Life I Chose

2

"Jul, mag intermission number nalang kaya tayo mamaya to fill the time, medyo male-late raw yung food eh."

"Ayoko Kal, daming tao eh. Nakakahiya kaya." Julie declined while her friend was giving her puppy dog eyes.

"Please, Jules? Hindi naman masyadong maraming tao ah, di nga tayo abot ng 50. Pag-gitarahin mo nalang si Jacob any song lang na gusto mo. Please?"

....

"Most of you may not know the person about to give us an intermission number, but let's welcome Miss Julie Anne San Jose on stage."

Julie was trembling with nervousness as she entered the stage, just looking at the floor. She told herself it was okay, as Jacob was with her on stage to play the guitar. Julie was still shy but managed to look at the crowd and saw Elmo standing at their table from the far back corner of the room. He was looking at her and gave her a reassuring smile.

Beauty queen of only eighteen she
Had some trouble with herself
He was always there to help her, she
Always belonged to someone else

I drove for miles and miles and wound up
At your door
I've had you so many times but somehow I want more

I don't mind spendin' everyday
Out on your corner in the pourin' rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved, and she will be loved

Julie was starting to enjoy herself singing but she was still looking at Elmo from time to time. The guy's eyes never left her face. When it was time to sing the bridge, Elmo gave her a thumbs up from where he was standing which made Julie smile.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

They were at a bar for the after party and it was the first time Julie went out with her college friends. She occassionally drinks, but it was always with her high school friends. She never really went out without them.

"Feeling ko talaga may something sa inyo eh. Kayo na no?" Mandee discreetly asked Julie with Elmo seated between them. She noticed that the two have been exchanging glances and smiles even when they were still busy preparing for the acquaintance party.

"Pinagsasabi mo Dee? Ngayon nga lang kami nagpansinan nyan." Julie replied while Elmo was just pretending to listen to their other friends' conversation when he was actually eavesdropping on Julie and Mandee.

"Saan ka ba uuwi Jul?" Elmo asked Julie, who was getting tipsy. She obviously did not drink often if this was her alcohol tolerance.

"Sa QC."

"May bahay kami sa QC, dun rin kami nakatira noon but we put it out for rent although walang tenants ngayon. Baka dun nalang ako uuwi para mahatid kita."

"Ayan yung walang something? Julie wag mo 'kong pinagloloko ha." Mandee chimed in.

"Wag na, Moe, naabala ka pa. I'm fine. Mamaya pa naman tayo uuwi, I'll sober up."

"Di na nga lang pala ako sa QC uuwi, baka may mga ahas na dun sa bahay ang tagal nang walang tenant eh."

Julie did sober up, but it was Elmo who tipsy and getting drunk. Julie told the group that they should all go to McDonalds to sober up before going home, and that's what they did.

Julie walked with Elmo on their way to McDonalds, as the guy was already walling off-balance. Their other friends were already walking ahead of them. She was surprised when he suddenly hit the Drive Thru sign.

"What was that for, Moses?"

"Ba't may nakalagay na drive thru? I don't need that sign since I didn't bring my car! Bobo rin nila eh." Elmo slurred.

"Okaaay, I'm buying you coffee and then sabay ka na kay Jacob pauwi."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Julie, for once, arrived at school 30 minutes early for her class. She just went to their usual table at the students' lounge and saw that Maqui was already there busy doing an assignment. She sat down and got her notes to read for a quiz in her next class. When she looked up, Elmo was already smirking at her and snatched her notebook.

"May future ka maging snatcher, Moses."

"Ba't nag-aaral ka pa? Ang dali dali lang nito eh."

"May quiz nga raw, kakahiya naman kung mababa score ko dun eh puro freshmen classmates ko. Ako lang yung junior."

"Sana pala di ko nalang muna kinuha yung subject na yan last sem para may kasama ka."

"Yuck Magalona ang aga-aga nagpaparinig ka dyan sa bestfriend ko." Maqui looked up and playfully kicked Elmo.

"Yuck Maqui assuming ka. Kilala ko tong si Moks, gusto nya lang akong maging classmate para may kasama syang umabsent. Hahahaha"

"Akyat ka na Jules, 5 minutes nalang before the time. Maaga pa naman dumarating si Sir Valdez pag may quiz. Hintayin nalang kita dito para sabay na tayong maglunch, di pa naman ako gutom." Elmo nudged Julie away and handed her a pen since he knew Julie wouldn't bother to bring her bag in class and would rather leave it there at their table.

Julie obliged and found that Elmo was right, their professor was in class a little bit earlier than usual. After the class finished checking their papers, the professor collected their quiz papers by collecting the papers of those who scored highest first. Julie nonchalantly handed her paper as she thought she wasn't the only one who got it perfect but she did and the professor smiled at her.

"Just pass your papers to the front, yung mukha ni Miss San Jose parang gutom na gutom na sya eh, or may naghihintay lang talagang political science major din sa kanya dun sa baba para sabay na silang kumain sa Panda's." Panda's was a coffee shop near their school but also served rice meals, it was only popular among the political science students as other students find the place a bit expensive.

The professor's remarks made the whole class look at Julie, but they did not tease her as they were too intimidated by her. After they have been dismissed, Julie quickly went down back to their table at the lounge.

"Musta quiz?"

"Easy, perfect. Where's Maqui?"

"Iniwan ako nung bestfriend mo, sinundo ng classmate niya may gagawing pa raw silang business plan."

The two made their way to Panda's when Julie remembered what happened in class.

"Moe, kilala ka ba ni Sir Valdez?"

"Syempre, last sem ko lang kinuha yung subject niya and natural lang na di niya maalala niya yung estudyante niyang pogi na, matalino pa."

"Luh, naalala ka lang siguro dahil ikaw pinakamaraming absences."

"Hahahahahahaha ba't alam na alam mo galawan ko, stalker ka? Pero di nga, bakit ba?"

"Wala lang, kasi maaga siyang nagdismiss dahil daw kita sa mukha ko na gutom na gutom na or mag naghihintay rin sa akin sa baba para kasabay kong kumain. Minention pa talaga na sa Panda's."

"Konti lang rin naman kasi tayo sa course natin tapos parang alam yata sa faculty na doon tambayan natin lalo na pag may mga assignments."

The two ate their lunch at peace, Julie grabbing from Elmo's food and Elmo finishing eating Julie's food after she's full. Some may say that the comfortable vibe you see from the two would be like what you expect from an old married couple, not from people who have been classmates for over two years who have just been friends for over a month.