My Boss is a Freak (Published under Pop Fiction)

55: Mira

"Hello, Mavi? Ano, emergency? Si Hannah? O sige, papunta na ako!"

Halos utusan ko na si Manong Driver na paliparin ang taxi para lang madali kaming makarating sa kinaroroonan nina Hannah, Alexia, at Mavi. Sa sobrang abala ko, hindi ko namalayang umalis na pala ang mga kaibigan ko, kaya naiwan ako sa Medialink.

Kasalukuyan kong pina-power-off ang laptop ko nang makatanggap ako ng tawag mula kay Mavi na kailangan ko raw pumunta sa ganitong lugar dahil may hindi magandang nangyari kay Chinita.

****

"Sige na Manong, keep the change po!" Dahil sa pagkataranta at pagmamadali ko, hindi ko na kinuha ang sukli ko sa pamasahe. Dali-dali akong pumasok sa gate ng establishment na sinabi sa akin ni Mavi.

Infinity Garden.

Ano kaya ang ginagawa ng mga baliw kong kaibigan sa lugar na 'to?

Lalo pa akong ninerbyos dahil napakadilim ng lugar pagpasok ko. Paano kung may nagtatago palang serial killer sa kadilimang ito? Pati yata talampakan ko ay nagka-goosebumps dahil sa eksenang na-imagine ko. Feeling ko, pwede na akong bumida sa nalalapit na installment ng Shake, Rattle, and Roll.

Iniisip ko pa kung saang lupalop ng Infinity Garden nasadlak ang tatlo kong kaibigan nang biglang bumukas ang mga ilaw.

Oo, mga ilaw. Na iba't iba ang mga kulay.

Fairy lights.

Iginala ko ang paningin ko at napagtanto kong nasa isang literal na garden nga ako. Complete with the bed of grass, lots of flowers scattered everywhere, and of course, the breathtaking night sky.

Teka, parang nangyari na ang eksenang ito, ah? Is this some kind of déjà vu?

****

"Miss me, dimwit?"

Tatakbo na sana ako palabas ng Infinity Garden dahil sa gulat nang biglang may magsalita mula sa aking likuran.

But then, I realized na pamilyar ang boses na narinig ko, kaya hinanap ko ang pinanggalingan nito.

Nagpalinga-linga ako... at nakita ko ang freak kong boss.

When our eyes met, he gave me a heartbreakingly attractive smile. Then he opened his arms, inviting me to come into them.

And I did. I ran, almost tripping, but never caring a bit.

Hindi ko alam kung ilang segundo, minuto, o oras ang lumipas bago kami naghiwalay. But when we did, I had tears in my eyes, and the scent of his perfume still filled the air I breathed.

Then anger, bottled up inside me for more than a year, burst to the surface.

"Bwisit ka, Vren Andrei Montevilla, bwisit ka!" I started hittting every inch of him I could reach. "Bakit bigla ka na lang umalis, ha? Hindi mo ba alam na halos masira na ang ulo ko kaka-miss sa'yo? You freak!"

"Ouch!" Sir Vren protested, cowering as he shielded himself from my punches. "Mira, quit it! Look, I'm sorry, okay? Let me explain!"

"Explain? Explain?" I was sobbing by this time. "You ran away to Canada without even telling me, and what's worse, you stayed there for more than a year! Ni hindi mo sinasagot ang mga text, tawag, at email ko. You think I'll content myself with a lame explanation? I. Freaking. Hate. You! I hate you!"

"You do? You hate me?" he retorted. "That's a shame. I better go back to Canada. I hate to think I came back here for nothing."

"Don't you dare —" I started to warn in my sternest voice, only to stop when Sir Vren's laugh rend the air. "At talagang may gana ka pang tumawa, ha?" I placed one hand on my hip. The other was furiously wiping the tears off my face.

"This is why I missed you so bad," he replied, still laughing. "Mirathea Custodio, the most violent woman in the world. God knows how I wanted to speed up time so I can come back to you."

"Wala na dapat ganyan-ganyan kung 'di ka umalis!" I shot back at him. "Kung hindi ka lang sana umalis, e di sana..." I trailed off, my face suddenly warm and red.

Sir Vren smiled. "What? E di sana...?"

"Wala. Bwisit ka. Bakit nga ba nandito ka na, ha?"

"Ayaw mo ba?" He sounded smug, so sure of himself, that I found myself half-annoyed, half-amused.

Ibang level talaga ang kahanginan ng isang 'to.

Pero siyempre, hindi naman agad ako magpapatalo. In my most superior voice, I answered, "Mas tahimik ang buhay ko noong nasa Canada ka. Walang stress, walang boss na lahat na lang ng kilos at galaw ko, napapansin at sinisita..."

"That's because my eyes are always on you. The reason why I notice everything you do."

Lahat yata ng nerve endings ko, kinilig sa sinabing 'yan ni Sir Vren. But I tried to hide it by giving him one last look of loathing. Then I turned my back on him, and that's when I noticed the night sky once more.

I let out a gasp of delight when I noticed the meteor shower.

"They're called the Geminids," Sir Vren said, chuckling at my reaction. "December meteor shower. I never let a year end without watching it."

In spite of myself, I smiled. "Who knew that Vren Andrei Montevilla is an astronomy nerd?"

"No one," sagot naman niya. "Except you. And you will learn everything else about me, Ms. Custodio, now that we have all the time in the world. For instance, you will know that I'm not exactly a freak."

"Hindi raw?" I giggled.

He joined the laughter. "Hindi naman talaga. Also, in time, you'll learn that..."

"That?"

"That I happen to be in love with this girl..."

"O, talaga?" I said, feigning surprise, which wasn't hard to do, since I never heard him use a gentler tone before. "I thought you're not exactly the loving type, Mr. Montevilla."

"That's what you think, Ms. Custodio." And without any warning, he wrapped his arms around me, his frame pressing against mine, effectively shutting down the chill of the night.

I looked up at him. His eyes were on the sky, still watching the stars.

"Nag-wish ka na ba?" tanong ko sa kanya.

He nodded. "The Geminids are quick tonight. They already granted my wish. How about you — made a wish already?"

Ngumiti ako. "Hindi na kailangan. Natupad na ang hiling ko, kahit hindi ko pa ibinubulong sa kanila. You see, there's this guy I've been waiting for..."

"O, talaga?" he asked, in a good imitation of my tone earlier. "I didn't expect you to be the patiently waiting type, Ms. Custodio."

"That's what you think, Mr. Montevilla," I replied, making him laugh. The sound was like music to my ears.

When Sir Vren kissed me, the Geminids as witnesses, I knew I made the right choice, waiting for him.

There will be time for explanations later — gaya ng kung ano ba ang ibig sabihin ni Vince sa sinabi niyang dahil sa kanya kaya umalis ang kapatid niya, o kung ano ba ang papel nina Alexia, Hannah, at Mavi sa gabing ito.

There is a time to catch up, and to exchange stories that happened to us while we were apart.

Pero ngayon, moment muna namin ni Vren Andrei Montevilla.

And I'm pretty sure we're both up to make this moment one to remember for a lifetime.

- END OF BOOK 1 -