Limang minuto. Limang minuto niya lang nakausap ang binatang iyon na biglang naglaho na parang bula. Ngunit sa limang minutong iyon ay doon nagsimula ang lahat.
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Isang dalagang tumatakbo sa mga libro para kalimutan ang katotohanang kahit anong gu...
Ibinaba na ni Ysa ang bintana nang makita niyang malapit nang maghalikan si Apoline at si Manuel. Hindi naman siya martir para hanggang doon manonood pa siya. She breathed out a sigh.
"Satisfied?" tanong ni Lokino, the guy who brought her here. Pinagsabihan kasi siya ni Manuel nang napansin siya nitong umaaligid the week of his breakup with Apoline. She just wanted to make sure that everything will go smoothly for them this time. Sila pa naman ang favorite couple niya, in a way.
Tinapunan niya ng masamang tingin ang lalaki. Hindi naman siya magpapahatid dito kung wala siyang rason. She doesn't really hate his guts, rather he hates hers. Hindi niya nga alam bakit ito nag-offer na tulungan siyang manmanan ang dalawa.
"What do you mean by that?" Inabot niya ang binuksan niyang Piattos kanina na kinailangan niyang iitsa nang dumating na sila sa bahay ni Apoline. Sinundan kasi nila ang sasakyan ni Manuel, para masigurong hindi ito basta-bastang mabangga kung saan. Mukhang hindi naman ito nagsuspetsya sa kanila but then, he's probably more focused on seeing his beloved again. Kumuha siya ng isang piraso ng Piattos.
Pinaningkitan naman siya ng mga mata ni Lokino, na medyo nakakatawang tignan, dahil may kalahating Hapon sa dugo ay mas mukha itong nakapikit kaya parang ginawa na rin nitong literal ang term na "singkit". Pero, syempre, hindi siya tumawa. She owes him as much.
Iwinasiwas naman nito ang kamay. "We've been following both idiots--"
"Not idiots. Need I remind you that the other one was accelerated two grades and the other one is already a prodigy of the arts as soon as he was born?"
"Lovesick idiots." Can't argue with that.
"Thank you."
"Okay, i-re-rephrase ko na, ah. So, sinusundan natin yung dalawang lovesick na idiots na iyon ng isang linggo, hindi ba? Given that, give me the x of the y."
Tinapunan niya ito ng Piattos na siyang ikinalukot naman ng mukha nito. "Ang corny mo, Lokino."
"I'm just saying," kibit-balikat na tinanggal nito sa manggas ng damit ang dust ng Piattos. "At 1,000 ang charge sa pagkakalat mo sa baby ko."
"Aba."
"Just, are you satisfied now? I mean... how long have you been friends with Emmanuel Salazar either way?"
Hindi siya nakasagot agad. Sa halip, binalingan niya ulit ng tingin ang bintana kung saan nakikita niya pa rin si Apoline at si Manuel. Nakasandal na ang ulo ni Apoline sa balikat ni Manuel. Animated na gumagalaw ang kamay ng dalaga at mukhang may ikwinekwento sa nobyo. Nakita niya naman ang paggalaw ng mga balikat ni Manuel, marahil ay tumatawa ito sa sinabi ng nobya.
It was funny.
She was the one who saw and knew Manuel first. She knew him ever since they were in Nursery and they both could barely talk. She was the one who met Apoline first as well. She knew her when she was in Second Year College, she was this quiet girl, probably dahil transferee ito, whom people thought was an easy target but was actually headstrong and good at giving levelheaded and wise statements.
She was the one who invited Apoline in her sister's birthday. Gusto niya sanang ipakilala si Apoline kay Manuel then. But she found them talking at some point, without a care in the world. Sinantabi niya lang iyon dahil wala naman masyadong kaibigan ang huli. Another friend wouldn't hurt. Hindi niya naman alam na mai-inlove ang dalawa sa isa't isa.
"Oh, tulala na naman. Bakit ba lagi mong nakakalimutang may kausap ka?" tanong naman ni Lokino habang iwinawasiwas ang kamay sa tapat ng mukha niya. Yep, she likes zoning out. Manuel, too. It was Apoline who always pulled them out of it. Mukha raw silang mga batang kailangan niyang i-guide dahil baka biglang maumpog sa poste.
"To answer your question, we've been friends for almost twenty years," she said, shrugging, oh-so-casually. Kunwari wala lang.
"And in those almost twenty years, did you ever tell him that you love him?"
"Anong love ka diyan?"
"Oh come on, Miss. It's written all over your face. Even Sam knows your head-over-heels."
Ang tinutukoy nito ay ang kapatid niyang si Samantha na boyfriend naman ang pinsan ni Manuel na bestfriend rin ni Lokino, si Emmett. Sinimangutan niya naman ang binata. "Pakialam mo ba? Kahit naman sabihin ko sa kanya, I don't think he'd see me more than just a friend. I've been there for almost twenty years, Lokino. And yet, he falls for the girl he knows for just five years? Now, tell me, would it have been worth it if I told him?"
Ang masama pa ay hindi masamang tao si Apoline. She would have fought tooth and nail to take Manuel away from Apoline if she was evil. But Apoline isn't. Maituturing niya nga itong isa sa mga naging best friend niya.
At hindi siya ang tipong isisiksik ang sarili sa mga taong mukha namang soulmates talaga. Alam niyang masasaktan lang siya so the least she could do for both of her friends is make sure that they stay together.
Siya na ang ang nakikatwiran sa mga magulang ni Manuel na hindi masama ang relasyon ng dalawa. In fact, they look more alive together than apart. She'd been there when they separated. At parehas talaga ang dalawang parang namatayan. Even Lokino can testify to that.
"...So, are you satisfied now? Satisfied that they're back together and they will never be apart and all the other happy ending definitions I can give it?"
"Bakit ba ang hater mo?"
He shrugged. "Just answer my question. Ghad, woman. Lahat ba ng tanong ko sa'yo sasagutin mo rin ng tanong? Ano 'to, infinite questioning?"
"Bakit ba kasi? Ano ngang pake mo kung satisfied ba ako o hindi?"
Biglaan naman itong lumapit sa kanya, na sa sobrang lapit ay halos gahibla na ang layo ng mga mukha nila sa isa't isa. Hindi siya nakapagsalita, napaamang lang ang bibig niya. Naamoy niya ang mentos na pinagdidiskitahan nitong ubusin habang pinapanood niya ang magkasintahan. And she can see his eyes, she always wondered what color they were. Mukha kasing brown sa malayo, but it was actually ash gray. Why is she even looking at his eyes?
"Because. Kung hindi ka rin oblivious, I like you. So, kung free ka na at naka-move on ka na. Libre lang ako," makahulugang sabi nito bago kusang lumayo na sa kanya. "Okay na?"
Walang pasabing tinampal niya ito sa noo at nalukot naman ang mukha nito sa ginawa niya. "No, I'm not sick, Ysa."
"You don't like me. Lagi kang naka-angil sa akin, remember? Ano 'yan nang-tri-trip ka o may pustahan kayo?"
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