It’s been a week since Karina and I became official hehe. Hindi naman ako kinikilig, medyo lang ganun. Kahit nga nagwawalis nakangiti ako or kahit may irate customer, grabe pa rin ngiti ko eh.  Nagtataka na yung mga tao sa restaurant kung bakit parang nalock na yung panga ko. Masisisi ba nila ako eh si Karina Yu lang naman yung girlfriend ko.

Karina Yu

Girlfriend ko.

Shet!

“Hoy! Continue what you’re doing na teh!” I was quickly pulled back from my reverie nang maramdaman ko na may tumama sa ulo ko. I turned around to see Ning glaring at me. Tumingin ako sa sahig and saw a pillow. 

“Ano ba, bakit ka namamato?!” inis kong tanong. Kami kasi yung nakatoka to clean the house since nasa store niya si Giselle habang Karina is with her friends, playing golf.

“Eh para ka kayang sira! Nakatulala ka tapos nakangiti!” sagot naman ni Ning. “Alam mo bes natatakot na ako sa’yo. Mamaya, baliw ka na. Ang lala naman ng effect ni Direk sa’yo!”

Inirapan ko siya but soon smiled, “Ning, ready na ata ako maging pamilyadong tao.”

Literal na nanlaki ang mata ni Ning at sabay kaming tumawa ng malakas.

“Kaloka ka, teh! Isang linggo pa lang kayo!”

Pinulot ko na yung throw pillow sa sahig at inilagay ulit sa sofa. “Ganun talaga Ning… kapag alam mong siya na, siya na,” I replied. I wanted to dahil alam kong sobrang cringey sakanya kapag sweet ako. Let alone marinig yung pagiging head over heels ko kay Karina.

“Wag kang lalapit sa akin Win, susuntukin kita. Makita mo,” pagbabanta ni Ning. Kaya natawa ulit ako while she looks at me disgustingly. “Asaan na ba jowa mo? Diba bukas na yung dating ng family niya dito?” 

Bigla akong napatigil. Para akong nawalan ng dugo when I realized na uuwi na nga pala yung parents ni Karina tomorrow. Karina told me na tentative pa rin yung plan if her parents will say here in Manila permanently para makasama yung dalawa nilang anak pero sa tingin ko, dito na sila titira since ikakasal na si Ate Irene next year at wala na silang kailangan isipin sa New York.

“Ning…” I whimpered habang hawak hawak yung broom. “Ning, uuwi na yung parents ni Karina. Anong gagawin ko?” 

Shempre natatakot pa rin ako kung ano yung magiging reaction nila kapag nalaman na jinowa ni Karina yung isa sa mga bedspacers niya. Ibinahay niya pa ako dati sa New York. Jusko!

“Alam mo para hindi ka mamroblema…” There was a dramatic pause pa habang nakatingin si Ning sa akin. I thought it’s gonna be helpful but she ended up saying, “Hiwalayan mo muna siya until umuwi sa New York ulit yung pamilya niya.”

I gave her an are-you-kidding-me-look saka siya hinampas ng walis sa pwet. “Pre-mature baby ka ba dati, Ning?!”

“Nagsusuggest lang eh! Edi bahala ka dyan!”

Hay, paano na ako nito?

Fifteen minutes before 5 PM, nakarating na ako sa Manila Polo Club since dito ko susunduin si Karina from her tennis game with her friends. Inaya raw kasi siya ng newly found friends niya sa industry kaya sumama na siya. Nasa Barcelona pa rin daw yung Hours crew but Ate Krystal’s on her way back dito sa Manila since sasalubungin nga nila yung parents nila tomorrow.

Imagine kung hindi sumunod si Karina sa Batangas, ngayon pa lang kami magkikita. Siguro, right timing lang talaga ang lahat. Buti nalang sumunod siya. It really felt the perfect time to ask her that question. Ayoko na rin kasi palagpasin. Gusto ko, if ever na mag ibang bansa ulit sila, alam niyang may uuwian siya. Na may naghihintay sakanya at ako yun. Hihi.

Hihi?! Nakakainis yung hihi!

[4:47 PM] You: Direk, I’m here na ha? Take your time! :)

[4:47 PM] Pretty Landlord: Direk?! Am I your tropa? Kainis ka.

[4:48 PM] You: Ay hehe. Ano ba dapat? 

[4:48 PM] Pretty Landlord: Hmm… let’s talk about it later? I’m almost done. See you!

[4:49 PM] You: Okay. I’ll be waiting.

I locked my phone at tinignan ulit ang itsura sa rear view mirror. Okay, mukhang tao naman ako. Amoy baby pa rin naman ako. Okay na ‘yan.

After a few minutes, I recognize Karina, who has just exited the building, dressed in a brown vintage sweater vest and a white skirt. She's wearing a white Nike tennis cap on her head. My girlfriend simply appears athletic. Ang sporty lang tignan ng girlfriend ko. 

Huy… girlfriend daw? God, it sounds so good. 

Medyo natawa pa ako kasi she was squinting her eyes, trying to find my car. Hinayaan ko lang siya mahirapan since ang cute niya tignan. Ilang segundo pa, natanaw na niya ang kotse ko, making her instantly smile. She was excitedly skipped papunta sa kotse kaya naman I unlocked the car nang kumatok na siya. 

When she heard the car’s door unlocked, she opened it right away at dali-daling pumasok sa kotse ko.

"Hello, my love!" she exclaimed, wrapping both of her arms around my neck and kissing my right cheek. I was taken aback at first because I'm not a clingy person and don't like people getting close to me, but it's Karina. She has such a way of touching me and I love being touched by her. She started acting clingy when it was just the two of us after we became official. Not that I'm complaining.

Kung pwede nga lang wag na magtrabaho at maglandian nalang kami araw-araw. Charot. Hay, I’m officially a goner for Karina. Jusko po!

“Hey…” I greeted her back, sliding my right hand sa waist niya. Nakayakap pa rin ang dalawang braso niya sa sakin kaya sobrang lapit ng mga mukha namin. Lord, ang ganda ganda ni Karina. Parang hindi totoong tao! “How’s the game?” I asked then kissed her at her temple.

She smiled at me, “It was good naman. All we did was listen to chismis though,” she groaned, making me chuckle. “But it was satisfying naman. I think they’re planning to do this weekly na.”

She let go na sa pagkakayakap sa akin and wore her seatbelt. “Do you think I should go with them?”

“Do you want to? Kasi if you’re enjoying naman, I think there’s no reason to not go with them,” I replied and looked at her. Grabe, ang ganda talaga. Feeling ko kailangan ko na ng ‘Ang Ganda Counter’ starting today.

“Okay, I’ll go with them,” She commented and reached for my right hand to intertwine our hands. May sparks talaga, mama! Meralco who? Kahit sa simpleng bagay, kinikilig na ako. Ayain ko na kaya ng kasal si Karina? 

Feeling ko ready na ako sa mature roles, Direk! Cheret.

“Let’s go home?”

“Let’s go home.”

“So, what’s gonna be our pet name?” biglang tanong ni Karina habang binabagtas namin ang Makati Avenue. 

“Uso pa ba ‘yon?” tanong ko naman then chuckled. Hindi na binitawan ni Karina yung kamay ko. Buti nalang talaga automatic ‘tong kotse ko. 

“Of course! It’s necessary kaya!” she commented. Napangiti naman ako and took a glimpse of her.

“Well, you called me my love earlier. Tapos nung nasa Batangas tayo, you called me baby. Pili ka nalang doon,” sagot ko naman. Ako naman kasi, okay lang kahit ano sa akin. Kahit nga hoy lang tawagan namin, kikiligin pa rin ako.

“You don’t seem to be interested,” she sulked at binitawan ang kamay ko. Buti nalang red light kaya naman tinigil ko ang kotse to fully gave her my attention.

“I am… sorry, hindi lang talaga ako marunong sa ganito,” I reached for her hand ulit pero ayaw niyang buksan ito. I sighed, “Kung anong gusto mo, doon naman ako eh. Sorry na, holding hands na ulit tayo.”

I put my puppy face and pouted para magpa cute. It also surprise me na kaya kong gawin ‘tong mga ‘to for Karina. Who would’ve thought na ang isang Winter Kim ay nagpapacute? Wala diba? Kasi para kay Karina lang ‘to.

Karina stifled her giggle and looked away para hindi ngumiti pero kitang-kita naman na effective yung pagpapa cute ko.

“Baby…” paglalambing ko. I bit my lower lip kasi pati ako kinilig sa tinawag ko kay Karina. “Baby ko… holding hands na ulit tayo please?”

Karina then finally looked at me pero naka pout na siya. It was evident din na sobrang namumula na yung ears niya. 

“You’re so annoying! Lakas mo magpakilig!” Karina rolled her eyes and then grabbed my right hand to intertwine our hands again. Napangiti na ako sa gesture niya saka naman nag green light ang stop light. Pinaandar ko na ang kotse ulit. Malapit naman na kami, around ten minutes nalang ay nasa bahay na kami.

“By the way…” biglang salita ni Karina. Napatingin ako sakanya sandali and saw her looking at her phone. Mukhang may binabasa. “We’re gonna pick up my parents tomorrow. Is it okay if you’re gonna join us sa dinner?”

Ito na naman yung sobrang pagkabog ng dibdib ko. Kinakabahan talaga ako kahit na hindi pa naman ako nakikipagmanhikan. Wow, manhikan agad, Winter?!

“A-ah, okay lang naman. Saan ba?”

“Around BGC lang, babe. I’ll tell them about us na rin— Win!” sigaw ni Karina habang nakahawak ng mahigpit sa seat belt niya. Paano ba naman kasi, sa sobrang gulat ko sa narinig ko, napapreno ako ng malakas. Buti nalang wala kaming kasunod na kotse.

“Sorry. Oh my God, are you okay?” I asked worriedly then checked up on her. 

“I'm fine, but why did you do that all of a sudden? We could have had an accident. Winter, naman eh…” pagpapagalit niya. I bit my lower lip and ran my hands over my face.

“Sorry talaga. Nabigla lang ako sa s-sinabi mo.”

She furrowed her eyebrows. “Of me telling my family about us? That you’re my girlfriend?” tanong niya. Humupa na yung inis niya sa nangyari.

I nodded shyly. “Oo. I’m nervous kasi baka ayaw nila sa akin. I’m honestly scared, Karina.”

“Hey…” she angled her body to face me. “I’m sure they’re gonna love you. You don’t have an idea kung gaano ka kagusto ni Mommy,” she added, chuckling.

“Don’t overthink. Wag kang kabahan sa parents ko. Kabahan ka kay Ate Irene,” she teased kaya naman napa pout ako.

“Karina naman eh…”

She laughed, a beautiful one, and held