Written.
One month. Ganon katagal na kami nandito. Their parents were already texting them something about 'what happened to us'. Buti nalang at magaganda yung mga dahilan nila. They told them that we already took the exam beforehand dahil gusto nila akong idala sa bakasyon kuno.
Unfortunately, hindi ko pa nakikita yung Tita ko. We still have more than three weeks before the said date, I didn't want to rush things. Medyo nainis sakin si Denisse dahil baka may mangyaring masama, but I promised her, just like what I did to Kayden.
"Three weeks. Our time's ticking." She said. Katabi ko siya ngayon. I'm reading my favorite book while she was typing something on her laptop.
I shrugged. Kinagat ko yung blueberry muffin ko bago sagotin siya. "Hindi pa ako handa." I said.
"Mas maaga, mas magagawan ng paraan." Sabi niya.
"Can't we just, you know? Pigilan pumunta doon? Lock me up here or maybe play board games in this room?" This time, she finally looked at me.
Napangiti siya. It was a bitter smile. "Hindi tao ang kalaban natin, it's fate and destiny." Binalik niya ang kanyang tingin sa laptop at tinuloy ang ginagawa.
I got silent. Hindi ko alam kung ano isasagot ko. Pumunta nalang ako ng banyo para magshower ulit. Gusto kong pag-isipan mabuti ang ginagawa ko. I can't look at Denisse straightly just like before. I doubt she noticed that. Alam ko naman na it was all business on whatever happened at the rooftop-- with Kayden.
I mentally cursed. Wanting to slap myself is all I'm thinking right now. Their picture went flashing inside my head. Naiinis ako pag nakikita ko si Denisse minsan, kahit pigilan ko yung sarili ko na hwag mainis sa kanya, I couldn't help it.
I remember that rooftop, that blanket, that specific picture. Gusto kong matawa.
"Denisse." I called her name. Umiwas ako ng tingin nang tignan niya ako.
"Hmm?"
"Let's meet my Aunt tomorrow." I answered. She instantly smiled and ran to my direction. Yinakap niya ako ng mahigpit.
"Thankyou so much." I bit my lip.
How could I ever doubt her?
***
My hands were now sweating. Dapat talaga hindi ko sinabi kay Denisse iyon. She was now talking to someone I don't know to somehow set up a meeting with her. Ginamit pa niya ang pangalan ng kompanya nila-- saying that the daughter of Entia Enterprise wants to meet her.
"Nervous?" Napatingin ako kay Brett. He gave me a reassuring smile and suddenly held my hand.
Tumingin ako sa kanya nang may nanlalaking mga mata. He averted his gaze and when I tried to pull my hand out, his grip tightened.
He got silent. None of us talked. My hands were already getting sweaty. Nahihiya na ako sa kanya dahil malalaman niyang medyo pasmado ako. I don't do household chores since our maids were always there, but my palms get sweaty sa hindi malamang dahilan.
"They said we could meet her in a few hours dahil may ongoing meeting." Medyo napatalon ako sa gulat nang marinig ang boses ni Kayden. I quickly pulled my hand out of his and stood up, Brushing my hand down onto my jogging pants.
At some point, kita ko ang gulat sa mga mata ni Kayden. To my surprise, he just smiled and ruffled my hair. I then felt those butterflies running into me faster than the freaking speed of light. My heart was beating like hell.
I glanced at Brett's direction and found him looking at me. Inirapan ko siya at tinuloy ang pagupo ko.
After a few years, I meant hours, we could finally meet my 'Aunt'. Good thing kumain kami habang naghihintay and just like before, burrito ang kinain ko, but this time, limang piraso. Even though everything in it seemed like a main dish for me and I was still craving for rice, himala-- I got full.
Brett didn't eat though. Gusto kong tanongin siya kung bakit but he's like-- avoiding the hell out of me.
I breathed in an out. I heaved a sigh for the sixth time dahil kinakabahan ako. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, but maybe she won't rememeber or even know me. Baka she's in bad terms with my parents, but still, kinakabahan ako.
"You may come on in." Her secretary said as she paved the way to my Aunt's office.
Isa-isa kaming pumasok. I clung onto Denisse's arm like she was my mother and looked around. We saw a woman in her fifties sitting and smiling at us with her hands clasped under her chin. Nang dumapo ang kanyang tingin sa 'kin, agad nawala ang ngiti niya.
"How may I help you?" She said habang nakatingin kay Denisse. "Alam ba ng magulang niyo na nandito ang dalawa nilang anak?"
Ngumiti ang kaibigan ko. "Yes. They do."
The lady nodded. "What brings the both of you here?"
Biglang hinawakan ni Denisse and magkabilang balikat ko at hinarap ako sa babae. "Your niece, her parents passed away just a few months before."
Nawala ang ngisi sa kanyang labi. "Pardon?"
"It was a car accident."
The so called family reunion was a blur. This Aunt of mine didn't somehow cry in front of us. She handled her feelings like a real professional, no wonder her hotel is going so well. There wasn't much of a surprise, nagtanong siya tungkol sakin in which I answered truthfully, except for the time machines and crazy stuffs.
Sabi pa niya that we could stay in for free until we get home. Syempre nagdiwang kami dahil sa mga sunod-sunod na gastusin. We were saving money everyday until now Kahit marami pang natitirang pera sa amin, we didn't use it recklessly. We chose to be money wise for now.
"Sorry if I couldn't invite you for dinner, something came up." My Aunt said before we said goodbye. Mukha siyang malungkot, probably because she didn't had the chance to say something to my parents.
I somehow wanted to at least convince the others to use the transmission units on her but I didn't though, alam kong wala dito ang mga iyon at naiwan sa deck.
"I'll shower for a bit." Denisse took her towel and went inside the bathroom.
"Take your time." I giggled at her.
Nagbasa-basa ako sa librong dinala ko. I wanted to waste time until evening comes, until we all ate dinner. Halos wala na akong ginawa buong isang bwan. Buti pa yung iba kong kasama may ginagawa, they were sometimes fixed on their laptops. Nung tignan ko naman, it seemed like a research paper for me.
Napaangat tuloy ako ng tingin. Tinignan ko kung saan nakapwesto yung laptop ni Denisse. It was on her bed. I wanted to somehow help on whatever she was doing since I was feeling guilty of her sometimes staying late at night. Kahit sa grammar makatulong man lang ako.
I went to where her laptop was at tinaas ang screen. I was praying that there wasn't any passwords pero huli na dahil meron nga. I bit my lip and tried to guess. I tapped some random numbers that may someow be in the back of my mind, in which I found quite related to her.
Napangiti ako. It was the day we became bestfriends. Hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan iyon. I was still wearing my smile until the file in which Denisse was editing earlier popped into the screen.
I froze. My mind went blank as the smile that I was wearing got wiped off.
Final Decree of Divorce
I stared at the bold leters and heard the lock of the door knob turning. Mabilis kong isinara ang laptop at bumalik sa pwesto ko kanina. My heart was beating rapidly at sobra talaga ako kinakabahan. I wanted to erase those words from my mind--
"Ikaw na." Napatingin ako kay Denisse na kakalabas ng banyo. "What's with the reaction?"
I laughed. "Kinabahan ako, akala ko multo." Sagot ko.
She nodded at me. Bihis na siya at sinusuklayan ang kanyang buhok.
Gusto ko siyang tignan. Mas lalong dumagdag sa iniisip ko yung nakita ko kanina. I didn't want to conclude things and rush with what I was thinking. I wanted to ask her a lot of things before I get too awkward with her.
Especially on why the hell Denisse Jeen E. Tantiangco was written on the petitioner.
YOU ARE READING
Endless You
General Fiction[Youth#1] When you feel love for the first time, you'll never know what to do. There wasn't the word 'right' neither the word 'wrong'. You would just scream between pillows and cry on someone's shoulder because you felt it. For the very first time...
