The Man in Strings

XIV. Rejections

She kept on frowning. "Alam mo, dapat nag-ampon ka na lang ng batang babae kung little girl din pala gusto mo."

"Bakit pa eh andyan ka naman?" I teased her. "All in one na. Girlfriend, mom, younger sister."

Tumayo na ako mula sa harap nya at bumalik sa pwesto ko. "Anong oras ka pupunta sa Plume Books?"

"Mamayang hapon pa," sagot nya. "Ite-text na lang kita kapag papasundo na ako. Hapon pa naman 'yun. Baka mga six or seven nga matapos, depende."

"Ang tagal naman. Anong oras ang start?"

"2PM pa kasi 'yung meeting ko with my editor," she smiled sheepishly. "Medyo nakakatakot nga sya, eh."

"Kaya mo 'yan," I gave her a thumbs up. "Ikaw pa."

"Natutuwa ako kapag chine-cheer mo ako," she smiled at me. "Pero talagang terror 'yung editor ko eh. Mas terror pa sa profs natin nu'ng college. Hindi ko nga alam kung paano ko idedefend 'yung chapters ko."

"Ano bang nangyayari du'n?"

"Well," she turned into this full nerd-writer mode the moment I asked her. "Parang thesis lang din. You write. And then you pitch your story. Why they should keep this and that. Gaano kahalaga itong scene na 'to, bakit kailangan nasa story sya. Minsan they just don't remove a scene; they make you delete a whole character. Ang sad, 'di ba. Syempre hindi ka naman maglalagay ng irrelevant character sa story mo tapos you put so much effort into making that character and his or her background kung bakit sya ganu'n tapos... papatanggal lang nila."

"Bakit naman ganu'n?"

"Because writers who work as writers don't get to have their freedom," she shrugged. "Ikaw din naman 'yung matututo."

"Pero hindi ba naiiba 'yung story? Kasi hindi talaga sya 'yung gustong iparating ng writer? Tapos ang daming pinagdadaanan pa. Ang daming matatanggal." This whole writing thing as a job was frustrating. Or naiinis lang ako because I wanted Maine to write her whole thoughts as raw. The world should pay millions for her brain capacity. I know my girl's worth and what she deserves.

"Bakit naman ganyan 'yung mukha mo?" Natatawa nyang sabi sa akin. "Parang ikaw 'yung offended writer, ah."

"Hindi naman," pagdedepensa ko. "Ang akin lang, paano na 'yung finished product? Ilang percentage ng final written story ang sa'yo? Paano kung halos lahat, inputs na ng ibang tao? Parang ang daya naman. Tapos kapag nagka-feedback na pangit, sa'yo ang sisi because it is still under your name."

"This is why I needed strength for this," she just smiled at me. "I won't be defending just my story; I'd be defending myself."

//

I waited in a nearby coffee shop. Plume Books occupies four floors on this huge building, as said by Maine. Nagtext na ako sa kanya pero hindi pa rin sya nagre-reply. Medyo nagugutom na rin ako kaya umorder na rin ako ng pasta. I apologized silently to my girl; I just made sure that I have sweets to bribe her. Sabi ko pa naman sabay kaming kakain. Kakain na lang ulit ako mamaya.

It was already eight in the evening, and I've been waiting for two hours now. Malapit ko na ring patulan itong sudoku na nakita ko sa internet sa tagal. I don't mind waiting for her; nag-aalala lang ako masyado. Baka kasi kung ano na ang nangyari kaya sobrang tagal.

After thirty minutes, I easily recognized Maine's thin frame walking out of the building. Napatayo agad ako at dali-daling binayaran 'yung bill. She seemed out of it; her eyes are lost.

And her eyes are never lost except when she's hungry. Or... walang internet kaya hindi sya makapanood ng minions sa Youtube. Or there are no good cartoons yet. Or sweets on the fridge just vanished without her knowing kasi nakain na pala nya lahat.