"MAGKAKILALA na kayo?" gulat na sabi ni Tita Connie. Ito ang bumasag sa katahimikang ilang sandali ring naghari sa kanilang paligid. At pagkuwa ay napagdaop nito ang sariling mga palad. "That's good. Maia, siya ang pamangkin kong sinasabi sa iyo. He's Rodie."
"Rodie?" Kumunot ang noo niya. "I know him as Drigo." Lumipad ang tingin niya sa binata, as if asking.
"I am both," sabi ni Drigo na tila hindi nabawasan ang tigas sa anyo.
"Yes, he's Drigo," sabi uli ni Tita Connie. "Pero para sa amin, he'll always be our little Rodie. Kaisa-isa lang siyang lalaki sa magpipinsan sa maternal side. And we couldn't help babying him lalo at bunso pa. Saan nga pala kayo nagkakilala?" Bumaling ito sa pinsan. "Rodie, hindi ba't kagagaling mo lang sa bakasyon?"
"We met in Boracay," sagot ni Drigo ngunit hindi inaalis ang tingin sa kanya.
Parang gusto niyang matunaw sa kinatatayuan. Tila panunumbat at pag-aakusa ang nababasa niya sa mga mata nito. Her throat went dry. Parang kayhirap gawin na lingunin si Tita Connie nang ibaling niya dito ang leeg.
"I don't want to be rude but I can't stay long."
"Maia?" Napuno ng pagtataka ang anyo ni Connie.
"Go ahead, Maia," mababa ngunit may banta na wika ni Drigo. "Diyan ka naman magaling. Iyong umiwas. Leave if you wish. But now that I found you, you can never walk away from me. Ever."
"Parang kailangan ninyo yatang mag-usap," mabilis na sabi ni Connie. "Doon na lang muna ako sa kuwarto ko. Tamang-tama, oras na ng sinusubaybayan kong telenobela." At iniwan na sila nito.
Ilang sandali na rin silang iniwan ni Tita Connie subalit maliban sa pag-uusap ng mga mata ay nanatili pa rin silang walang tinag. Sa parte ni Maia ay hindi niya alam kung magagawa niyang igalaw man lang ang mga paa. Tila namanhid na iyon sa kanyang pagkakatayo.
Drigo was gazing at her dangerously. At may ilang pagkakataong binabawi niya ang tingin dito sapagkat hindi niya makayanan na salubungin ang nanunumbat na titig nito ngunit bumabalik at bumabalik din ang tingin niya dito. Tila makapangyarihan ang puwersa ni Drigo upang sa pamamagitan lang ng titig ay mapasunod siya nito.
"Bigla ka na lang nawala," Drigo said finally.
"I have to," tugon niya.
"Just like that?" he snapped. "I woke up knowing you were beside me. I reached you to feel your body next to mine. Pero hangin ang nakapa ko. I just thought na bumangon ka lang. But when I called your name at hindi kita narinig, that was when I thought you were gone."
Napalunok siya. He spoke each word clearly and softly. Na para bang nagbabalik ito sa isang magandang alaala. But she could also feel some pain in his tone.
"Maia, I was buying the idea that you needed some time alone. What happened between us was wonderful. At wala akong gustong pagsisihan. Only, it happened too soon. I like you and I'm so attracted to you. And then there was this feeling inside me that I can't explain.
"It was my mistake. You invited me to dinner and I pulled all my strings to swept you off your feet and into my bed just like that. I should have kept steady and to some extent my distance. I should have courted you properly." At payak itong ngumiti.
She was stunned. Ibinuka niya ang mga labi subalit walang salitang lumabas doon.
Humakbang ito palapit sa kanya. At parang gusto niyang mapaurong. She was afraid he would touch her. Sapagkat mga salita pa lamang nito ay para nang musika sa kanyang puso. She was afraid that her resolve would suddenly melt when she felt his touch again.
Napakurap siya. She wanted to cry subalit siya na rin ang kumontrol sa sarili. Bakit kailangang magkatagpo pa uli ang landas nila nito? Not that he was declaring his undying love for her---which she was wishing secretly.
Ang pangyayari lang na muli niya itong makaharap ay sapat na upang maguluhan siyang muli. O sa mas tamang salita, ay para malinawan siya sa desisyon niya.
Why didn't you come too soon? Bakit hindi pa noong wala pa siyang salitang binibitiwan sa ina? Bakit hindi pa noong hindi pa niya tinatanggap ang alok na kasal ni Art? Napakurap siya. Drigo was only inches away. And while she was anticipating for his touch or kiss, she discovered one thing.
She was in love with him.
Why didn't you come too soon? she thought desperately. Her tears were on the brink of falling.
"Maia, I felt I was in a dream," he said gently. "I was terrified that I would wake and find you weren't real. I felt I had to make you mine, to take you and put my mark on you in some totally primitive way."
Tumigil ito at minsan pa ay pinagmasdan ang buong mukha niya. Warm sensation enveloped her. Muli ay tila bumalik sa kanya ang lahat ng masarap na pakiramdam ng espesyal na gabing iyon.
"I love every moment I spent with you. Much more that moment we became one but I'm not proud of it. Nang magising ako at hindi kita natagpuan, I regretted bitterly that I had not been more patient and more in control. Kung maibabalik ko siguro ang gabing iyon, I would do things differently. I discovered one thing that night. I want to know you more. I don't want you be just a part a memory of one fun and adventure."
Then his eyes lingered on her again.
Namasa ang mga mata niya. She believed him. Kahit na wala itong binabanggit na pag-ibig, reiterating all the magic of that night was more than enough. Besides, she knew. She could feel the love underlying each word. It was love.
She just knew.
Kung sana ay ganoon nga lang kadali ang lahat. She wanted to reach him and tell there was no need for further discussion; that everything was all right and she thought just the same.
Pero hindi ganoon.
Kaylalim ng ginawa niyang paghinga. "Drigo," mahinang sabi niya. "What happened in Boracay might be magic and adventure. But things were different here."
"Yes. Dahil ikakasal ka na?"
She nodded painfully. "This is goodbye, Drigo. I wish not to see you anymore." She choked each word.
"No." Bakas ang pagtutol sa tinig nito. His fists clenched and his knuckle turned white. Then she found out. Na nagpipigil lamang din itong abutin siya at ikulong sa dibdib nito.
She made a sigh at tumalikod na. But Drigo didn't let her. Inabot siya nito at sa isang iglap ay hinapit ang kanyang bewang at mariing hinagkan.
He kissed her aggressively, hungrily, powerfully, as though he wanted to stamp his seal of ownership on her. Daig pa niya ang tinangay ng ipu-ipo sa ginawang iyon ni Drigo. Not a moment longer, gumanti siya ng halik dito. They kissed like lovers separated for years or like lovers about to part.
Then the thought drawn on her. Nawalan ng kilos ang kanyang mga labi. At nang matigilan din si Drigo, sinamantala niya iyon upang magkaroon ng distansya ang kanilang mga mukha.
Sinapo nito ang magkabila niyang pisngi. He was urging to meet his eyes ngunit ipinikit niya ang mga mata. She thought that if she didn't die from guilt, she would surely die of shame.
"Maia," masuyong wika nito. "Why do you have to marry someone else?" His tone hinted pain and anger. And jealousy. "Every time we kissed or touched, we were telling each other it was love. It was real and it would be forever. Didn't you realize that? I was so shattered when I couldn't find you."
Napailing-iling siya. "It's not true," she said breathlessly. "Kung talagang hahanapin mo ako, why it took you so long? It's too late for us now."
"I got your record file on the resort. It was easy to ask them about you lalo at aware naman sila na palagi tayong magkasama. I know hindi ako mahihirapang hanapin ka. You were just a phone call away pero hindi ganoon ang gusto ko. I wanted to see you in person. But there was an emergency. One of my business partners met an accident. Not fatal, luckily but he needed to be hospitalized. Kailangang saluhin ko ang pamamahala sa negosyo namin pansamantala."
"Yeah, emergency," she agreed thoughtfully. "There was also an emergency kaya ganoon na lang ang pagmamadali kong tapusin ang bakasyon." She breathed. "My mother has a weak heart. Inatake siya at kailangang umuwi ako agad."
He nodded at sandali siyang nagtaka nang makita ang pang-unawa sa mukha nito. "Nabanggit nga ni Tita Connie. Mag-best friend pala sila."
"Yes. Siguro naman ay alam mo na rin ang tungkol sa akin."
"Hardly. Hindi ko alam na ikaw ang sinasabi ni Tita Connie na ipapakilala niya sa akin. When I called her para ipaalam na nandito ako sa Manila, she invited me to stay here. Pagkakataon na raw para maipakilala niya sa akin ang anak ng kaibigan niya."
"Hindi man lang niya nabanggit ang pangalan ko?"
Umiling ito. "I don't mind. In fact, I wasn't interested. Naka-focus ang isip ko sa muli nating pagkikita. I planned to see you tomorrow. I was determined that when we meet again, I would play it better. I'm willing to go back to square one and woo you in all the right ways. I told myself that it is never too late for us to have a perfect beginning. Kaya totoong nagulat ako nang makita kong ikaw pala ang inaabangan ni Tita Connie. Much more ang marinig sa mga labi mo ang mga detalye ng kasal mo."
"It's true. I am now engaged." Itinaas niya nang bahagya ang kamay na nasusuotan ng singsing. Tumikwas ng pagkadisgusto ang sulok ng labi nito.
"Why, Maia?"
"Don't ask. Hindi na mababago ng tanong mo kung ano ang katotohanan." Humakbang siya paatras. "I better go. Pakisabi na lang kay Tita Connie na umalis na ako."
Her steps faltered nang tunguhin niya ang pintuan. She was expecting him na habulin siyang muli. Subalit malaya siyang nakalabas sa lugar na iyon.
She felt a huge emptiness in her heart nang bumalik siya sa sasakyan. Nananakit ang lalamunan niya at alam niya, palatandaan iyon ng pagpipigil niya ng emosyon. Hindi na niya napigil ang sarili at napasubsob na lamang sa manibela ng kotse.
She was hurting. Nang ganap niyang matanto kung ano ang tunay na damdamin niya kay Drigo ay alam niyang paghihirap ng kalooban ang dulot niyon sa kanya. At hindi lamang iyon. Isinasaalang-alang din niya ang damdamin ng ina. At ni Art.
If only she could simply back out.
"Maia."
Napakislot siya nang maramdaman ang isang palad na dumantay sa kanyang balikat. Mabilis niyang pinahid ang kanyang mga luha. At nang mag-angat siya ng mukha, alam niyang hindi rin niya maitatago ang ginawang pag-iyak.
"Drigo," she called him huskily. May ilang sandaling gusto niyang isubsob ang mukha sa dibdib nito upang doon palayain ang kanyang damdamin.
Walang imik na binuksan nito ang kotse at inilahad ang kamay sa kanya. Inabot niya iyon at bumaba. Nang yakapin siya nito ay tuluyan nang humulagpos ang emosyon niya.
Wala siyang ideya kung gaano katagal siyang nakayakap kay Drigo. Tumahan na siya subalit nanatili pa rin sa dibdib nito. She felt a great sense of comfort snuggling to him. Kung sana ay maaari siyang manatili roon nang habambuhay.
Napansin niya si Tita Connie na walang kibong nakamasid lang sa kanila.
Bumitaw siya ng yakap kay Drigo. "I really have to leave."
She gathered all her strength upang ganap na matalikuran ito. At oras na makaupo siya sa harap ng manibela ay binuhay na niya ang makina. Ni hindi na siya gumawa ng kilos upang lingunin ito. In a short while, nagawa niyang ilabas ang kotse sa compound.
--- itutuloy ---
Maraming salamat sa pagbabasa.
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