The night was silent between me and Japen, but there was the soothing sound of crickets nearby. That constant sound was normal at night, especially in neighborhoods full of plants and trees like Japen’s place.
We were in the living room. The television was on with a show playing, but my mind wasn’t there. I was watching Japen, who was tuning his guitar.
“You play guitar?” I asked, confused. He wasn’t the type to play instruments years ago. I didn’t even know he had a guitar.
“Not really,” he said and strummed a few chords.
The sound of the guitar filled the room. It was so soothing it put my mind at ease. It was just a soft sound, but I felt like it could be heard outside the closed front door.
“Can I request a song?” I smiled.
Japen looked at me. “I don’t really know how to, Azora.”
“Okay. Mmm…” I looked at him again. “Just play a song you know well.”
He paused for a moment, then started strumming. I heard the familiar tune of a 90s song. Then, I realized it was a song we used to sing together as kids. I found myself staring at Japen. His face was serious, but then he smirked.
“Do you still remember?” he whispered.
I was caught off guard but composed myself. “It was our favorite song, right?”
“Mmm…” He nodded and glanced at me.
He continued strumming while I listened intently. I didn’t try to sing along because I didn’t want to ruin the moment. Surprisingly, he didn’t sing either. We just sat there in silence.
A few minutes passed, and I yawned. When I checked my wristwatch, I realized it was past ten in the evening. Normally, on Saturday nights, I stayed up late since there was no class the next morning. But Japen wasn’t fully recovered yet, so he needed to sleep early.
I called out to him and reminded him to sleep, but he ignored me.
I rolled my eyes, stood up, and gently took the guitar from his hands. “You need to sleep,” I said in a low, husky voice.
That’s when Japen looked at me. Without a word, he stood up, took the guitar back, and placed it on a bamboo chair. Then, he held my wrist.
“You should sleep too,” he said.
I didn’t protest because my eyes were drooping. I didn’t realize how sleepy I was until Japen guided me into his room.
“Sleep here in my room. I’ll be in the living room,” he said.
I looked at him and narrowed my eyes. “No. You should sleep here. You’re sick.”
He chuckled and gently guided me to sit on his sturdy bed. “Just do as I say,” he whispered as he walked towards the door. He left while I squinted at the door in disbelief.
Was he kidding me?
I stood up and looked for him outside the room. The house wasn’t very big, so I didn’t need to use stairs. I went straight to the living room, but I didn’t see Japen there.
Then, I heard noise coming from the kitchen. I followed the sound and found him taking a sip of water from a glass. I furrowed my eyebrows. He looked up at me, and our eyes met.
“You should get some rest,” I said. I didn’t move closer to him.
“You too,” he replied, a smile flickering on his lips.
I rolled my eyes and waited for him to finish his water. When he walked out of the kitchen, I immediately put my arm around his shoulders to help him walk. To my surprise, Japen pulled me closer and squeezed my shoulder. When I looked at him, he had a small grin on his lips. I didn’t comment on what he did.
When we reached his room, I gently urged him to sit on his bed. His sturdy bed was spacious enough for two people. Maybe that’s why Japen felt confident to invite me.
“Sleep in bed, we’ll be together.”
I shook my head and laughed softly. “Stop dreaming and go to sleep now,” I said.
I walked out of his room and found myself sitting on the bamboo chair in the living room. The bamboo chair was long enough for me to lie down on. I grimaced at the discomfort but kept quiet. I had chosen to be here, so I needed to behave.
I sighed and closed my eyes. The LED light wasn’t helping, so I sat up and turned it off. The sudden darkness engulfed me. I stood there frozen for a moment until my eyes adjusted, and I could see the silhouettes of objects around me.
Slowly, I walked back to the long bamboo chair and lay down. I yawned and closed my eyes. But sleep didn’t come immediately. I shifted in the bamboo chair, trying to get comfortable. Gradually, my consciousness began to slip into darkness.
But before I could completely succumb to sleep, I felt myself being lifted. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a silhouette of a man.
“Japen?” I whispered hoarsely.
He didn’t answer but squeezed my arm gently. I wanted to protest. He wasn’t well, and carrying me could affect his health. But the words stayed in my throat. Maybe it was because my head was spinning, my throat was dry, and I enjoyed the warmth of Japen’s body against mine. I nuzzled against his neck, feeling him pause for a moment. A smile played on my lips.
After a while, Japen carefully laid me down on his bed.
“Sleep here,” I whispered and held onto his hand. “Beside me.”
He let go of my hand that was holding his. “I’m sleeping in the living room.”
I opened my eyes and glared at him, even though I could only see his silhouette. In the end, he had no choice but to sleep in the same bed.
He lay beside me, and after a while, I finally drifted into darkness.