Begin Again #Wattys2015

The Aftermath

"Ada?  Okay ka lang?  Parang hindi ka makahinga kanina eh.  Gusto mo dalhin kita sa hospital?" nagaalalang tanong ni Marco habang nagmamaneho.

Ngayon ay natigil na sa paghagulgol si Adela.  Nakaupo lang sya ng tahimik sa passenger seat at nakatingin sa bintana.  "Hindi, okay lang ako.  Pwedeng magdrive lang tayo? Gusto ko lang lumayo.  Gusto ko lang sa tahimik na lugar."

"Ano bang nangyari?  Sinaktan ka ba ni Geoff?" pagusisa ni Marco.

"Ayokong pagusapan," tahimik na sagot ni Adela.

"Sorry," Marco replied.

Marco drove up to Antipolo and parked the car at a quiet spot overlooking the city below.  He turned his car engine off and took off is seatbelt.  He stared at Adela for a while before getting out of his car and going around to open her car door.  Ada just sat in her seat, unmoving.  

"Tara, stargazing tayo," Marco held out his hand for her to take.

She looked at his hand for a long while before unbuckling her seatbelt and allowing him to help her out of the car.  She wrapped Geoff's jacket more tightly around her body and followed Marco to the front of his car.   They both leaned on the grill as they looked at the twinkling lights of the city below.  They did that for an hour, Adela's tears running down her cheeks as she cried silently.  It hurt when he'd been living a lie with her, but it hurt even more to finally end things with him.  Gusto nya naman  sanang paniwalaan ang mga sinabi ni Geoff; na matagal ng walang bisa ang bet nila ni Derek.  She felt na sincere naman si Geoff, pero natatakot sya;  natatakot syang sadyang magaling na artista lang si Geoff.  Oh well, Ada.  Tapos na.  You'd never have to wonder again.  After looking at the sky and the city lights, Marco helped Adela back into the car.  She sat in the passenger seat with her knees drawn up to her chest, a blank expression on her face.  

"Ihahatid na ba kita?"

"Pwedeng dito lang tayo?  Pwedeng kwentuhan mo na lang ako?  Ayoko na kasing maging malungkot."

"Anong gusto mong ikwento ko sa yo?" Marco asked gently.

"Your childhood.  Ganun.  Happy memories..."

"Sige."

Marco smiled and began telling her about the time he tried to catch tadpoles in his elementary school's man made pond.  Meanwhile sa bahay ni Derek, nakaupo lang si Geoff sa sidewalk pagkatapos syang iwanan ni Adela.  He couldn't believe what just happened.  Hindi nya alam kung paanong nalaman ni Adela, pero that's beside the point naman na.  He had no one to blame but himself.  He had lost her.  When she broke down in front of him, he had to let her go.  Hindi nya kayang makita si Adela na ganun na lang umiyak dahil lang sa kagaguhan nya.  He reached for his cell phone in his pocket and dialed her number.  He knew she wouldn't answer, and that maybe she'd turn her phone off on him, but he had to try.  Wala naman nang mawawala sa kanya if he tried to explain to her one more time.  His call kept being ignored, so he began bombarding her with text messages instead.

Baby, I'm sorry.

 

Please let me explain.