"Bestfriends are together through it all. Like soil & roots. One needing the other through chilling winters, scorching summers, through hailstorms & lightning strikes. They weather it together."
- Lisa Schroeder (Chasing Brooklyn)
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"Jake!!!!"
Sigaw ni Claire habang tumakbo itong palapit sa lalaking nakatayo hindi kalayuan sa amin. Matangkad ito at maputi. Nagyakap sila at bahagya nitong binuhat si Claire. Tumingin ako para panuorin sila.
That's Jake. Not the boy I used to remember. But the adult-version of Jake on my mind. He's wearing a white cotton shirt paired with khaki shorts. His built was more masculine. His shoulders were broader. Para ding tumangkad pa ito ng husto. His features edgier this time but his brown hair still looked the same with the sun hitting on every strand. I heard Claire's soft chuckle when they let go of each other.
Though it's a hot summer day, pakiramdam ko nilalamig ang buo kong katawan ng tumingin sila sa direksyon ko. I forced a shy smile and raised my hand a bit to give a shirt wave. Nanginginig pa nga ang labi ko habang nakangiti. When I shifted my eyes on him, I caught his eyes staring at me kaya agad kong iniwas ang tingin sa kanya. I wished I could linger on that stare, just like Claire. Claire is more comfortable being around Jake. She can spend solid 24-hours with him without being self-conscious about it. I wish I had that kind of relationship with him. Sana kaya ko rin siyang yakapin at makipag biruan sa kanya gaya ni Claire.
Nilapitan ako ni Claire at hinila sa braso para yakagin ako palapit sa kanila.
"Ang OA niyo ah. Wag niyong sabihing hindi niyo na kilala ang isa't isa," natatawang sabi ni Claire.
"Gabo," I heard him said. Tumawa naman si Claire at hinampas ito sa balikat.
"Hoy! Wag ka, baka maasar yan!" natatawang hirit ni Claire. I felt my face burning with embarrassment.
"Hindi no. Bakit naman ako maaasar?" I said in defense. Gabo. That's what Jake used to call me kapag gusto nito akong asarin. Asar talo kasi ako dati. Si Claire kasi hindi. Kaya niyang sakyan ang lahat ng kapilyuhan ni Jake. Kaya gustong gusto ako nitong asarin, usually pa naman nagba-blush ako pag napapahiya. I hope I didn't, right now.
Naramdaman kong nakatingin pa rin ito sa akin. Hindi ko siya matignan, hindi ko rin siya makausap. I don't know where to begin. Kaya nga kapag magkakasama kaming tatlo, laging si Claire ang nag-uumpisa ng kwentuhan.
Claire tiptoed over Jake's shoulders, "Wala kang kasama?"
Tumingin naman si Jake sa likuran niya, where their house was located. Umiling ito, "No, just me."
"Ah, wala ka man lang bang pasalubong sa'min ni Gabo?" tumawa si Claire ng tignan ko ito ng masama. Madalas silang ganito dati, pagtutulungan nila ako para asarin.
"I mean Gabby," she said, emphasizing my name.
Ngumiti ito at inanyayahan kami papunta sa loob ng bahay nila, "Marami."
Pinauna ko silang dalawa pumasok. Nang mapansin ni Claire lumingon ito at hinila ako muli.
"Tara na!" sabay akbay sa balikat ko.
May tree house sila Jake sa gilid ng bahay nila kung saan madalas kaming maglagi dati. Puno iyon ng acacia na halos sumasakop sa buong bakuran nila. The tree house has been there for fifteen years now. Kaya ng umakyat kaming muli roon, natakot ako na bumigay ang nasabing bahay dahil sa impit ng kahoy ng magtungo kami roon.
"Hindi ba tayo mahuhulog dito?" Humawak pa ako sa braso ni Claire habang dahan-dahang umupo.
Claire on the other hand, hugged her knees together to her chest, na para bang wala ito g inaaalala na kung ano.
"Pag nahulog tayo, sama sama parin tayo," biro ni Claire. Umiling naman ako at napasimangot. I just don't think that going up the tree house is a very good choice, kahit pa sobrang na-missed ko ang pag-akyat dito.
"Jake, i-repair mo daw 'tong tree house, sabi ni Gabby," anunsyo ni Claire ng umakyat si Jake na may dalang pagkain. Mas lalo tuloy akong kinabahan hindi lang sa sinabi ni Claire kundi pati sa posibilidad na mahulog na talaga kami dahil dumagdag pa si Jake.
"Wala akong sinasabi," pinanlakihan ko ng mata si Claire at hinampas ito sa braso.
"Relax! Ang sakit nun ha! Eh kasi kanina ka pa nagrereklamo dyan," natatawang atunggal nito. Inilahad ni Jake ang magkabilang braso sa sandalan ng upuan na tila naka-akbay rito.
Nilibot ni Jake ang tingin sa kubo, "Iyon din ang balak ko. Luma na rin kasi 'to. Last year, I got to change some of the woods and nails.."
Last year? Gusto ko tuloy magtanong kung kalian siya umuwi last year. But then I remembered what Claire once told me. Umuwi ito last July. But he never told me. Bakit nga naman kailangan niya pang sabihin? We were never that that close for him to update me of his whereabouts. I have given myself no right to have that part on his life.
"Kita mo? Malakas talaga tayo kay Jake," nakatinging sabi ni Claire sa akin. Hindi ko nalang ito pinansin at kumuha nalang ako ng chips mula sa bowl na dala ni Jake saka sinubo sa bibig ko.
When I tilted my head I caught again his eyes staring at me. Agad uli akong nag-iwas ng tingin.
"Magkwento ka naman, Jake. How's States? Spring ngayon 'di ba?" Claire asked.
Jake shrugged, "Yeah. Kaya nga nakauwi ako. I had a weeklong break at work."
"Dapat nga nagsabi ka man lang na uuwi ka, nasundo ka sana namin ni Gabby sa airport o kaya kahit sa Bayan man lang."
"I'd like to surprise you."
"Baka nga kung hindi ka pa nakita ni Nanay, hindi pa namin malalaman na nandito ka."
Tumawa ito ng mahina, "Of course not. Nag-ayos din kasi ako ng mga gamit kanina. Pati iniisip ko tulog pa kayo. I arrived here around six."
Claire nudged at me, "Si Gabby lang naman late magising no."
"Kanina mo pa 'yan inaasar, mamaya mapikon 'yan."
I didn't dare to answer. Kumuha na lang uli ako doon sa bowl of chips sa kahoy na mesa. Hindi ko nga alam kung sinasadya ba ni Jake na tignan ako ng tignan para mailang ako. Maybe that's his way to tease me again. If that's what he's up to, he succeeded. Siguro pagkatapos ng araw na 'to, saka pa lang ako makakahinga ng maluwag.
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Kanina pa nakatingin si Jake sa kisame ng kwarto niya. Kanina pa siya nakahiga para magpahinga at matulog. He even took a cold shower to refrain him from thinking about what happened this day. About her.
Hindi siya makatulog. He already counted sheep. He even sang himself to sleep. Pero hindi pa rin siya makatulog. But the sound of the water crashing to the shore outside made him a little more relaxed. How he missed the sea. How he missed the sun. Kahit may summer sa states, at marami ring mga beach na napuntahan na siya roon, there something about this place that always aches him to come back.
Napangiti siya ng maisip si Claire. Nang yakapin niya ito ay naalala niya ang mga panahon na pinagsamahan nila. Claire's his best friend. He's the best version of himself when he's around her. Despite the hurt he had caused her, she's still more than willing to love him. The kind of love that's unconditional. Claire developed into a very beautiful lady. She's stunning and the still the outgoing, bubbly girl he used to know.
And Gabrielle.
He shut my eyes off and sighed. He can still see her image behind closed eyes, in his every dream, and thoughts. When he let go of Claire earlier, he saw Gabby watching them. Lagi siya gano'n. She'd always go next to Claire. Lagi siyang nasa likuran o tabi nito. She won't go ahead of Claire. She never initiate a conversation. How he longs to hear her voice speaking to him. Dati pa man gusto niyang marinig ang laman ng isip nito. She can be very transparent yet unpredictable most of the time. If only he can spend a day inside her mind, he would. He wanted to know what she's thinking. He wanted to share with her joy, sadness, and with the single content of his heart and mind.
She's so beautiful. She had grown from that little girl to a beautiful woman. Her curves, the trace of her face, that thin-orangey lips of her. Claire and Gabby are both beautiful. But with Gabby, it's something he can't comprehend. Para bang napupuno ang puso niya tuwing makikita ito. It excites him to see her again. He might float away from her, pero gaya ng alon sa dagat, alam niyang babalik at babalik siya.
Yes, he can compare himself to the waves if the sea. He may float away from them, but he'll surely come back, back to where his heart belongs.