"Hey, you goin' somewhere?!" ask niya.
"Huh? What? Oh yeah, I'm going to my rehearsals and I'm going to be late." I said na obviously, was not paying attention to the things I'm saying kasi late I was fixing my things and I'm really running late na nga.
"What?" he said, na halatang nalilito. Then umupo siya dun sa chair sa harap ng table ko.
"I said I 'm going to be late for my rehearsals." I said na mejo na nakukulitan kasi nga sobrang naghahabol na ko sa oras.
"Rehearsals?! For what?" sabi niya na parang nabigla.
"It’s for a fashion show okei?!" sabi ko, still arranging my things.
"Fashion show?! Since when did you become a model?" sabi niya na mejo nangaasar pa yata na hindi mo maintindihan.
"Twinx made me do it. And it's for a good cause so" sabi ko na sobrang nagmamadali na talaga then binilisan ko na ung paglalakad ko...
"When is it?" tanong niya...
"Huh? What?" sabi ko na mejo nagulat sa sinabi niya... finally nasa parking lot na kami...
"I said when is it.. i'd like to be there when you walk your very first catwalk." sabi niya wow, napaka supportive niya talaga kahit kelan...
"It’s this weekend… okei bye, i really have to go." sabi ko then i kissed him on the cheeks and bade him goodbye then went on my way.
All week I have been going back and forth from the hospital and to my rehearsals.Rehearsals were fun naman. I have met a lot of very interesting people.Sobrang layo dun sa mga stereotype na models na were used to seeing. Some of them were perofessionals in their own fields kaya I was surprised when I first met them all. Kaya nga hindi ako masiyado na insecure nung rehearsal days.
Finally it's the night na. When I got to the dressing room there were a lot of models there and everybody was moving, we just finished our roll call, and the make up artist decided to change the color of the lipstick and stuff. People are starting to pile up outside and I started to feel nervous. When I saw my dress, I was in awe. Sobrang ganda!!! It was inspired by the Greek goddesses' dress and it was so beautiful. While getting my make-up retouched the designer was also making minor adjustments to my dress,it was so chaotic, finally I'm already dressed up. While waiting in the dressing room, Twinx came in and wished me luck. Of course nakipagchikahan na naman siya, always had the latest chika about almost everybody. I have to admit she's starting to grow on me, hindi na ko naiirita kapag nagfefeling close siya. And I think it's a good thing. Finally, I could be around her with ease. After niya ko kamustahin, she went to other models na para makipagchikahan din. After a while, pumasok si doc sa dressing room.
"Hey there gorgeous!" sabi niya then he handed me a bouquet of flowers. Red roses, my favorite.
"Oh hey," sabi ko, and accepted the flowers.
"Well, just wanted to see you before you go off on your catwalk." Sabi niya, he's so sweet talaga.
"Well thanks." Sabi ko na napasmile na lang. We talked for a while.
"Ei, got to go na, I'll see you on the runway na lang. Baka kasi mawalan ako ng seat eh. Good luck!" then he kissed me on the cheeks, then went on his way na.
Pagalis ni doc, I was left alone muna and that made me think. Tapos may biglang lumapit sakin may dala rin siyang bouquet of flowers, eh di nagulat ako kung sino un, when I turned to look who it was, my heart jumped when I saw him. It was pare.
"I see you already had a fan." Sabi niya nung nakita niya ung flowers na bigay ni doc.
"Oh that!" sabi ko and napasmile
"Well here you go. Pampadami ng collection." Sabi niya sabay bigay ng flowers.
"Thanks." Sabi ko and accepted the flowers sabay beso. It felt good to feel the warmth of his face once more. Then I looked at him straight in the eyes. He looked at me with those eyes that melted my heart years ago and is now working its wonders again.
"Hey, just do your thing out there okay?" sabi niya, "I know you'd do great." He continued
"Oh, thanks." Sabi ko and smiled na lang..
Then we talked for a while. Nung nagkukwento siya, I looked deeply in his eyes. And that's when I realize na I still love him. That he had never even left my heart even for just one second of my life. All these years, I thought the hole in my heart could be filled by someone else, turns out, he's the only one who could ever fill that hole and he's the only one who has that missing part of my heart. Then someone called all the models na for their final touch kasi the perogram is about to start.Kaya he said goodbye na and wished me luck. I just looked at him and smiled.
"Uhmm, by the way, you look gorgeous tonight." Sabi niya then naglakad na siya palabas ng dressing room.
I felt my heart jump once more, the way he said it and ung look pa niya sakin seemed so sincere. Then I realized that what I really feel for him is real. And from that moment on, I've decided to tell him na what I really feel.
"Pare,"
"Pare,"sabay kami na nasabi.
"Yes?"
"Yes?"sabi din namin sabay
"Uhmm, I want to tell you something." Sabi niya
"Ako din eh.." sabi ko with my eyes in his.
"Models, line up na! The show is about to start. C'mon!" sabi nung baklang coordinator kaya naputol ung talk namin.
"I'll just catch up with you later. Okei?!" sabi ko, habang hinihila ng isa sa mga bakla
"Okei.. After the show?!" sabi niya still standing there sa may door
"Yup, after the show." Sabi ko na nagpahila na rin sa bakla kasi masakit eh.
When it was my turn to walk I felt my knees tremble but then I saw doc cheering me and pare was there. Just the presence of pare gave me self -confidence. So I walked that catwalk with pride and without taking my eyes off of pare. While walking down the runaway I kept on thinking on what to tell pare and how to tell him the truth. After that dreadful walk I felt relieved. Feeling ko natanggalan ako ng isangmalaking tinik sa dibdib. The show was very exhausting but very fulfilling.I have never felt that kind of rush for a very long time.Though it was very stressfull sobrang sarap ng feeling.
Pumasok sa loob ng dressing room si Twinx. Picture taking kami to savor the moment and have something to remember that day by. After that nagpalit na ko ng clothes. I can't keep the dress naman eh, though I'd like to hindi pwede eh. Sayang. Sobrang ganda pa naman nun. Sinalubong kami ni Twinx sa labas nung dalawa. I don't know pero it was awkward for me seeing them talking. Nagyoyosi sila tapos nag uusap, which is a first. Sobrang kagulat talaga, lalo na ngaung I'm sure with my feelings na (I think...).
"Hey guys." Sabi ni Twinx. Dun sa dalawa na mejo nagulat yata
"Hey!"
"Hey!"un lang nasabi nila kasi nakita nila ako na nakatingin ng masama sa kanilang dalawa eh.
"What do you think are you two doing?!" sabi ko dun sa dalawa na nakataas ang kilay.
"Well... kasi ano eh..."
"Well... kasi ano eh..." sabi nila na may balak pang mag explain.
"Ano?! Speechless?!" sabi ko na naka pamewang na. And Twinx was just watching in awe.
"Diba sinabi ko na stop nyo na yan?!" sabi ko, sabay patay ng sigarilyo ung dalawa. Para nga silang mga bata na pinapagalitan ng nanay eh.
"Ikaw, doctor ka pa naman tapos hindi ka marunong mag alaga ng sarili mong katawan?!" sabi ko kay dok, tapos natawa si pare, parang batang natuwa kasi pinagalitan ung kapatid niya
"At ikaw, anong tinatawatawa mo dyan?! Isa ka pa eh! Kelan pa kita pinagsabihan na wag ng mag smoke?! Diba nung college pa lang. Tapos ngaun ganiyan?! Nag promise ka diba?!" sabi ko kay pare, sympre dapat siya din nuh, para fair. Natawa si doc, para ko nga silang mga anak eh. Tapos napayuko na lang sila at nag sisikuhan. As if balaming each other kasi nahuli ko sila.
"Let's go. Im starving na eh." Sabi ni pare
"Buti pa nga, ako din gutom na eh." Sabi ni doc and they went ahead na sa mga cars as if tumatakas sa sermon ng nanay.
"Wow!" sabi ni Twinx, while we were walking towards the parking lot.
Napatingin na lang ako sa kaniya. Mejo nagulat kasi ako eh. Andito nga pala siya.I nearly forgot kasi ung dalawa eh.
"Huh?" sabi ko
"I mean wow! You actually made them stop." Sabi niya
"Saan?!" sabi ko na obviously hindi pa rin maka relate sa mga sinasabi niya
"Smoking!" sabi niya in a matter-of-fact tone
"Oh that... wala lang un..." sabi ko na mejo pa humble pa.
"Anong wala?! I have been telling him to stop but he won't budge. Ngaun ko lang siya nakita na magpatay ng cigarette ever in my life." Sabi niya.
"Talaga?! Oh well. Ever since pa kasi, I have been telling him to stop kasi its not good for the health. And ayoko sa lahat ung smoking. Nag promise siya kaya ganun." Sabi ko na parang wala lang un.
"Wow talaga!" un lang nasabi niya tapos for some reason bigla na lang kami natawa dalawa. Nagtataka nga ung dalawa when they were waiting for us sa may car. Nagkatinginan na lang sila na parang, "nu nangyayari sa dalawang ‘to?!" parang ganun.
"So, see you there?!" sabi ni Twinx.