"Ma, di na yata kayo masaydong lumalabas ni tatay Digong?" Jill asked while they were eating their dinner together.
"Mmm! Malapit na siya mag-birthday diba? May plano ba?" Tricia recalled, Leni felt like it was the right time to tell them about their break up.
"Ah... wala na kami ni Digong." She confessed surprising them. "Bakit? Anong nangyari?" Aika asked hoping he didn't do anything to hurt her or else she would be infuriated.
"Nambabae?"
"Nagloko?"
"Nagsawa?"
Leni chuckled faintly. "Hindi. Kayo talaga." She replied. "Ano kase..." She knew she couldn't tell them it was because of Bolet.
"Ano... naisip namin na mahirap pumasok sa relasyon habang may trabaho kaming ginagawa. Medyo complicated, distracting kaya ayun, napagdesisyunan namin na wag nalang siguro. Mabuti na yung magkaibigan nalang kami." She clarified. The girls felt a bit sad for them as they started to like Digong for her upon seeing how sincere he was and how happy she was with him.
"Ganon?" Jill responded. "Sayang naman. Mga three years narin yata kayo, ma? Ngayon niyo pa narealize yan." She followed. "Oo nga, ma. Okay narin kami kay tatay Digong eh." Tricia joined in.
"Okay lang ba sayo yan, ma?" Aika worried. Leni sighed, "Oo naman. Reasonable naman yung paghihiwalay namin kaya okay lang." She assured. "Eh kay tatay Digong? Okay rin ba?"
She snorted, "Yun pa ba? Napakaunderstanding nun sa lahat ng sitwasyon ko. Okay lang yun sakanya tsaka ang mahalaga naman dito okay kami kahit wala na." She explained.
The girls felt a bit bad for them as they witnessed the sincere love between them for the past three years that they have been together. Despite that it was quite uncomfortable at first, they learned to get along well with Digong too and hearing about their break up just made them feel a bit torn.
"Well, okay narin siguro yan pero ma, sana si Digong na yung last. Medyo parang ayoko na isipin yung future na baka may ipakilala ka nanamang bago tapos back to zero nanaman kami sakanya na getting to know. Kung si Digong, si Digong, if hindi, sana wala nang sumunod." Aika expressed.
"Yes, ma. Tayo tayo nalang. Ayoko narin magback to zero with a new dad noh." Jill agreed.
With their sentiments shared, Leni felt the remorse of having the need to let go of Digong because of Bolet. Digong was almost everything she wished for already, her kids like him and vice versa, he makes her happy, he makes her complete.
He was perfect but then the only problem is that they can't be together.
—
"Mam, punta ka bukas ng gabi ha? Papakain ako rito para sa birthday ko." Digong personally invited after the cabinet meeting.
"Sige, sige. Ikaw pa ba? Syempre dapat present ako sa birthday mo." She pledged to come. "Talaga mam?" She could clearly see the happiness on his face. "Promise, sir. Papalagpasin ko ba ang birthday mo?" She replied.
He called for a small gathering at Bahay Pangarap where the cabinet members and children are invited. He scheduled it the night before March 28th as he was scheduled to fly to France for a state visit disabling him to celebrate his birthday on the country.
—
Leni got into the clothes she wore at the AFP ceremony where she first met Digong. She wanted him to remember the first time they saw each other on his special day. She combed her hair and wore a cherry lipgloss to colorize her lips.
Someone rang the doorbell, she rushed to the door and thought it might be Digong's personnel sent by him to fetch her but it surprised her to see Bolet's presence.
"Babe..." she uttered. "Pasok ka." She invited him in. "Nagtext ako sayo na pupunta ako, I bought foods for you." He informed her.
She checked on her phone and saw his unread message, she got too busy fixing herself for the past hour that she barely noticed the activities on her phone. He laid the foods on the table and looked at her with curiosity on his face.
"Bakit nakabihis ka? May pupuntahan ka?" He asked.
She knew she had no good reason to lie. "Ah... oo. Birthday kase ni Digong bukas." She stated hesitantly. "Oh? Bukas pa pala eh." He replied and continued serving the food on the table.
"Oo, eh magpapakain kase siya sa Bahay Pangarap ngayong gabi... invited kaming mga cabinet members tapos yung mga anak niya." She continued sharing hoping he won't get upset about it.
"Ah, nagpaalam ka na ba sakin tungkol dito noon?" He tried to recall. She was guilty that she didn't and she didn't even plan on telling him about it.
"Uhm... actually biglaan siya pero magpapaalam naman talaga ako sayo." She replied anxiously, he scoffed. "Kung kelan ayos na ayos ka na doon ka magpapaalam?" He retorted.
She bowed her head. "Sorry, lagi ko kasing nakakalimutan i-open up sayo. Pero plano ko talaga magpaalam—"
"Kung hindi pa ako pumunta dito, hindi ko pa malalaman." He refuted.
Silence crept in, Leni kept her head bowed down. "Pasensya na," she replied softly.
"Magbihis ka na. Hindi ka pupunta." He breaks in the silence, she was shook.
"Babe, sinabi ko na kase na pupunta ako—"
"Hindi ko na problema yon. Nagsasabi ka sakanila ng hindi ka pa naman sigurado." He cuts in.
"Babe, birthday ni Digong yon. Parte ako ng cabinet tapos presidente yung may birthday. Wala naman akong gagawing masama." She debated. "Oh, eh di batiin mo sa text. Ano ka ba niya para maging big deal kung di ka makapunta?" He countered.
"Nakakahiya naman kung hindi ako makapunta, nagsabi na kase ako. Ineexpect nila ako—"
"Mag-alibi ka! Diyan ka magaling diba? Kapag saatin ang dami mong excuses tapos ngayon wala kang maisip? Magsakit sakitan ka. I-text mo tapos sabihin mo sumama ang tiyan mo, tapos!" He interjects.
"Ngayon lang naman, Let. Sige sa susunod hindi na ako pupunta." She bargained. "Hindi ka pupunta." He reiterated. "Let—"
"Leni sinabi ko, magbihis ka na, hindi ka pupunta. Wag mo akong galitin." He warned her with a stern voice. She knew there are no other ways to convince him as he seemed to have made up his mind about prohibiting her to go. She took her phone from the coffee table but he immediately grabbed it before she was able to take it.
"Itetext ko lang si Bong para masabi kay Digong na di na ako makakapunta." She stated with a threatened voice. "Maya na. Magbihis ka na muna ulit." He pointed at the bedroom. "Itext ko lang—"
"Magbihis ka na!" His voice heightened. She felt scared, she walked to the bedroom to change her clothes back to her house clothes.
She closed the door and sat at the edge of the bed with a deep sigh. She worried about how would Digong feel with her sudden absence when she promised earlier that she'll be going. She didn't want to disappoint him and make him expect for nothing but with her current situation, she didn't seem to have much choice.
The call time for the gathering was seven in the evening until, probably, ten or eleven. It was already nine but Leni wasn't around yet. "Di ba nagtext? Sabi niya punta siya eh." Digong asked Bong. He glaced at his phone, "Wala pa, sir." He replied, his face manifested the sympathy he had for Digong who has been looking for Leni since seven.
While waiting, Digong continued to accommodate the other members, talk to his children and few relatives who were invited but still, Leni's absence took away a portion of his happiness. He looked at his smartwatch stroked its strap as he recalled that it was Leni's Christmas gift to him last time, he smiled. He glanced at the time, it was already ten twenty, some of the cabinet members even started to go already.
"Sige, Digong! Advance ulit! Salamat! Ingat sa flight bukas!" Gina and the other cabinet members started to bid goodbye. As he was left behind and the other guests left were busy socializing with each other, Jun Evasco walked towards Digong.
He noticed how he has been partly incomplete without Leni around that moment, he knew she was coming and it also made him wonder why up that time, she's still not around. "Ano Digong?" He started a conversation. "Uy, masarap ba mga pagkain?" He replied.
"Yeah, sarap. Dami pa nga. Pwede ba mag-take home?" He jested. "Sige, of course." He replied happily. "Hindi yata nakarating si Leni ha?" He finally had the chance to ask. Digong smiled with a sigh. It was inevitable for him not to feel a prickle on his chest thinking about her absence. "Akala ko pupunta siya?" He asked.
"Eh... baka maraming ginagawa. Akala ko rin pupunta siya eh." He shared with a fake smile, Jun knew he was hurting but he didn't want to trigger it. "Ah, sabagay. Marami ngang ginagawa si Leni sa HUDCC. Napakasipag niyan si Leni, honestly. Good thing she's under my department." He tried to brighten him up but he just smiled.
"Sir, papaligpit ko na daw po ba yung mga pagkain?" Bong consulted him as Inday suggested. "Si mam Leni po ba susunod pa?" He followed. Digong faked a smile, "Di na siguro." He replied. Bong and Jun immediately felt the sadness in his voice despite that he was concealing behind his smiles.
"Okay man paligpit mo na yung mga pagkain. Sabihin mo kila Sara kung gusto nila mag-uwi." He permitted. "Ah, sige Digong. Sabihin ko." Bong nodded.
"Anong oras flight mo bukas?" Jun asked to slowly shift away from the Leni topic. "Nine." He answered and took a sip of his iced tea.
He quietly thought about her. He'll be off to France for a week for a state visit, celebrate his birthday there, seeing and celebrating with Leni is the only thing he wished for his birthday but it turns out that it won't happen this time, and it breaks him.
To be continued...