EH YUNG HINDI NAMAN TAYO ULIT
December 21, 2017, 3:00pm, Miami:
December 22, 2017, 5:00am, Tokyo:
I was leisurely lounging on one of the beach chairs at South Beach when you called.
"Hi!" I greeted. "Aga mong nagising ah. Bago to." I grinned.
"Hi, Maine." I heard you sigh but I also heard the smile in your voice. "Maaga kasi kitang na-miss."
"Ang orte-orte." I laughed. "What? No FaceTime? Sawa ka na makita ang pagmumukha ko noh? Tapos sasabihin mo nami-miss mo ako."
"Uy! Hindi ah. Hinding-hindi ko pagsasawaan ang makita ka ang maganda mong mukha. It's the only face I want to wake up to each morning and the last I want to see at night." You sighed. "Nahihiya kasi ako. Bagong gising ako. Wala pang hilamos."
"Pogi pa rin naman. Tsaka I've seen your face in all hours of the day and night." I said.
"Iiieeeh... Basta. It's not a face you'd like to show the pretty friend that you want to impress." You answered.
"Wooshoo! Ang bolero mo talaga, Faulkerson. If we didn't agree on this friends thing, I'd think you're hitting on me." I giggled.
"I am." You muttered under your breath.
"Ano? I am? Anong I am?" I asked.
"Wala. Sabi ko I am... Ay! amlamig dito sa Japan." You answered and I laughed.
"Corny ka pa din."
"Corny eh ang lakas ng tawa mo." You laughed.
"Pero I'm sure hot pa din." I said and you suddenly stopped laughing.
"Wag ganyan, Maine. Malamig sa Japan." He grumbled in a low voice that sent shivers down my spine.
"Siyempre winter na. 4 degrees, right? May pa-snow nga di ba si Mt. Fuji."
"Bakit alam mo pati temperature?" You probed.
"Uhm... ano... sabi ni Siri nahawa ata ako dun sa friend ko na walang ginawa kundi mag-daily calendar and temperature updates sa Japan." I said and we both laughed.
Yes. Lusot. He wouldn't think I care too much, ano? That I still monitor and stalk him on this trip like I do in all his previous trips back when we were together. Di naman halata di ba?
"Diyan ba? Kumusta weather. Wala bang winter sa Miami?"
"Winter na din dito pero parang Pinas lang ang datingan. Malamig ang hangin pero mataas pa rin ang sikat ng araw. Tropical weather pa rin. Kaya nakakapag-beach pa din kami."
"Beach? So ano..."
"Ano?"
"Naka-swimsuit ka?"
"Oo. Alangan namang mag-gown ako. RJ, ano ba?" I laughed. "Siyempre naka-swimsuit."
"Haaay... Ang lamig talaga dito sa Japan." You said. "Rash guard, one piece or two- piece?"
"Rash guard? Paano? Alam mo namang pag beach, I prefer na mag two-piece talaga. Dun ako kumportable. Mga tanong mo noh? Kakaiba. Lakas maka-Tatay." I giggled.
"Oo. Tatay talaga ako."
"Eh di umamin ka." I said and was about to add a witty remark when you suddenly spoke.
"Tatay ng mga magiging anak mo." Your voice sounded too serious for that remark to be a joke but I knew that it was meant to be just that so I laughed anyway, no matter how awkward it may have sounded.
"Matagal pa yun. Hindi mo ako mabubuntis over the phone." A tensed silence followed that remark.
Way to make things more awkward, gurl. Jeez!
"M-malamig dito sa Japan." You said after clearing your throat a few agonizing seconds later.
"Ano to? Paulit-ulit? Okay na. Gets ko na. Malamig sa Japan. Oh tapos?"
"Help a friend? You know pag magkalayo tayo dati and I get lonely and..." You sighed. I knew you realized what you were asking then. "Basta. Alam mo na yun."
Yes. Of course, I know. How many times have we done this in the past? Question is, am I willing to tread that line with you and flirt with the idea of warming your loneliness in a cold hotel room by giving you what we both knew you were asking for.
What the heck!
"Oh you mean like this?" I pulled my phone away from ear, browsed through my gallery and sent a couple of pictures to your Viber then spoke to you again. "Check your..."
I didn't get to finish that sentence. You probably heard the notifications and checked your messages immediately because at that moment all I could hear on the other line was a series of wows and muffled curses.
I had to stifle my laughter at your reaction to the photos and I somehow got excited of how your body must be reacting to them.
No! Erase! Friends nga lang di ba?
You then cleared your throat again and spoke in a calm voice. "I didn't think you would pero thank you for sending some Miami heat to Tokyo." You chuckled.
"You're welcome. Friends help friends right?" I said then rolled my eyes at myself for such a lame excuse for what I just did. "I'll be posting those on IG din naman. Think of it as an advanced screening for the pre-approval committee." I giggled.
"Gaya dati." You sighed and I hummed my agreement.
"Gaya dati." I smiled.
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Unbeta'ed and not proofread. Thank you for reading.