Chapter 45
1860 Words
Chapter 45 - The only person that has ever hurt me so much to make me cry
“Habibi?”
I open my eyes and see the only person that has ever hurt me so much to make me cry. And that, without even lifting a finger.
“O, umiiyak ka nanaman? May masakit ba sa `yo?”
“Eric...”
I grab hold of him and pull him close. We were both in bed, I am under the covers while he stayed by the side, nearly falling off the edge.
“O, sandali, uminom ka muna ng gamot at mainit ka nanaman,” he said, “38.7 ang temperature mo, pinunasan na nga kita eh, kanina 39.6 `yan.”
I didn’t let him go.
“Ano ba, bitaw ka muna, at paiinumin kita ng gamot.”
”No... you won’t come back.”
“Ba’t nanaman ako `di babalik? At saan naman ako pupunta? Aabutin ko lang naman `yung gamot sa mesa mo.”
I look at him. He stared back at me with a frown. I look at my side table, where he had left the lamp open, and saw a glass and a pitcher of water on top of it. I slowly let go of him.
“`Yan, good boy, ngayon umupo ka muna at uminom ng gamot mo.”
“Can you help me up?” I reach my arms to him.
“Haay, o, sige, halika na – “
I embrace him as he picks me up.
“`Oy, may sakit ka ba talaga o hinaharas mo lang `ko?” he asked with a small laugh, but he didn’t push me away. “Isubo mo muna `to.”
He placed the medicine in my mouth and took the glass from the table. After drinking some water, he placed it back and tried to put me to bed again.
“Humiga ka na, tulog ka `uli.”
I kept my hold on him and refused to budge.
“Ano ba, Habibi, humiga ka na `uli sa kama.”
“Will you stay with me?”
“May choice ba ako?” he stroke my hair, “Sige na, `wag nang makulit at baka tumaaas nanaman ang lagnat mo.”
“Promise you won’t go?”
“Paano, eh, kanina mo pa `ko ayaw bitawan,” he sighed, “Sige na, tabi na tayo, ha? Matulog ka na.”
“Okay.”
I put my covers over us, pulled him close, and lay down on my bed again.
“Sandali, nananantsing ka nanaman, ha!”
I put my head on his chest, nuzzle him, take in his scent.
“Ba’t ba gustong-gusto mo amoy ko?” he asked as he stroke my hair, “Kayo talagang mga omega, nabubuhay kayo sa amoy, magpapakawala kayo ng amoy na nagpapabaliw sa mga alpha, tapos, eh, lalo kayong nababaliw `pag naaamoy n’yo ang pheromones nila na lalo rin nagpapabaliw sa kanila,” he mumbled, “Pati fated pairs, nakakaamoy ng kakaiba sa isa’t-isa at `yun ang attraction na nag-co-connect sa dalawa. Kung ako sa inyo, sisirain ko na lang ang insula sa hippocampus ko para wala na `kong problema. `Di na ko maaapektuhan ng amoy ng mga alpha.”
I fell asleep listening to his rumblings, as he gently stroke my hair.
I found myself wishing I would never get better.
I woke up with the sun in my eyes. I forgot to close the curtains again, but this time, I am in a different room, with a warm body by my side.
It is my professor. The brilliant man I have crossed the seas to find.
I stare at the peaceful look on his face.
He is beautiful. When he sleeps. When his brows are relaxed, and his mouth, not constantly spouting curses.
I touch his thin eyelids and trail my finger down his cheek, caressing his soft lips. I wanted to touch him more. I wanted to do more than touch. But as I was about to move closer, his cellphone alarm suddenly went off.
I quickly closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. I don’t want to get up yet. In fact, this is the first time I felt like wanting to ditch work.
I heard Prof. Antonio moan and felt him shuffle in bed as he reached for his phone. I thought he was going back to sleep as he turned in bed and snuggled against me, when he suddenly sat up and cursed.
“Pak shet... pucha...”
I felt his hand on my forehead, then I felt him check my temperature with an ear thermometer.
Still, I pretended to sleep.
I heard him sigh then, and the soft beep of his cellphone as he dialed a number.
“Hello? Pedro? Nasa opisina ka na ba?” he said in a soft voice, “Baka ma-late ako, may sakit si Aahmes, inapoy ng lagnat kagabi, ano ba’ng ginawa n’yo sa Habibi ko at mukhang na-over work?”
A pause.
“Eto nga, nasa 38.6 pa rin ang temperature, paiinumin ko lang s’ya ng gamot, tapos, diretso na `ko d’yan.”
Another pause.
“Anong `wag nang pumasok?” he tried to keep his voice down. “Eh, kahapon nga, wala ako, nagkasakit na si Aahmes, ngayon pa kaya’ng dalawa kaming wala?”
So, he plans to leave me.
“Sige na, maghanda na kayo, basta’t darating ako maya-maya.”
I heard the professor sigh as he ended the call, so as soon as he placed the phone down, I grab hold of his thin waste and held him tight.
“`Oy, ano `yan, ha?” he said, rustling my hair, “Sabi ko na nga ba nagtutulog-tulugan ka lang, eh. Bumangon ka na kung gising ka na at uminom ka na ng gamot mo.”
”I still feel sick...” I mumbled.
“Kaya ka nga iinom ng gamot mo, eh.” I heard him pour some water and saw him preparing my medicine.
Frankly, I had no idea the professor could be this caring.
“O, isubo mo na `to para tuluyan nang bumaga ang temperature mo.”
He placed it in front of my face. I opened my mouth and took it from his fingers, sucking him slightly.
“Ano ba `yan, nilawayan mo pa `ko!”
He wiped his hand on his shirt. I glare at him.
“Are you going to leave me?”
“Ano sa tingin mo? Second batch ngayon ng project na antagal na nating inaayos, malamang dapat andoon ako.” he tried to pull my hand away. “Bitaw na, at kailangan ko nang pumuntang opisina!’
“We did perfectly well yesterday without you,” I said, holding him even tighter.
“Kaya ka nga nilagnat, eh!” he pushed at my arms.
“My fever is the result of staying in the bath for too long. It had nothing to do with work.”
“Dahil humina ang resistensya mo sa sobrang trabaho!” he insisted, “Ano ba `yan, ang lakas ng kapit mo! May sakit ka ba talaga?!”
“You’re just much weaker than I am.”
Prof. Antonio looked at me annoyingly.
“Ano ba, Habibi, `wag mo ako’ng galitin, sinasabi ko sa `yo, kahit may sakit ka, uupakan kita!”
“But... I don’t want you to go!”
I guess I was really sick, since my eyes started to leak again.
“`Oy, `wag mo ako’ng iyakan, ha, `di uubra sa `kin `yan!”
“I’m not crying!” I insisted, “I’m just leaking.”
“Ano ba...” he tried prying my fingers off his waist, but I wouldn’t budge.
“No. Can’t you just spoil me for just one day? I just want to spend the day with you!”
“Anong spend the day? Eh, araw-araw na tayong magkasama?! Hindi ka pa ba sawa sa `kin?”
”But yesterday...”
”Ano? Nagkahiwalay lang tayo ng isang araw, nag-iinarte ka na?”
“Yes. You should have spent your birthday with me. Not with those alphas...”
“Anong sinasabi mo’ng alpha? Si Louie at si Nat-Nat ba?”
”I can smell them all over you! And you said you didn’t like them at all, but you were having so much fun in your pictures and you never once asked about the project or how we were doing or if we were having any trouble at all and didn’t even bother to say when you plan to return and you didn’t even bring home some cake!”
I pouted at him.
In my whole life, I have never nagged about something this trivial. In fact, I have never nagged anyone about anything at all.
I was brought up by my mother to listen to authority and to keep my personal thoughts to myself.
I never really cared.
Work is work, and beyond work, there is nothing else. I have no hobbies, no passion for anything other than what I do for a living. If I fail at something, then I will come up with a different approach to solve it. If I can’t obtain something, then I will move on to the next item on my list.
But Prof. Antonio is different.
I can’t understand him, even after obtaining a doctorate in psychiatry and three other fields of study. I can’t let him go, no matter how much he tries to push me away, and I can’t help but want him more, even if he’s such a disgusting slob who distrusts everyone and thinks that no one can be as good as his 10 year old niece.
I just want him to be with me.
Right now.
“Haay, nako Habibi...” he sighed.
He finally stopped trying to pull my arms off and took his cellphone from the bedside table.
“Hello, Pedro?” he sounded annoyed. “Kaya n’yo ba’ng asikasuhin ang mga bagay d’yan nang mag-isa?”
I felt myself grinning.
“Ayaw ako’ng paalisin ni Habibi, mamamatay daw s’ya pag nawala ako,” he exaggerated. “P’wede mo ba’ng i-live stream ang mga kaganapan d’yan para masubaybayan namin? Nice, buti naman, basta’t sisuraduhin n’yong maayos `yang second batch, kung `di, pare-pareho ko kayong ibibitin ng patiwarik ni Habibi mula sa 68th floor! Naiintindihan n’yo ba?!” he said, patting my head. “Sige, keep me updated, at gusto ko makita ang mga activities n’yo, ha?! O s’ya, asikasuhin mo na mga bagay d’yan, at i-tag mo `ko sa livestream para makita namin ng Habibi ko!”
- Writer
