Chapter Text
The grass field that still smelled freshly of morning dew seemed like a place of tranquility for the dogs that were rolling around on the grass after finally being let out.
The two goldens, affectionately named Benson and Stabler, were busy playing tug of war with the already worn out rope tug that a kind person had gifted the shelter a few months ago. The aspins, Theo and Nell, were basking in the early morning sun rays, their backs on the grass, bellies out, and tongues sticking out of their mouths, their eyes closed, they looked absolutely contented with their lives. The other dogs were in their own world, some of them were running around the field, playing with each other, while some were having a fight with the sprinklers, some puppies were barking loudly than the bigger dogs, while the newly rescued ones stayed near the door to the shelter, still unsure of what was happening.
All the dogs seemed to be happy.
And who wouldn't be happy? When you have a huge field where you could run around, with playmates, with a human to serve as your ball throwing servant, and with a bunch of cool toys that dozens of volunteers give out from time to time. It's like heaven...except it isn't always heaven.
There are good days and bad days. Like most shelters, they run on donations and the power of social media, and mostly from half of the owner’s salary, which is exactly why they only cater to a few cats and dogs, instead of hoarding dozens and not being able to provide for all. Good days were days like this, not a single cat or dog was sick, the sun was out, the grass still had dew from last night’s chilly evening, and all the bills had been paid, on bad days it was like having a huge storm cloud hover above their heads, sometimes it looked like almost empty dog food, two drops left of cat vitamins, a scoop left of litter, and the echo of the last bark of a dog crossing the rainbow bridge.
Pero ganoon talaga. That’s life, right? There will always be days when everything feels unfair, and there will be days that will scare you because of how great it is.
Seif was down on her knees, her loose beige gym shorts were covered in wet grass and slightly muddy paw prints, sweat clung to her as she concentrated on her task, her plain pink shirt had both sleeves scrunched up, revealing Seif's slightly toned arms, her pink hair was tied in a neat bun, her hands working carefully as she wrapped a bandage on Casper's left leg that had seemed to be limping this morning. Hindi man veterinary doctor si Seif, but she has learned so much by volunteering at the shelter, lalo na at sobrang babait at willing magturo ang mga caretakers, vet techs at ang vet mismo. Kaya kahit na dalawang taon pa lang si Seif na nagvovolunteer sa Nala's Paradise, mabilis siyang natuto.
"Sobrang ligalig mo nanaman siguro kagabi" Seif said as she cooed at Casper who started howling dramatically
"At may lahi ka yatang husky eh! Ang dramatic" Seif couldn't help but chuckle as she finished up bandaging Casper up, she gave him a belly rub and helped him up
Casper is a beagle, one of the few dogs with breeds that Nala's Paradise had rescued a few months ago. He was abused by a company that tested their products on animals, and they usually chose Beagles because they have been known to be forgiving, na kahit saktan mo sila, papatawarin ka parin nila, even if you'd hit them, they would still wag their tails at you.
Halos gumuho yung mundo ni Seif when the vet techs had first brought in Casper, he was around 5 years old, battered, his left ear had been sliced in half, and he was covered in fleas. Seif had spent all of her weekends going to the shelter until the vet finally deemed Casper stable, tsaka lang rin nakahinga ng maayos si Seif.
"Ipapa-check natin yan kay Doc Percy mamaya ah?" Seif said, Casper simply licked her hand as his way of thanks, wagged his tail and then proceeded to run towards the goldies in the middle of the field
"Or not...mukhang Oscar winning actor ka lang talaga, Casper" Seif murmured as she sighed and stood up, brushing the remnants of dog fur and grass that had stuck to her knees and shorts
Saiph Aurora Sytanco, or Seif for those who do not know how to pronounce her name, had always known she would end up doing volunteer work. Her Mom always did say na she always had the heart for it, whether it was to help people or animals. May ganoon raw talaga na bata eh, alam na alam mo na kung para saan ang puso nila paglaki nila.
"Paglaki ko, Mommy, gagawa ako ng shelter para sa lahat ng stray animals! Para walang animals na lalaki ng walang bahay"
It was, and still is, her dream, but dreams like that aren't always meant for everyone. To achieve something like that you'd have to have the guts to start, and the finances to keep it running. It's not just about taking in all the stray cats and dogs in the Philippines, it's about giving them the proper care that they need; a house, enough food, a place to play, routine vet check ups, all of that. Dagdag malas pa talaga dahil dito sa Pilipinas nakatira si Seif, hindi rin naman siya ganoon kayaman, middle class lang kaya mas lalong nagmukhang mahirap ang pangarap niya.
But...her mom would always tell her a phrase that would make her stay still, lean back and breathe in.
"There is time"
At first hindi maintindihan ni Seif yung ibig sabihin ng parirala na iyon, and whenever she'd ask her mom, she would just laugh at her and then give her a pat on her head, always smoothing out her has she did so, always telling her she'd understand it soon enough when it would hit her at the right moment.
True to her mom's words, Seif did eventually understand.
There is time.
Seif carries this phrase in her heart for as long as she could remember.
She had it with her when her first set of friends in high school had back stabbed her and humiliated her, only for Seif to find Spencer, Addie and Castie, the people who have learned how easy it was to love Seif. Instead of wallowing over the two years of "friendship" she thought she had with her first circle of friends that now went into the trash, Seif had discovered that there were always people out there ready to welcome and love her without conditions. Seif just needed time to find them.
She also had the phrase with her when she didn't pass the entrance exam for her desired college. Seif had spent a good amount of time locked up in her room, ignoring her phone, her mom, her friends, resorting to hiding in her room because she felt ashamed. But Seif just needed a little time to wait until a letter from one of the biggest universities in Verdad offered her a full ride scholarship for BS Psychology.
Seif carried it with her when she wasn't able to take the board exam right away because she had problems with her school records, only for time to tell her that it had a purpose because on the day of her supposed exam, her mom almost got into a car accident because she had fallen asleep mid drive to work, but since Seif was there she had prevented it by pulling on the emergency brake. Timing is everything.
Seif also had it with her during every interview she had that rejected her or wasted her time. From companies that told her to be there at 7AM only for them to interview her at 2PM, to companies who told her they were looking for other candidates for the job, preferably those with latin honors. Turns out, Seif just needed to wait 2 more months until she was offered a job instead at the very same university that she studied at.
There is time for everything in life. You just have to trust in its perfect timing.
"Niloko ka rin ba ni Casper?"
Seif turned around and saw Percy leaning against the door frame, she was smirking as she looked at Seif over her glasses. The veterinarian was wearing her usual scrubs, this time it was a pastel orange one, with at least three pens of different colors clipped on her pocket, her I.D hung around her neck, her long brown hair tied in a loose ponytail that accentuated her neck.
"Biktima ka rin?" Seif asked
Percy nodded as she walked over to Seif and looked at the dogs that were having the time of their lives. The cats were also having the best time since they were now free of the dogs.
"Kailan mo ba kasi balak iadopt yang si Casper?" Percy asked teasingly
Seif playfully rolled her eyes. She had 3 cats at home, and she wasn't exactly sure how they would react to a new sibling, especially one that wasn't a cat. Madalas naman mag foster si Seif, and her last two cats were her foster fails, but she has never really tried fostering a dog.
"I'm giving other people a chance to take a look at him" Seif said, but she refused to look at Percy
"He loves you" Percy pointed out the obvious “And you love him just as much” she added
"He loves anyone who gives him a treat" Seif corrected her “And I love every single wandering stray I’ve just met out on the streets”
Percy chuckled and nodded, even putting her hands up in surrender knowing fully well that Seif had a good point.
"But there is one newbie that I want to ask you to foster or at least keep an eye out for" Percy said
"Bagong dating?" Seif asked, her ears perked up, and if she had a tail it would probably be wagging right now
Percy nodded and gestured for Seif to follow her back inside the shelter.
Nala's Paradise was huge. It was a project that was driven by passion and love, all created and owned by Percy, or Dr. Garnet Perse Aucillo. Despite being quiet, nonchalant and not being a fan of showing too much emotions, Percy fought hard to build Nala's Paradise, a clear sign that she had a huge heart for helping strays, even going against her parents who did not want her to succumb to a life like this, or whatever that means.
The facility itself had enough rooms to cater to 25 dogs and 13 cats. All of which were either rescued from the streets, or left out on the porch of the shelter, abandoned by their owners. The facility wasn't the usual cold, clinical and prison-like shelter, instead its walls were colorful, each corner filled with colors, paintings of cats and dogs in cartoonish ways, and even a few doodles from children who would visit the shelter. They also had their own small vet clinic, their own grooming salon, and a cat sanctuary whenever the cats would get anxious of the dogs.
Percy made sure she had all the equipment needed in one compound so that she would never regret not being able to save or comfort an animal in need. Better to exhaust all your resources than spend the rest of the day thinking how things would've gone if only they you had this or that, or if you had done this and that.
It's the reason why Seif had decided to volunteer at Nala's. She had seen the quiet love and perseverance that Percy had in her when she had first stumbled upon Nala's and when she gave Seif a tour. Seif couldn't help but laugh at the memory of her signing up to be a volunteer after 30 minutes of talking to Percy, and the Doctor would always tease her that she would probably thrive as a kidnapee because of how easily she could be lured into oraganizations.
"It's a cat, right?" Seif asked just to be sure
Percy nodded.
"Namatay yung may-ari. Yung matanda na nangangalakal doon sa kabilang barangay" Percy said as she led Seif to the cat sanctuary
The screen door had a bunch of cat stickers all over it, most of it was done by Miles, their caretaker, and Max, their vet tech. The little window on the door showed a clear view of the sanctuary, filled with cat towers, a small apartment for cats, a bunch of unused beds, a bunch of used boxes, at least three litter boxes, and cat toys.
"She's around 10 years old" Percy informed her
Seif could feel her chest squeeze. The senior cats were either the most difficult cats to care or the easiest ones; some suffer severe depression from the confusion of being left alone, their life being flipped upside down, from fluffy beds to cardboard boxes left out on the streets, until someone finds them to bring them to a shelter, and then the confusion deepens, the depression worsens, because they could handle being out on the streets, they had something to do then, search for food, seek shelter, stay alert, but in shelters they are back to being in a place where they don’t have to worry to much, without much to think of, only then do they finally let the situation settle, that they’ve been abandoned, or that they were left to fend for their own, and it sends them into a spiral.
Some senior cats were the loveliest ones too, after having raised in a home where affection was the top priority, they would purr loudly at every passing human, they would circle around their legs, letting their tails curl against them, and even meowing to get their attention, they craved for it, because it’s all they’ve ever known, and to have that suddenly ripped apart from their paws, they simply do not know where to put all the love they have.
It’s why Seif adopts senior cats, because she cannot stand the thought of a cat living the end of its life in a shelter with no one to hold them. If Seif can comfort a cat until it finishes their final life on earth, then she would.
"A rare female orange cat. Not spicy, but...very distant" Percy said as she finally opened the door slowly, snapping Seif out of her thoughts
They both peered inside, their heads craning from left to right, squinting to try to seek out the cat.
"Ayun" Percy pointed at the cat tower near the glass window, right where the sun seeped through the blinds
Seif couldn't fully see the cat, she was just huddled up on the third level of the cat tower that was the farthest one away from them, she was curled up, her paws covering her face, and she looked thin as she basked in the dark corner.
"Isang linggo siyang pabalik-balik doon sa bahay ng anak ng owner niya, kaso binubuhasan siya ng tubig at pinapalo siya ng mga anak. Ayaw kasi nila ng pusa dahil baka raw kalmutin ang mga bata sa bahay" Percy said, sighing as she inched closer to the cat
"Nakita siya ni Miles after she saw them hit her with a walis tambo. Pinagalitan niya, sinermonan ng rights ng animals, tapos kinuha niya na si Mingming at dinala rito" Percy said
Seif didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry at that, but knowing Miles and her passion for animals, it was no doubt that she would do that for a cat in need.
"Our problem is that she's depressed. She won't leave her corner, and she refuses to interact with any of the humans and cats" Percy gently tapped the cat's tummy but she seemed asleep so they didn't get any reaction from her
"And you think I can bring her out of her depression because I studied psychology?" Seif asked, raising an eyebrow at Percy
"Worth a shot" Percy shrugged and gave Seif a mischievous smile
But before Seif could even reach for the sleeping cat, a loud squeal from outside made them freeze, but the cat remained asleep, not even the loudest squeal could bother this cat, Seif has seen a lot of cases like this, not just with cats but also with dogs, most of them acting this way because of a broken heart.
"Tita please! Gusto ko dog!" a small child shrieked as she passed by the small rooms where the cats were
"Teka lang, Amoriel!" another voice exclaimed as she scrambled for the overly excited child
Seif and Percy watched in amusement.
The woman was tall, maybe about Seif's height, she had long black hair that reached just below her shoulders, she was wearing a pastel blue sundress with those designs that you see on vases at your Tita's house that you can also sit on kapag wala ng mauupan tuwing fiesta, luckily she had sneakers on which made her job of catching up with the kid much easier, especially since the kid had come running towards the cat sanctuary.
"We don't run like that, Riyel" The woman said as she held the child's hand gently when she finally caught up to her
"Sorry, Tita Junie" The child, Amoriel, said as she looked up at her aunt, but Seif was pretty sure the kid did not look sorry at all
The woman probably sensed Seif and Percy staring at them, which caused her to straighten up as she faced the onlookers and gave them a shy smile.
Seif then got a clearer look of the woman's face.
She looked like one of those lead actresses you'd see on prime time television, or pwede ring model siya for some magazine that Seif is unaware of, but she looked like she could also be one of those pretty faces you'd see all over social media, one that keeps coming back to your FYP after liking one video of her.
The fluorescent light that was shining down on her made her eyes look brighter, but Seif could also see a bit of fear in those eyes as she scanned her surroundings, but besides that, Seif zeroed in on her features, from the two moles (one on her cheek, the other on near her upper lip) all the way to her plump lips. Despite the visible fear in her eyes, she still looked like an angel that was sent down from heaven to knock the air out if Seif, while Seif look down at herself and thought she looked like a piece of scraped gum.
While this woman...how I do even properly describe this woman? Is there even a word that could rival "beautiful" and "stunning" kasi parang napaka common naman yata kung yun lang ang gagamitin ko para sakanya when she is more than that.
"Hi, sorry sa noise" The woman said as she looked at Seif and Percy
Yung boses niya...she sounds like she could sing the phone book. Or put me to sleep with her arms wrapped around me, either way would be very much okay.
"I'm Juniper by the way, this is my niece, Amoriel. Her parents are parking their car pa, but they were hoping to adopt a dog sana" Juniper said as she glanced at Percy, malamang, kasi siya naman yung naka scrubs eh, while Seif looks like your Saturday garbage collector
"You look like a scared puppy" Percy teased
Juniper laughed at that.
Ethereal.
That's the word Seif has been looking for.
"Hindi ako mahilig sa pets eh, napilitan lang ako sumama dito kasi sinamahan ko sila magsimba kanina" Juniper explained
"Well nice to meet you, Juniper. I'm Percy Aucillo, and this is one of Nala's volunteers, Seif Sytanco"
"Hi! You can call me Junie na lang"
Ah but when can I call you mine?
Percy held her hand out to which Junie shook gently, she then faced Seif who seemed frozen parin on her spot, far from the confident voice in her head. Percy eyed her weirdly and nudged her shoulder, shaking her off whatever trance she was in. Seif laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of her head.
"Seif" Seif said lamely as she held her hand out, her eyes refusing to meet Junie's, but then the next thing she felt was Junie's hand wrapping around hers
Oh...ang lambot naman ng kamay niya.
"Nice to meet you" Junie said with a cheery voice
Seif nodded.
Yun lang ginawa niya kasi parang one more word out of her mouth and she'd end up making a fool out of herself in front of a beautiful lady like Junie.
"And hello to you, Amoriel" Percy knelt down to be at level with the child and shook her hand too
Amoriel grinned at her. Seif then did the same, which made Percy mumble "Gaya gaya" under her breath, Seif shoved her for that, making the older one lose balance and almost fall.
"Tita, nandoon na sina Mommy. Go na ako doon po!" Riyel said a she pointed at two other adults who were talking to Miles, but before Junie could even respond, Amoriel was already sprinting towards her parents
"I give up" Junie said, clearly exasperated as she dropped her arms at her sides with a soft thud, she turned around and smiled apologetically at the two, but then her eyes widened as she pointed behind Seif and Percy
"Yung pusa" Junie said
Seif looked at the orange cat. She was awake now, she looked curious, almost like she had been woken up from a deep slumber because she heard the angels of the Lord calling to her (hopefully not!). Seif could see the cat's bright green eyes staring directly at Junie.
"Um ganyan ba talaga mga pusa kung tumingin?" Junie asked
"She's finally moving" Percy whispered, scared that even one volume higher could unsettle the cat
Seif's breath hitched when the orange cat slowly stood up, stretched, and then sat down, her head tilting to one side as she looked at Junie. Seif followed the cat's line of sight, and saw Junie looking at the cat with intense fear.
"Nakakatakot naman yang pusa" Junie commented, in the same tone and volume as Percy
"Parang in awe siya of you" Seif whispered
Junie looked at Seif, this made Seif look away.
Huwag kang masyadong tumitig saakin, ganda.
"Ngayon lang siya gumalaw ng kusa" Percy said as she slowly held her hand out to the cat, but the cat backed away
"Do you mind holding her?" Percy asked
Junie laughed nervously and shook her head "I'm scared of cats" she said, even backing away when she thought Percy might still give her the cat
As if understanding this, the cat turned around and jumped back towards the cat apartment, burrowing herself further inside in the dark spot, hiding from the humans again.
Matampuhin. Seif thought as she shook her head at the sight of the cat.
"Sorry" Junie said as she looked at Seif, even giving a tiny pout
Seif looked back at her and saw that Junie was talking to her, she had probably misunderstood Seif's actions.
Diyos ko po, Junie, pumapatol ka ba sa babae?
"Okay lang, hindi ka naman namin pwedeng pilitin" Seif said, hoping she assured her
Oh wow that is the longest sentence I have ever spoken to her today.
"Junie! Tara na, babalik tayo sa susunod na Linggo once okay na ang lahat" Amoriel's father said
"I have to go. It was nice meeting you" Junie said as she smiled at them both and waved goodbye, then scurried out, probably in relief
Seif looked at her retreating figure.
"I wonder why sakanya lang naging komportable itong pusa na to" Percy said
Seif sighed "Baka kaboses ng someone familiar sakanya"
Percy hummed in agreement “Possible naman” she said
Well there have been cases like that, Seif has seen at least 1 sa cat, and majority of it naman sa dogs, but also because dogs are naturaly friendlier eh, mabilis silang maging komportable sa mga taong pinagkakatiwalaan sila, or sa mga taong may magandang aura. You know the saying about how animals seem to sense and know if you’re a good person, kaya if you see someone being swarmed with stray cats and dogs in the middle of a busy street, huwag kang magtaka, because it’s most likely a kind person, and the animals have sensed them first, kaya siguro may mga dogs na hinahatid ang mga tao hanggang sa paradahan ng jeep, o di kaya mga pusa na sunod ng sunod sa taong nagpakain sakanya.
It could also be because of familiarity. Siguro kung kaamoy mo yung dati niyang may-ari, or if you sound and said something that an animal has always heard their whole life, or maybe they just seem fond of you.
"Convince her to volunteer, Seif" Percy said suddenly
Seif looked at her with wide eyes.
Nagsha-shabu ba to?!
...
Apparently Percy was dead serious when she asked Seif if she could convince Junie to volunteer sa shelter. Isang linggo na kasi siyang nireremind eh, but Seif has been refusing her ever since, lahat na yata ng excuses naibigay na niya kay Percy, hanggang sa nilapagan na siya ng contact details ni Junie as Seif was going through the foster paperworks.
Even now in the office, where the air conditioning unit hummed softly and while music coming from Max’s computer filled the room, Percy stood by Seif with a bunch of papers in her hands.
"Siya ang nilagay nila as emergency contact nila" was all Percy said “Do what you will with that information” she added, even winking at Seif
Kung hindi man ako makukulong dahil sa mga pinapagawa saakin ni Percy, makukulong ako dahil baka mapatay ko tong si Percy.
"I can't just call her and ask her if she can volunteer! You heard the woman, she's afraid of animals!" Seif exclaimed “Baka kalmutin siya or kagatin! Ma-trauma pa yung tao saatin” she reasoned out
“Bakit, Seif? Do you bite ba?” Percy teased her
Seif glared at Percy, this only made Percy laugh at her.
"I know you, Seif, and I know you saw how that cat responded to Junie" Percy said “I don’t need her here full time, kailangan lang natin siya to give the newbie a little nudge” she added
Seif gulped. Oo naman, she knew that the cat only ever acted that way kay Junie pero baka naman kasi lapse of judgement? mistaken identity? bugso ng damdamin? nadala lang? Itong pusa naman kasi na ‘to oh! Pahamak ka talaga!
"Try mo lang" Percy said as she patted Seif's shoulder "Malay mo, more than a volunteer ang ma-gain natin" she added quietly before going to leave the office
Seif glared at Percy once again as she walked backwards towards the door. Only a few people knew about Seif's sexual preference, not because she was ashamed of it, hindi lang talaga sila nagtatanong, at hindi rin naman si Seif yung tipong ipagsisigawan sa buong mundo na bading siya.
“Kaya mo yan, bading!” Percy exclaimed
Not when she obviously has friends who can do it for her.
Percy laughed off the death glare and walked away. Miles and Max then decided to terrorize her next, na para bang next in line yan sila sa rollercoaster with the way they keep grinning at Seif like she was a cool amusement ride they've been wanting to try.
"Crush mo raw yung Juniper" Miles immediately said, it was not even a question, it was a statement, an observation, or a baseless rumor that Percy had spread and unfortunately reached Miles’ ears
Miles Zeno Rivera. Nala's Paradise's caretaker, Percy's best friend, and Seif's wingman (which she did not agree to). Seif has known Miles for 2 years now, and in those 2 years Miles has made her go on five blind dates, has made her download a dating app, and even made her go to parks in the area for “possible organic encounters, Seif!”
"Sakanya lang daw nagrereact ang newbie kitten" Max said, every cat was kitten to her, but at least her statement seemed more logical than Miles’
Maxine Endymion Lacastesantos, or Max. Nala's Paradise's Vet tech, siya naman yung madalas na kakampi ni Seif pagdating sa pagexplain kay Miles na hindi niya need ng jowa!
The two were complete opposites, yin and yang, the sun and the moon, and yet they worked well together, and they argued like an old married couple, and if Seif didn't know any better, she'd think that at least one of them was (or is?) in love with the other.
"Tell me, bakit ako yung namomroblema tungkol dito? Eh volunteer lang naman ako tuwing weekends here sa shelter eh" Seif said
Miles and Max shrugged in unison.
"But I don't think you have enough time to run away from your problem anymore" Maxi said as she pointed behind Seif
Seif turned around from her chair and saw Junie standing by the door. She was wearing a brown and white plaid cropped top, dark blue straight cut jeans and the same sneakers she wore last time. Junie shyly tucked her hair behind her ear, and then she waved at them.
"Hi, sabi ni Doc Percy pwede raw muna ako rito? May mga paperworks pa kasi na need i-sign ng pinsan ko before they can take the dog home"Junie said
Miles and Max just stared at her.
At this point, I have to write my will because these two will probably kill me of embarrassment.
"Hello, Seif" Junie greeted
Oh God, maawa ka naman sa bading oh!
Seif blinked repeatedly after hearing her name leave Junie’s lips.
Like hello? Ma’am, is my name that worthy for you to speak of? Honestly, thank you kay Mommy kasi napakaganda pala ng pangalan ko eh! Lalo na kung si Junie ang magsasabi.
Miles and Max were trying their best to hold in whatever sly remarks they had on the tip of their tongues, halos itulak na nga ni Miles si Max eh, mukha tuloy siyang uod na inasinan.
"Hey, Junie" Seif greeted back
Okay? Okay. I sounded cool naman, ganyan lang dapat. Cool lang. Chill. Not a single stutter too! Nice job, Seif!
"Upo ka!" Miles exclaimed, a little too loudly for Seif's liking but Junie seemed amused by it as she followed suit
"Miles nga pala, ito naman si Max" Miles said as they both shook Junie's hand a little too enthusiastically
"It's nice to meet you two, and it's nice seeing you again, Seif" Junie said as she brought her attention back to the taller one
Natigilan naman si Seif dahil doon, she scanned Junie's face and saw that same nervous smile she had on when she first saw her last week.
Ano baaaaaaaa
"Single ka ba, Junie?" Miles asked
If Seif could throw a chair at Miles, she would have done it.
ALAM MO BA YUNG WORD NA SUBTLE, MILES? JESUS CHRIST.
Luckily Junie didn't seem fazed by the question, she laughed it off when she saw Seif almost jump out of her seat to maybe go and strangle Miles while Max sat back and simply watched the exchange, or the possible murder.
"I am" Junie said, even blushing a little
Oh, you look even prettier when you blush, ganda.
"And are you for the girls, Junie?" Max asked this time, always the logical one among the group, but also the most straight forward one, also lacks subtlety because now Seif wants to throw a table at both of them
Junie's eyebrows furrowed at the question, an awkward smile plastered on her face as she looked at Max. Junie then gently shook her head, as if unsure if this action and answer would affect something.
"I'm straight" Junie said
Agay.
Ouch.
Aguy.
Aray ko po.
"Ay" Miles chuckled awkwardly "Sayang naman" she added
Sinaway naman ito ni Max, but the older girl simply shrugged.
"Well thank you for coming out as heterosexual, Junie. Doon na muna kame ni Max sa clinic" Miles said as she forcefully dragged Max away
Seif gave Junie a tight lip smile. She cleared her throat and decided to busy herself by reviewing the foster paperwork that Percy had given her along with Junie’s contact information as she tried her best to pretend that Junie did not exist.
Straight pala. Wala na tayong pag-asa neto, par. Pack up na.
"Matagal ka na bang volunteer dito?" Junie suddenly spoke
Nagulat naman si Seif kaya naitapon niya yung mga hawak niyang papel, ayan tuloy parang may confetti pa ngayon sa office.
Gagi, nakakahiya!
"Ay shet" Seif groaned as she started grabbing the papers from the floor, Junie joined her, helping her gather up the papers, she was on her knees as she grabbed the ones that were farther away
"Uy wag mo na gawin yan, madudumihan yung damit mo" Seif said “Tsaka baka sumakit yung knees mo po” she added
Seif stopped Junie by grabbing hold of her hands, gently prying away the papers from her hold, then she gently made Junie stand up. Seif then lowered herself to dust off Junie's pants, even going far as to gently massage Junie’s knees.
"Hey, you don't have to do that either" Junie said softly
Seif chuckled as she continued to dust off Junie's pants, gently smoothing it out as well, massaging once more, tracing her thumb once over both knees which somehow made Junie buckle her legs.
Oh?
Ops, straight nga, Seif. We are not getting involved in any of that again.
"I'm a bit clumsy" Seif cleared her throat as she fixed the papers that she had carelessly thrown, still actively avoiding Junie's eyes
"Konti lang" Junie said as she helped Seif with the papers
"Junie, huwag na" Seif mumbled under her breath, but the truth is, Seif was trying to avoid accidentally touching Junie's hands kasi baka tuluyan nang makuryente si Seif
"Baliktad oh. I'll fix it" Junie said
Is she one of those "I can fix him" girls? But hey, you can fix me too, Junie. Available naman ako.
"Ito ba yung pusa from last week? Yung orange" Junie asked as she looked at the photo of the orange cat
"Ah oo, medyo wala paring progress eh kaya sabi ni Percy itry ko na lang raw iuwi sa bahay" Seif said
Which wasn’t exactly a lie. Percy did say she could bring the cat home, but she also made sure to tell her to try Junie first before bringing the cat home, and that it would be better sana if sa shelter muna yung cat para at least may nakakasamang ibang cats.
"Ayaw niya parin lumabas sa sanctuary?" Junie asked rather slowly
Seif hummed as she smiled sadly. It always did break her heart seeing depressed cats
"Kumakain naman siya?" Junie asked again, you could hear the concern in her voice, that despite being scared of cats, she still had a kind heart
"May times na hindi" Seif said honestly, remembering how the cat would ignore even the wet cat food that they would give her during lunch
Junie was quiet for a while, finally letting Seif fix the papers. Seif quickly scribbled a few thing on the papers, she had to will her hands not to tremble in front of Junie, but her bad hand writing gave her away.
"Can I see her again?" Junie asked softly, scared, like she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to ask that question
Seif froze, she slowly looked at Junie who was looking at her sheepishly, she was biting her lower lip and fidgeting with her fingers. Seif had to breathe in at the sight before her, continuously repeating the words "Straight yan" in her head until it stuck.
"Sure" Seif replied
...
The sanctuary was filled with cats today. The dogs were quite rowdy daw kasi, so they had transfered the 8 cats sa sanctuary, including the orange one. A few tilapia cats were lounging by the window, basking in the sunlight, while a calico and a white cat were grooming themselves, a sibling pair, Max (the cat) and El, were playing with the cat wheel that Max (the human) had set up for them, while the orange cat was tucked away in a corner, refusing to play or interact with the others.
Seif made her way in and immediately started doing baby talk to the cats, mumbling complete and utter nonsense while the cats simply ignored her. Junie on the other hand was frozen by the door, her hands were in fists, her eyes kept darting from left to right, while she stayed flat against the door.
Right, takot nga pala siya sa mga hayop.
Seif slowly made her way towards Junie, but not slow enough because of course she still tripped on thin air before she could even reach Junie.
Seif was quick to accept her fate, she didn't even have the time to brace herself for impact, but the impact never came. Instead there were strong arms and soft hands that held her, and a warm body pressed close to her own body. When Seif opened her eyes, Junie was already looking at her intently, her eyebrows furrowed, a look of concern written all over her face.
You know how that one song that goes...
You can hear it in the silence
You can feel it in the way home
You can see it with the lights out
You are in love
Bading ka lang Saiph Aurora.
"Seif?" Junie whispered, her eyes not leaving Seif’s, she could smell Junie’s minty breath, and her perfume that seemed to make Seif dizzy as it filled her senses
What the hell?
Seif blinked rapidly as she scrambled to get back on her feet, Junie simply guided her back up despite the scrambling of limbs, her hands were still on Seif's waist as she helped her up. Seif blushed violently when Junie's hands accidently touched the bare skin of her waist because her shirt had ridden up as she was scrambling for her life. Seif pretended that the gentle press of Junie's thumb on her skin did not make her heart do somersaults.
"Sorry" Junie mumbled shyly, finally letting go of Seif
"Sorry din. Clumsy" Seif laughed nervously as she straightened her shirt, cleared her throat and glanced at the cats that were looking at her with a look of pure judgement
"Hey, lumabas siya" Junie said
The orange cat was sitting up now, her head tilted to the side again as she looked at Junie, and then she slowly started climbing down until she reached the floor and made her way towards Junie. She didn't pounce on her, nor did she meow at her, she simply sat a good distance away from Junie, eventually getting into loaf position like it was the most natural thing to do (well for a cat, it kinda is).
"She really seems fond of you" Seif wondered out loud
Sanay kasi si Seif na mailap ang pusa, lalo na yung adult at senior cats dahil mas gusto nila na mag stick to their own little world, not really caring about a human’s attention unless they had food, because of course the only important thing in a cat’s life is food, and maybe their human sometimes.
Junie did not respond, she simply looked at the orange cat.
"Wala pa siyang name" Seif said
"Anong gusto mong name?" Junie asked
Na para bang tinanong mo ako kung anong gusto kong pangalan para sa mga magiging anak natin?!
"Hmm...have you ever named a cat ba?" Seif asked
Junie shook her head no "I never had one. Ayaw rin ni Mommy dahil masyado akong ligalig noong bata ako eh, baka raw masaktan ko without meaning to"
"Then why don't you try and name her?" Seif said as she gestured to the orange cat
"Really? May criteria ba for naming cats?" Junie asked, Seif laughed at that pero mukhang seryoso si Junie kaya tumigil rin siya agad
"Whatever your heart desires, Junie" Seif said
Sana your heart desires women too, sayang naman kasi kung sa lalaki ka lang mapupunta!
Junie seemed to take cat naming as an Olympic sport though, she looked at the cat and was probably doing an invisible checklist in her head on the possible names she could give her.
"Ang hirap naman mag-isip ng name" Junie sighed
When an opportunity knocks, you open the door.
"You don't have to think about it right now. How about next week? Balik ka dito? Or better yet, do you want to volunteer here at Nala's?" Seif asked, hoping her segue wasn't too obvious
"Volunteer? Takot ako sa mga hayop, Seif" Junie reminded her
Seif nodded "As ironic as it sounds, you're safe with me naman eh, I can help you adjust" she said
Junie just stared at Seif.
Seif replayed in her head what she had just said out loud, at gusto na lang talaga ni Seif umuwi and maybe throw herself off her balcony.
You're safe with me. Shuta ka, Seif.
"I have work" Junie said, but Seif could sense Junie’s hesitation, like she was willing to volunteer naman, she just needs a little more convincing
"I do too. I work as a professor sa Acropolis University" Seif said "But I give my weekends to Nala's. Tsaka hindi mo naman need to be here everyday or every weekend. Only when you can, only when your heart wants to" she said the last part softly, wanting to reassure Junie that she still had the choice to say no, but deep inside Seif was cursing Percy
"I don't really like animals" Junie said, her eyes kept scannign the room though, and Seif could see Junie’s lips tug upward into a small smile
Seif nodded once again "But she likes you" she gestured to the orange cat who was now lying down, showing her belly to them as she groomed herself, a gesture of trust
Bakit ba kasi si Junie gusto mo, Ming?
Junie hesitated once again, and Seif could see her biting her bottom lip, and her hands were twitching slightly, she was slightly rocking on her heels. Honestly? All this just looked extra adorable in Seif’s eyes, and it was not doing her heart any better.
Crushes were okay naman. Seif never even considered Junie; to her she was just a really pretty woman who she stumbled upon at Nala’s last week tapos boogsh wow ang ganda ni ate girl. Seif hasn’t really had a crush on anyone for quite sometime, siguro dahil lagi siyang biktima ng mga straight girls who loves holding her hand, giving her cheek kisses, cuddling on weekends and going out on dates only to be hit with a “Oh, Seif. I’m straight” once mag confess na siya.
So Seif never really paid attention to her love life, or how nonexistent it is. Maliban na lang sa mga pa-blind date ni Miles sakanya, na halos lahat rin naman hindi niya type. But what is Seif’s type in a woman nga ba? Yung simple lang, someone who wears her heart on her sleeve, someone who loves animals, someone who is empathetic, kind, yung willing mag go above and beyond for love when it is right. Physically attracted si Seif sa mga matatangkad, specifically the same heigth as hers sana since a lot of people are always so insecure about being too tall or too short, Seif also likes the girly types, because believe it or not, pushing away all the crazy cat lady look she sported during visits at Nala’s, Seif is actually the girly type too; she loves wearing dresses, lalo na kung pink or any other pastel color, something that would soften her features, make her look so baby girl coded.
Did Junie check all those in her check list? Well, physically, yes. The others? Well Seif has yet to find out.
But again, straight siya. Anong laban ko sa heterosexuality diba?
"Why do you think she is the way she is? Tapos saakin lang siya nagrerespond?" Junie asked, making Seif shake off her thoughts
"Malaking factor yung namatay ang fur mom niya. Losing someone you've known your whole life? Someone you depend on, someone who took you in and took care of you? Mahirap yun even for a cat. They get depressed. Maybe…you felt like a familiar presence, or maybe you give her a sort of comfort that none of us can” Seif said, hindi niya naman kasi talaga niya alam, pwedeng because of that nga, or pwedeng trip lang talaga ng pusa na yan si Junie
You know how you can love a cat with all your heart, but you can’t really trust them all the time because they’re also a menace? Yeah.
“So…Nala’s?” Junie asked, less hesitation, more consideration
“Nala’s” Seif said back
"Kahit hindi araw-araw?" Junie asked again
"You don't have to be here everyday, Junie. I promise" Seif said
Parang hindi lang yan ang bagay na kaya kong ipangako sa'yo, Junie, lahat na siguro pati ang mundo ipapangako ko para sa'yo—
“Ano bang need gawin para maging volunteer? May papers ba na kailangan pirmahan? Orientation? And when can I come over if I volunteer? Packed na yung weekdays ko because I teach preschool” Junie said, she was rambling a bit but she was smiling now, wider even, her cheeks grew rosier as she looked shyly at Seif
Like having this kind of conversation was crazy to Junie, that even considering the idea was ridiculous and yet here she was asking Seif when she could do volunteer work at Nala’s.
Seif could not help but smile softly at the woman before her.
“Jam packed talaga schedule ko” Junie said again, like this was the only problem she had left that was hindering her from volunteering at Nala's
Seif nodded then smiled at her.
"Can I have your Saturdays instead?"