1982

three.

LN: Papaano kung tayo magkarelasyon...?

TH: Ha? Ang choppy mo!

LN: Ang sabi ko papaano kung—

The line got cut off at Theresia's side.

Theresia on the other side blames their telephone for not functioning properly or maybe it was Leonor's phone. She redialed the number twice on the telephone—unfortunately, it didn't reach Leonor's signal. "Papa! Ayaw na naman magring nito!" She requested help from her father, but she was unable to contact Leonor after that.

✎...

Returning to the present, Leonor stares at the untouched black telephone, waiting (im)patiently for someone to call. She tries but to no avail, not even pasalubongs from her parents or favorites can cheer her up. She overthinks too much, which is unhealthy for her brain and negative for her heart.

Leonor was working on her homework in her dim bedroom when her mother yelled her name out of the hush.

"Nak, halika, may padala sa'yo!"

She sluggishly lifts her lightweight body from her desk chair to see what her mother was referring to. The exhausted stomps from her feet exude the effortlessness with which she goes down a flight of stairs. "Ano po 'yon ma?" Her mother gestured for her to walk outside and handed her a 12-inch-long box.

"Hindi sinabi kung kanino galing, maiwan na kita dito, maglilinis pa ako sa loob," her mother said as she addressed her daughter's worries about the unexpected delivery. "Hala bayad ba 'to..." Leonor mumbled, still perplexed as to who would unexpectedly send her something.

The package was merely sealed with tape, so she carefully tears it off with a scissor. She opens the box, and to her amazement, it contained something unforeseen. A letter, two purple and pink pins, and a note next to the letter. She read the letter with curiosity.

Para sa kaibigan ko'ng si Maria Leonor,

Una sa lahat, humihingi ako ng tawad sa'yo dahil hindi na ako nakatawag pagkatapos mawalan kami ng signal. Pero humanap pa ako ng ibang paraan para makausap ka :) Sa pamamaraan na sulatan kita, actually ang hirap kasi malayo pa sa amin 'yung mail center. May 10 ko ito sinulat, pero baka matanggap mo 'to next week pa hehe. Pakibilisan po mamang tagapagpadala ng telegrama!! Ang hirap talaga kasi ang layo niyo eh. What if punta kaya ako diyan? Joke lang, wala pa pala akong pera. Kumusta ka naman? Pinagalala ba kita Leonor? Kung oo, mayroon akong binigay na pampalibag-loob. Nakita mo 'yung pins diyan? Meroon din ako niyan! Para matchy tayo hehe. Para rin maalala mo ako tuwing nakikita mo 'yan. Hala don't think of me to much ha? >< Tapos kung hindi mo nagustuhan, bigyan mo na lang ako pera para makapunta diyan! Joke (2) Ang dami ko na nasusulat, 'pag natanggap mo 'to, pwede sulatan mo rin ako? Para malaman ko na natanggap mo na. Kung magtanong mama mo kung sino nagpadala, sabihin mo ako lang 'to guardian soldier mo! Haha if that make any sense. Bye na nga, ingat ka lagi't lagi Leni ko!

Nagmamahal bilang kaibigan, Ana Theresia

"Leni ko..."

Her emotions were uncontrollable as she read the letter, and her teeth were unwittingly showing. She can't convey the amount of happiness that has struck her right now. To put it another way, it was as if you saw your celebrity crush, but it was instead your friend.

"Ana Theresia 'nangaangkin' Hontiveros," she whisper-yelled, loud enough for her to hear. Her head sways in different directions if somebody witnesses her going wild over a letter. Her eyes squinted as she caressed the note, which featured a doodle of them at the bridge when they first met.

She runs upstairs, completely forgetting about her schoolwork, to collect some unused paper and a black ballpen to write a letter to Theresia.

And it is from there that they began sending letters as far as they could.

✎...

Theresia's letter with a side note:

✎...

A/N: Sa mga pupunta po ng rally this week or pwede sa mismong v-day ni VP, gawan niyo naman po ng placard 'to: "I would like to ask Risa Hontiveros to be my girlfriend" HAHAHAHAHAH CHARIZM tapos si Risa pala nagbasa ano 🫠