If We'd Never Met

twenty six.

"I'm almost there." I said, "Fuck."

"Okay ka lang ba, Ly?"

"Yeah. Sorry. I forgot traffic exist in here I was driving really fast."

"Siraulo ka talaga! Get here safe!"

"I will. I'll see you in a bit, Gretch."

I arrived at the venue after 20 mins, I just stand outside because all of a sudden I felt nervous. I mean, I should be. I left without saying goodbye. I didn't even tell the person I trust the most that I'm leaving.

I sighed before opening the door and all I see are unfamiliar faces, I spotted Gretchen and she raised her eyebrow at me. I saw Ms. P whose mouth now is slightly opened. I gave her a smile. Then the girl who's facing Ms. P turned around her eyebrows almost touching each other which was immediately replace with a shock on her face.

Dennise.... I thought. How could I forget that face who's always in my dreams?

"Valdez?" Ms. P called when I met her across.

"The one and only." I answered and she gave me a hug, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Shh." She said and I felt my polo getting wet.

"Ms. P. Stop crying, baka paisipin nila pinaiyak kita." I whispered while we're hugging.

She chuckled, "But you did." She then pull away from the hug, "How's the big time business woman?"

I rolled my eyes before answering her, "I'm not, alright? I still need to improve."

"Haay, eto talagang favorite student ko." She said but whispering the word favorite, "Halika, kumain ka na."

--

I didn't even plan to stay in Philippines for long, kasi sa totoo lang business at baby shower lang din naman ang pinunta ko dito. But Ms. P and I have been catching up for the past few days, sometimes she would text me out of the blue to meet up with her.

I'm in grocery right now dahil ito lang ang pwede ko puntahan na malapit sa akin. Well, I can't go far knowing that I have meetings to go to. Business is taking over my life for the past 5 years and I'm just.... just there nagpapadala sa alon.

"Dapat kasi inaamoy rin para malaman kung okay na." Someone said beside me and so I turn and look.

"Dennise." I said.

"Just feeling it from the outside doesn't assure you na fresh siya." She said as she picked up the cantaloupe I was holding and smelled it, "This is good."

"How do you know based from the smell?" I asked.

"To be honest with you. I don't know." She chuckled, "I always see Mom doing that and I asked her the same thing, she just said na you just have to trust your instincts."

"Mrs. Lazaro talaga oh." I said and chuckled, "How is she?"

"She's fine, but I'm pretty sure mag-tatampo yun cause you call her Mrs. Lazaro." She said and looked at me then gave me a smile.

"Do you wanna shop together?" I asked and she nodded in reply.

And so we did, she bought some stuff for herself muna dahil she ran out of stocks. While we were buying groceries I found out that she moved away from her parents two years ago, she would just visit them every once in a while.

We finished buying groceries after 2 hours, but it felt like minutes have only gone by. I paid for her stuff but she keep on insisting na she would pay for it.