang sinasaksak ko patalikod ang mga magulang niya.

Naging tahimik bigla sa pagitan namin. Naninimbag pareho kung sino ang unang babasag ng katahimikan at magsasalita. Panaka-nakang sumusulyap sa akin kapagkuwan.

"KJ" mahinang pagtawag niya to get my attention. And wait, what did she just called me right now? KJ? Ayaw ko, bwisit na bwisit nga ako sa pinsan nyang tumatawag sa akin ng ganun, dadagdag pa siya. No way. Over my dead sexy butt.

"Hmmm" I just hummed

"Sasabihin ko, but let me handle this for the mean time." I saw how she bowed her head looking down to her fingers.

Pasalamat to mahal na mahal ko, di ko natitiis na malungkot siya at nasasaktan. Hinawakan ko ang mga kamay niya and I guided her to stand up to sit on my lap. Wala akong pakialam kung nasa public place kami. Wala namang masiyadong tao na nakakakita. As soon as she settled herself on my lap, she nuzzled her face on my neck. Konti na lang to bibigay na naman sa pag-iyak.

"Ssshhh, its okay. I understand." I said calmly habang hinahagod ko ang likod niya.

Mas lalo lamang niyang idiniin ang mukha niya sa leeg ko.

"Tahan na. Don't cry over that thing. Maiintindihan ko kung hindi ka pa handa. Isa lang ang hinihiling ko, sana huwag mong tagalan ang pagsasabi sa kanila." Mahabang lintanya ko, habang binibigyan ko ng halik ang ulo nito.

Anak ng sampung puting pating, napahagulhol na nga nang tuluyan.

"Mahal kita." Tanging sabi nitong hindi naka-angat ang mukha. Heaven, teka naman kinikilig ang dalawang itlog ko.

Inalo ko siya nga inalo hanggang tumigil siya sa pag-iyak. Aww, my bb. I held her chin and made me looked on my face. "Mas mahal kita." Balik kong sagot bago ko hinalikan ang tungki ng ilong nito.

Nang mapansin kong para siyang napagod sa pag-iyak, inaya ko na siyang ihahatid ko na siya sa kanila at nang makapag-pahinga siya. Hindi naman na siya kumontra at umayon sa pag-aya ko. Pinatayo ko siya mula sa kandungan ko before I spoke to her. "I will going home tomorrow, maybe I cannot come over to your house anymore ."

Napalabi siya " when can I see you again?" She shyly asked. Sumilay din ang ngiti sa aking mga labi.

"I will see you after five days." Sabay halik ko sa noo niya.

"Ok" she shortly replied.

"I love you bb" I said and I gave her a pecked on her lips.

Dahil sa gulat sa ginawa ko napasimangot na lang ito na siyang ikinahalakhak ko.