RGS#1: TO BREAK AN AFFAIR (PUBLISHED)

EPILOGUE

I ended the call from one of my friends in Bentley when another ring followed. Mag-aalas otso ng gabi rito sa Boston , kaya di ko mahanapan ng rason ang pag-tawag ni Ryland.

"What?" I started.

"Kayo pa ba ni Antonia?" bungad niyang tanong.

"Yeah," iritado kong untag. He's calling just to ask this?

"Are you sure? Do you still communicate?"

Doon na ako kinabahan sa tanong niya. Mahirap aminin na tumatamlay na ang relasyon namin.

"She's been distant...pero iniintindi ko nalang. She's busy." I shrugged.

"You got it all wrong, Rouge."

"Why?" I asked, my eyes narrowed at the plant outside the window as if it was my cousin.

"Ikakasal na siya."

Napatayo ako. "What kind of bullshit are you talking about, Ryland?"

Dumoble ang iritasyon ko sa kanyang pagtawa."Better bring your ass back here and see it for yourself. The wedding is on Sunday."

I didn't bother procrastinate. I bought a ticket that night on my way to the Philippines.  Sa buong magdamag sa eroplano ay tanging pagpigil sa kasal ang nasa isip ko ngunit hindi ko na ito naabutan. It was too late. Gabi na akong nakarating kaya dumiretso ako sa reception na tinext sa 'kin ng pinsan ko.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit kami nagkaganito. Dahil ba sa agwat ng edad namin? But why did she have to leave me hanging in Boston? She suddenly cut our communication but I kept on denying the very definite reason. Pinagpapalagay ko palagi na abala siya. And now she's going to get married? I don't want to call her names pero tangina lang! This is a sharp strike to my ego!

Sa tagal ng walang komunikasyon namin ni Antonia ay parang nawawalan na rin ako ng gana. Bakit hindi man lang niya ako sinabihan? Bakit hindi pa niya tinapos kung magpapakasal lang naman pala siya sa iba? It's like she's playing me on her porcelain soft hands with a string.

Imbes na masaktan, galit ako habang pinapanood sila ng asawa niya sa loob ng reception. I guess she has never loved me. I could say the same, but I'm not sure. Maybe what we had was just to fire up the thrill of having a wide age gap relationship. I was twenty one when we started, she was turning thirty two.

Nahagip ng paningin ko ang babae sa may floral arch. She picked a flower then put it in her ear.

"May kilala ka sa loob? Bakit hindi ka pumasok?"

Hindi ko alam ang sasabihin ko. Kung kinakabahan man ang tawag sa nararamdaman ko, wala naman akong rason upang kabahan. I'm just a chill man! I don't get on edge when talking to a woman for the first time! Not even infront of Antonia.

Her voice. It's unique for a woman to have a natural husk in her voice. Antonia is soft spoken. But this woman? Palagi ba siyang kumakanta o naglalasing kaya ganyan kagaspang ang boses niya? Yet anyway, it's sexy as it sounds. I wonder how it sounds as she scream my name in pleasure. Pinigilan kong mapangiti, I believed she has noticed.

"My dad's the groom."

Upon knowing that, ideas surged like big waves into my mind. She's Antonia's husband's daughter. Hindi ako tumanggi na ihatid siya pauwi because right then, I was able to know about her new home.

Our unexpected meetings after that night kept coming without me having to control it by my own hands it's like the stars are aligned. I guess my lucky cards are doing the wonders.

Sitting at the edge of my bed, napahilamos ako sa aking mukha.  Sweat dripping in me like guilt and shame. I can't almost drag my feet to the washroom.  Naririnig ko mula rito sa banyo ang may pagmamadaling kilos ni Antonia.