Broken Vow

30: Back Home

[ Third Person's Point of View ]

Time has its own wings and it fly rather quickly. Elena couldn't believe she's done a good job being a Fashion Show Coordinator in China. Her last show was a bop. Abel really liked it. At kung masusunod lamang si Abel ay hindi na nya gustong pakawalan pa si Elena. She's a full package at alam ni Abel yon right from the start. She's only rude to her at first dahil kung hindi nya ito paghihigpitan, Elena will not get up kung saan sya nakalugmok.

Elena treat Abel as her fairy godmother because she learned so much from the old woman. Sa pag-alis ni Elena sa kumpanya ni Abel, parang napilayan ang matanda. Clark was right. Magaling nga talaga si Elena. Her nephew really got the eyes for talent.

Simpleng white v-neck shirt, black pants and black high heels lang ang suot ni Elena pero nililingon sya ng mga tao. The tip of her hair is in curls and bouncy, they're even shining parang buhok ng mga modelo ng shampoo. It is long but since nakacurl, it fall few inches below her shoulder. Isang maleta lang ang dala ni Elena kaya hindi sya nahihirapan sa pagdadala nito.

She halt at the center of the arrival area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The warmness of the weather told her na nasa Pinas na nga talaga sya.

Her makeup is light dahil byahe lang naman and alam nya na mainit ang panahon dahil May. She just define her eyebrows, put on some blush and red lipstick. Yon pa lang ang gamit nya ay maganda na talaga sya. She can be more beautiful, depends on her liking.

Tiningala nya ang malaking board sa hall and she took her sunglasses off.

"WELCOME TO PHILIPPINES" Those are the words written on the board.

She scan her surroundings. Everything that she see is an evident na nasa bansa na nga sya. Ang mga tao, ang pananamit nila, the language she's hearing, the faces she's seeing. Lahat ay accent ng Pilipinas. It's just three years but it felt like a lifetime.

Tunay ngang nothing beats home.

Habang nakatayo at dinadama ang first few minutes nya na pagtungtong muli sa bansang sinilangan, her phone vibrated. Kinuha nya ito sa kanyang handbag at sinagot ang tawag mula kay Clark.

"Hi, Cherry." There is a sly smile on her beautiful face.

Nagumpisang lumakad si Elena hila ang kanyang maleta. Her long legs are highlighted dahil sa pantalong suot at heels. Her hips are swaying side-to-side kahit hindi naman nya sinasadya na ganon ang maging motion ng paglalakad. Maybe nakasanayan na nya dahil isang taon din syang naging Fashion Show Coordinator.

"Is it terminal two? Nandito ako sa parking just outside the arrival area." Sabi ni Clark sa kabilang linya.

"Yeah, terminal two. I'm heading there."

"Okay, cool! I'm super excited."

"Sige na. See you in a bit." Elena hung up the call at pinagpatuloy ang paglakad.

Sa paglabas ni Elena ng building, may isang lalaki na nagbukas ng pinto para sa kanya.

"Thank you," She mumbled with a grateful smile. The man were like hypnotised. His eyes are fixed on Elena at pinanuod nya ang paglakad ng babae papalayo.

It's just ten in the morning kaya tirik ang araw. Elena put the sunglasses back on.

From not too far, may nakita siya na matandang babae na Chinese. She's talking to a flight attendant pero parang hindi sila magkaintindihan.

Hila parin ang maleta, lumapit si Elena sa Chinese. She interfere between the conversation of the two.

"Hi, there. What's going on here? Do you need any help?" Tanong ni Elena sa flight attendant.

"Eh, ma'am, may gusto ata si ma'am ang kaso hindi ko maintindihan. Hindi sya marunong ng English." Kunot noong saad ng babae as if nagpapaliwanag sa boss.

Elena faced the old woman and she talk. "Zăoshang hăo tàitài. Wo shuõ zhongwén, nín xiăng yào shènme ma?"

(Good morning, madam. I speak Chinese, do you need anything?)

"Shì, shì. Wò xūyáo chūzū chē." The Chinese woman said motioning something like car.

"Okay, okay." It was Elena's turn para harapin ang nalilitong flight attendant. "She says she needed taxi."

"Ganon po ba, ma'am? Kaya pala nagmo-motion sya kanina ng parang sasakyan." Napangiti ng tagilid ang babae saka muling hinarap ang babaeng Chinese. "I'm sorry, ma'am. Taxi will be here soon ma'am."

"Chūzū chē huì zài zhèlî." Pagta-translate ni Elena sa sinabi ng flight attendant na parating na ang taxi.

"Xièxiè. Fēicháng gănxiè ni." Masaya at maaliwas ang mukhang pagtuturan ng babae.

(Thank you. Thank you very much.)

"Yeah, sure, ma'am. Enjoy your stay in the Philippines." After being the bridge between the two in understanding each other, nagpatuloy na sa paglakad si Elena.

Ilang minuto ring ginawang runway ni Elena ang sementadong sahig sa airport bago nya tuluyang masambatan si Clark.

"Ellllllll!" Mahabang pagtawag ni Clark sa kaibigan as he run towards her. Nakabukas pa ang kamay ni Clark.

Kasing lapad ng ngiti ni Clark ang nakapaskil sa labi ni Elena. Nagyakap ang dalawa ng mahigpit. Nang humiwalay sa isa't isa, hindi na napigil ni Clark ang sarili na pansinin ang malaking pagbabago ni Elena. He mean, hindi lang malaki, napakalaki because she look like someone else. Ibang iba sa hitsura noong lumakad sya papasok ng airport three years ago.

"Look at you! It's been six months  when I last saw you pero hindi ka naman ganito kasexy last time! And your skin!" Hinila ni Clark ang braso ni Elena na kuminis at pumuti pa ng husto. "Holy mother! Kering keri mo kabugin ang model ng Frontrow or Myra-E!"

"Hindi ah." Elena giggle.

"I miss the old times nung nasa China ako. I was as white as you pero nasunog ako dito sa Pinas. May heater kasi dito sa atin!"

Out of the blue, malambing na niyakap ni Elena ang kaibigan.

"Thank you so so much, Clark. I don't know how to repay you."

Pinulupot din ni Clark ang kanyang mga braso sa mas lumiit na beywang ng kaibigan.

"Tita Abel guide you well. But it was you who made yourself like this. I'm so motherfucking proud of you, El." After a while, kumalas si Clark. "Ano, tara na? Your family is waiting! Nandon din si Evangelie."

Excited to finally see and hug her family and daughter, masiglang pumasok si Elena ng sasakyan ni Clark. He put her luggage at the trunk.

"Okay! Selfie first! Iu-upload ko to sa IG with a hastag thequeenhasarrived!"

┈──╌❊╌──┈

Nasa NAIA si Caleb bandang alas diyes ng umaga. Susunduin nya si Kylie na darating from her business trip in Indonesia.

He's waiting inside the lobby. Dahil sa tagal na naghihintay, Caleb went to rest room first to discard his excess water.

Pagkalabas nya ng cr, may nakasalubong sya na dalawang lalaking halos kaedad nya.

"...right? Dude ang hot! Lalapitan ko nga sana kaso mukhang hindi basta-basta." The first man said.

"Kung nagkataong gf ko yung babaeng yon, hindi ko pakakawalan yun. Magkamatayan man..."

Slowly, those men's conversation fade away dahil sa palayo ng palayo si Caleb from them.

Bumalik si Caleb sa lobby ng arrival area. He scan the surrounding again dahil baka nariyan na si Kylie. But what he saw is a woman wearing white shirt, sexy tight pants and a high heels. She's walking papalabas, pulling her luggage while talking in phone. He is only blessed to see her back. Her walk reminds him of someone. Yung lakad ng babae ay parang kay Elena just like how he first met his ex-wife, noong nagmo-model pa ito.

Caleb shake his head para maalis sa isipan ang biglang pagsagi ng alaala ni Elena.

He sat in the couch at pinagpatuloy ang paghihintay sa kasintahang si Kylie.