“Yul, answer your phone, kanina pa ring ng ring yan.” Yuri who was still half asleep grabbed her phone and turned the call off.

While going back to sleep, her phone vibrated even before she put it back on its place. The young woman’s eyes were drawn to her woman’s text message, and as much as she wanted to stay calm, she is hating the fact that Sica always disturbs her sleepless nights.

Yuri sat at her bed, dialed Sica’s number and wait for her to answer. Hindi nya rin inakala na maiinis sya ng ganon sa mga tawag ng girlfriend nya, na para bang hindi na sya nasanay na laging ganito si Sica.

“Sica, can you please stop calling me? Look kakauwi ko lang an hour ago, let me sleep okay.” the other line seems surprised.

“Oh? Anong problema? Kakauwi ko lang rin naman kanina, hindi naman ako nagreklamo sayo.” Despite being in a long day, Sica never fails to give her remaining time to Yul.

“Pwede ka naman tumawag ng ibang oras, wala pa kasi akong tulog, halos kapipikit ko lang bigla kang tatawag, Sica, pagod rin naman ako.” Out of frustration, the young woman uttered words she will soon regret saying.

“Kelan ka ba naging available ng ibang oras? Wala naman akong narinig na iba sayo kundi busy ka? Wala ka na rin naman oras na binibigay, pero iniintindi naman kita.” However, the other line starts firing up.

“Hindi ko naman kasalanan kung ganito yung schedule ko, hindi ko naman kasalanan na busy ako, bakit ka nagagalit dyan?”

“Ang hinihingi ko lang naman sayo, sana kinakamusta mo ko, sana kahit konting oras nagbibigay ka,

…para na kasing ako na lang yung gumagawa lagi ng paraan, nahihirapan din naman ako.”

Yuri tried to lower down her voice as to not wake her friends up, she remained calm despite the anger she feels towards the other line, hindi nya rin maintindihan bakit galit na galit sya ngayon sa taong may dahilan ng pahinga nya sa nakakapagod na araw araw.

“Hindi ba ko pwede mag pahinga? Yung natitirang oras ko binibigay ko naman sayo, iniintindi ko rin kapag hindi ka nakakasagot saken, at hindi ako nagreklamo sayo dahil alam kong may ibang bagay ka ring ginagawa, ano bang mahirap intindihin don Jessica?” she was like a ticking time bomb ready to explode. Kahit anong gawing pampakalma ni Yuri, it was too late for her to do it.

“Okay fine, then blame it on me! Pero remind ko lang sayo na porket, kaya mo dalhin lahat, sa tingin mo ganon lang din kadali saken to. Yuri, dalawang taon ka hindi umuwi, ni presenya mo wala! nung birthday ko, nung anniversary naten, pati kasal ng kapatid ko wala ka rin, parang wala na nga akong girlfriend sa lagay na to!”

Her voice was deafening, it was like an endless ring she wished to stop immediately. Her eyes were slowly filled with tears. Para syang babagsak sa lahat ng narinig nya.

‘ang sakit, ang sakit lang na sa sandaling panahong wala ako sa tabi mo, parang napipilitan ka na lang kumapit.’

“Tangina, ang sakit naman marinig sayo nyan Jessica, parang lahat ng ginawa ko para sating dalawa nawala.”

“I just want your time…”

“Sige na magpahinga ka na lang, pagod tayo parehas hindi rin tayo mag kakaintindihan.”

Both Hyoyeon and Sooyoung woke up from her voice, what made it worse is that Yuri and Jessica never fought like this before, it was the first time, it was the first time she cried out of anger and frustration.

Hyoyeon who was still in a state of shock gave the young woman a tight hug, she was crying badly, yung sakit sa lahat ng nasabi ni Sica bumuhos na lang sa luha nya.

And the most painful cries are often heard by how much the person held the rope of emotions tightly.

“Yul, inom ka muna tubig, hindi ka na makahinga kakaiyak.” The young woman refuses to take off her hands. From that moment, she finally understood na kahit anong pag iintindi ang ipilit nyang ibigay, masasaktan ka pa rin sa sarili nyang pasensya.

“Dito ka muna sa kama mo, ano ba nangyare kase? Nagising na lang kame ni Hyo galit na galit boses mo.” Hinagod lang ni Sooyoung yung likod nya.

It was hard for them to look at Yuri, it was hard to look at that person who used to be very bubbly around the people she loved the most, it was hard to look at the one who barely cries in front of people.

The young woman stayed silent, her eyes were still filled with tears, her hands are still trembling, and just by looking at her, both made Hyoyeon and Sooyoung worried.

“Uy, Yul… Magpahinga ka na lang muna ha, I’ll call your co-chef to inform them na hindi ka papasok ngayon, you need enough rest, okay. And about Jess, I’ll try to talk to her as well.”

“W-wag na, i-it’s very u-unprofessional of m-me to do i-it.”

Tama, minsan hindi naman talaga pwedeng dahilan na nasasaktan ka, minsan wala talaga sa option naten ang magpahinga, and that’s the sad reality.

Yuri unknowingly checked the time, and it was already 6AM, bukod sa walang tulog, wala rin syang sapat na pahinga, pero ano pa nga bang bago sa ganong set up ng buhay nya,

She wanted to give Jessica the dream they built…

And the thought of it is her only hope. Dahil in reality, gusto nya na umuwi, gusto nya na makita si Sica, gustong gusto na nya hawakan ang malambot nyang kamay, at ngitian ang babaeng gusto na nyang balikan.

“Can you just rest? Hindi ka mukhang tao.” Hyoyeon tried to cheer her up while lowkey comforting her.

“Magbbreak down, p-pero tuloy pa rin ang b-buhay. Papasok ako, wag na k-kayo mag alala, p-parang hindi nyo naman ako k-kilala.”

She gave them a light and sad smile. Mabilis na kumilos paalis si Yuri ng bahay nila habang tinitignan na lang sya ng dalawang kaibigan, it was hard for her to keep going, but giving up is not on her vocabulary.

It wasn’t much of a fine day or atleast just for Yuri, her pre-ocupied mind stirs all her emotions up, only the smell of leaves falling from tall trees are the only one’s making her feel at ease.

Other than that, her bosses kept calling her. From a distance ramdam na nya ang init ng mga salita nito sa kanya. Hindi naman maipagkakaila na hindi lahat ng tumatagal nagiging masaya.

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