Of Love, Signs and Logic (Completed)

56 - When It Rains, It Pours

The once happy and good-natured RJ disappeared and in its place came out the remote and impersonal Richard. He shied away from his friends, rejecting their offer of help to get him through his mourning. To them he was mourning his parents' death, but what he was actually mourning was the once happy life that his mother lost because of his father.

He vowed never to become his father. And to make sure of it, he also vowed that he will not take the risk of letting a woman get close to him enough to fall in love with her. And especially not with a celebrity.

Then he met Meng, who not only turned his world that he carefully built in the past three years, but did it before he even became aware of it. Life has a way of mocking his determination and his resolve when the stranger, the woman he became attracted to, turned out to be a celebrity, the very profession of his beloved mother.

He tried fighting his feelings for her, even pushing her away from the start but Meng had a way of getting under his skin. He was already smitten and has fallen way too deep for him to stop. So he tried to do right by her. The very opposite of what his father did to his mother. He wanted to prove that love can be self-sacrificing and unselfish.

And now that love is being tested again.

He never intend to keep the facts about his mother a secret from her for long. He thought that he could explain everything to her when he's emotionally ready. He thought wrong.

He doesn't know the repercussions that will result from the revelation made tonight but he'll make sure that Meng will not suffer because of this. So he got up and went to his table. First order of the night is to answer the the letter from the second university. He opened his laptop to draft his response. He will mail this first thing tomorrow morning.

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Meng is now the one pacing back and forth in the living room of the condominium unit that she shared with his cousin.

"Ano ka ba Menggay, maupo ka nga! Ako nahihilo sa 'yo eh."

"Kuya Poch, kinakabahan talaga ko. Ngayon ko lang nakita nang ganon si Ricardo. Iba yung expression ng mukha niya."

"Hindi ba talaga niya naikuwento yung tungkol sa aksidente ng parents niya or na theater actress pala yung nanay niya dati?"

"Hindi nga! Alam kong namatay sila sa aksidente pero hindi ko alam yung detalye. Wala rin sa mga news nung nagresearch ako dati. Nagkukuwento naman siya tungkol sa nanay niya nung bata sila ni Ate Raffy at kung gano siya ka-close sa kanya pero hindi niya nasabi na theater actress pala siya. Sino lang ba ang kilala kong local na theater actress? Baka broadway actresses puwede pa. Alam mo namang hindi ako masyado mahilig sa stage plays. Siguro kung nagkaroon ako ng boses tulad ni Lea Salonga, baka pa. Pero Kuya Poch, naaawa ako sa kanya, feeling ko ito yung reason na sinasabi nila Kuya Wally kung bakit nawala yung dating RJ na kilala nila." she explained, worry and concern evident in her voice.

"Ibig mong sabihin kaya siya masungit dati sa 'yo at saka kung bakit parang wala siyang kaibigan na ipinapakilala sa atin? Pero hindi kaya ano..."

"Ano?" asked Meng, sitting beside Kuya Poch.

"Naisip ko lang... hindi kaya may iniwang diary ang nanay niya tapos may sikreto doon? Baka hindi siya talaga anak, baka may nakapalit siya nung baby pa lang siya sa hospital. At andoon sa diary yung nurse of doktor na nakakaalam ng buong katotohanan!"

"O kaya Menggay, baka may kakambal si RJ! At iba yung RJ na nakilala natin at yung RJ ngayon na boyfriend mo na?"

"O kaya, Meng, may nakagalit yung nanay niya dati kaya huminto na siya sa acting. Tapos dahil sa galit sa kanya, natagpuan siya three years ago, sinundan sila at yun ang dahilan kung bakit sila naaksidente. Tapos nasa diary yung dahilan."