Six Years [Leni Robredo x Rodrigo Duterte]

Year 5: Recurring Feelings

"Did she throw you out of her condo?" Yasay asked. "Hindi, ako man yung umalis." Rodrigo replied.

"Na-ano lang ako," his face twitched in disappointment. "Siguro wala na talagang ano si Leni saakin kaya ganon kung makasabi siya na pinagsamantalahan ko siya, parang diring diri siya." He confided to one of his closest friends. "Baka naman nagulat lang. Adrenaline rush." Yasay tried to enlighten him but he felt so cynical.

"Okay ka lang?" Sally asked her daughter. "Naooffend yata si Rody." She expressed her anxiety. "Kung totoo yung sinasabi niya, parang ang unfair naman na concerned lang naman siya saakin tapos pinagbintangan pa natin siya ng kung ano ano." She added. "Hayaan mo na muna yan, Leni. Iwasan mo muna, palamigin mo bago mo subukang kausapin." Sally advised favoring her daughter. Leni felt so guilty for accusing Rodrigo of things, she wanted to apologize to him right away but at the same time, she didn't have the guts to face him.

Leni gave herself about two weeks to think, she gave him space. Rody has to admit that he's been emotionally battered by his love for Leni, he couldn't explain why he keeps fighting for her amidst every heartbreak she gave him, maybe he loves her that much.

—

Sana dumating yung araw na magkakabati rin kami.

She mentally spoke and rested her chin on her hand as she was alone in her office. She thought about the times she has hurt Rodrigo and she couldn't feel any more sorry for causing all the pain. Hurting him was the least thing she wants to make him feel but it seemed ineluctable.

Pero 'di ba sa love, may ups and downs talaga? Baka ito yung down time namin?

She tried to stay hopeful. 

Pero ang tagal na naming ganito. What if pilit ako ng pilit tapos hindi naman pala kami para sa isa't isa?

She felt cynical again.

She gazed into the glassed Ecuadorian rose and decided to open the container to touch it's petals.

As soon as her skin touched the petal, she haltered and looked closely — only realizing it wasn't real anymore. It was a synthetic flower and not the Ecuadorian rose she used to have, it shook her.

She rushed outside her office and called her staffs and cleaning employees. "Sino sainyo yung nangielam nitong flower?" She asked with a hint of panic and anger in her voice. The staffs looked at each other.

"Hindi na 'to yung bulaklak na nasa loob. Hawakan niyo! Synthetic na 'to oh. Sino sainyo yung nagpalit?!" She demanded for an answer.

She grunted, torn between crying and yelling. "Sabihin niyo na, pwede? Hindi ako magagalit, kailangan ko lang malaman kung nasaan." She pleaded but no one knew what happened to it.

"Mam, hindi naman po kami nangingielam ng gamit niyo sa opisina."
"Hindi po namin alam mam."
"Hindi niyo po ba naiuwi?"

"Nasaan? Hindi lang basta bulaklak 'to, ano ba?" She triggered them but she can't squeeze out something that isn't there. She panted and headed back to her office clueless of what to do next now that she lost the most special tangible gift that Rody gave her.

With the said incident, Leni felt even more undeserving to be forgiven by him. She refused to tell him about as she didn't want to piss him off. It divided them even more up to the point that another group of months being all awkward and distant passed by.

—

Ferly looked at Leni's eyes as she spoke about how she is going to discuss their revised housing proposal to Rodrigo. "Okay na ba kayo ni Digong?" She asked, Leni chuckled faintly, she didn't expect her question would be something personal.