Hang In There, Althea!

26

Belated Merry Christmas, people! Have a happy new year. Let's manifest that good things will happen next year and for this pandemic to finally end. Hang in there! Please, hang in there!

~

"So what do you think?" Tanogn ko kay Kean nang ibaba na niya ang sulat at tumingin saakin. Kinbukasan ay agad kong niyaya si Kean sa isang coffee shop sa loob ng subdivision namin at ipakita sakanya ang sulat na natanggap ko mula kay Roswell.

"Did it cross your mind that maybe it's a farewell letter?" Tanong niya saakin. I expected that he'll ask me that question. Huminga muna ako ng malalim at sumipsip sa order kong Iced Coffee.

"If we concluded the same thing, then does that mean it's true?" Tanong ko sakanya. Hindi diretsang sinagot ang tanong niya saakin. Nakatingin lamang ako sakanya, naghihintay sa susunod niyang sasabihin.

"You can't conclude something with just two answers, Althea." Aniya.

"Yeah, but the number of respondents are void if they don't represent the target of your research." Tumango naman siya saakin at sumagot muli.

"Taking that into account, I don't represent him, so my answer is void." 

Heto na naman kami at tila nagbabangayan at nagtatagisan ng mga rason. Napangiti na lamang ako sakanya. This is what I like the most about Kean, besides the fact that he's been by my side since the reset of my life.

"Point taken. But say, he's really saying goodbye, bakit? Why would he say goodbye if he started the construction of his home. For sure we'll see again once it's done or he'll do an on-site check."

Nakuwento ko na sakanya kanina kung paano kami dumating sa puntong ganito ni Roswell, including the part where Roswell and I kissed but the latter is less detailed. Of course.

"I know right. That, I can't figure out."

Natahimik kami ng ilang sandali. Nag-iisip ng mga kasagutan. Ninanamnam ang aroma ng kape at magaan na aura ng coffee shop na kinaroroonan namin ngayon. There's a possibility that he isn't saying goodbye, right? It could be just hopes that we'll meet again soon. And that we can't do anything right now because we wanted fate to take over our encounters. But why? Bakit ngayon pa? Hindi sa naiinip na akong makita siyang muli, pero bakit kailangan pa naming patunayan na nasa panig namin ang tadhana? 

Paano kung hindi?

Paano kung hindi na?

"Have you tried reaching out to him through his social media or his phone number, perhaps?" Tumango ako sakanya at ipinakita ang mga message ko kay Roswell sa kanyang instagram at text mesages.

"You called him last night?" Tanong niya saakin.

"Yeah, it was him who called first, pero hindi ko nasagot kasi sobrang saglit lang n'on." Napahawak siya sa kanyang baba at nag-isip muli. Napangiti akong muli dahil doon. He's taking this seriously. It's showing that he's genuine on helping me out.

"Baka may asawa na siya?" Pabiro niyang tanong saakin at sumimsim sa kanyang kape. Kita ko ang hindi niya mapigilang ngisi sa gilid ng kanyang mga labi habang humihigop sa kape niya. I rolled my eyes at him and spit out things to invalidate his theory.

"First of all that's very unlikely because I'm the only person besides him na nasa instagram niya. It's his personal account because I checked his following. Puro relatives and friends niya." Pag-explain ko at itinaas ang palad at thumb. Sunod kong itinaas ang aking index finger para sa pangalawang dahilan.

"Second, he's only 23 years old. He's too busy with his office life, that's why lagi siyang nasa bakanteng lote noon that drove him to buy the land." Nakatingin lamang saakin si Kean habang nag-eexplain ako sakanya. Nakangisi siya saakin at tila nang-aasar. Hindi ko na itinuloy ang iba pang possible na rason para madurog ang theory niya. Ibinaba ko na ang aking kamay at sumipsip sa straw ng order ko at tumingin sa paligid.