‘Ughh’

     Since when did birds come early in the morning dito sa Manila?

     I was sleeping fine one minute then the next, all I could hear are these birds chirping from what I guess is outside Rid’s window. I’m too annoyed to even shoo them away.

     All I wanted was to have a good night’s sleep but I already saw the time from the clock hanging on her wall, 8:06 palang ng umaga. What I am supposed to do ng 8:06 ng umaga on a Saturday fricking morning.

     Inching closer to the girl beside me, I easily wrapped my arms back to her after I pulled our blanket up to cover her body. We’re already wearing clothes don’t worry, I wouldn’t let her feel cold when I’m right here with her.

     We didn’t sleep din agad kagabi nor did we do other things than just lying on her bed.

     I don’t know if there was a rotation or an agreement made between us silently that we’ll just look blankly at each other’s face through the night but I can recall spending minutes or maybe even hours just gazing at her while she was doing the same.

     Exchanging smiles silently while we bathe in each others' presence.

     I am sure that we might’ve fell asleep after Tita Rica called us, asking if we were fine and wanting updates about the two of us.

     We told her what we did throughout the day (not everything of course) and it was just a voice call kaya the whole time she was talking with her mom, I was holding the phone for her while she cuddles herself to my chest.

     I also remember waking up earlier kaninang madaling araw ata yun.

     Hindi ko kasi siya mahanap sa kama niya no matter how hard I pat the space beside me so I opened my eyes and all I saw was the door open and she wasn’t with me in her room. I was about to stand up to go look for her but she beat me to it when she showed herself at her doorway with a glass of water in her hand.

‘San ka galing?’

‘Nag-cr ako, nagising kita?’

‘Maybe’ I croaked out, watching her closely while she shuffles back next to her bed.

‘Inom ka water’ I sat up and reached for the glass she’s giving me.

‘Papatayin ko lang sana yung AC kaso nauhaw ako kaya bumaba ako’ she explained. I only hummed at her.

‘You feel fine? Hindi ka naman nilalamig? Gutom?’

‘No Gal, it’s so early pa’ I was about to lie back down when my thighs rubbed against each other and somehow it made me feel icky.

Only one thing comes to mind when I think of why it’s like that down there.

I quickly looked under the covers and saw na naka-shorts naman ako, it’s just my underwear that’s making me feel sticky. I looked up to her as she was drinking the rest of the water that I wasn’t able to finish.

‘Can I change my undies?’ I asked once she looked at me. ‘Oo naman, halika samahan kita’ mabilis siyang tumayo at pumunta dun sa bag kong puno ng clothes ko, she already knows how I organize my clothes kaya she easily grabbed me a new pair of from it.

‘Sa cr?’ I confusedly asked while I stand up.

‘Oo san pa ba?’ she held my arm while I step out of her bed.

‘Sa loob?’ I asked again when she gave me my .

‘Baliw, hintayin kita sa labas’ napangiti ako sa sarili kong tanong.

‘Sure ka?’ pang-aasar ko na ikinamula ng tenga niya. Buti nalang the tip of her ears are always poking out of her hair.

‘Oo. Nakakainis ka.’ pagalit niyang sabi while I slowly made my way out of the door.

She was trailing behind me with her hands holding me gently on my waist. ‘Ikaw ha kung ano ano iniisip mo’ I heard her whisper but I didn’t bother to fight back, I’m too sleepy to do so.

All I want is to change my undies and hug her back to sleep.

     The shirt she’s currently wearing is mine and I’m wearing hers because we were too lazy to even tell apart which is whose and I would never actually mind ending up in this situation again if the person I’m going to wake up to is her.

     I mean, come on, look at her.

     I could only remember that one lyric from a rock song,

“Take a look at my girlfriend, She's the only one I got (bararara)”

     I swept a couple of strands of hair away from her face, they we’re right by her eyes and I’m wondering how she wasn’t bothered by that. Kapag yung side bangs ko nga napupunta sa mukha ko I easily get irritated eh.

     I was admiring her sleeping face while I rub my thumb in a circular motion by her side, probably soothing her ‘cause the way her eyes move under its lids stopped when I did so.

     Normally a person sleeping is definitely at their calmest state but why does she bring more chaos than calmness to me whenever she’s just there peacefully sleeping inside my arms.

     Like, my heart feels so fast right now just because of what I’m seeing.

     My mind is drifting to somewhere else that’s why I’m blankly staring.

     My eyes are looking everywhere at her and my breaths seems to hasten again even if we are both not doing nothing naman.

     I still feel sleepy but seeing her sleep does not make me want to fall asleep anymore.

     I just want to look at her and memorize everything I see in her, cherish the warmth she’s radiating, smoothen out those creases between her brows, trace every line that runs on her face and kiss those plump lips slowly pulling me back to her.

     It’s still early in the morning but she has made me think of so many things already and it must be a sin not to watch her sleep just for a few minutes daily.

     ‘Hmm….’ She slurred out while a hand holds onto mine by her side, stopping my thumb from moving before she snuggles herself back to the crook of my neck. Someone’s awake.

     ‘Goodmorning’ I started our morning with her hearing my voice. I felt happy knowing that the warmth I’m feeling once again is coming from no one else but her.

     She’s been the only one to wake up this intimately close beside me, hindi counted sina Ningning, minsan nga paa pa nila yung nadadatnan ko when I wake up from our sleepovers.

     Mga malilikot matulog.

     ‘Goodmorning din’ she yawned immediately while wiggling out of my arms.

     ‘Slept well?’

     ‘Yep,’ she yawned again, her limbs stretching themselves while she’s careful not to hit me. ‘Ikaw?’

     ‘I think so’

     I scooted closer to her, laying myself across her outstretched hand, locking her in place that made her hug me instead. Her other hand landed near my , she still has her eyes closed pero nakadalawang hikab na siya kaya gising na to.

     ‘Ang lambot ng pwet mo’ she said in her small voice, a hint of teasing in it while she gently squeezes my .

     ‘Aga aga ang bastos ng bunganga mo’ I scold her though I actually didn’t mind what she was doing.

     It was more for the sake of asaran at this point.

     Malambot din kaya yung sa kaniya (:

     ‘Hehe, sorry’ she said, glancing to me briefly. A wary look can be seen on her face. ‘We did it kagabi no?’

     When she asked that I felt myself heating up again.

     Really? After we both came, she’s still asking me if we did it.

     God, I love innocent Winter.

     This side of hers is too good for me.

     ‘Did what? ?’ dire-diretso kong tanong para straight to the point na.

     ‘Yun yon diba?’ mahina niyang tanong ulit.

     I hummed in agreement.

     Yun naman talaga yun, if not then malay ko nalang, basta sa amin yun yon. We both despise eggplants naman, not the food.

     ‘Yun yon.’ I pulled back to look at her. ‘Di ka na ’ I monotonously said, waiting for her reaction because I know,

     Oh I just know,

     That it would be quite funny for me.

     ‘Wow ha, ako pa bastos bunganga’

     I giggled at her.

     She has no idea how much she can easily make me laugh when we’re together.

     ‘Ikaw din di na ’ siniksik niya ang sarili niya pabalik sa akin, her lips touching the skin on my neck fishing out fresh memories from last night.

     Yup, we’re not s anymore.

     I blocked those thoughts ASAP. Ang aga aga dun ako napapadpad, it’s making me feel bad for her. She has no idea what’s going on in my mind.

     She kissed me again on the space below my chin, near my jaw but not right at it, maybe even she’s hung up from what happened last night.

     Same baby, same.

     To clear myself from getting devoured by her kisses again, I planted my chin on the top of her head so she has no other place to kiss me than my neck, dyan muna siya, baka pag nagbehave siya pag-isipan ko.

     ‘You can’t leave me na, lagot ka kay Daddy susumbong kita’

     ‘I have no plans on leaving naman Wako,’ she slapped my arm softly, for the sake of showing her gigil because of what I said. ‘Aga aga inaaway mo ako’ sermon niya.

     I smiled.

     I only told her a fact naman.

     I have an idea na she won’t leave naman, even when it happens, I’ll think she’ll come back.

     A kiss snapped me out of my thoughts again. ‘I missed you’ pa-sweet niya habang kumakawala sa yakap ko.

     ‘You literally slept in the same bed as me’

     ‘So? Na-miss kita eh’ nagtaray pa nga. Tarayan ko rin kaya?

     Pagalingan kami magtaray, tignan natin kung di ako ang manalo.

     ‘Di mo ba ako na-miss?’ patampo niyang tanong while looking at me, eyes squinting and lips pursed.

     Ang hina ko naman.

     Ang rupok self.

     Siya kasi eh.

     I pinched her lips between my fingers.

     ‘Hays, I missed you too baby’ I kissed her forehead while she lies back down next to me. ‘Hehe, good Wako’ para talagang bata to eh, give her what she wants and she’ll feel all giddy again.

     Actually no, para siyang puppy, a small maltese na mas matapang pa kahit sa mas malalaking dogs.

     That’s exactly her if she’s a dog, a puppy,

     My puppy.

     Hindi na ulit kami gumalaw after that small skit, we’re just enjoying each other’s presence, absorbing each other early in the morning.

     ‘Lunch ba pupunta sina Ning?’ she asked me.

     ‘After-lunch daw, dun kakain si Gi kayna Ning since Tita Fe asked her to join them’

     I mean Ning even invited the two of us too kaso parang okay na kung kami nalang magluluto dito sa bahay, para ulam na din hanggang dinner if ever.

     Saka duh, forda domesticity ang ferson.

     I've been craving the thought of living with her in the same house. I think lahat ng ladies who's in a relationship with another lady has this phase.

     Wala pa naman akong balak, soon but not now.

     ‘Anduga di tayo niyaya ni Tita’ pag-ungot niya.

     ‘Bakit, you want to go there ba?’

     ‘Ayaw’ see, I know na aayaw din naman siya.

     She hates going out at noon on weekends daw kasi. Pwede naman daw sa bahay nalang bakit lalabas pa.

     She once took me out on a lunch date at Caloocan tho, Saturday yun.

     Kaya niyang kasalungatin yung beliefs niya for me, sweet no?

     ‘Ayaw pala eh’ I laughed at her nonsense. ‘Hungry ka na?’ mga 6 din kami kumain kagabi, more than 12 hours na kaming hindi kumakain and I’m feeling hungry na din myself. Mas mabilis nga ako magutom sa kaniya but at most times we get hungry at the same time.

     ‘Yes po’ she said like a little kid talking to her mom.

     Mom?

     Mommy~

     ‘May pancake mix dun sa baba, I’ll cook’

     Rylee personally sent me a chat when they left at may pancake mix nga daw ulit dun sa cabinet nila, he knows na I like them kasi, I think Gal told him.

     ‘Yey’

      It took us some pushes but we're going out of her bed na.

     ‘Wako’ I heard the urgency in her voice. Nakatayo siya sa harap ng wall mirror niya. ‘Tignan mo,’

     She pointed at her neck, her neck that’s decently covered with- let’s say my kiss marks.

     I did those? Really?

     Alangan namang iba diba.

     Nubayan Cat.

     Andami ko palang pinaggagawa.

     ‘Kagagawan mo to’ sorry na po.

     ‘Put ice on it mamaya, mawawala yan’ I pushed her out of her door na, baka mailang siya lalo kapag tinignan niya lalo. That kind of stuff shouldn’t be worried about for long, sa bahay lang naman kami.

     ‘Ikaw ha, bat mo alam’ pang-aasar na naman niya.

     ‘Inalam ko because I know I’ll be giving you a lot’ oh edi nanahimik siya ngayon.

     Galit galitan pa, akala mo di namimilipit sa sarap kagabi.

     I know na sabog tong si Gal kapag umaga but I haven’t really noticed until now \what she means when she’s sabog sa umaga.

     Kanina I told her to sit down muna sa sofa o kaya sa may dining table kasi I’ll get her tumbler so she could drink water, aba ng lingunin ko habang hawak hawak ko yung tubigan niya, nandun sa hagdan nakasalampak, yung ulo nasa pader while her sits down on a step 2 steps higher from where her feet are.

     I let that one go kasi antok pa nga. She easily drank half of her water din kaya she burped when she gave it back to me.

     I shooed her from the stairs so she could actually sit down on a place made for sitting kaya agad siyang humiga sa sofa nila while she was scratching her arm. I opened the door to let some natural light in and I asked her if she could open the curtains and the windows.

     Aba, aakyat pa dapat siya ng magkatinginan na naman kami sa hagdan, tinanong ko anong gagawin niya sa taas, magbubukas daw ng bintana saka kurtina.

     I mentally slapped my forehead during the moment while I passive-aggressively pointed the windows on the living room for her to open.

     Nginitian naman niya ako binigyan ng peace sign bago siya bumalik sa sala nila.

     Hindi na ako nagpatulong magluto ng pancake saka tocino, baka kung ano pang ilagay niya dun sa batter o kaya naman masunog pa yung precious tocino ko.

     Binigyan ko nalang ulit siya ng mug with semi-cold water in it, hindi kasi siya nagkakape sa umaga unless nalang puyat siya the day before. Nagawa naman niya magtimpla ng Milo niya.

     ‘Babe’ I hummed at her, inaayos ko nalang yung tocino dito sa platitong hawak ko then I’ll get us a bowl of rice. We only cooked half of the pancake mix kasi we both want to eat rice din.

     ‘Gusto ko juice’ tatanungin ko sana siya kung may juice ba