“Hi Mommy!” Sarah greeted Mommy Divine when she and Gerald entered their house. “My, ito po si Doc Gerald. Bago ko pong kaibigan.”
“Magandang gabi po Mrs. Geronimo. Gerald or Ge na lang po ang itawag n’yo sa akin.”
“Magandang gabi rin Gerald. Maupo ka.”
“Salamat po,” he said as he settled himself on one of the sofas.
“Sandali lang mga anak ha at tatawagin ko lang si Daddy,” Mommy Divine said.
Sarah sat beside him after her mom left the room. “Gusto mo ba ng drinks – water, coffee, juice?”
“Nah, I’m good. I will just remind you of our agreement ha. Just let me do what I should do, don’t resist it.”
“Oo na, kahit na kinakabahan ako d’yan.”
“You were the one who brought up the dare kaya panindigan mo ‘yan,” he said with a smirk.
On their way to Sarah’s house, they talked about some rules and conditions about their “courtship.” They have both agreed that in order for Gerald to do his panliligaw properly, Sarah should not oppose any of his moves, unless necessary, and just go with the flow.
“Sarah, sino ang kasama mo?” Daddy Delfin asked when he saw them.
Gerald and Sarah stood up as she introduced him to her dad. “Daddy, ito po si Doc Gerald. Bago ko pong kaibigan.”
“Magandang gabi po Mr. Geronimo,” he said as he offered his hand, which Daddy Delfin accepted.
“Magandang gabi naman anak. Mabuti naman at napadalaw ka dito sa amin.”
“Ah Daddy hinatid lang po n’ya ako pauwi,” Sarah said.
“Actually sir kaya rin po ako nandito ay para ipaalam sa inyo na nagpaalam po ako sa anak n’yo na liligawan ko po s’ya.”
Sarah’s eyebrows shot up. “Ah Daddy…”
Gerald sternly looked at her as if reminding her of their agreement.
“Ah Daddy totoo po ‘yon.”
Daddy Delfin looked at Gerald, then at Sarah, then back at Gerald. “Maraming salamat anak at binigyan mo kami ng importansya sa pagpapaalam mo sa amin ng iyong intension.”
Mommy Divine entered the living room with a tray with cups of coffee. “O magkape muna kayo.”
“Mommy, itong si Doc Gerald pala ay aakyat ng ligaw dito sa anak natin,” Daddy Delfin said.
“Ah ganun ba?”
“Ah Mommy, Daddy si Gerald po ay kaibigan nung mabait na doktor na tumulong sa atin nung na-ospital si Daddy.”
“Sino, si destiny mo?” Mommy Divine loosely said that Daddy Delfin had to nudge her.
Gerald felt the punch to his stomach again. “Sam is your destiny?” he asked her.
“Ah anak, joke lang namin ‘yun simula nang maikwento ni Sarah sa amin na nagkakilala na sila ni Doc Sam,” Mommy Divine explained.
“Ah ganun po ba?” Gerald said.
“Paano naman kayo nagkakilala ng anak namin?” Daddy Delfin asked to change the topic.
“Sa wedding po ng bestfriend ko. Sila po ang wedding coordinator. Pero before that nakakausap ko na rin po s’ya dahil sa wedding naman ng iba naming kaibigan na sila din po ang coordinator, hindi lang nga po talaga kami pormal na nagkakilala noon.”
“Aba anak, dumedestiny rin itong si Doc Gerald ah,” Mommy Divine said to Sarah.
“Mommy...” Sarah said while giving her mom a sharp glare.
“Totoo naman ah. Biruin mo ilang beses na pala kayong dapat nagkakilala at hindi natuloy pero heto at binigyan pa rin kayo ng tadhana ng pagkakataon. Hindi ba destiny ang tawag dun? Ikaw ba Doc hindi ka naniniwala sa destiny?”
“Naniniwala po.”
“Mommy tama na nga ‘yang kaka-destiny mo,” Daddy Delfin said. “Doc, pagpasensyahan mo na itong asawa ko ha.”
“Ha… ha… ha! Wala pong problema ‘yun. Ah siguro po tutuloy na rin ako, medyo gumagabi na po at nakakaabala na ako sa inyo.”
“Anak, hindi ka abala sa amin. Natutuwa nga kami at bumisita ka sa amin,” Mommy Divine said.
“Dumalaw ka lang dito sa bahay, hindi ka naman namin pagbabawalan. Mas gusto pa nga namin ‘yun kaysa naman sa labas lang kayo nagkikita ng anak ko,” added Daddy Delfin.
“Makakaasa po kayo na bibisita ulit ako. So paano po, aalis na po ako. Thank you po for your hospitality. Sa, uwi na ako,” Gerald said while getting up.
All Geronimos stood up as well. Mommy Divine and Daddy Delfin said goodbye to Gerald while Sarah walked him to the gate.
“Ikaw talaga kung anu-ano ang pinangako mo dun sa nanay at tatay ko. Alam mo namang pretend courtship lang itong sa atin,” Sarah told Gerald when they got to his car.
“Eh di ba sabi mo gusto mo makita kung paano ako manligaw? I’m showing you now that this is how I do it. Hindi lang ‘yung girl ang nililigawan ko but also the family.”
Sarah just smiled.
“Naku, patay tayo d’yan!” Gerald exclaimed.
“Bakit?”
“’Yung mga gan’yang ngiti, isa lang ibig sabihin n’yan. Bumibilib ka na sa akin ‘no?”
“Well, in fairness sa ‘yo your first day isn’t so bad.”
“So you’re starting to fall for me already?”
“Ang kapal talaga!”
“Okay lang kahit hindi mo aminin ngayon. We’ll just see on the last day. You have to pretend to give me an answer ha.”
“Bakit pa eh pretend lang naman?”
“So I would know if I still got it. And it would be like an admission on your part that what Sam said about me is true,” he said with a huge grin.
“Ikaw Ge ang dami mo talagang nalalaman. Umuwi ka na nga!”
“My first day of pretend courtship isn’t over yet. I still have a few hours to go and I’m going to make sure to make it count. So I’ll go ahead ha. Pumasok ka na kasi hindi ako aalis dito hanggang hindi ko nakikita that you’re safe inside.”
She smiled at him and said, “Sige na nga. Good night. Ingat.”
“I see that smile again.”
“Tse!” she said then turned around to go inside.
