"Huwag ka nang mag-alala, I'll be in touch, okay?" paalala ko kay Fritz na nakakatuwang malaman na concerned dahil hindi niya ako nagawang samahan for this trip. "Anyway, it looks like andito na siya. I'll fill you in pagbalik ko."
Sa entrada ng restaurant, sa wakas ay natanaw ko si Lira na bumaba ng taxi. Nagtaka ako dahil inasahan kong may maghahatid sa kanya or may chaperon siyang kasama. Maimpluwensya kasi ang kanilang angkan.
"Eloisa, right?" nakangiti niyang pagbati. "You look slightly different from last time."
Hindi ko alam kung anong isasagot ko. Wait, was that compliment? Ang paniniwala ko kasi ay ganito naman ang hitsura ko kahit anong anggulo. Although, baka dahil mukha akong haggard last week? Ang layo kasi talaga nung naging byahe at galing pa kami ni Fritz sa isang event. And it wasn't planned at all, I should add. At least ngayon, I'm coming from a good night's rest since kahapon pa'ko nandito sa Hilaraya.
"Yeah, it was hectic. I probably looked terrible."
Ilang saglit pagkaupo niya, agad umorder ng breakfast ang apo ni Atty. Alfonso. Medyo na-conscious ako. Ako kasi yung tipo ng tao na papasok sa resto tapos inaabot ng kalahating oras bago maka-order. Hindi ko rin kasi talaga alam minsan kung ano ang gusto ko. Basta, ang alam ko sa mga pagkakataong tulad nito ay gusto kong kumain.
"I'm so sorry that I had to send you home abruptly. Ang akala ko talaga kasi my parents won't be back until the following day."
She then slowly settles in with a cup of complementary tea. Buti na lang may Sunrise dito sa probinsya nila. If wala, manghuhula pa ko kung san kami kakain. Konti lang naman ang alam kong high-end diner na gaya nito. Yung tipong affordable pa rin for me, of course. But would seem sophisticated enough for her.
The interior looks elegant, albeit old-school. Which is exactly why maganda ang ambiance dito. It'a chill place to dine... parang mix ng family style restaurant at deluxe café. The menu, meanwhile, offers Italian classics and signature Filipino dishes. And yet, tapsilog lang ang lagi kong inoorder dito. I don't regret it though.
Samantala, bagets ang pormahan nitong si Lira ngayon: double denim. Kapag dinagdag pa yung medyo kulot na ayos ng buhok niya, para siyang isang movie character sa mga university or teen romance films nung 90's. In contrast, I managed to look like one of the locals. Shorts and plain tee. I wanted something flexible, since I'd still have the entire day after this appointment. Ang nasa isip ko kasi, I might as well sneak in a short vacation.
"So, wanna share more about her?" biglang wika ni Lira. "The girl... I think her name was Alice."
"Yeah, seems like it," medyo nagulat ako. Hindi ko rin kasi alam paano namin sisimulan ito. And it hasn't hit me until now... that in essence, what I'm chasing here is a ghost. "This girl... hindi ko alam bakit napapadalas siya sa isipan ko. And the more I think about her, the more I'm noticing these little inconsistencies around me."
"I'm curious — like what?" dugtong ng nakababatang Alfonso na mukha namang seryosong nakikinig sa'kin. I have my doubts, obviously, but this is also already the most I've shared with anyone outside of my closest friends and Fritz.
"I feel like this is all leading me to something."
"Or someone," she adds; echoing my thoughts.
"Yung story ng family niyo, pakiramdam ko there's something there na makakatulong sa'kin."
"So, you think Alice... is real?"
She throws a curveball, but I'm not surprised. It's not like I haven't done this to myself as well. Yung i-disprove ang sarili kong sapantaha at palagay. I did all that and came out of this thinking more convinced that this person in my head exists somewhere — or at a certain point was even a part of my life.
