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Memories of this December-2

December 06,2017
4:05 pm PH, timezone.

(Richard)

I breathed in and out as we both have stepped out of the airplane. Our backpacks are on our shoulders and our hands are intertwined as we walked to the belt that carries our luggages.

"Munchkin?" She called out to me as she removed her backpack from her shoulders.

"Bakit po? Anything you need?"

"Help me remove my Jacket please, init na eh, feeling ko nasa oven tayo."

I nodded and stepped behind her. I pulled her jacket off of her and folded it neatly. I stuffed it inside my backpack but was surprised when I looked back at her. She was already removing her sweater and it revealed a lacy yellow spaghetti strapped top that ended right above her navel and flowed until her thigh on the back part. My breath hitched at the sight of her sleeveless blouse. That, was when I have decided to remove my jacket and inner shirt too. Leaving only my thin long sleeves. Our scarves were kept with the gloves when the luggages arrived.

"So, let's rent a cab na, baka abutan tayo ng rush hour. Alam mo naman dito sa Pinas, di pa rush hour pero muka ng rush hour. What if rush hour pa? Okay ang gulo ko hahaha!" She said while we walked towards the arrival area of the terminal III.

I didn't say anything afterwards though. I just held her hand as we continued walking, trailing our luggages behind us. When outside, I slowly took my phone out to send Coleen a signal message. Gladly, Maine was too busy admiring our hometown like it was the first time she's been here. My phone vibrated on my hand and I glanced at it. It was Coleen.

'Bay 12 RJ. Wag kang pahalata kapag nakita mo na yung van, lampasan niyo ng nga two cars, then, We'll be right behind you.'

"Come on pie, dun tayo banda mukang maraming taxi dun eh." I casually told her, being careful with my tone.

She nodded while smiling. She let go of my right hand and it quickly snaked to my waist, hugging me. I put mine on her shoulders and gave her forehead a peck of assurance.

Bay 12...
I looked around the cars on idle just beside the walkways and searched for their van. I spotted it immediately even before we neared it.

"Uhm pie! Maine Maine, look at me." I quickly told her to get her attention. I don't want her to notice the van. Gladly, she looked a me as we continued walking.

"What is it? May problem ba?" She worriedly asked. We've already passed by it and I can already see all of them distantly walking behind us.

"Uhm, gutom na kasi ako. Yun lang."

"Sus. Munchkin, pakiusapan nalang natin yang tiyan mo na maghintay hahaha!" She kidded while lightly pinching my 'burger'.

When we reached the second car past theirs, I sneakily opened her backpack, inch by inch until it was wide enough to get her bottle of water and I secretly dropped her wallet. I closed the zipper and squeezed her arm.

"Wait, inom muna tayo ng water, galing sa bag mo to." I told her.

We stopped on our tracks, looking only ahead of us, careful not to see Them behind us. I uncapped the bottle and gulped a few then let Maine drink the rest of the contents.

"Bitin ako applepie. Eto oh vendo machine, bili ka isa pliithh?" I pleaded as I pointed to the vendo beside me.

"Sure. Wag na iyak bibi munchkin ko."

She stepped infront of the vendo machine and I blocked her view from behind. She reached to her bag and search for her wallet. Maine rummaged the contents and a look of panic came to her.

"RJ! Wallet ko wala dito!" She told me, still reaching into the deepest trench of her bag. I put my hand beside me and hand signaled a letter G in sign language.

"Jaaaaayyy wallet ko!" She panickingly yelled. I just grinned at her and waited for a few seconds.

"Uhmm... Miss, wallet niyo ho ba ito?" Coleen asked with their family right beside her.

Maine almost dropped her bag and her eyes were filled with a hefty surprise and confusion. Her family smiled at her before enclosing her into a hug. I watched them huddled together, most in tears of joy, asking how are you's and how you've been's. After a few minutes, Tito Ted told us to put our luggages at the back of the car and hop in.

I was very happy for them. Maine may be a famous bestselling author, but plane tickets for a special holiday and a period of time for more than a month of stay is quite gold. Also, she was too afraid of pausing with her commitments in New York. Gladly, I found a way to clear her schedule and bought us both tickets to happiness.

"Munchkin? Are you okay? You seem to be lost in thoughts." Maine asked me as I sat beside her at the middle of the van. Coleen and Dean were still outside kicking the Vendo machine to get their soda cans.

"Uhm yeah I'm okay. You?"

She kissed my nose and enclosed me into a koala-tic hug. I hugged her back and patted her back.

"Richard thank you ng sobra." She said while burying her head on my neck.

"Wala yun, I just want to see you happy. And look, you are very happy right now. Alam ko you're happy with me, but you also have a family diba?"

"Yeah. Pero Richard, pano ikaw? Diba you have a family din? Inuna mo pa talaga ko before them."

"I'm fine. We'll visit them too. Probably a few days from now." I assured her.

I didn't notice that Tito and Tita were listening from infront. I just saw their grinning faces from the rearview mirror and chuckled. What crazy family this is.

"Ehem... uhm Benjamin?" Tito Ted called out.

Maine and I looked at each other, confused on who his father was calling out to. I noticed that her parents are both looking at me.

"Ay, tito... Richard po." I corrected.

"Syempre joke lang eto naman. Wala namang ibang nanligaw sa anak ko na Benjamin, di ko nga kilala kung sino un eh! Haha!" He joked and all of us laughed with his antics.

"Ayun kidding aside na iho. Paki pakiusapan nga yung itim na SUV sa likod kung pwede umisod ng onti. Aalis na tayo eh." He asked. I nodded politely and hopped out of the car with Maine, since she doesn't want to leave my side.

The windows were tinted quite heavily so I knocked on the passenger's door. I slung my arm around Maine's shoulder as we watched the window slowly rolling down. I suddenly ran out of breath when I saw the people inside.

"Daddy?!"

"Hi RJ!"

"Kuya!"

"Hi apo! Mas maganda si Maine sa personal iho." Lola Linda said.

All three of them, Riza, Lola and Daddy as the driver, were in that car. Riza walked out of the vehicle and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back and fought the tears that were brimming. I felt Dad hug me with Lola Linda too.

"Bago ka pa magtararat ng tanong, sasabihin ko na. Kinontact kami ni Ted at Mary Ann. Sinabi nila na sumama na raw kami sa pagsundo." Daddy said.

"Grabe. Namiss ko kayo. Pero before anything else, officially ko na ipapakilala si one and only ko. Maine."

She offered her hand to pay respect to Dad but he hugged her instead. Riza did so too and Lola Linda kissed her cheek lightly. They told her that it was nice to finally meet her. After a little talk, I got into the van with Maine's family and so did everybody.

"Thank you po sa pag invite kila Dad Tito at Tita." I said as the engine revved, preparing to go.

"Wala yun. Mauuwi rin naman sa ganyan hindi ba?" Tito Ted kiddingly said.

"Tara na sa Concha's yung reservation natin nabubulok na." Coleen sarcastically informed.

"Let's Go!" Maine and I said in unison.

Concha's it is...