19

Anim na araw na ang lumipas magmula noong huli niyang makita ang binata. At ngayon nga ay ang panghuling araw, hindi na siya makapaghintay pa bukas. Gusto na niya talagang makasama ulit ito. 

Sobrang good girl niya rin noong wala ang lalaki, dahil bahay at trabaho lamang ang mantra niya. Ni hindi na siya sumasama sa mga gimik ng kaibigan na si Cia. 

Pero ngayon, kasama niya ito sa mall, they are looking for inspirations, not for her, but for her friend. Hindi niya alam ang dahilan, basta ang sabi nito ay para daw sa bago nitong project.

Well, she doesn't care naman, she thought silently while watching Cia picking clothes in a branded boutique they have just walked in.

"Their new collections are beautiful, but it lacks value," Cia debating on her self right now, ni hindi nga ata nito alam na nandito pa siya.

"Ano ba kasi ang hinahanap mo?," nilapitan na niya ang kaibigang abala pa rin.

Gusto lang talaga niyang patayin ang oras ngayong araw kaya sumama siya sa kaibigan, dahil wala naman na siyang hinahabol na kahit anong meetings or deadlines. Her secretary knew who to contact kapag may mga biglaang clients. Nakaraang araw pa niya inasikaso ang three days leave, para diretso na lang silang alis ni Leo.

Leticia faced her with a confused aura, "Well, I'm having a hard time making this new project assigned to me. Like grabe! Ni hindi pa ko masyadong gumagawa nito, love and they are giving it me. It's so nakakaloka lang!," her friend even exclaimed like a stressed college student.

"You're an artist, dapat talaga flexible ka 'no," she even tried to counsel her friend.

"Whatever, Toni dear. Let's get out na here, nagugutom na ko!," Cia is really a bipolar dahil mula sa pagkainis nito ay para na ito ngayong batang nag-aayang kumain.

"You're just looking the whole time sa mga damit na nasa boutique, tapos nagutom ka na agad?," wala pa naman silang ilang oras na nag-iikot ng kaibigan, pero umayaw na agad ito, magkaibigan nga sila.

"Duh, Toni! Hindi lang paa ko ang gumagana, even my brain! And I need to feed my brain na at baka maubos!," maarte pa ring wika nito habang naglalakad na sila palabas sa boutique.

They are now walking out of the clothes section, at papunta na sila ngayon sa mga restaurants.

But her feet automatically stopped midway when she saw unexpected person in the same mall. At batid niyang napansin din ito ng kaibigan, dahil kagaya niya, nakatingin na rin ito sa dalawang imahe ng taong akala niya hindi na magsasama pa.

"What a cheater!," si Cia ang bumasag sa bumalot na sandaling katahimikan na bumalot sa kanilang dalawa.

"Cia, don't say that, hindi pa natin naririnig ang explanation niya," she calmly said kahit na unti-unting nadudurog ang pakiramdam niya sa kanyang kalooban habang nakatingin kila Leo at Aishana na papasok sa isang eksklusibong restaurant. That bitch even got the gut to snaked her arms around on Leo's.

"Are you tanga, Toni dear? Your attorney and his ex are together in this freakin' mall! 'Diba sabi mo bukas pa siya uuwi? Eh ano ang tawag diyan? Clone ni Leo?," mas overacting pa talaga ang kanyang kaibigan kaysa sa kanya.

"Baka emergency," kahit siya ay nauubusan na ng idadahilan sa utak.

Pero hindi siya pwedeng mag-react na lang agad. Noong unang beses siyang magtamang hinala ay wala naman itong nadulot na mabuti sa kanya. At wala siyang karapatan para kwestyunin ang aksyon ng binata. Sabit lang naman siya nito.

"Emergency my ass, baby. Call that lawyer now! Ask his whereabout, dali!," maarte na namang bulyaw sa kanya ng kaibigan.

She even snatched her phone on her hand, dialling someone's number, at alam niya na kung sino ang tinatawagan nito.

"Here, wait for him to picked up," inirapan pa siya ni Cia bago nito muling iabot ang hinablot na telepono.

She unconsciously biting her polished nails while waiting for his answer.

"Hey, baby. Why you suddenly called?," her baritone voice on the other line envelope her ears like a lullaby.

"Baby, where are you?," malumanay na tanong niya sa binata, controlling herself to speak unnecessary things.

"Umm...I'm here in my suite, why?," at sa puntong iyon, alam na niyang nagsisinungaling ang lalaki.

Dahil wala ito sa suite niya, wala na ito sa Hong Kong, nandito na siya sa Pinas, at magkasama sila ngayon ng ex niya. Tangina.

"Oh, okay, I'm just checking you up. Rest well, baby, bye," hindi na niya hinintay pa ang tugon ng binata, she ended the call right away, dahil hindi na niya kaya ang sari-saring tanong na pumapasok sa utak niya. She's blown up!

"He lied, right?," Cia's voice brought back her consciousness.

Malungkot ang mga matang tumingin siya sa kaibigan, "He has reasons why he did that. He has," kahit sarili niya ay ayaw maniwala sa pinapaniwalaan ng kanyang isip.

Cia shrugged her shoulder while giving small glances on the restaurant where Leo and Aishana went in, "I don't know, love. Hindi naman ako si Leo."

Whatever his reasons, tatanggapin niya pa rin ng buong-buo ang binata.

THAT day just passed like a leave's fall at ngayon ang nakatakdang alis nila ng binata.

They are now inside Leo's luxurious car, nakababa pa ang bubong ng sasakyan na mas lalong nagpadagdag ng travel get up nila.

She's just wearing a floral dress above the knee, it was sleeveless and her tummy was exposed, paired with a summer hat, sunglasses and a flat shoes. While, Leo effortlessly wore a blue floral polo and it's first three button are not closed, exposing his broad chest a bit, paired with a fitted shorts just above his knees and a sneakers below, and to complete the look, he also wore a sunglasses and men's wrist watch. They are both more likely going in a Summer Getaway, pero July pa lang naman kaya parang lang.

Isinantabi na lang rin muna niya ang nakita noong nakaraang araw, ayaw na muna niya itong ungkatin pa sa binata at baka masira lang ang plinano nito para sa kanila.

Hanggang kaya niya pa, sasarilinin na lang muna niya ang lahat. Kaya pa namang dalhin ang bagahe, hindi naman niya pasan, hila-hila lang.

"Where's our first visit pala, baby?," she sweetly asked Leo who's busy maneuvering the wheels on the road.

"I'm really eager to visit again the National Museum of Fine Arts, baby," he glanced slightly on her before focusing again on what he's doing.

"Wow! We're like some sort of teenagers huh. You didn't informed me na Musuem date pala ang nais mo," she  joked.

"Why? Don't you like it?," Leo holds her left hand using his available one while the other still on the wheels.

Umiling naman siya, "Of course not. I told you, kahit saan mo gusto, pupuntahan natin," hanggang gusto mo pa kong kasama, she wants to add it but chose the latter not to.

He smiled while still eye's on the road, "Thanks, baby. Don't worry, we'll just roamed Metro Manila today. Then after, we'll go on Quezon Province, there's a beautiful resort there. I'm sure you'll love it! We can swim all day and then on our third day, we'll hike in Tanay, then camping on the eve. We'll just spend our night in that mountain tapos uuwi na rin tayo," his voice were full of enthusiasm, like he planned it for so long.

Ang sarap pakinggan sa tainga na planado na ng binata ang lahat. Sa unang pagkakataon, nasama siya sa mga plano ng binata.

I hope it's not their last, she whispered hopefully.

"You really planned it, huh," even her voice can't control her overwhelming feelings.

"Of course, this is our first official travel trip," he tightened his hold, like he's giving an assurance to her.

At sapat na sa kanya iyon para mawala panandalian lahat ng pangamba sa kanyang kalooban.

Ito ang pinapangarap niyang maranasan mula pa noong nakaraang sampung taon. And she doesn't want to waste every minute, every seconds with him. It's like, none or nothing. Magulo, parang siya.