Old Clothes and Stale Coffee

Chapter 80 - Atat na Atat na Ako’ng Sermonan S’ya

Chapter 80 - atat na atat na ako’ng sermonan s’ya

“Ah! I forgot to cook our food!” I told the professor as I stood up.

“Okay lang, mag-drive through na lang tayo at pare-pareho tayong wala sa wisyo.”

Prof. Antonio stood up and stretched himself.

“Halika na at nang matapos na `to nang maaga at kailangan ko pa mag-isip ng paraan para mapagtakpan ang pinaggagawa mo!” he told Reubert.

“`Yan lang po susuot n’yo?” asked his DOME who looked at the thin, wrinkled shirt and boxers he had on.

“Bakit, anong masama sa suot ko?”

Both Reubert and I stared at him.

“Professor, you haven’t taken a bath in 4 days.” I told him.

“Seriously?” asked Reubert, wide-eyed.

“Please go take a quick shower.”

“Hindi pa naman ako...”

“You’re starting to smell.”

“Hay... o, sige, sige na, maliligo na po.”

The professor left us in awkward silence.

“So... um... you’re the professor’s... partner at work?” Reubert spoke first.

“Yes.” I replied.

As I look at him, I see that the eyes beneath his messy hair were a pale shade of purple. His slanted eyes show Chinese descent, while his narrow nose was more caucasian.

“So.... what do you... think of him?” he continued asking.

“He is a very brilliant professor whom I admire greatly.”

“Oh... so, you just... admire him? As a superior?”

“Of course not. He is more than that to me, he is my partner after all,” I answered. “Also, you can talk to me in filipino if you wish,” I added, since he seems to be having difficulty speaking in english.

“No... I mean... actually... nagtataka lang ako... kung ano talaga kayo sa isa’t-isa?” he asked, still stammering. “You’re living in the same roof, after all... at... nabanggit ni Prof. Eric, na... you’re... going out?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“So, you’re actually mates?”

“I cannot acknowledge that without the professor’s affirmation.”

“Ganyan ka ba talaga magsalita?” he frowned.

“Is there something wrong with the way I speak?”

Look who’s talking.

“W-Wala naman... so, marunong ka rin ba magtagalog? O nakakaintindi ka lang?”

“Marunung ako magtagalog pero mas gusto ng propesor na mag-inggles ako dahil katawa-tawa raw ang aking punto at hindi siya makapag isip kapag siya ay natatawa.”

“Talaga?” he chuckles, “Naninibago nga ako ky Prof. Eric, parang mas suplado s’ya ngayon, dati kasi, napaka bait n’ya, maalagain at mapag-pasensya...” he paused, “I guess anyone would change... after what we’ve been through... pero... s’ya pa rin ang propesor na pinaka nirerespeto ko.” He gave a gentle smile.

“Of course, there is no one like the professor,” I agreed.

“You’re something else as well, bihira ang mga omega sa inyong line of work. Mabibilang lang ang mga omega sa hanay n’yo ni Prof. Eric na may MD at PhD. Most of them are hindered by their estrus, after all. Buti at mukhang kayang-kaya mo ang heat mo. May nireseta ba sa `yo si Prof. Eric?”

I was about to reply when the professor came back with his hair still dripping.

“O, ano nang pinag-uusapan n’yo?” he asked, looking at us suspiciously.

“Professor! You didn’t even dry your hair properly!” I complained.

“Matutuyo `rin yan, halika na at nagugutom na `ko.”

We went to a drive through as Prof. Antonio called his brother-in-law to say that we were coming over.

‘Tamang-tama, at kailangan ko’ng magpunta sa presinto para i-follow-up ang blotter ko kahapon,’ said Louie, `Pakisamahan na muna sina Blessing at Mercy habang wala ako.’

“Okay, magdadala na rin ako ng dinner.”

But when we got there at half past seven, only Mercy was in the room.

“O, nasaan ang ate mo?” the professor asked her.

“Andyan po sa separate room, tito, pinatulog ko muna, `di kasi `yun nakatulog kagabi, eh, kakaalala kay kuya.”

“Ganoon, ba? Sige, hayaaan mo na s’ya matulog,” we placed the food we bought on a nearby table. “Halika at sabayan mo na kaming kumain.”

Mercy looked at Reubert who stood by the door.

“Eto nga pala ang teacher ng kuya mo na nakakita sa kan’ya kahapon.”

“Sir Go, good evening po,” she greeted him.

“Aba, magkakilala na pala kayo?” the professor asked her.

“Opo, tito, naalala n’yo noong atakihin ni kuya `yung kaklase n’yang omega last month? Si Sir Go po ang nakahuli kay kuya noon.”

“Ugh...” the professor frowned. “Talagang `tong pamangkin ko na `to... noon ka pa pala inaabala ng lokong Nathan na `to!”

“H-hindi naman po, professor,” replied Reubert, “besides, kasama po sa trabaho ko ang pagdisiplina at paggabay sa mga estudyante.” He looked at Nathan who lay on the bed, a tattered looking stuffed lion by his side. “Do you mind if I go near him?”

“Sige po, sir, go ahed,” said Mercy “pero, hindi pa rin po s’ya nagigising mula nang dalhin s’ya rito.”

Reubert went closer to the bed and touched Nathan’s hand. I could see that he desperately wants to hold his mate, but he held himself back since we were in the room with him.

He reached for his forehead instead, and as he did, I could sense that he was releasing some pheromones. Calming pheromones, like my own, but a bit thinner.

I guess it is true, what the professor said, that this DOME’s control over calming pheromones were not as strong as my own. But then again, my omega pheromones are nothing incompared to his, in terms of strength and intensity.

Reubert stayed by Nathan’s side for a while, before joining us for a late breakfast.

“Buti at mukhang mas mabuti na ang kalagayan n’ya ngayon,” said Prof. Antonio who drank some of my brewed coffee from a thermos.

“Opo, tito, hindi na po s’ya umuungol,” said Mercy, “kanina kasi, bigla na lang s’yang sumisigaw habang tulog.”

“Eh, ikaw? Nakatulog ka ba ng maayos?”

“Nakatulog naman po ako from 2 am to 7 am.”

“Five hours lang?!” the professor protested, “Dapat at least eight hours ang tulog mo, at bata ka pa!”

“Tito naman, ang hirap kayang makatulog nang nag-aalala!” Mercy replied. “Right Dr. Abdel?”

They all turned to look to me.

“The professor should head his own advice,” I replied, “He haven’t had a good night’s sleep for four days now.”

“Four days?!” Mercy exclaimed, “Tito, totoo po ba `yun? Tapos nagprisinta ka pang magbantay kay kuya kagabi, at kaninang umaga lang kayo umuwi!”

“Iba ako, matanda na `ko, at saka buong araw naman kami nakatulog ni Habibi kanina. Ikaw bata pa, gusto mo ba manatili ka na lang na gan’yang kalaki?”

Mercy pouted at the professor. She’s hardly even 5 feet tall, after all.

“Sige na nga! Pero gisingin n’yo agad kami pag nagising si kuya, ha?”

“Sige na, sige na, tabihan mo na ang ate mo sa kuwarto,” urged the professor.

Reubert‘s phone chimed after Mercy entered the small bed chamber connected to the hospital room.

“Damn. Ayan na nga...” he mumbled.

“Pinatatawag ka na?” asked the professor.

“Opo... buti na lang at nakadaan na ako kay Nathan,” he stood up and bowed his head towards the professor. “Maraming salamat po sa pagsama sa `kin dito. Maraming salamat sa lahat ng tulong. Kailan man, `di ko mapagbabayaran lahat ng ginawa ninyo para sa akin,” he said, ”napaka saya ko po at p’wede na `uli tayo’ng magkita ngayon. Kayo na po bahala kay Nathan. Pakibalitaan na lang po ako `pag nagising s’ya, at muli, maraming salamat po.”

”Sige na, mauna ka na,” replied the professor who looked away with a frown.

Reubert went close to Nathan then, and leaning closer, gave him a soft kiss on his cheeck before leaving the room.

“Well, Habibi, I guess tayo nanaman ang bantay ngayon,” said the professor. “Sana magising na ang loko’ng `to, at atat na atat na ako’ng sermonan s’ya.”