When someone attempts to rain on your parade, wear boots, a raincoat and bring an umbrella. Remember that one of the greatest worthwhile moments in life is doing the things people say you can't do. Dream Big, always.
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"Bakit parang ang tahimik mo? Usually pagsasabay ka sa akin, ang dami mong kuwento?" Rob asked his younger sister.
"Naalala ko lang kasi yung conversation namin ni Mom about RJ and Dei."
"Is this Mom's fascination again to bring RJ and Dei together?"
"Alam mo din?"
"Isn't it super obvious? She's been playing match maker since they were in diapers."
"Sabi ko kasi na what if Dei and RJ fall in love and decide to keep their relationship a secret, Mom was livid. She said, that's cowardice. I said because there's a lot of rumour mongers around."
"...."
"What are your thoughts?"
"I'm trying to wrap my head around that scenario. If and when that happens."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm running several scenarios in my head. One if they keep it a secret, the other if they don't"
"So that do you think?"
"Do you ever remember having a crush on someone who does not meet your friends' criteria of being a crush material in high school and you never told them?"
"I think so. Why?"
"Do you remember moments when you'd see them first thing in the morning and you'd just smile just because of that. Walang nagtutulak, nang-aasar or nagcocomment. And for that just 5 seconds of quiet, magiging masaya ka buong araw?"
"Pero kung sina Dei at RJ naman, everyone wants them together."
"It's exactly that, which I think they might choose to keep it in secret."
"Ha?"
"Yung friendship, iba yun sa when you are in a relationship with someone. Although, I must say, magandang foundation ang friendship. During the after a few months that you learned how to drive and I got into the car, what did you tell me"
"Don't tell me directions, I can manage. Don't talk too much, I might get distracted."
"It's exactly that."
"Exactly what?"
"If you go into a relationship, it's like you're driving perhaps not for the first time, but it's a new car and a new set of roads that you have to traverse. They will need to do this on their own and find their own set of directions, the path they take may not be perfect but it's theirs to take, not anyone else's. You don't want people meddling especially that there are a lot of meddlers in our families, trying to give them instructions or worse saying which path to take. It may take time but they'll will get there. Pag-okay na sila, when they feel comfortable with driving the new car, I'm sure they'll tell us in time. And about telling us, it's theirs to tell. We have to wait. We can't project our hopes and dreams unto their lives and say it's wrong because it does not follow what our version of what we think is right. You know what causes our biggest disappointments?"
"What?"
"Our own expectations of the world."
"How did you get so wise?" Lia asked her brother
Rob laughed. "I don't know?"
Lia scoots near Rob and hugs him. "Kuya..."
"You hardly call me that. May kailangan ka no?"
Lia laughs. "You know me so well, I want this gorgeous bag from Paris. Please, please get me this bag I like when you go there for a conference next week"
"Sige, pero bake me those chocolate chip cookies that I love!"
Lia exhales. "Mapapagalitan na naman ako ni Mama nito!"
"Ha? Bakit? Alam naman niya na favorite ko yung chocolate chip cookies mo ha?"
"Well, it's Dad. Favorite niya din yun, kaya lang Mom's been monitoring his blood sugar. E, pagmay chocolate chip cookies, he can't stop eating!"
Rob laughs.
***
He walks into Sam's restaurant.
"Sam! Lunch tayo!"
"Saan?"
"Syempre dito sa restaurant mo, para libre!"
"Inabot ka na naman ng pagkakuripot mo no? Sige, upo na. Tawagin ko lang si Je."
Richard walks to a table and sits down. Jerald and Sam approaches after a few minutes.
Jerald: "Hangang Kailan ka dito?"
Richard: "Saturday"
Sam: "Ang bilis naman"
Richard: "May trabaho na e. One week lang napa-approve ko na leave"
Jerald: "Uwi ka na lang dito para sarili mo ang oras"
Richard smiles
Sam: "RJ, May ipapadate sana ako sa iyo"
They hear a woman's voice after. "So kanino mo ipapadate itong si RJ?"
Jerald & Sam: "Dei!"
Dei: "So Sam, kanino mo ipapadate itong si RJ?"
Sam scratches his head.
Dei: "Oi, Sam, sino nga?"
Sam: "Kay Veronica, yung ka-village niyo din. Kakabalik lang from Australia doon nag-aral at nag-work for a time"
Dei nods and says: "Ahhh.."
Dei: "Maganda ba?"
Sam: "Cute siya"
Dei: "Sam! Ipapadate mo kay RJ dito tapos cute lang? Dapat yung maganda talaga. Tongan mo naman, gwapo kaya ni RJ! E magaling ba sa math?"
Sam: "Ha? Hindi ko alam?"
Dei: "Sam naman! Alamin mo, baka square root of 133,225 hindi alam, paano na sila mag-uusap ni RJ pag ang topic na nila yung mga power or torque self-driving car na project ni RJ. Paano na? Sam naman, alam mo naman na ang topic nitong si RJ minsan ang vast, minsan ipis kung magsusurvive ba talaga sila sa nuclear war o kaya naman, what if kagatin ka ng lamok na kasing laki ni Jollibee may maiiwan pa ba sa iyong dugo? Mga pang-genius level!"
Jerald and Richard were laughing. Dei looked very serious.
Jerald: "Dei, anong square root ng 133225?"
Dei: "365"
Jerald checks using his phone.
Jerald: "Tama nga! Bakit hindi kayo ni RJ ang magdate"
Dei scrunches her face.
Jerald: "Sabi ko nga quiet lang ako dito. Sige tuloy mo na yang interrogation mo kay Sam!"
Sam: "Anong klaseng kaibigan ka, Je?"
Jerald: "Sa tingin ko okay naman, magkaibigan tayo since elementary so okay naman ako na friend. And may negosyo din tayo, minsan kino-cover kita pagmay date ka, baka nga perfect na ako na friend e!"
Sam just shakes his head, typical Jerald he tells himself.
Two plates of freshly baked scallops were brought to their table.
Dei was picking a piece when Richard took it from her. Dei looks at Richard sternly.
Richard: "Bawal ka nito di ba?"
Dei: "Pwede naman, may anti-histamine naman ako na dala!"
Richard: "Magkaka-allergic reaction ka na naman!"
Dei: "Please?"
Richard: "Hindi pwede"
Dei stands up. "Je, alis ka muna dyan."
Jerald who was sitting next to Richard stands up and moves to the side.
Dei slides into the seat and hugs Richard. "RJ, sige na please." and she gives him puppy eyes, too.
Richard: "Where's your anti-histamine?"
Dei opens her bag and gives it to Richard. Richard reads the label.
Richard: "You can have one, just one"
Dei holds up her hands to show five fingers
Richard:"No, just one"
Dei shows him her puppy eyes
Richard:"Sige two"
Dei holds up her hands to show four fingers
Richard:"No more, it stays at two"
Dei pretends to cry.
Richard: "Where's the number of your doctor here in Manila?"
Dei scrambles to look for it on her phone. Richard copies.
Richard:"Sige, you can have three"
Dei: "Yey! You're the best!" she moves to give Richard a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Richard shakes his head.
Dei continued hugging Richard while she ate. Richard's arms draped around her back.
Sam: "Whew! Akala ko makaka-witness na naman tayo ng world war 3!"
Jerald: "Yung parang noong kagagaling lang ni Dei sa allergy niya sa scallops tapos pwede na siya kumain kaya lang hindi pumayag si RJ so wala siyang nagawa? Tapos umiyak siya at nag-aaway sila?"
Sam:"Mismo!"
Jerald: "Parang hindi naman kayo nag-aaway?"
Dei and Richard: "Huh?"
Sam: "Sabi kasi ni Auntie Rose parang LQ kayo"
Dei and Richard coughed at the same time.
Jerald: "Anong nangyari?"
Richard: "Ang init noong scallops"
Sam: "Ang takaw niyo kasi!"
Dei and Richard gave each other water and wiped each other's lips.
Jerald: "Aray! Aray!"
Sam: "Anong nangyari, Je?"
Jerald: "Yung mga langgam kasi naiingit, ako ang kinagat!"
Sam: "Baka hindi lang langgam yan, Je. Mga bubuyog din!"
Jerald and Sam looked at Richard and Dei who were quiet in each other's arms and had huge grins.
Jerald: "Hindi malayo"