GIRL FRIDAY (Completed)

Chapter 53 - Suddenly

Good morning everyone? So how are you after the last chapter?  Happy na ba kayo? I hope the expectations were met for the last chapter, lalo na sa kabilang pinto, hahaha. 

Anyway, uunahan ko na kayo para hindi ma-judge si Richard, ok? Richard is planning something for Maine and it's pretty big. It's an ambitious plan and it requires a lot of preparation and coordination, something he has been doing for the past two months already. However, he acts strangely and of course this is not lost on his fiancee. 

Yun lang naman, so if you read here and on the succeeding chapters any strange behavior on Richard's part, yun na yon. No jumping to conclusions, no judging ok? It takes the pleasure out of reading, ayoko ma-stress kayo eh. You just have to trust me, this is going to be epic once it is finally revealed. 

Pero for now, just enjoy reading muna:)

Once they were back in the office, Maine noticed that Richard was still on the phone all the time and it had, in fact, gotten worse. There were lots of times he would go out of the office, claiming to have a meeting but the meetings were not scheduled with her nor were they written in his calendar. He would come back looking tired sometimes, but he never tells her where he's been.

The weekend after her birthday, they went to Bataan to share the good news with her mother personally. Although she knew her mother had an idea about Richard's plan to propose, she was still nervous about how to tell her mother. They arrived to a small surprise celebration, with her mother, Coleen and Dean waiting for them.

"Nay," She ran to her mother, hugging her tightly. She was emotional, wishing her father was still alive to give her away on her wedding day.

"Nay."

Richard hugged both of them, himself emotional as well. He found in a surrogate mother in Maine's mom, and this was partly why he calls her once in a while. It feels so good to have someone fuss over you, and he missed that.

"Kumain muna kayo ha, sige upo na diyan."

"Thank you po, nay. Lika po sabay na tayo."

"Tapos na kami kumain RJ. Teka nga pala, magkaliwanagan lang tayo ha. Separate bedrooms muna mga bata ha? Ngayon may spare bedroom diyan kaya di pwedeng share ang bedroom tulad nung pasko."

"Nay namaaaaannnnn."

"Anong 'nay naman? Loko ka kung mabuntis ka?"

"Jusko hindi namin gagawin yun dito, anuba naman."

"Yaan mo na Maine, ok lang yan."

"Bawasan ang pagka-clingy anak. Baka sawaan na si Richard sayo."

Tired from the drive, Richard requested to be excused after a while to take a nap. This gave Maine an opportunity to talk to her mother about Richard's behavior lately.

"Nay, close kayo ni RJ diba? Wala po ba siyang nakukuwento sa inyo?"

"Tungkol saan?"

"Tungkol sa mga nangyayari sa kanya lately, yung mga pinagkakaabalahan niya."

"Bakit mo naitanong yan, may problema ba kayo?"

"Wala naman po, pero ang busy niya lately eh."

"Oh, wala naman masama don."

"Hindi nay eh, lagi siyang may kausap sa phone niya. Tapos parang ayaw niya iparinig sakin."

"baka naman may surprise na pinaplano para sayo."

"Akala ko rin po ganon eh. Nung nag-birthday ako, akala ko yun na yon. Pero hindi eh. May kausap pa rn siya madalas hanggang ngayon. Tapos minsan mawawala ng mga tatlong oras, lalabas ng office tapos babalik mukhang pagod na. Di po kaya nagloloko si RJ sakin, 'nay?"

"Eh bakit siya mag-aalok ng kasal sayo kung may gusto siyang iba? Walang sense yang iniisip mo Nicomaine."

"Naaayyyyy. Tulungan mo ko mag-isip. Bakit kaya siya ganon? Tapos may kausap siyang interior designer daw, na ang ganda-ganda."

"Ahhh si Sanya."

"Kilala niyo?"

"Ha? Hindi, naikwento rin niya sakin."

"Anong kinuwento niya sa inyo? Nay naman eh may alam ka pala."

"Wala akong alam ano ka ba? Kinuwento lang niya na kausap niya madalas yun."

"Madalas? Bakit daw po?"

"Naku Nicomaine, bakit ba hindi si RJ ang tanungin mo?"

"Baka isipin po niya ang praning ko eh."

"Alam mo naman pala eh. Tigilan mo yan. Magtiwala ka sa mapapangasawa mo."

"Hindi ko na po siya tatanungin?"

"Maine, ang swerte mo kay RJ. Huwag mong i-jeopardize ang relationship niyo. Have faith, anak."

That night, Maine was no longer able to resist. Just as th eothers were already asleep, she had a talk with her fiance, wanting to clear her doubts.

"RJ......may kailangan ba akong malaman?"

"Tungkol saan?"

"Tsk.......I hate to be like this. Yung mga tawag mo. Akala ko for my birthday lang yun. But you're still on the phone madalas."

"Maine, I can't tell you yet."

"Why? Shouldn't we be able to share with each other everything? Ikakasal tayo soon, tapos may ganito? Lihiman?"

"Baby, hindi pa pwedeng magtiwala ka lang sakin?"

"I want that pero mas lumalala ka kasi ngayon eh . You've been leaving the office, hindi ko alam kung saan ka pumupunta."

"May meetings ako sa labas."

"Bakit hindi scheduled through me?"

"Kasi sakin dumidiretso ng tawag yung ka-meeting ko eh."

"Sino? Si Sanya na naman?"

"Minsan siya pero hindi lang naman siya ang ka-meeting ko may kasama kaming iba."

"Alam ba ng dad mo na ganyan ginagawa mo?"

"What are you trying to imply?"

"Baka may ginagawa ka nang kalokohan during office hours ha."

"Teka lang naman, ang sakit pakinggan yan ha."

"I'm sorry, di ko na alam iisipin ko eh. Baka mamya hiwalayan mo na lang ako bigla."

She started crying and it pained him to see her this way. He wished he could tell her what all of his mysterious meetings were all about. But the time wasn't right yet. He couldn't blame her for feeling this way, he was so tempted to spill out everything but he couldn't. She would probably get mad at him, and he knew her exams were coming up soon.

"Baby......hindi kita hihiwalayan kahit kelan. Huwag ka naman mag-isip ng ganyan."

He hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head.

"Hindi mo ba ako pwede bigyan kahit konting hint lang kung ano yung pinagkakaabalahan mo? Bigyan mo man lang ako ng peace of mind para hindi ako natatakot na ganito."

"I wish I could, Maine. Pero kasi importante ito para sakin eh. Para sa atin actually."

"Sa atin? Bakit pati ako damay diyan eh sabi mo business?"

"Diba sabi mo problema sayo yung stature natin sa office? Na ako ang boss mo? I'm addressing it already. Inaayos ko na."

"Paano mo inaayos, di kita maintindihan."

He seemed near the edge of his patience. He took a deep breath and decided to tell her at least a part of the truth, hoping it wouldn't affect them negatively.

"Maine.......I'm leaving the office soon. I will be tendering my resignation next week."