Before I could even type my reply, Winter was already calling me. 

I answered it right away. 

“Winter…”

“I’m sorry,” Winter said apologetically. She sounded small, guilt laced in her voice as well. “Karina, I’m really sorry. Pwede ba tayo mag-usap?” 

I looked at the time and it was almost ten na. I also haven’t gone to the banyo para umihi. Ihing-ihi na ako. 

“Winter, I’ll call you back.” I quickly said before excusing myself. 

“O-okay. I’ll wait na lang kung pwede ka na. Sorry ulit.” 

I ended the call din kasi I couldn’t hold in my pee anymore. Hindi ko naman masabi kay Winter na ihing-ihi na ako because that’s kind of embarrassing. 

Mabilis lang ako sa banyo and I even got ready for bed na rin so I can talk to Winter ng straight. I just texted Yuyu na pagod na ako and I wouldn’t be able to go back to them. Tinext ko na rin si Ate Irene, pati na rin si Kuya Suho. He’d still be here in the morning before we go back so may time pa ako mag bye sa kanya. 

After kong mag-ayos, I texted Winter right away that I was ready and would call her na. 

“Hi,” she immediately answered. “Karina, pwede ba tayo mag video call? I-if okay lang sayo.” Winter sounded nervous. And this time, parang she sounded unsure din sa tanong niya, evidently feeling remorseful dahil sa lack of updates niya sa akin.

Of course, pwede kami mag video call. I wouldn’t hold it against her naman. And I’m willing to hear her out. Like I said, I was more worried than upset. 

Still a bit tampo pero I’ve learned not to give Winter the silent treatment. We just went through that whole ordeal of me not talking to her. And it wasn’t the best. 

She her video first. 

Before ko inopen yung akin, I studied her face. She looked sad, like parang maiiyak na siya and it looked like hindi pa siya nag-aayos for bed. 

Her hair was a little messy, eyes a little glassy. And I know she looked sad pero the way she just pouted…ang cute. 

Naputol ang pagtingin ko sa kanya when Winter spoke up.

“Karina?” 

I turned my video on. “Hi,” I said, giving her a small smile. 

“Hello,” she replied timidly. “Uhm, okay lang ba na mag-usap tayo? Di ba kita na-istorbo?”  

I shook my head. “I’m okay to talk, Win.” 

Nakita ko siyang ngumiti before she clearing and looking straight at the camera. “Karina, gusto ko lang mag-sorry. Actually, katangahan ko lang talaga kung bakit hindi ako nakapag-text sayo.” 

“What happened ba?” I asked. “Uhm, I figured na busy ka lang with your Ate pero kasi I didn’t hear from you for the whole day. I’d like to know.” I wanted to be honest with her about how I felt sa hindi niya pag-update sa akin. I cleared my throat before continuing. “It was upsetting lang since we just talked about that pero mas nag-worry ako that something bad happened to you. Kasi you’ve been texting me naman this whole time tapos bigla na lang wala as if — as if hindi tayo magkausap kagabi.” 

I watched as Winter put her head down before looking back up sa camera. May namumuo ng luha sa mga mata niya and she tried masking her sniffles by coughing. 

“I’m really sorry, Karina. This might sound like nagiimbento ako ng story pero sadyang lutang lang ako buong araw.” She sighed before continuing. “Na lowbat ako. I know, it sounds like an excuse pero please hear me out.” 

I let her continue sa explanation niya. Anyone else who would be listening sa sinasabi niya will think na gumagawa lang ng story si Winter. Ang cliche lang kasi. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t believe her. Sabi pa niya I can ask her Ate Taeyeon and Soobin kung hindi ako maniniwala sa kanya but I don’t think I need to do that. 

Grabe naman na hindi pa kami and I don’t already trust her? We would never work out if there’s always doubts between the two of us. 

And to be honest, ang funny nga ng story niya. If this was a romcom, this would be the part na mafrustrate yung audience and at the same time, matatawa sa situation ni Winter. 

So Winter woke up late like I thought she would. Galit ang Ate Taeyeon niya na pumasok sa kwarto niya because she was already running late sa supposed errand na gagawin nila. That was around ten in the morning, she said. And because her sister was rushing her, hindi na niya nagawang i-check yung phone niya and only realized her phone was dead when she was already driving and her phone didn’t automatically connect sa car niya when she plugged it in. 

“Nainis pa ako kay Ate kasi hindi siya tumitigil sa pag-sermon niya sa akin tapos yung phone ko pa ang bagal mag load dahil deadbat na talaga siya,” Winter explained frustratingly sa akin. It looked like she wanted to pull her hair out while recounting her day. 

“Tapos pagdating namin sa place, dun lang nabuhay phone ko. Hindi ko pa nakita mga texts mo kasi biglang tumawag si Soobin sa akin. Emergency daw.” 

It turns out na may nawawalang laundry in one of their branches. Soobin needed to go and deal with the issue himself and asked Winter to manage the branch sa Makati. Nagmadali siyang pumunta doon and iniwan niya si Ate Taeyeon.

In her state, hindi na niya napansin na she didn’t have her phone with her until around three in the afternoon. Winter was also helping Soobin track the misplaced laundry and it took forever daw to figure out kung nasaan yung laundry kasi the customer didn’t have their receipt. But they managed naman in the end. Grabe lang daw that nagwawala yung customer when it was their fault in the first place. They went to a different branch tapos wala pang receipt. 

Minsan talaga, the customer is not always right. They are wrong most of the time to be honest. 

“Nag-panic ako nang hindi ko mahanap phone ko. Akala ko nawala ko. Hindi ko kasi maalala kung saan ko nalagay or naiwan ko ba somewhere. Tapos hindi pa ako kumakain buong araw.” 

I frowned at her when she said that. I asked her why she didn’t even take a break to eat kahit crackers man lang. 

“Wala kasi akong time and sa sobrang busy ko, hindi ko na napansin na gutom na pala ako.” 

“That’s not good, Win.” 

“I know. Sorry.” She ran her hands through her hair before heaving a sigh, for the upteenth time. “Pinakain naman ako nila Ate sa shop before nila ako pinauwi. Nagpagrab si Soobin as thanks for helping him kahit wala naman akong shift ngayon.” 

Winter looked frustrated, at the same time repentant. Mukha din siyang pagod and it was evident with how her face looked sullen and down. 

She continued telling her story. By the time na pauwi na siya, she found her phone sa car lang, deadbat again. Mga six na daw yun and it was only when she got home that she was able to finally read all my texts. 

Hindi naman siya nag-aksaya ng panahon to text me back and call me, apologizing profusely sa nangyari.

“Karina, I’m really sorry. Hindi ko naman sinasadya,” worried niyang sabi sa akin. “I understand naman kung galit ka sa akin. Ang dami ko ng hindi nagawang tama sayo.” At that point, Winter was close to tears.

Hindi naman ako galit sa kanya. I assured her. “Win, I’m not mad at you. Things happen naman talaga.” 

She let out a small whine and sniffled. “Hindi ka kasi nagreply or sumagot sa tawag ko for a long time…which gets ko naman if iniiwasan mo ako dahil galit ka sa akin. Uhm, natakot lang ako na baka — baka ano…”

Hindi na niya masabi yung gusto niyang sa