A/N: Did you know that if you search the term Akyat ng Ligaw in google, the first Mansyon episode of KS (09/25/16) would show on the first page? Just goes to show how they made the custom popular again
Where does friendship ends and attraction begins? Or has it always been there and I was just deceiving myself that I can become friends with a "crush" and just keep it at that stage for a long time? Because really, this is not something that began in friendship and evolved into attraction. It's the other way around. Ano gagawin mo pag yung crush mo na naging friend mo ay manliligaw na sa 'yo?
Reading his message again, remembering how he asked her parents permission when he took her home last night. Feeling her heart racing, eto na yon. Dadalaw na siya mamaya! Ano ba Menggay! Kumalma ka! Aakyat lang ng ligaw yung tao. Hindi pa mamamanhikan.
Ano isusuot ko? Teka kailangang magpahanda ako ng food. Anong oras kaya siya pupunta, merienda lang ba o dinner?
Meng doesn't know how long she had been standing in front of her closet when she heard footsteps and she saw her mother enter her room. "Nay..."
"Ready ka na ba?
"Ano pong ready, Nay?"
"Katatawag lang ni Ricardo, dadalaw daw mamaya."
"Ay nasabi na po pala niya. Sasabihin ko pa lang po sana eh."
"Maupo ka muna Menggay." she sat on her bed and studied her daughter.
"Bakit po ganyan ang tingin n'yo, Nay?"
"Wala lang, medyo emosyonal lang ang nanay mo. Kasi eto na yun." holding her hand.
"Nay, aakyat lang po ng ligaw yung tao, hindi po siya mamamanhikan."
"Meng, kumpara sa ate mo, ikaw ang bihirang magkuwento tungkol sa mga crush mo o kaya tungkol sa mga kaibigan mong lalaki. At ilan lang ba ang nagtangkang lumigaw sa 'yo sa takot sa amin ng tatay mo? Pero iba dito kay Ricardo eh. Sa totoo lang, hindi ko talaga inasahan noon na pupunta siya dito sa bahay at magpapakilala dahil lang siya yung kasama mo sa Mindoro. Doon pa lang kinabahan na ako. Mukang napag-tulungan n'yo kaming dalawa ng tatay mo, alam mo yun?"
"Hindi naman po. Saka ayun na nga po, manliligaw pa lang, hindi pa sigurado kung sasagutin ko. Malay n'yo hindi pala kami bagay at talagang hanggang magkaibigan lang kami."
"Menggay, ako nga'y huwag mong paglolokohin. Hindi ka aabot ng edad na 22 nang wala ka pang boyfriend kung basta-basta ka lang nagpapaligaw. At hindi mo siya magiging bukambibig kung kung kaibigan lang ang turing mo sa kanya. At hindi kikislap ang mata mo tuwing tatawag siya at hindi ka magiging apektado kung may tampuhan kayo kung hindi mo siya gusto. Alam mo tingin ko?"
"Ano po?" she asked suddenly feeling embarrassed at being so transparent.
"Tanungin muna kita. Ano ba siya sa buhay mo ngayon?"
It's very seldom that she opens up to her mother on matters like this but somehow this feels right. "Hindi ko po alam nay kung crush ko lang siya o mas higit pa yung nararamdaman ko. Basta ang sigurado po, ayaw ko siyang mawala sa buhay ko. Gusto kong parati siyang kausap. Nag-aalala ko pag hindi ko alam nangyayari sa kanya. Gusto ko na makita siyang masaya at tumatawa.... Bakit po ganyan ang ngiti n'yo?"
"Wala anak, mukha ngang tama ang hinala ko. Na tamang panahon na lang ang hinihintay mo. Formality na lang itong ligawan n'yo. Pero huwag kang mag-alala, hindi ko sasabihin sa tatay mo."
"Pero nay, hindi ko po kayo natatanong. Okay lang po ba si Richard sa inyo?"
"Menggay, kilala mo rin kami ng tatay mo. Kung may nakita kami sa kanyang hindi maganda, matagal na kaming umalma. Simple lang naman ang gusto namin. Yung hindi ka sasaktan at kung saan ka magiging maligaya. At ngayon ko lang ito sasabihin sa 'yo at huwag mong masabi-sabi kay Ricardo o sa tatay mo. Approved ako sa choice mo, mahusay kang pumili."
Meng embraced her mother, too happy for words.
"Basta, Menggay, ligaw lang muna ha. Malaki ang tiwala namin sa inyong dalawa."
"Makakaasa po kayo Nay. Thank you po! Thank you po talaga!"
"O siya, simulan mo na ang ritual at mukhang mahaba-habang ayusan ito. Tandaan mo anak, hindi mo kailangang masyado magpaganda. Hulog na hulog na yung tao kahit wala kang makeup."
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RJ was surprised when he went down from his room. His whole family down to manang are all lined up to wish him well. Even his extended family, Kuya Wally and Kuya Jose were there para mang-asar. Iba 'to!
"Ano ba yan! 25 na po ako. Para namang ngayon lang ako manliligaw. Saka sino nag-broadcast kung saan ako pupunta? Baka naman pati kapitbahay natin alam." Although it really feels like he's doing this for the first time.
"Ricardo, malilihim ba yan? eh kanina ka pa ikot nang ikot. Saka aminin mo iho, naka-ilang palit ka ng damit? O yung mga bilin ko ha. Magmano sa mga matatanda." Lola Gloria was the first to make her bilin.
"Yes, lola tinandaan ko po lahat ng bilin n'yo tungkol sa parents niya."
"O bunso, dalhin mo yung pinahanda ko kay Manang, lahat ng delicacies from Laguna, may buko pie, cassava cake, kesong puti...."
"Ate naman, baka akala nila nagtitinda ako niyan. Hindi ba dapat chocolates kasama ng flowers?"
"Ay naku, Bulacan ang pupuntahan mo. Dapat itayo ang bandera ng Laguna."
Pati si manang, nakisali. "RJ, pagbutuhin mo ha? I-kiss mo na lang ako kay Maine, sabihin mo fan ako."
"I-kiss talaga manang? Eh kung hambalusin ako ng tatay no'n?"
"Jose, naiiyak ako, yung anak natin, manliligaw na!" Kuya Wally tried to wipe his imaginary tears.
"Oo Wally, hindi ako makapaniwala, parang kailan lang naglalaro pa ng patintero yan, ngayon, makikipag-patintero na sa tatay ni Meng."
"Tisoy, baka kailangan mo ng side-kick kung manghaharana ka, puwede kami ni Jose."
"Hindi mo naitatanong, isa yan sa sideline namin ni Wally sa Nueva Ecija. Sabihin mo lang, kundiman, modern, kahit rock puwede tayo diyan."
"Okay na ko mga kuya. Kaya ko na 'to."
And Anna remained clueless, looking at everybody.
"Where are you going tito?" she finally asked.
He kneels down to talk to her. "Hi princess, I'm going to Chef Elize's castle. Di ba you told me I could be her prince? So I'm going there to ask her to be my princess."
"Really? Awesome! Can I go with you? I want to see her castle too."
"Next time princess. I need to meet the King father and Queen mother first. They might not like me you know."
"Oh they will like you. I could write them a letter."
"Hahahaha! Sure, princess! I will tell you later if we need your letter, okay?"
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Eto na nga....
Present ang buong pamilya nang dumating siya sa bahay ng mga Mendoza sa Bulacan. From Mang Teodoro and Aling Mary Ann to Ate Nikki and family to Yaya Pe. Only Kuya Paolo is missing.
RJ is meeting her sister and Matti for the first time. But her husband seems to be familiar. He's seen him before.
After the introductions, when her father refused the mano but shook his hand instead, Ate Nikki approached RJ to whisper. "Hi RJ, we have heard so much about you. Huwag kang kabahan dito kay Tatay. Ganyan lang yan, nakausap mo na diba? Hindi nangangagat yan. Bunso lang kasi si Menggay kaya ganyan."
While she was talking to the child in her arms, Matti was looking at him in a strange way as if asking who this stranger is. Why did he get the feeling that Mang Teodoro had already oriented Matti? The looks they are giving him are very identical. Like he's up to no good.
He was ushered to the living room to wait for Meng who was still upstairs. He father went near the stairs to call her. "Menggay, andito na yung bisita mo! Tigilan mo na yung pagsilip diyan sa may hagdan. Bumaba ka na."
"Ano ka ba Teodoro, puwede namang ipatawag kay Yaya Pe."
Then she appeared on top of the stairs and all his tension and worry disappeared.
After general pleasantries where RJ tried to engage her parents with small talk and current events. He also answered all their questions about his background then an awkward silence followed. Although he was seated beside Meng at the sofa, it was still hard to talk to her with everybody present. Hindi gumagana ang pagiging sociologist niya. RJ was starting to perspire. Then he saw Ate Nikki signal Meng.
"Tay, Nay, punta lang po kami sa garden."
Tatay Teodoro look up from reading the newspaper "Bakit sa garden pa, kasya naman tayo lahat dito sa sala?" (A/N: Yes, newspaper talaga na nabasa na niya kaninang umaga at napanood na niya sa news. Kailangan may props.)
"Tay, hayaan mo silang makapag-usap nang sila lang. Hindi tayo ang dinadalaw. Parang hindi mo pinagdaanan 'to kay Nikki. Sige na anak, ipapalabas na lang namin yung merienda."
RJ was led outside to a veranda overlooking their garden.
"Bakit tayo lumabas?" He had to ask for fear that he might have done something wrong when they were inside.
"Kasi, napansin ni Ate Nikki, pinagpapawisan ka na sa loob. Eh naka-on naman yung aircon."
"Ha? ah... ang hirap pala nung buong pamilya yung kaharap mo. Naubos yung baon kong kuwento, hindi pa rin ngumingiti tatay mo."
"Kaya nga dito na lang tayo. Baka mamaya, paglatagan pa tayo ni tatay ng banig sa sala."
"Banig? Uso pa ba yon?"
"Hindi na, pero would you believe, nagpabili kaya si tatay kanina nung malamang pupunta ka ngayon? Thank you pala dito sa flowers saka dun sa mga dala mong kakanin, ang dami naman. How did you know that carnation are my favorite flowers?" she asked smelling the boquet of pink roses and yellow carnations.
"Nabasa ko, so I asked the florist kung puwede pagsamahin yung roses at carnation. Ayan, hindi red roses ha. Saka, baka akalain mo naman na iisang klaseng bulaklak lang alam ko, gulay pa. Pang-apology flowers ko lang yun. Ito naman yung akyat-ligaw flowers ko."
"Huy, ano ka ba, huwag mong maliitin yun. Happy flower ko na kaya yung bulaklak ng kalabasa."
They went on discussing about their day, the dinner they had the other night, when the merienda was brought out by Yaya Pe. He told her the send-off he received from his family when they learned that he's going here and relayed their regards to her minus the kiss that manang requested. Mahirap na, baka hindi na siya makaulit. Mukhang may 3rd eye si Mang Teodoro. O baka may CCTV dito sa labas, he thought scanning his surroundings.
Biglang may nagdaang anghel dahil pareo silang natahimik. How do you move from friendly talk to ligaw talk? He looks at her as she gaze at the flowers and seems to be avoiding his eyes. "So...." he said, trying to break the ice again.
"So...." she replied, knowing the question she wants to ask but not knowing how to begin.
"This is it...it's finally happening."
The opening she's looking for, so before she chickens out. "May question ako, I've never asked you this and I think this is the best time to do it."
"Sure! Ano yon?"
"Why me?"
RJ was surprised at the question. "Isn't it too late to be asking that question?"
"Sagutin mo na please. Dahil ba nasabi ko noon na crush kita?"
"Meng, kung liligawan ko lahat ng students ko noon na nagsabi din na crush ako, baka nademanda na ko ngayon ng corruption of minors. And please don't think either that the reason is you're a celebrity and famous because if there's one factor that could have stopped me from pursuing you, yun yung pagiging celebrity mo."
"Then why me?"
"If I'm to be honest, the attraction was there from the start. I was fascinated and intrigued when I first saw you in Mindoro. Nagtataka ako sa sarili ko kasi kahit nagkakainisan tayo noon, pansin na pansin ko pa rin yung expressive eyes mo, tapos kahit hindi ako kasama sa usapan n'yo, gustong-gusto kong marinig yung boses mo lalo na yung tawa mo. Hindi kita kilala, pero naging concerned ako sa 'yo. Trying to deny your charm as a stranger in our 4-hour trek was a losing battle for me. I was hooked before I know it. It went downhill from there. You saw first hand how I tried to fight it. What more when I got to know you, not the celebrity but the person behind the celebrity. Siguro, our friendship only cemented the attraction. So bakit ikaw? To put it bluntly, because you're you. It's that simple."
He paused trying to gauge how she's taking his declaration, but she's looking down so he continued.
"What I'm saying is, what I felt for you has always been romantic from the start, never just friendship. The more I get to know you, the more I get attracted. Does that answer your question?" wanting her to look at him.
She finally does, but she has another question. "But are you ready? Realy, really ready? Ibang journey na 'to. The public's attention will be on us. Iba yung nalaman nilang friends tayo, iba pag nalaman nila na ibang stage na 'to. Konting tampo na mapansin nila even during courtship stage will be magnified. Any moods na makikita nila sa akin, puwedeng i-relate nila sa 'yo. Maraming makikialam. Mas dadami yung advisers ko about my personal life even if I don't ask for it. And since they will do it online, you will see it. Since you're a private person, even if you don't want the attention, you will get it. "
"I will be hypocrite if I'll say reading-ready na ko on what lies ahead in this courtship stage. This is the first time I'm doing this, observing all the rules, because I'm serious in my intentions. I can only plan to death pero iba pa rin siguro when you actually experience yung mga sinasabi mo. Ang maipapangako ko lang, hindi ako bibitiw. And yes, I agree na level up na yung journey natin. Sure, there will might be flat tires or stop over along the way kung kailangan kong mag-recharge if I will get suffocated from all the attention that I might get as you mentioned it. But I will not let go unless ikaw na magsabi no'n sa akin. So I'm saying, sa 'yo lang ako maniniwala. Sana ikaw din."
She did not respond, only returned his gze with a quizzical look that he's starting to get used to when she's processing her thoughts.
"Ikaw naman ang tatanungin ko. Handa ka na bang malaman ng mga tao na may manliligaw ka na? Tapos hindi pa celebrity?"
"Honestly, hindi ko alam. You not being a celebrity doesn't matter. Others have tried before, sa campus dati, or kahit from the industry nung andito na ko. May mga nagpaparinig, nagpapalipad-hangin. Pero ako kasi yung tipo ng tao na ayaw mag-assume. Kaya nung nagsabi ka when we went to Zambales, medyo nawindang ako. Then this. Ikaw yung nagseryoso eh, who went by the book as my parents requested it. Old school pa rin kasi sila. Ikaw yung naglakas-loob na lumapit sa kanila kahit kaibigan pa lang tayo. So let's see. One thing though that I will tell you, hindi ako paasa para masabi lang na may nanliligaw sa akin."
"So ibig sabihin, may pag-asa ako?"
"It means, nakarating ka na sa susunod na stage, the getting to know stage.."
"The getting to know stage? Menggay naman, hindi pa ba counted yung friendship stage natin? Baka naman puwede nang i-short cut yan"
"Ricardo, we've only known each other for what? More than two months? Unusual pa yung situation natin."
"Okay sorry, excited lang. Pero puwede na ang dates na tayo lang?.... Baka naman?"
Suddenly they heard a voice from inside the house. "Menggay!"
It's her father. "Tay! Bakit po?"
"Gabi na, di ba malayo pa uuwian ng bisita mo? At maaga din ang call time mo bukas?"
"Opo, tay! Wrap-up na po."
"O sige na Ricardo, baka nga masyadong gabihin ka sa daan. Salamat sa dalw at pasalubong. Regards kila Lola, Ate Raffy and Anna."
"May bionic ears pala tatay mo, ang ganda ng timing. Sandali pa lang tayo nag-uusap narinig lang yata yung date, time is up na agad."
"Ano daw, Menggay?"
"Wala po, sir. Sabi ko nga po, magpapaalam na po."
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Meng closed the door, she leans against it, closed her eyes, hands on her heart, still in that dreamy state, his image when he blew her a flying kiss as he was leaving, still vivid in her mind. "Haay, ang guwapo!"
Only to discover everybody watching her, including Matti, with different experssions on their faces.
"Menggay, baka mahipan ka ng hangin diyan. Nay, mukhang hindi magtatagal 'to. Sabihin mo lang kung dapat na kong pumayag na magmano siya at magpatawag ako ng tito."