Red Strings of Fate (Haunted Series 2)

Strings 23: Reunion

"Took you long enough." He smiles.

Ha?

"L-long... Alam mo?" Matagal akong nakatulala sa kanya, "You remember me?"

Umihip ang hangin at naamoy ko agad ang halimuyak ng mga bulaklak at damo.

"Of course, I know. Why would I forget you, Hope?" My heart bloomed with flowers. He has a lot of friends. His family is always there for him. He meets a lot of people. I'm shocked he remembers me. "I was guessing you realized it's me when you saw the pictures in my room. You wouldn't cry like that if you didn't remember me."

"Pakyu ka TJ bakit hindi mo sinabi?" That elicited a burst of manly laughter from him, and my body moved by itself to walk closer.

He tilted his head, looking at me. "I thought you'd forgotten about me."

"Gago ka. Paano ko kayo makakalimutan?" They gave me another set of family that I would always treasure. Gusto ko maiyak sa tuwa pero sinuntok ko na lang siya sa braso. "Kailan mo pa alam?"

"Since the beginning." Umiwas siya ng tingin at napatanga ako ng tingin.

"How?" Takang tanong ko.

"Of course I knew. I have perfect memory." Hinawi niya ang buhok pataas na parang shampoo model at napairap ako nang kumindat siya.

"Since Talia at Rossana?" Simula noon, kilala niya na ba ako?

Kaya ba feeling close na agad siya una palang?

Ngumisi siya at inabot ang kanyang kamay. "Let's start over. Hi, I'm TJ."

Natawa ako at inabot rin ang akin, "And I'm Hope."

"Nice to meet you, Hope."

"Nice to meet you, Sir TJ."

Sabay kaming nagsalita at nakangiti lang ako, labi ko parang mapupunit dahil hindi ko mababa ang mga gilid.

Napangiti ako sa nickname niya para sa akin. Ako ay isang babaeng may maraming pangalan, Scarlet, Scar, Red, Pula, at Hope—pero hindi ito ginagamit. 

So with TJ, it feels different. I like it. It feels like he has a special name for me.

Ang corny ko.

"Let's go inside." Hindi niya na ako hinintay at naunang tumalikod para buksan ang pintuan. May kinuha siyang susi sa ilalim ng flowerpot at napataas lang ang kilay ko.

"Wow so original." Narinig ko ang mahina niyang tawa. "Kumusta ka? After all these years?"

"I'm alive." Dalawang salita pero para sa akin malalim ang pinaparating. "Ikaw? Had any boyfriends over the years?"

"Never." Tiningnan ko ang likod niyang nakatapat sa akin. "I moved around so much, it was hard to develop any true relationship. I'd been in San Raigo longer than I'd stayed in most places."

Tumango siya.

"At hindi ko na siya naging priority. Dahil goal ko agad magkaroon ng pagkakitaan." Hindi ko na dinagdagan ang sinasabi ko dahil sa totoo lang, tumatakbo pa rin ako sa kung ano ang ibinigay ng mundo sa akin.

But then... my pained past was a flickering candle in comparison to his. He was running with whatever he was carrying, too.

"I'm proud of you." Lumingon siya at umiwas ako nang sinabi niya 'to.

"Ang dramatic mo naman. 'Wag mong sabihin 'yan habang nandito ako nagtatrabaho sa inyo." Sinabayan ko siya sa pagpasok. 

The place felt so familiar but different at the same time. The old blue walls are now white, and the foyer items are covered in white cloth. When we moved to the living room, the couch was still the same brown fabric material.