The girl who just can't move

The girl who just can't move (Fourteen)

"Are we really going to do this now?" 

Iyon ang paulit-ulit kong tanong kina Anton habang papunta kami sa pad ni Diego. Anton and Trey have deviced a plan to finally get rid of that monster and I agreed with them, ang hindi ko lang kasi maintindihan ay kung bakit ngayon namin kailangan gawin ito. I haven't seen Ian for a day, at hindi ko alam kung ano itong kabang nararamdaman ko. It just felt like something was wrong. Naaaligaga ako. Nag-aalala. At mas lalong tumindi ang pag-aalala ko nang hindi niya sagutin ang mga tawag ko. Parang may mali kasi. Hindi ko alam. Basta, something wasn't right. 

"For the nth time, Robi. Yes we are doing it now!" inis na sigaw ni Anton. We got out of the car. We stood side by side in front of Diego's building. Hindi ko alam kung sino bang hinihintay namin. Maybe we were waiting for Trey or for James or for a miracle. Sa tingin ko kasi talaga ay napaka-imposible ng planong gagawin namin. 

The plan was to get inside Diego's pad and take the usb or memory card or the camera that contains all of Ian's picture. Pagkatapos noon ay aalis na. But how could we actually do that if we don't know where Diego hides those things?

"A-anton, this is going to fail." huminga ako nang malalim matapos ko siyang harapin. 

"Don't you trust us?" he said grinning. "Oh nandito na pala iyong ibang accomplice."

Nakakunot ang noo na sinundan ko ng tingin ang direksyong tinatanaw ni Anton. I saw a dark blue fortuner approaching. If i'm not mistaken, that was Trey's car. Huminto ang kotse at mula roon ay bumaba si Trey, si Jenny at ang isang di ko kilalang babae. They all smiled at us. 

"This will be easy." nakangiting turan ni Jenny. Napailing ako. 

"How easy? What are you talking about?" nagtatakang tanong ko. 

"This is the plan, Robi." nakangiti si Anton. "You will go up, see Diego, talk to him and make him believe that you're in for whatever he wants you to do." 

"While doing that, Jenny and Ella ---" pinigilan ko si Trey. 

"Who the hell is Ella?" naguguluhang tanong ko. Napatingin ako nang magtaas ng kamay ang babaeng nakatayo sa likod ni Jenny. 

"I am Ella." seryosong sagot niya. 

"Best friend ko." nakatawang sabi ni Jenny. "Bale, Sir Robi, aakyatin iyong pad ng Diegong bading na iyon na pinsan ni Dora. Tapos kukunin iyong itim na USB sa drawer niya, pangatlong kahon tapos, tapos na ang problema."

I looked at Anton and Trey. Parang hindi ako makapaniwala. 

"Aakyatin ninyo iyong pad ni Diego? At paano ninyo nalaman kung anong kukunin ninyo at kung saang part ng bahay?" nanlalaki ang mga matang sabi ko. 

"Nope." umiling si Anton. I looked at Trey. Itinuro niya ang dalawang babaeng nakatayo sa tabi niya. 

"Jenny and Ella will do that job. Dito lang kami, look out." Literal na napanganga ako. Jenny will go up there? Could she really do that?

"K-kaya ninyo iyon?" I was really surpirsed when I heard the confidence on Trey's voice. I knew how proud he was of Jenny. I spent countless moments with Trey na ang pinag-uusapan lang namin ay si Jenny. The man was so in love with his girlfriend that I sometimes think that he was paying homage to her every moment he gets. 

"Oo naman, Sir." nakangiting inakbayan ni Jenny ang kanyang kaibigan. "Pangarap yata naming maging akyat bahay nitong si mamhen, noong nasa college pa lang kami."

"This job is easy." That Ella girl said. Tumaas ang kilay ko. They talk like they have done this before. 

"Okay... let's do this. Are you ready?" tanong ni Anton. 

"Make me proud, Jenny." hinagkan ni Trey si Jenny sa noo. 

"Let's go!" 

"What am I gonna do?" I asked a bit confused. 

"Just go and use your charms, Robin hood! We'll be down here." tinapik ni Anton ang balikat ko. 

"In our case..." The Ella girl spoke. "We'll be up there." 

"Go!" tulak sa akin ni Anton. I looked at the four of them before I finally decided that this thing might actually work. Hindi ko alam kung anong mangyayari I just have to trust my friend or in this case Jenny and that girl... I just really hope this works...

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

I go up and I went straight to Diego's apartment. I was really nervous about this. Hanggang sa pagkakataong iyon ay hindi ko talaga alam kung itutuloy ko iyon o hindi. I needed to know if things were okay. Kung sakali kasi, maaaring mapahamak si Jenny at ang kaibigan niya. Hindi ko talaga ma-imagine kung paano nila aakyatin ang apartment ni Diego. 

Kinatok ko ang pintuan niya. Agad namang bumukas iyon. Mukhang nagulat siya nang makita ako na nakatayo sa kanyang harap. 

"Diego." tinanguan ko siya. He grinned at me. 

"Robi Santos." niluwagan niya ang bukas ng pinto. Pumasok ako. Sumunod siya sa akin. Diego's place was clean and organized. Hindi ganoon kalaki ang lugar pero spacious ito. I looked around the place and I saw frames where he put his different articles. They were hanging on the wall. I saw something Neon - related but I was too nervouse I didn't have time to look at it. 

"To what element do I owe your visit, Robi?" nakangiting sabi niya. Humarap ako. Noon ko lang napansin that he was wearing a leopard print bath robe. He was holding, on his left hand a glass of wine. 

"Tungkol doon sa pinag-usapan natin." mariing sabi ko. He looked at me. Nadi-distract talaga ako sa baling ilong niya. I can't believe Jenny did that. I mean how the hell? Jenny was smaller than Diego, she was lighter than him so how did she manage to punch Diego on his nose? Mas malala pa ang pagkabali ng ilong niya kaysa sa ilong ko. 

"So you are going to give me the details about the Patrona project?" he asked. 

"Yes. But I have my terms." namulsa ako. Diego looked at me. "If ever I give you the Patrona Project, you will never ever never ever disturb me and Ian. You are going to to give me all -- as in ALL the pictures you have of Ian. Hindi mo na ako maloloko ngayon, Diego. If I deal with you again, you have to give me everything." mariing sabi ko. 

Diego stared at me. He smiled. I guess he was about to say something but the phone rang. Tumayo siya at saka binalingan ako. 

"I'll deal with you. Robi. I just had to take this." iniwan ako ni Diego sa sala. I looked around again looking for something. Lumakad ako ng kaunti. I found myself standing in front of his glass door. Diegos' place had a view of the metro and given the situation, I still find it pretty. I sighed. Patalikod na ako nang mapansin ko ang isang bulto ng babae na gumagapang papasok. 

"Jenny?" I whispered. She looked up at me. 

"Did you see Ella?" pabulong na tanong niya. Umiling ako. "Naku, baka namali siya ng bintanang napasukan!" 

"What?!" I said. Sabi ko na nga ba at papalpak ang plano. 

"Robi?" narinig ko ang boses ni Diego. I looked at Jenny. 

"Go. Go before he sees you!" 

"Anong ginagawa mo diyan?" nagtatakangb tanong nito. I looked back at him. Naitas ko ang kamay ko at inilagay iyon sa aking ulo. What should I tell him? God! It was excruciating!

"You have a good view up here." that was all I could come up. I smiled. He shook his head. 

"It looked like you were talking to somebody." komento nito. Muli na naman siyang naupo sa couch at saka tinginan ako. "As I was saying ---"

"Blag!" 

Isang malakas na tunog galing sa kwarto ni Diego ang pumainlanlang sa buong lugar. Napatingin siya sa akin at saka tumayo. He was about to walk towards his room nang harangin ko siya. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." 

"Anong sinasabi mo? Anong nangyayari? Tumabi ka nga!" he pushed me. And for a gay man, Diego was really strong. Mabilis na sinundan ko siya papasok sa kwarto. We found Jenny standing near the huge windown of his room holding a digital camera, a USB and an APPLE laptop.

"Ikaw!" sigaw ni Diego kay Jenny. Tumingin si Jenny kay Diego at saka ngumisi. "Anong ginagawa mo dito?" tanong nito. Diego faced me. "You were in to this!" 

"Whatever, Diego! I just need you to stop bothering me. And you can't do that anymore if you don't have the pictures."

"Tama ka diyan, Sir. So Diegong bading na pinsan ni Dora, say goodbye to your prized possesions." And just like that, Jenny throw the digicam on the window. Matapos noon ay isinunod niya ang laptop. 

"No!!!" sigaw ni Diego. Nanginig ang boses nito at maya-maya ay napaluhod pa. I smiled at myself. I can't believe it. 

"Paano ba iyan, Diegong bading na pinsan ni Dora." nakangising sabi ni Jenny. 

"You!" tumayo bigla si Diego at saka dinampot ang telepono. "I'm going to call the police. I'm going to report you! Idedemanda ko kayo!" 

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang makita kong pinpindot nga ni Diego nang wireless phone na iyon. Gumana ang instinct ko at saka ko kinuha sa kanya ng telepono. Inilaglag ko iyon sa sahig at saka tinapakan. 

"No phone. No cellphone." kinuha ko rin ang I-phone niya at saka ihihagis iyon kay Jenny. Jenny threw it at the window. 

"Mga lapastangan!" Diego yelled at us. Sinenyasan ko si Jenny. Tumalikod na ako. But then I saw Diego running towards the door. Naunahan niya akong lumabas at doon sa hallway, nagsisigaw siya. 

"Tulong! Tulong! I'm being rob!" Tumakbo din ako. I will get Diego and if I did, I'll punch him on the face but then, mas mabilis tumakbo si Jenny. Nakita ko na lang na hinawakan niya si Diego sa braso dahilan para humarap ito sa kanya and after that, Jenny cupped his face to give him a kiss on his lips. 

My mouth literally fell open. Jenny kissed Diego on the lips! I almost threw up on my mouth. 

"Yuck!" Jenny exclaimed after that disgusting kiss. I looked at Diego, tulala siya. Nakatingin lang siya sa kawalan. "Nakakainis!" sigaw ni Jenny bago niya itinaas ang kamao niya. She will hit Diego, I stopped her. Napatingin siya sa akin. 

"Let me do that." mariing sabi ko. I stepped in front of Diego. "This is for what you did to the love of my life." I said. Then I hit him right on his cheek. Napaupo si Diego sa gitna ng hallway. "Do not mess with Neon again Diego. Or you will regret it for the rest of your miserable life." 

For the last time I looked at Diego and somehow, nawala na ang tinik sa aking lalamunan. I looked at Jenny. She looked really disgusted with the fact that she kissed this gay man. I smiled at her. 

"Let's go. We are done here." tumalikod na ako. Hindi ko alam kung bakit but I feel really happy tonight. I guess after what he had just experienced, Diego will be out of our lives forever. I closed my eyes as I walkn down that hallway. I thought of Ian's face and again, everything felt good. I am going to see her after this. I am going to kiss her and tell her how much I love her. Finally. I am going to have my own happy ending with the girl whom I promised forever, the girl who waited for me for seven years - the girl who can't be moved. 

"Everything fine?" iyon agad ang salubong sa akin ni Anton nang makababa kami. I smiled at him. 

"Santiago! Santiago!" napatingin kaming pareho ni Anton kay Jenny. She was frantic, she ran to Trey. "Halikan mo ako sa lips! Ngayon na!" 

Napailing na lang ako. Binalik ko ang tingin ko kay Anton. 

"Did you see the laptop?" I said smiling. He nodded. I sighed. "Thank you, Anton."

"You're always welcome, Robin Hood." he said smiling. "Now let us all go home so we can make love to our wives!" pabirong sabi niya. 

Muli ay tumingin ako sa pinagbagsakan ng laptop ni Diego. Lalong lumawak ang pagkakangiti ko. Wala na ang nag-iisang problema. I could live happily with Ian now. Pwede na akong matulog nang hindi iniisip kung anong lalabas na balita tungkol kay Ian pagkagising ko sa umaga. 

We were all smiling as we drove back to our village. Jenny and Trey took off after we said our goodbyes. I wanted to ask Jenny kung anong nangyari sa kaibigan niyang si Ella but I was too happy to even remember. Ibinaba ako ni Anton sa tapat ng bahay ko. We shook hands before I get off his car. Muli ko siyang pinasalamatan dahil sa tulong niya. 

I was still smiling habang naglalakad ako papunta sa bahay ni Ian. I missed her so much. Tumingala ako and I saw her lights were still on. I thought of something. Kumuha ako ng bato at saka isa-isang inihagis iyon sa kanyang bintana. Maya-maya ay bumakas iyon, inalabas niya ang kanyang ulo at saka ngumiti. 

"You were gone the whole day." she said to me. 

"Did you missed me?" I asked instead of answering her questions. Hindi siya sumagot. Sa halip ay muli niyang isinara ang bintana at pinatay ang ilaw. Napakunot ang noo ko. Anong nangyayari? Naulinigan ko na lang ang pagbukas ng front door. Lumabas roon si Ian at saka patakbong yumakap sa akin. She embraced me so tight I find it hard to breathe. 

"Ian?" I asked her. 

"Please, just let me hold you like this..." 

Nagtataka man ay hinayaan kong yakapin niya ako. That hig made my day. It took all my stress away. 

"I love you.." I whispered in her ear. 

"I love you too." she answered. "And I'm not going to let anything break us apart. I'm not letting you go. I'm going to fight for you." 

I really don't know what she was talking about but it felt so good hearing it from her so I just let it slip away. I took a deep breath. Ilang hakbang na lang, mararating ko na ang last page. And the best thing about it was, I am with Ian. The one I will spen my forever with.