FEBRUARY 10, 2023・FRIDAY・20:36
Maya is walking towards her house, carrying a large backpack full of props they used for the shoot. From half a block away, she can see Noel waiting outside their gate.
He's already seen her.
She bites her lip and walks towards him.
"Hi," he says.
"Hi." She removes her backpack and drops it on the ground. She lets out a sigh of relief.
"Kumusta ang shoot?" he asks.
"HOW WAS THE SHOOT?"
"Okay lang."
"IT WAS OKAY."
He nods. "Sayang wala ko kaadto."
"WISH I'D GONE."
Maya doesn't reply.
"Maya..." He closes his eyes. "Sorry. Dili ko gusto makipagbulag. Please. Ayaw ko bulagi." He rests his forehead against hers.
"SORRY. I DON'T WANT TO BREAKUP. PLEASE, DON'T BREAK UP WITH ME."
She pulls away.
"Unsa ang ingon ni Jasmin?"
"WHAT DID JASMIN SAY?"
"Nga nagalamutak mo. Na ginalibak ko ninyo kay bugo ko."
"THAT YOU MADE OUT A LOT. THAT YOU TALK ABOUT ME BEHIND MY BACK BECAUSE I'M STUPID."
Noel creases his eyebrows. "Ha? Dili man na tinood."
"WHAT? THAT'S NOT TRUE."
"So unsa man ang tinood Noel? Ingna ko."
"SO WHAT'S THE TRUTH, THEN, NOEL? TELL ME."
Noel rolls a stone underneath his shoe for a bit. He then looks at her and exhales. "Okay. Nagakita mi ni Jasmin. Pero dili para atong iyahang ginaingon. Kuan..." He looks down again. "Kabalo ba ka nga kaila iyang mama ug akong mama?"
"OKAY. JASMIN AND SEE EACH OTHER FROM TIME TO TIME. BUT NOT FOR THE REASONS SHE TOLD YOU. IT'S ERM..."
"DID I TELL YOU THAT MY MOM AND HER MOM KNOW EACH OTHER?"
Maya shakes her head.
"Kaila sila since high school pa. Tapos katong gipanganak akong kuya kay need niya operahan kay naa siyay problema sa iyahang heart. Unya bago lang baya nanganak si mama ato, so wala na sila'y kwarta ni papa ato. Mao to. Kay desperado naman sila, nangutang sila sa mama ni Jasmin ug dako kaayo nga kwarta." He stops and takes a breath, still looking down on his shoes. "Mao tong naga kita mi kay ginasugo ko ni mama nga mubayad sa iyaha." He looks up at her. "Dugay na kaayo nang utanga. Before pako gipanganak ana hangtod karon, wala gihapon nabayaran. Arang-aranagan na siya gamay kay nigraduate na si kuya. Pero naa pa'y duha nga nabilin nga pa-eskwelahon ug pakaunon."
"THEY'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER EVER SINCE HIGH SCHOOL. WHEN MY OLDER BROTHER WAS BORN, HE NEEDED TO HAVE A SURGERY BECAUSE OF A PROBLEM WITH HIS HEART. AT THE TIME, THEY'VE ALREADY RUN OUT OF MONEY, BECAUSE MY MOM HAD JUST GIVEN BIRTH. THEY'VE RUN OUT OF OPTIONS, SO THEY BORROWED A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY FROM JASMIN'S MOTHER."
"THAT'S WHY WE MEET UP FROM TIME TO TIME. BECAUSE MY MOM GIVES ME THE MONEY TO PAY THEM."
"I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO FULLY PAY THEM OFF. THAT DEBT HAS BEEN THERE EVEN BEFORE I WAS BORN. IT STILL HASN'T BEEN PAID BECAUSE MY PARENTS ARE TRYING TO BALANCE ALL OUR EXPENSES. IT'S GETTING A BIT BETTER NOW BECAUSE MY BROTHER GRADUATED. BUT THERE'S STILL TWO OF US LEFT TO FEED AND RAISE."
Maya pauses, trying to process what he'd just said. "Nganong wala man na nimo giingon sa ako?"
"NOEL, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"
"Alangan, kay apil man si Jasmin ana. Tapos maulaw pud ko kay..." He looks down on his feet. "...dato baya mo. Basi'g maglahi imong panan-aw sa ako kung makabalo ka."
"BECAUSE JASMIN IS INVOLVED. AND ALSO...ERM..."
"...WELL, YOU'RE RICH. I WAS WORRIED YOU'D SEE ME DIFFERENTLY ONCE YOU'D KNOW THE TRUTH."
"Noel, dili man mi dato."
"NOEL, WE'RE NOT RICH."
"Maya, imong mama, naa sa Norway. Naa ka'y iPad, latest imohang model sa cellphone, aircon tanang kwarto sa inyohang balay, imohang mga sinina nindot kaayo."
"MAYA, YOUR MAMA IS WORKING AT NORWAY. YOU HAVE AN IPAD. YOU HAVE THE LATEST IPHONE MODEL, ALL OF THE ROOMS IN YOUR HOUSE ARE AIR-CONDITIONED, YOU HAVE AMAZING CLOTHES."
"Okay. Pero dili man tika ijudge, Noel." She puts her hands on his cheek. "Dili man na importante sa ako."
"OKAY. BUT I WOULD NEVER JUDGE YOU NOEL."
"THAT STUFF DOESN'T REALLY MATTER TO ME."
He bites his lip and nods. "Pero kato. Pag monthsary nato, nagkita mi ni Jasmin. Tapos gahapon, nagbayad na pud ko."
"BUT YES, ON OUR MONTHSARY, I MET UP WITH JASMIN. AND YESTERDAY AS WELL."
"Atong Martes sa gabii? Kauban pud mo niya ato?"
"AND ON TUESDAY? WERE YOU ALSO WITH HER?"
"Dili mi kauban ato. Sila JR ug Aljun akong kauban ato. Nag-inom mi."
"NO. I WAS WITH JR AND ALJUN. WE WERE DRINKING."
"Noel," she says, her face full of disappointment.
"Mao nang wala nako giingon sa imo kay lain kaayo ka'g reaction."
"THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T TELL YOU. BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'D REACT THAT WAY."
"Alangan nganong nag-inom man mo nga Tuesday man to? Ting-exam man to, Noel."
"WELL WHY WERE YOU DRINKING ON A WEEKNIGHT? AND ON AN EXAM NIGHT, BY THE WAY."
"Ayaw kabalaka, Maya, kay nagmahay pud mi ato kay nag-hangover ming tulo pagka-ugma. Grabe wala na hinuon ko nakafocus. Stress naman gud kaayo mi ato, wala na'y musulod sa among utok."
"DON'T WORRY. THE MORNING AFTER, WE WERE HUNGOVER AND COULDN'T FOCUS WELL ON THE EXAMS. SO YEAH, IT ENDED UP BITING US IN THE ASS. WE WERE JUST SO TIRED OF STUDYING AND NONE OF WHAT I WAS READING WAS STICKING ."
Maya doesn't say anything.
"Maya, wala mi'y relasyon ni Jasmin. Ug dili gyud mi magkarelasyon. Igo lang ko nagabayad sa iya. Ato lang. Ikaw lang akong gusto, wala'y lain."
"MAYA, I DON'T HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH JASMIN. AND WE NEVER WILL AGAIN. I SWEAR, IT'S JUST CHORES. THAT'S IT. ALL I WANT IS YOU. NO ONE ELSE."
Tears start falling from Maya's eyes.
"Sorry kung nangatik ko sa imo. Pero Maya nasakitan pud ko nga wala ka'y salig sa akoa. Love kaayo tika Maya. Kabalo ba ka ana?"
"AND I'M SORRY IF I LIED. YOU KNOW, IT ALSO HURTS ME THAT YOU DON'T TRUST ME. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH MAYA. DO YOU KNOW THAT?"
Maya nods.
He puts his arm around her. "Dili tika pasakitan, Maya. Dili ko gusto nga masakitan ka tungod sa ako." He gently caresses her arm and kisses the top of her head. "Ayaw na hilak."
"I WILL NEVER HURT YOU, MAYA. I NEVER WANT YOU TO GET HURT BECAUSE OF ME."
"PLEASE DON'T CRY."
She rests her head on his shoulder as she wipes of her tears.
"Sugod karon, wala na ta'y atikay, okay? Pramis nako nga wala na gyud ko'y itago sa imo."
"FROM NOW ON, NO MORE LIES, OKAY? I SWEAR FROM NOW ON THAT I WON'T HIDE ANYTHING FROM YOU EVER AGAIN."
He pulls her in for another hug.
But Maya isn't at all happy. There's a bitter taste in her mouth and a sense of dread as she remembers what she had done earlier.
Noel gives her another kiss on her forehead.