Romantic Short Stories [DUBREDO]

III. Malacañang Garden

"Rody, lasing na lasing ka na" Perfecto told him.

Rodrigo looked at the girl he was recently making out with and realized it wasn't Leni at all. "Sino ka? Umalis ka nga dito!" He yelled at the girl. "Huh? Gagò ka pala eh!" The girl walked out in offense. "Rodrigo, umidlip ka muna diyan, lasing ka na." Perfecto told him.

Perfecto dialed Rodrigo's sister, Jocellyn to pick him up. "Sige, punta na ako diyan, nandito lang kami sa Zark's. Will be there in a minute." Jocellyn replied and hung up. Few minutes after he dialed Leni's number to update her about Rodrigo.

"Hey! Leni, can you hear me?" Perfecto spoke as soon as she picked up her phone. "Perfecto?" She asked. "Oo, Leni." He confirmed.

"Kasama ko kase si Rodrigo dito sa Sherwood, ang daming nainom, busy ka ba? Baka pwedeng i-assist mo naman." Perfecto told her. "Ha? Bakit naglalasing yan? Okay lang ba siya? Sige, mag-taxi nalang ako papunta diyan para mabilis. ." Leni hung up and immediately took a taxi ride to the club.

"Oh tinawagan ko na yung ate mo tsaka yung girlfriend mo para sunduin ka dito." Perfecto told Rodrigo. He started to laugh hysterically. "Girlfriend? Si Leni? Hindi naman niya ako boyfriend talaga eh." He pointed out and laugh.

"Kaya naman pala." Jocellyn said from behind. "Finally," Perfector raised his eyebrows. Upon hearing her brother, Jocellyn had a hint of why he suddenly got himself drunk. "Anong nangyari sainyo ni Leni?" She asked to check if his problem is really about Leni.

"Wala, walang nangyayari samin non. Hindi ako mahal ng gaga, put— dami niyang arte." Rodrigo replied hazily.

Perfecto and Jocellyn smiled at each other. "Tinawagan ko." He whispered to Jocellyn.

"Kapag nakita mo siya sabihin mo yan sakanya. Sabihin mo mahal kita gaga ka." She encouraged him.

After a couple of minutes, Leni arrived. She saw Perfecto and asked him where Rodrigo was. "Ayan." He pointed at the couch. Leni saw Rodrigo lying peacefully in deep sleep at the couch. She went closer to him and she could sniff the liquor all over him. She kneeled in front of him and stroked his forehead and hair.

"Diggy." She called him as he gently woke him up.
"Mmm." Rodrigo made a sound and went back to sleep.

"So are you Leni?" Jocellyn spoke from behind. Leni stood up and shook her hand. "Uh, yes po. You're his sister po, tama?" She greeted her.

"Yes, ikaw yung girlfriend niya?" She asked. "Ah, opo." She chuckled softly.

Leni turned back to Rodrigo and helped him stand. "Uuwi na tayo." She told him.

"Hindi! Uwi uwi! Walang uuwi! KJ naman nito." He cheered. "Anong walang uuwi? Tignan mo nga yung sarili mo! Di ka na nga makatayo diyan eh inom ka pa." Leni scolded him. Rodrigo moved his hands off her neck.

"Ikaw kase!" He replied and dropped himself at the couch again. "Huh? Bakit ako? Ikaw nga itong nagiiinom inom diyan tapos ako sisisihin mo." Leni replied.

"Bakit ka ba nandito? Akala ko ba hindi mo ako mahal? Sabi mo noon hindi mo ako magugustuhan kahit kailan di ba? Wala namang nagmamahal saakin." He refused to come with her.

"Rodrigo! Ano bang pinagsasabi mo diyan?" Leni yelled at him. "Hayaan mo siya magsalita." Jocellyn told Leni.

"Gaga ka pala eh!" Rodrigo told Leni. "Lapit lapit ka sakin, wala ka naman palang balak saluhin ako." He continued blabbering. "Kita mo yung babaeng yon? Naghalikan kami kanina, lasang sigarilyo yung bibig púta. Hinalikan ko kala ko kase ikaw!" He continued.

"Ano bang wala sakin, Leni? Bakit di mo ako magustuhan?" He kept speaking. Leni remained silent despite that she was being swept off her feet with what she was hearing from him. Jocellyn felt like it wasn't the right time for his questions to be answered by her.

"Ok, Rody. Uuwi na tayo." He told him and asked his male friends to help them assist him to the car.

As soon as Rodrigo was inside the car, Leni started to walk away. "Leni." Jocellyn called her. "May gagawin ka ba ngayong gabi?" She asked. "Ah... wala naman po." She replied. "Pwede bang alagaan mo si Rody hanggang mawala yung pagkalasing niya?" She requested; Leni didn't refuse.

On their way home, Jocellyn stared at Leni. "Ang ganda mo pala talaga noh?" She told Leni. "Ay, thank you po." She replied shyly. "Kaya pala ang lakas ng tama nitong si Rody sa'yo." She continued. Leni smiled as her cheeks turned pink.

"Actually, ngayon lang yan naging ganyan sa babae. Playboy yan eh. Nakipaghiwalay ka na ba?" Jocellyn brought up as she didn't see the concept of break up far-fetched knowing how messed up is Rodrigo in confessing his feelings. "Ay hindi po, hindi." Leni vindicated. "Medyo nagkasagutan lang po. Hindi ko naman inakala na didibdibin niya yon to the point na maglalasing siya ng ganito." Leni explained.

"Sus, mahal ko nga si Leni." Rodrigo spoke unconsciously from the back seat. Jocellyn giggled. Leni suppressed her blushing.

After a while, they reached Duterte's residence. Leni took care of Rodrigo, changed his clothes and wiped him with cold compress to make him feel better until he was completely asleep. She slept at the couch in his room until the morning.