Without You

Chapter 4

Pinagmasdan na lamang ni Gerald si Sarah habang tuluyan na itong lumayo sa kanya… sa buhay n’ya. “Ganun kasakit para sa kanya ang paghihiwalay naming, ang lahat ng nangyari sa amin kaya she’s mad as hell. Mas lalong dapat kong ipaalam ang mga pangyayari. I really need to explain myself,” ang sabi n’ya sa sarili. Bumalik s’ya sa kanyang sasakyan at kumuha ng isang business card na nasa glove compartment ng kanyang sasakyan. He got his pen and wrote something on it. He walked to the gate and slid the card under to get it to the other side. He went back to his car and drove away.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the gate, Sarah was surprised as a small card made its way under the gate. Kinuha n’ya ito at tinignan ang nakasulat. It was his business card with a note that said: We need to talk. Please. When you’re ready, call me. I’ll be waiting. I always have been.

********

“Fred, are you home?”

“Oo bro. Bakit?”

“I’ll go there. Wait for me,” he stiffly said then hung up.

Nagulat si Fred sa inasal ng kaibigan but he sort of has an idea of what was bothering his friend because the last time he was like this was the night he and Sarah called it quits. Natakot s’yang isipin na maaaring may kinalaman nga sa babaeng ito ang pagkakaganoon ng kaibigan. Natatakot s’yang gawin na naman ni Gerald sa sarili ang mga pinagdaanan n’ya noon.

Flashback

Days after the break-up

“You should stop doing this to yourself. Clean up your act bro. ‘Pag nakita ka ni Sarah looking like that sa palagay mo ba gugustuhin pa n’yang makipagbalikan pa sa ‘yo?” Fred said to Gerald who was already on his seventh bottle of beer.

“How will she still see me eh lumayo na nga s’ya. Hindi ko na nga s’ya mahanap. She left her old apartment and none of her friends want to tell me where she is. Tinataguan n’ya ako at tinutulungan pa s’ya ng mga kaibigan n’ya.”

“Have you tried asking her Ate?”

“Do you really think they would tell me after all that has happened to us? At alam kong they have something to do with this.”

“What about Julia? Have you tried asking her?”

“She’s not telling. She said she’s protecting Sarah from me. Sabihin mo nga sa akin. Ano ba ang alam mong ginawa ko kay Sarah para sabihin nilang hindi ako dapat para sa kanya? I’ve never wanted anything but good things for her. She is always at the top of my priorities. Alam mong kahit ikamatay ko gagawin ko para lang sa kanya. Bakit sila ganun? Ni minsan hindi ako gumawa na alam kong ikasasama ng loob n’ya. Bro, bakit kailangan paghiwalayin nila kami?” he said in between gulps of beer.

 

"Sigurado ka bang wala kang ginawa? Balikan mo nga ang mga pagkakataong nakilala mo ang pamilya ni Sarah. Ano ba ang naging reaction nila nang ipakilala ka ni Sarah sa kanila?" tanong ni Fred. Naaawa siya sa kaibigan pero hindi din niya alam kung paano niya ito matutulungan.