The Widow

Scene 6 - Just be happy, Clara

Scene 6 – Just be happy, Clara

Nang nagbalik Pilipinas si Clara at Ian ay tinutulungan siya ni Ian na ayusin ang lahat ng dapat ayusin para makalayo na siya. Sinuportahan ni Ian ang lahat ng desisyon niya dahil siguro alam din nito na eto talaga ang tamang gawin.

She would never move on if she’d always see Ralphe. How could she? And what would she tell when her stomach was showing? She would be one of those controversial actress that got pregnant and no man claimed her child. It would be so humiliating.

Nasa den sila ni Ian at si Ian ay nakatayo sa may harap ng inuupuan ni Clara na sofa. “Where do you want to go?” pointing at the big map.

Clara pursed her lips, her fingers playing with the dart she stared at the map, “US.” because US was large enough and she could easily fade.

Ian flipped the chart until the map of US showed, “Mayroon 50 states ang Amerika saan mo gustong tumira.”

Sa totoo lang hindi niya alam kung saan niya gustong tumira. She didn’t want New York, it was too touristy, she wanted Seattle but then again, it rain so much in Seattle, she didn’t like rain much. Too inconvenient.

So she did what most undecided people do, she threw the dart at the map and let it decide.

Ian looked at her with mock anger, “I could have been hit!”

She rolled her eyes, “Ian, I’m a master with darts.” She boasted, after all she was, all those times in those college bars with Cass and Ian helped, while Cass waited for Anton to join them they played darts. Playing darts could actually pick men up. Somehow it turned men on. She didn’t know why, was it how women arched their body or what.

He looked at her with laughing eyes, “Yes you are.” He turned his head to the map, “Illinois.”

“Chicago?” she asked, actually Chicago would be nice, the only bad thing in Chicago was the winter but Chicago would do. She smiled, it just felt right, “Chicago it is then.”

That decided, Clara and Ian talked through the phone with her lawyers to find a clause for breaking her contract with Phoenix Entertainment so that she needn’t be sued for breach of contract.

Nang araw ng pagpunta niya sa Phoenix Entertainment ay inaya siya ni Ian na samahan siya nito pero hindi siya pumayag dahil madaming magtataka at makikiusisa, lalo’t na ang relasyon niya kay Ian noon ay isang pinakamalaking balita noon. Ayaw niyang magtanong ang iba kung bakit niya ito kasama.

Nasa parking lot na siya ng building ng Phoenix Entertainment, naghahanap ng lakas para matapos na ang lahat ng ito, hinawakan niya ang tiyan niya, “Rip, this is it. Hindi ako magsisisi sa gagawin ko dahil alam ko eto ang makakabuti sa ating dalawa. Magiging masaya tayo, I promise.” Pangako niya sa anak na nasa sinapupunan niya.

Bumaba na siya ng kotse at agad nagtungo sa conference room kung saan naghihintay ang mga head, legal team ng Phoenix Entertainment at ang mga lawyers ni Clara.