39
Our eyes met.
Ang tagal naming nagtitigan. Ang lakas din ng heartbeat ko. Feeling ko masusuffocate na ako sa bilis at lakas nito. Parang di na nga ako makahinga. Not to mention na parang nakikisama pa ang baby sa tyan ko. Ninenerbiyos ako na ewan. Then I saw him smile. Bakit siya ngumiti? May nakakatuwa ba sa pangyayari? Tangna ka!
Lalong bumilis ang heartbeat ko nung papalapit na sila sa amin. Para akong napako sa kinatatayuan ko. Oh my God. Feeling ko aatakihin ako sa puso anytime.
"Hi Joanne. Hi Mari!" Hi yourself.
"Anong kalokohan to JC?" I heard Mari hissed. Wala man lang siyang pakialam na kasama ni Oca ang bagong girlfriend niya. At lalong wala siyang pakialam na pinagtitinginan kami ng tao.
"What do you mean Mari?"
"What are you doing here? Akala namin nasa Timbuktu ka? Why are you here? At sino siya bakit kasama mo siya?" Oh my God I can smell trouble. I can sense na manggigyera itong si Mari.
"Bumalik ako a week ago." A week ago? Isang linggo na siyang andito and he didn't bother to contact me? Ano yun joke?
"Ah ganun ba? Mabuti naman kung ganun!" Mari smiled at both of them pero halatang pilit. "Hindi mo ba kami ipapakilala sa kasama mo JC?"
"Of course, inunahan mo lang ako. Felize met Mari, my cousin and Joanne her friend. Joanne, Mari, si Felize. Girlfriend ko." Her friend? So ngayon I am deduced to being Mari's friend. Nagulat ako ng biglang humalakhak si Mari. May nakakatawa? Nasisiraan na ba si Mari?
"Hi nice to meeting you." Felize said sweetly. Okay, I have to admit that she is charmer. Ngumiti ako and shook her hands.
"Nice to met you too."
"Nice meeting you too Felize." Mari said controlling her laughter. "And where did you met JC?" At may plano pa atang makipagchikahan ni Mari. Hindi ba pwedeng umuwi na lang kami? Kasi baka pag tumagal pa kami di ko mapigilan ang umiyak.
"We've meet in Boston while I was off after doing my missionary works." She said too sweetly. Kainis naman! Bakit ang sweet niya?
"Ooohhhhh....So you're a philanthropist? I adore philanthropist." Kung hindi mo talaga kilala si Mari you can say that she is serious and very friendly sa pakikipag-usap kay Felize. But I know better. Alam kong nakikipagplastikan siya kay Felize. Sa taas pa lang ng kilay ni Mari alam ko na.
"Well, you can say that." And Felize blushed.
"Well, what a coincidence. Kasi my friend here, Joanne is also a philanthropist. Mapagbigay rin siya, like you." Huh? Ako Philanthropist? Kelan pa?
"Really? Wow! I'm glad that we share the same interest Joanne." Napangiwi ako. What is Mari up to?
"Yes you have the same interest. In fact, sa sobrang mapagbigay ni Joanne, binigyan niya ng anak itong si JC. She is having his baby now. See?" She pointed at my now bulging tummy. LUmaki ang mga mata ni Felize. And Mari have that evil smirk. "I wonder, ikaw din ba maibibigay mo din yan kay JC? Kasi it seems to me that JC have this utmost liking for philanthropist like you."
"Mari...." Nagkasabay pa kami ni Oca.
"What?" Sininghalan niya kaming dalawa.
"Stop it." Oca said through gritted teeth.
"Anong stop it? You don't want her to know that Joanne here is pregnant and that you are the father of her child? Bakit itatago mo kay na may anak ka?" Mari shouted at Oca. Grabe galit na galit si Mari. I have never seen her this mad. Parang siya ang niloko.
