Chapter 3
It’s late at night, and the rain is pouring heavily. The streets are dimly lit, and the quiet hum of occasional vehicles passing by fills the air. Colet’s shift at 7/11 just ended, but her trusty old bike, parked out front, refuses to cooperate.
Colet crouched under the awning of the 7/11, poking at her bike’s chain with a makeshift tool she had grabbed from the utility drawer. Her uniform was damp from the rain, and she muttered curses under her breath as the chain slipped out of her grip for the third time.
“Hayup ka, bakit ngayon pa? Piskit naman oh” she groaned, leaning back and running a hand through her already messy hair.
Behind her, the familiar chime of the 7/11 doorbell rang. Colet didn’t bother to turn around, assuming it was just another late-night customer.
“Still here?”
The voice, low and unmistakably annoyed, made her freeze. She turned to see Aiah, umbrella in hand, her neatly pressed outfit completely at odds with the chaos Colet was currently embodying.
“Ma’am?” Colet blinked, caught off guard. “Anong ginagawa niyo dito?”
Aiah frowned, glancing down at Colet’s bike. “I was driving home and saw you sitting here. Do you usually hang out in the rain, or is this a special occasion?”
Colet rolled her eyes and stood up, brushing her hands on her damp pants. “Hindi ako nagha-hangout, ma’am. My bike’s acting up. I’ll figure it out.”
Aiah’s gaze flicked to the old, rusting bike, then to Colet’s thin jacket. She let out a sharp breath, as if debating whether to get involved. Finally, she spoke.
“You’ll catch a cold out here. How are you getting home?”
“I’ll walk,” Colet said, shrugging. “Hindi naman ganun kalayo. Kaya ko ‘to.”
“It’s pouring,” Aiah pointed out, her tone sharp as ever. “You’ll get soaked. And judging by your ‘I’ll figure it out’ approach, this bike won’t be moving anytime soon.”
Colet opened her mouth to argue, but Aiah cut her off.
“Just get in my car,” she said, already turning toward the small white sedan parked nearby.
Colet blinked, unsure if she had heard right. “Huh? Ma’am, seryoso kayo?”
Aiah glanced over her shoulder, her expression impatient. “Do I look like I’m joking?”
Colet hesitated, biting her lip. Aiah’s presence was intimidating enough in the classroom—now, outside of it, she wasn’t sure how to handle this unexpected kindness wrapped in condescension.
“Okay, fine,” Colet relented, grabbing her bag and locking her bike to the post. “Pero huwag kayong magreklamo kung mabasa ‘yung car niyo, ha. Basa ako eh.”
Inside the car, the air was warm and quiet, save for the soft hum of the heater. Colet fidgeted with her damp bag, unsure of what to say.
“Salamat, ma’am,” she muttered, glancing sideways at Aiah.
“Don’t mention it,” Aiah replied curtly, her eyes focused on the road.
Colet’s curiosity got the better of her. “Ma’am, bakit niyo ako sinabay? Hindi naman kayo ganito ka-nice sa classroom, eh.”
Aiah sighed, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. “Because it’s the responsible thing to do. I’m not heartless, contrary to what you and your classmates probably think.”
“Hmm,” Colet said, smirking. “So you can be nice. Noted.”
Aiah shot her a sharp glance. “Don’t push your luck.”
Colet snorted, the tension easing slightly. She stared out the rain-streaked window, feeling oddly comfortable despite Aiah’s usual sternness.
“Nice car, ma’am,” Colet said after a beat, running her fingers over the dashboard. “Akala ko simple lang kayo. Pero mukhang sosyal din pala.”
Aiah raised an eyebrow. “Are you always this nosy?”
“Ganitong oras, oo,” Colet teased. “Kapag graveyard shift kasi, sanay akong nakikipagkuwentuhan. Keeps me awake.”
“Well, don’t expect me to entertain you,” Aiah said dryly, though a small smile tugged at her lips.
Aiah rolled her eyes. “Just get in.”
When they finally arrived at Colet’s apartment building—a weathered structure with paint peeling from the walls and a flickering light over the entrance—Colet hesitated before opening the door.
“Thanks ulit, ma’am,” she said sincerely, her earlier teasing absent.
Aiah nodded but said nothing, her expression unreadable.
As Colet stepped out into the rain, she turned back and grinned. “Good night, ma’am masungit! Kita ulit sa 7/11!”
Before Aiah could respond, Colet jogged up the stairs to the building, her laughter echoing in the night.
Inside the car, Aiah stared after her for a moment, shaking her head.
“What an infuriating person,” she muttered, though the faint smile on her lips said otherwise.
With that, she drove off into the rain, the faint glow of her headlights disappearing down the street.