Recap: Nagkabati na rin (sa wakas!) si RJ at si Maine. Ano na kayang mararating ng heartfelt apology/confession ni Papi RJ?
***
Patricia watched Valeen pace back and forth with her eyebrows scrunched. She was the only one standing from the six of them-- Jordan was sitting on the long couch with Jerald sprawled beside him, Aaron on the other couch with his arms around Tori who was squished against him. Patricia sat on the other one-seater, refreshing her phone now and then to check if Maine had replied to any of her texts.
She turned to the boys sharply, who were watching her with a wary eye but at the same time whispering amongst each other. "Hindi pa ba sumasagot si RJ?"
The three boys exchanged glances. It was Jordan who answered, shrugging apologetically. "Wala pang reply eh."
"Asan na napunta 'yung dalawang 'yun? Hinayaan lang magkasama hindi na sumunod? Aba mag-aalas singko na ng hapon!"
"Baka na-traffic," Aaron supplied lamely, wincing when Valeen directed her ever-famous glare on him. "Traffic buong araw, traffic? Gaano ba kalayo ang Laguna mula Maynila? Kala mo naman Baguio yung pinuntahan sa tagal nila eh."
"Baka nasiraan sa daan."
"O kaya masyadong nasarapan kaya natagalan," Jerald snickered and wiggled his eyebrows, earning a whack to the head courtesy of Jordan.
"Napoles ah," Valeen threatened, and it was a wonder to Patricia how Jerald was surviving this. "Kapag 'yang kaibigan niyo may ginawang masama sa best friend namin..."
"Hindi naman siguro gagawin ni Alden 'yun," mungkahi ni Tori. "Hindi naman siya ganun."
"Oo nga," Aaron seconded. "At least, hindi niya gagawin sa sasakyan. Dadalhin niya sa hotel si Meng or something."
Jerald laughed at this and high-fived Aaron, and even Jordan snickered. When Aaron leaned back Tori elbowed his stomach, glaring, that he immediately shut up.
"Ewan ko sa inyong lahat! Kapag ang Lola ni Meng bumalik at wala pa sila, pare-pareho kay--"
Valeen's rage was cut off when two laughing voices had reached their ears-- and the staircase from downstairs finally spewed out Maine and RJ, who were both looking at each other and laughing. The rest of the six stared at them, intrigued. Patricia wanted to generalize that maybe the two were just on a truce and was laughing on a joke, but their body language completely stated the opposite.
"Ehem!" Jerald interrupted, and the two of them finally stopped, looking at the others with their eyes still laughing.
"Ano?" Maine asked, blinking in confusion.
"Pinagsama lang kayo ng dalawang oras kung makadikit kayo ngayon sa isa't-isa parang wala nang bukas."
To be fair, ni hindi nga nila napansin 'yun until Jerald pointed it out. Immediately napahiwalay si Maine kay RJ at napasimangot naman nang kaunti ang binata.
"Hoy Faulkerson!" Sabad agad ni Valeen. "Saan mo dinala 'tong kaibigan ko at anong oras na kayo nakarating?"
"Dumaan lang kami sa bahay nila, nangamusta," Maine defended him. "Sorry natagalan."
"Umabot kayo ng halos kalahating araw, Meng," Patricia supplied. "Hindi daan ang tawag 'dun. Stop over."
"Wala ka ring sinasagot sa mga tawag o text! Asan ba cellphone niyong dalawa?"
"Nagdadrive ako!" RJ was quick to reason out. Maine elbowed him and sent him a half-hearted glare.
"Ikaw, Meng? Nagdadrive ka rin? Ano kayo, magkakandong?"
"Hindi ah!" Namula si Maine sa tinuran ng kaibigan at siniko muli ang humahagikhik na RJ. "Hindi ko lang napansin kasi nagkwekwentuhan kami."
"Ah, nagkwekwentuhaaaan," Aaron nodded. "Madalas din naming ginagawa yan ng hon ko, di ba hon?"
"Nagkwekwentuhan naman pala eh," Jordan smirked and covered his chuckle with a laugh. Jerald didn't bother hiding his.
Mas lalong namula si Maine and she stiffened slightly when she felt RJ's fingers at the small of her back. "Wag mo na lang pansinin yang mga 'yan."
"Menggay? Ikaw na ba 'yan, hija?"
Natigilan ang kalokohan ng lahat nang dumating na si Lola Doray na may dala-dalang bayong. Nagningning ang mata ni Maine at agad na nagmano sa Lola.
"Lolaaa! Ang tagal na nating 'di nagkita! Namiss ko po kayo!"
Niyakap agad ni Maine ang Lola. "Ang laki laki mo na. Ang ganda-ganda mo rin, manang-mana ka sa'kin."
"Syempre naman, 'la. Si Tita Tabs po asan?" Maine laughed and pulled away from the hug.
"May pinaasikaso ako, sa makalawa pa balik." Lola Doray patted her arm and glanced at RJ who stood behind her.
"Oh? Nobyo mo ba 'to, hija?"
"Ha? La, hindi po! Hindi mo naaalala? Si RJ yan."
"Mano po, Lola Dors," ngiti ni RJ, sabay nagmano na rin.
"Naaalala siyempre! Eh siya lang naman kasa-kasama ko dito nung nawala ka eh." Maine blinked in confusion at that, glancing at RJ who wasn't looking at her but his ears tinged red. "Apo, kamusta na? Palagi kitang pinapanood sa TV, sa Sunday Saya-Saya ba 'yun?"
"Sunday Pinasaya po. Opo, mabuti naman ako."
"Lalo kang gumwapo ngayon! Kaya lang nadalang pagbisita mo dito."
"Pasensya na po, naging busy po kasi."
"Ah, siya, bakit nga pala kayo nahuli, ha? Nagulat ako't nauna pa ng dating ang mga kaibigan niyo!"
"Dumaan po kasi kami kina RJ, 'la," Maine explained. "Bumati lang kami sa pamilya niya."
"Ah, ganon ba?" Then she eyed RJ, giving him a lengthy once-over. "Nanliligaw ka na ba sa apo ko?"
Maine choked on air and turned her reddening face away, walking over to Patricia who patted her back comfortingly. "La naman!"
"Aba, bakit? Maganda ka naman, bagay naman gwapo sa'yo."
"Hindi pa po, La," RJ smiled charmingly at Maine's grandmother. Patricia and Valeen glanced at each other at halos sabay nilang siniko si Maine, na nanatiling nakayuko ngunit hindi mapagkakailang nakangiti.
"Ah, ganon? Bilis-bilisan mo, baka matakasan ka na naman niyang si Menggay."
"Ay, wag po kayong mag-alala, Lola," RJ looked up, making sure Maine was looking at him while he answered. "Wala po akong balak alisin siya sa paningin ko."
***
"Oh, nakasimangot ka diyan?" Tanong ni Maine kay Valeen habang nagtutuyo ito ng buhok, sabay upo sa kama niya kung saan nakaupo rin si Valeen.
It was after hours already. Nakapaghapunan na ang lahat at mamamahinga na lang. Maagang natulog si Lola Doray, kaya sina Maine na rin ang nagligpit ng pinagkainan. Hinihintay na lang nila na bumalik si Patricia mula sa pagkuha nito ng tubig, at si Tori na kausap pa ni Aaron sa labas.
"Mali 'yung pinadalang lugar ni Jaq. Batangas kasi, hindi Laguna. Hanep na 'yan."
"Batangas lang pala eh, kulang-kulang isang oras na drive lang 'yun. Ano pang pinoproblema mo?"
"Eh kasi! Nasabi ko na kina mamsie na Laguna area lang eh."
"So? I don't think they'd be bothered, Val. Hindi naman ganoon kalayo." Maine brushed her hair. "Kailan pala susunod sina Mamsie mo? Kailan kayo mamamanhikan?"
"Pagdating ni Jaq."
"At kailan naman 'yun?"
"Malapit na, may mga inaasikaso na lang siya na papeles."
Bumukas naman ang pinto at pumasok si Patring na may dalang dalawang bote ng tubig, kasunod si Tori na mukhang nakapagpahangin pa.
"Anyare?"
"Biyahe tayo papuntang Batangas," Maine informed them, her smile widening. "Beach na rin sa wakas!"
"Alone na rin sa wakas," pang-aasar ni Patring. "Ikwento mo naman sa'min kung saan kayo nagpunta ni Alden."
Napatingin si Maine kay Tori na itinaas ang mga kamay bilang senyales ng pagsuko. "Whatever happens in his personal life, labas ako doon. Hindi naman 'to makakarating kahit kanino."
Maine narrowed her eyes at her, mouth set in a grim line. "Kahit kay Aaron?"
Tori shrugged. "Kahit naman hindi ko sabihin kay Aaron malalaman pa rin niya. I believe they're grilling Alden right now the same way as your friends are grilling you."
"So?" Patricia prodded on excitedly. Maine sighed and sat properly, glancing at the other three girls who were looking at her expectantly. Then she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Ieeeeh. Ayoko."
"Ang arte mo ah," natatawang sambit ni Valeen. "Sasabunutan kita."
"Joke lang, ito na nga magkwekwento na eh!" Maine cleared her throat.
At ikwinento na nga ni Maine ang nangyari sa tatlo. Matapos ang buong kwento, halos mapunit ang labi ni Patricia sa laki ng ngiti, nakakunot ang noo ni Valeen, at nangingiti si Tori sa pangyayari.
"So? Anong sagot mo sa confession of love ni RJ?"
"Confession of love? Anong confession of love? May narinig ba kayong nagsabi siya ng 'mahal kita'?"
"Ay, tanga."
"Meng!" Patricia scowled. "Read between the lines! The guy basically poured his heart out! Di ba sabi niya kaya siya nagalit kasi ayaw niyang maging kaibigan mo lang? Hindi ka pa mahal nun sa lagay na 'yun?"
Meng pouted, red in the face. "Malay ko ba! Ikaw, Tori?"
Tori pointed at herself, eyebrows rising. "Ako?"
"Hmm. Ano sa tingin mo? Matagal mong nakasama si Alden, right?"
"Yeah. Three or four years? Pero, like what you said, si Alden ang kasama ko. Hindi si RJ." Nagkibit-balikat siya. "It may sound ridiculous but magkaibang-magkaiba si Alden kay RJ. Si Alden, parang tutang laging nakasunod sa management. Si RJ, hindi mo mapredict. Impulsive. Tingin ko he's honest with you because he thinks he owes it to you. I mean, hindi ko alam kung anong back story niyong dalawa, but ngayon ko lang nakita si Alden na mag-totally slip back sa pagka-RJ niya. Completely unguarded. How he smiles easily. Parang nakahinga na siya ng maluwag. Kasi lately, kahit hindi niya sabihin, alam kong hindi na siya masaya sa pinapagawa ng management sa kanya. But it's like he doesn't care enough to complain. He doesn't care enough na mahirapan siya."
Maine, Patricia, and Valeen all resorted to a thoughtful silence.
"Kaya nga ipinilit ko na ikaw 'yung magsulat ng bagong batch ng mga kanta niya," Tori looked apologetic. "I'm sorry if I came off headstrong or something. He's actually right; iba yung pagkakakanta niya kapag ikaw ang nagsusulat. Mas malaman. Mas galing sa puso."
Maine blushed. Bumuntong hininga ito at napayuko.
"Kaya, I'm asking you," Tori smiled sadly. "Please do help him. He loves his job pero nauubusan na siya ng dahilan para manatili dito."
Patricia, who was sat next to her, patted her shoulder. Maine gave Tori a tender smile. "Don't worry. I will."
"Wait." Valeen narrowed her eyes at Maine suddenly. "Yung conversation na narinig niya kaya kayo nag-away... Naaalala ko 'yun!"
"Ah, talaga?"
"Wag kang magmaang-maangan, Meng," Valeen rolled her eyes at her friend. "Naaalala ko 'yun. Kasi nakaupo nun si Ella sa tabi ko tapos kinailangan ko magpacheck-up sa doktor dahil sa lakas ng tili niya."
"Bakit? Ano bang sabi ni Meng 'nun?" Takang tanong ni Patricia.
Maine shook her head at Valeen, horrified, but Valeen was already smirking triumphantly. "Ang sabi niya, quote unquote, 'hindi mahalaga sa'kin si RJ, at lalong hindi ko siya gusto.'"
Maine burrowed her face in her hands. She remembered it, alright.
"'... Kasi mahal ko na siya.'"
"Oh my god," Patricia clamped her hands over her mouth. "Oh my god."
Even Tori's mouth opened in shock.
"I was thirteen," but her defense was futile.
"Kahit na," Valeen said smugly. "Eh ngayon, hindi ka na thirteen. At mas mahalaga ang ngayon. At sa nakikita namin, mahal mo pa rin naman siya."
They all fell silent once again.
"So..." Patricia trailed off. "Sasabihin mo ba sa kanya o hindi?"
Maine shrugged, not really sure about it. Di ko rin alam, Patring. Di ko rin alam.
***
That was one long chapter. Phew. Tell me what you thiiink! I try to reply as always, pero minsan hindi ko na kasi alam isasagot. Kung pwede nga lang sana pusuan ginawa ko na. 😅
Salamat sa lahat ng nagrerespond so far! Hello sa bagong readers! Patapos na ang kwento, konting push na lang. 😊