Kim was upset…and disappointed… and hurt….. Ang daya-daya……. Bakit parang ako lang ang nahihirapan……….. Excited pa naman niyang makita yung grinch na yon…tapos sasabihan lang siyang mukhang tyanak..

She’s mad at him….……. Bastos talaga yung grinch na yon…..palibhasa gwapo!!

That day…she decided to tie her hair…… tignan natin kung sino ang mukhang multo…. She pulled her hair up like a pony tail…and let her face showed…. She look at herself in the mirror…. Bahala na…. pag di pa niya napansin ito…ewan ko na lang…

When she went downstairs….Auntie Pokie was surprised… “anak…may lagnat ka??…”..she asked…

Kim smiled… “Wala po…”…

“May bagyo ba….o baka naman lindol… Ano nangyari?”…

“Wala po!!”… she took the protein drink in the fridge…. She was getting used of this drink….baka mawala yung pamumutla niya….

Auntie Pokie smiled… “Asus…. Palibhasa natawag lang siyang mukhang tyanak… biglang naconscious ang ale… pero anak …bagay sayo……. Tignan mo nga oh….ang ganda-ganda mo…. “…

Mel went inside and saw her……”Kim?.. New look ah!”…

“Uuuy… yan ang Nagagawa ng mga inlababo…” hirit ni Matt..

“Kaya ba…bagong ahit ka?”…kim asked…

Matt look at Mel…. Then turn back to her… “Alam mo ikaw….yang lovelife mo ang problemahin mo……… wag ako…”

Kim make face…. Heto na nga….hinaharap ko na!!

Pero hindi nagwork……. Gerald were nowhere to find……. The whole day was a misery for her…. Marami nga ang nakapansin sa kanya…pero wala don yung gusto niyang makapansin….

She ripped the rubber band out of her hair…at pinabayaang nakasabog ang buhok niya sa mukha niya…. Minsan lang ako magayos……….. Minsan lang…. pero ano nangyari….. WALA!! Hinagpis niya… she went home with a wounded ego…and a wounded heart………

“ANAK!!… ano nangyari sayo……. Narape ka ba??”… her Aunt said… “SIno ang malas na lalaki?”..

“Auntie…hindi po kayo nakakatulong!!”…she said… walking straight to her room…

-------------------------------------

The next day… Kim woke up late…. With her normal sleeping outfit…. Bumaba siya … wala naman siyang aabutan don…She knows that Gerald is gone by now…

She was on the last step of the stairs ng makita niya si Gerald sleeping in their couch…. Excitement filled her… her heart was beating fast… she couldn’t believe it…. She walk in front of the couch and look at him very carefully…

Siya nga!! Siya nga!! Hindi siya namamalikmata……

“Hoy!!”…her aunt tapped her shoulder…

“Auntie…. May anghel sa couch!!”….she said…

Auntie look at Gerald… “Anghel nga!!… pero may sakit!!”

Kim frowned…”May sakit po?”…she asked..

“OO…kasi kanina dumating yan…magluluto nga dapat ng breakfast ng senyorita… ang kaso namumutla… ayun…kahapon pa pala nilalagnat yan… kaya pala hindi na nakapasok sa eskwelahan..kasi masama ang pakiramdam… ..” her Aunt neared herself to kim…and start talking to her ears…”hindi daw pwedeng hindi ipagluto ng breakfast ang senorita…kaya kahit masama ang pakiramdam… tumuloy pa rin dito!!”…

Kim tried to move away…. Touching her left ear… “Auntie…yung tutuli ko…tatalsik na yan…masyado po kayong malapit!!”…

“Tignan mo itong batang ito….. Naintindihan mo ba yung sinabi ko……”…duro nito sa kanya…

“Opo…opo.. Narinig ko po!! “.. she look at him… grabe ka rin ano Binladen… di ka talaga sumusuko!!..

“Hoy!! Ano pang itinatayo-tayo mo dyan… Ipagluto mo yan ng sopas… o kahit lugaw man lang!!”…batok nito sa kanya…

“Teka lang Auntie… patitig muna… tagal ko ding nadiyeta ah!!”… she said nearing herself to Gerald’s face…

“Mamaya mo na halayin yan… magbihis ka nga muna… at baka lalong lagnatin yang taong yan kapag nakita kang ganyan ang itsura mo…. Baka ikaw pa ang mahalay!!”

She followed her Aunt.. She change her clothes…and this time…tied her hair again… When she went down stairs…she saw her Aunt watching Gerald…

“Auntie… wag nyo naman pong pagnasaan yan!!”…she said…

“SShh… wag kang maingay…. Tinititigan ko lang… eh talaga palang gwapo…. Anak..kapag ayaw mo na sa kanya…. Ibigay mo sa akin ha!!”…

“Auntie… tigilan nyo na nga po si Gerald… ituro nyo na lang po sa akin kung ano ang lulutuin…”.. she said…

She made lugaw…

She was almost done when Matt and Mel arrive…

“Oh…di ka ba papasok?”… Mel asked…

“Anong nangyari dito?”.. Matt asked pointing to Gerald…

“hindi muna ako papasok… aalagaan ko muna yan.. May sakit eh!!”…she said…

Matt was gonna say something but Mel stopped her… “Wag ka ng humirit…kumain na tayo…at umalis na!!”…

“Ooyy… bantayan nyo muna yan…bibili lang ako ng gamut sa kabala..”… she said…

She got the medicine…she got the lugaw in the bowl….also the glass of water….. Anong kulang… yung taong gagamutin…… she didn’t want to wake him up… she felt nervous… she put the back of her hands to his forehead….Mainit nga…

“Gerald… Gerald..”.. she called him..whle tapping on his arms…

“hmmn..”…

“Gerald…gising!!”…

Gerald eyes opened….and look straight to her eyes….

She sits on his side….”k-kain ka m-muna…”.. she couldn’t help but to mumble her words…. The way he look at her brings chills inside her…

Gerald tried to sit down…but was too weak… so she help him settled on the couch… she feed him…

Gerald kept his silence…. He watched kim…as she blew on the soup and feed it on to him…. He didn’t know if he was blessed to have this sickness or what…. Pero sa ngayon.. Nagpapasalamat siya at may sakit siya… why shouldn’t he… He’s been taking care of the one person who have been bugging his mind and heart this past few days…….

Kim was done feeding him… she gave him the medicine and the water….. He was drinking the water…when Kim noticed na basa ng pawis ang likod niya… she went upstairs to grab the largest clothes she have….got a towel..

She wiped his back with the towel..and told him to take off his clothes… big mistake…. When he did……. Kim’s eyes widened……. Oh no…… Kim…tandaan mo….bawal manghalay ng maysakit……. Maawa ka sa kanya……. Sh**!! She closed her eyes…..bago niya iabot ang damit niya….

Gerald smiled… nakita niya ang reaction ni Kim when he took off the clothes…. He took Kim’s clothes… it’s a little tight…”ehem… pwede patulong..”… he asked her….

Kim opened her eyes… patulong daw!! Hoy! Tulungan mo daw!!

Kim help him put on the clothes… ingat na ingat siyang hind madantay ang balat niya sa balat nito….pero kahit anong iwas niya… his body build was just enough to her clothes….kaya from his hairy chest to his broad shoulder….nahawakan niya…….

Ng matapos niya itong tulungan…bumalik na ulit ito sa pagkakahiga…. Kim look at her hands…Patay!! Nadisize na ang mga kamay ko!! To her surprise…Gerald grab one of her hand… ask her to sit on his side…. And entangled his fingers to hers…. Placed both of her hand and his to his chest… “Please…Stay!!”….. and closed his eyes…

Her heart melt… Please stay daw!! Eh di magstay!!