29-08-2025, 06:55 AM
(This post was last modified: 29-08-2025, 06:56 AM by matiba2025213. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Chapter 27: Cinema (Act 15)
Lina stared at the photo of her earring, her heart thudding unevenly in her chest. The cool glow of her phone screen lit up her face as she bit her lip, her mind racing. She glanced at Rahim, who was now softly snoring beside her, oblivious to the storm brewing in her thoughts. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure of how to respond. Finally, she typed out a simple message: Where did you find it?
The reply came almost instantly. Cinema bathroom. You must’ve dropped it when you were… busy. Lina’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, her fingers tightening around her phone. She hadn’t even realized it had fallen out. I can return it, the message continued. If you want.
Lina hesitated. Her first instinct was to say no, to let the earring go and forget about the entire ordeal. But something inside her...a mix of curiosity and guilt...pushed her to respond. Okay. Where?
The Choy Wan park tomorrow afternoon. Wear something… casual.
She swallowed hard, glancing at Rahim again. He stirred slightly but didn’t wake. Lina set her phone down and exhaled slowly, trying to steady her nerves. It was just an earring, she told herself. Nothing more.
The next afternoon, Lina found herself walking through the park, the autumn leaves crunching beneath her sandals. She had chosen a loose, flowing dress that dbangd over her growing belly, trying to balance comfort with the need to look presentable. Her heart pounded as she spotted Rizal sitting on a bench near the fountain, his scooter parked beside him. He looked younger than she remembered, his messy hair tousled by the breeze, and he was fidgeting with something in his hands, her earring.
“Hey,” he said as she approached, standing up awkwardly. His eyes darted to her face, then quickly away, as if he wasn’t sure where to look.
“Hi,” Lina replied, forcing a small smile. “Thanks for finding my earring.”
“No problem,” Rizal said, holding it out to her. His fingers brushed hers briefly as she took it, and he pulled his hand back quickly, as if he’d been burned. “I, uh… I saw it after you left. Thought you might want it back.”
Lina nodded, slipping the earring into her pocket. “Yeah, I didn’t even realize I’d lost it. Thanks again.”
There was a moment of silence as they stood there, the sound of the fountain filling the air. Lina shifted uncomfortably, her hands resting on her stomach. Rizal’s gaze flicked downward for a split second before he looked away again.
“So… you’re pregnant,” he said abruptly, then immediately winced. “Sorry. That was rude. I just… noticed.”
Lina laughed softly, trying to ease the tension. “Yeah, six months along.”
“Congrats,” Rizal said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. “Is it… is it your first?”
“Yeah,” Lina replied, nodding. “It’s been… an experience.”
“I bet,” Rizal said, his voice softer now. He hesitated, then added, “You look really good, though. Like… healthy, you know?”
Lina felt a faint blush creep up her neck. “Thanks.”
Another silence followed, heavier this time. Rizal seemed to be struggling with something, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Finally, he blurted out, “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” Lina said cautiously.
“That day at the cinema… are you okay? I mean, you seemed kind of… upset when I found you.”
Lina’s stomach twisted. That memory was still raw, and she hadn’t expected him to bring it up. “I’m fine,” she said quickly. “Just… a long day.”
Rizal nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. “Okay. Just… if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
Lina studied him for a moment, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. He seemed so young, so earnest, and yet there was something in his eyes that made her feel seen in a way she hadn’t anticipated. “Thanks,” she said quietly.
“So…” Rizal shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clearly unsure of how to proceed. “Do you want to sit for a bit? Or… I mean, if you have to go…”
Lina hesitated, glancing around the park. There weren’t many people around, and the bench by the fountain looked inviting. “Sure,” she said finally. “Just for a little while.”
They sat down together, the distance between them just enough to be polite but not so much that it felt uncomfortable. For a while, they just watched the water cascade into the fountain, the sound soothing but not quite enough to dispel the growing tension between them.
“You seem… different,” Rizal said after a while, his voice low. “Not in a bad way. Just… calmer, I guess.”
Lina glanced at him, surprised. “Calmer?”
“Yeah. Like… you’re not worried about what people think anymore.”
She laughed softly, shaking her head. “I wish that were true.”
Rizal shrugged. “I don’t know. It just seems like you’re… more yourself now.”
Lina didn’t know how to respond to that, so she just nodded and looked back at the fountain. But she could feel Rizal’s gaze on her again, lingering longer than it should have.
“Can I tell you something?” he asked suddenly.
“Sure,” Lina said, though her heart began to race again.
Rizal took a deep breath, his fingers drumming nervously on his knees. “I’ve never really… been with anyone before. Like, at all.”
Lina turned to look at him, her eyebrows raised. “Really?”
He nodded, his cheeks turning pink. “Yeah. I mean… I’ve kissed someone once, but that’s it.”
Lina wasn’t sure what to say to that. She hadn’t expected him to open up like this, and it made her feel both flattered and uneasy. “That’s… normal,” she said finally, trying to sound reassuring.
“I guess,” Rizal said with a shrug. “But sometimes it feels like everyone else just… knows what they’re doing, and I’m just… lost.”
Lina felt a pang of sympathy for him. She remembered what it was like to feel that way...young and uncertain and full of questions that no one seemed willing to answer. “It’s not as glamorous as people make it seem,” she said gently.
Rizal laughed softly, shaking his head. “Yeah, I figured.”
They fell silent again, but the air between them felt charged now, as if something unspoken lingered just beneath the surface. Lina glanced at Rizal out of the corner of her eye, noting the way his jaw tightened and relaxed as he stared at the fountain.
“Do you ever…” Rizal started, then stopped himself, his voice trailing off.
“Do I ever what?” Lina prompted.
He hesitated, then shook his head. “Never mind.”
Lina tilted her head slightly, studying him. “What is it?”
Rizal sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I just… I don’t know how to say it without sounding weird.”
“Try me.”
He looked at her then, his dark eyes searching hers for a moment before he spoke. “Do you ever feel like… like there’s this whole side of life you’re missing out on? Like everyone else is living this… bigger story, and you’re just watching from the sidelines?”
Lina felt a lump form in her throat. The question hit closer to home than she cared to admit. “Sometimes,” she said softly.
Rizal nodded, as if he’d expected that answer. “Yeah. Me too.”
The silence that followed was thick with unspoken words, the tension between them growing heavier by the second. Lina could feel her pulse quickening as Rizal shifted closer on the bench, his arm brushing against hers.
“Lina…” Rizal began hesitantly
Lina stared at the photo of her earring, her heart thudding unevenly in her chest. The cool glow of her phone screen lit up her face as she bit her lip, her mind racing. She glanced at Rahim, who was now softly snoring beside her, oblivious to the storm brewing in her thoughts. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure of how to respond. Finally, she typed out a simple message: Where did you find it?
The reply came almost instantly. Cinema bathroom. You must’ve dropped it when you were… busy. Lina’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, her fingers tightening around her phone. She hadn’t even realized it had fallen out. I can return it, the message continued. If you want.
Lina hesitated. Her first instinct was to say no, to let the earring go and forget about the entire ordeal. But something inside her...a mix of curiosity and guilt...pushed her to respond. Okay. Where?
The Choy Wan park tomorrow afternoon. Wear something… casual.
She swallowed hard, glancing at Rahim again. He stirred slightly but didn’t wake. Lina set her phone down and exhaled slowly, trying to steady her nerves. It was just an earring, she told herself. Nothing more.
The next afternoon, Lina found herself walking through the park, the autumn leaves crunching beneath her sandals. She had chosen a loose, flowing dress that dbangd over her growing belly, trying to balance comfort with the need to look presentable. Her heart pounded as she spotted Rizal sitting on a bench near the fountain, his scooter parked beside him. He looked younger than she remembered, his messy hair tousled by the breeze, and he was fidgeting with something in his hands, her earring.
“Hey,” he said as she approached, standing up awkwardly. His eyes darted to her face, then quickly away, as if he wasn’t sure where to look.
“Hi,” Lina replied, forcing a small smile. “Thanks for finding my earring.”
“No problem,” Rizal said, holding it out to her. His fingers brushed hers briefly as she took it, and he pulled his hand back quickly, as if he’d been burned. “I, uh… I saw it after you left. Thought you might want it back.”
Lina nodded, slipping the earring into her pocket. “Yeah, I didn’t even realize I’d lost it. Thanks again.”
There was a moment of silence as they stood there, the sound of the fountain filling the air. Lina shifted uncomfortably, her hands resting on her stomach. Rizal’s gaze flicked downward for a split second before he looked away again.
“So… you’re pregnant,” he said abruptly, then immediately winced. “Sorry. That was rude. I just… noticed.”
Lina laughed softly, trying to ease the tension. “Yeah, six months along.”
“Congrats,” Rizal said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. “Is it… is it your first?”
“Yeah,” Lina replied, nodding. “It’s been… an experience.”
“I bet,” Rizal said, his voice softer now. He hesitated, then added, “You look really good, though. Like… healthy, you know?”
Lina felt a faint blush creep up her neck. “Thanks.”
Another silence followed, heavier this time. Rizal seemed to be struggling with something, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Finally, he blurted out, “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” Lina said cautiously.
“That day at the cinema… are you okay? I mean, you seemed kind of… upset when I found you.”
Lina’s stomach twisted. That memory was still raw, and she hadn’t expected him to bring it up. “I’m fine,” she said quickly. “Just… a long day.”
Rizal nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. “Okay. Just… if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
Lina studied him for a moment, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. He seemed so young, so earnest, and yet there was something in his eyes that made her feel seen in a way she hadn’t anticipated. “Thanks,” she said quietly.
“So…” Rizal shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clearly unsure of how to proceed. “Do you want to sit for a bit? Or… I mean, if you have to go…”
Lina hesitated, glancing around the park. There weren’t many people around, and the bench by the fountain looked inviting. “Sure,” she said finally. “Just for a little while.”
They sat down together, the distance between them just enough to be polite but not so much that it felt uncomfortable. For a while, they just watched the water cascade into the fountain, the sound soothing but not quite enough to dispel the growing tension between them.
“You seem… different,” Rizal said after a while, his voice low. “Not in a bad way. Just… calmer, I guess.”
Lina glanced at him, surprised. “Calmer?”
“Yeah. Like… you’re not worried about what people think anymore.”
She laughed softly, shaking her head. “I wish that were true.”
Rizal shrugged. “I don’t know. It just seems like you’re… more yourself now.”
Lina didn’t know how to respond to that, so she just nodded and looked back at the fountain. But she could feel Rizal’s gaze on her again, lingering longer than it should have.
“Can I tell you something?” he asked suddenly.
“Sure,” Lina said, though her heart began to race again.
Rizal took a deep breath, his fingers drumming nervously on his knees. “I’ve never really… been with anyone before. Like, at all.”
Lina turned to look at him, her eyebrows raised. “Really?”
He nodded, his cheeks turning pink. “Yeah. I mean… I’ve kissed someone once, but that’s it.”
Lina wasn’t sure what to say to that. She hadn’t expected him to open up like this, and it made her feel both flattered and uneasy. “That’s… normal,” she said finally, trying to sound reassuring.
“I guess,” Rizal said with a shrug. “But sometimes it feels like everyone else just… knows what they’re doing, and I’m just… lost.”
Lina felt a pang of sympathy for him. She remembered what it was like to feel that way...young and uncertain and full of questions that no one seemed willing to answer. “It’s not as glamorous as people make it seem,” she said gently.
Rizal laughed softly, shaking his head. “Yeah, I figured.”
They fell silent again, but the air between them felt charged now, as if something unspoken lingered just beneath the surface. Lina glanced at Rizal out of the corner of her eye, noting the way his jaw tightened and relaxed as he stared at the fountain.
“Do you ever…” Rizal started, then stopped himself, his voice trailing off.
“Do I ever what?” Lina prompted.
He hesitated, then shook his head. “Never mind.”
Lina tilted her head slightly, studying him. “What is it?”
Rizal sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I just… I don’t know how to say it without sounding weird.”
“Try me.”
He looked at her then, his dark eyes searching hers for a moment before he spoke. “Do you ever feel like… like there’s this whole side of life you’re missing out on? Like everyone else is living this… bigger story, and you’re just watching from the sidelines?”
Lina felt a lump form in her throat. The question hit closer to home than she cared to admit. “Sometimes,” she said softly.
Rizal nodded, as if he’d expected that answer. “Yeah. Me too.”
The silence that followed was thick with unspoken words, the tension between them growing heavier by the second. Lina could feel her pulse quickening as Rizal shifted closer on the bench, his arm brushing against hers.
“Lina…” Rizal began hesitantly
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