"Shake if off, let it go. I don't care anymore." --Numb, Usher
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"Let's go out on a date."
Napabalikwas ng bangon si Jae. "DATE?!"
While struggling to get the blanket off her, she tried to keep the phone in place. It's just past seven in the morning. Apat na oras pa lang siyang tulog. It feels like she had just closed her eyes when he called.
"Bakit parang gulat na gulat ka?" tanong ni Toby sa kanya.
"Hindi naman. You just woke me up, I guess." She yawned. "Sure ka?"
"Oo."
"What time?"
Nang makakalma na siya ay saka lamang niya natanggal ang kumot na halos nakabuhol na sa mga binti niya.
"Eight."
"PM?! E di sana hapon ka na tumawag! Kulang pa ako sa tulog!" iritado niyang sabi.
"Eight AM," he corrected.
"HA? Bakit ang aga naman?!" She looked at her clock. It's only eight minutes after seven. Even if he's thirty minutes late, she would still not be ready. Mahigit isang oras siyang maligo kapag may importanteng lakad. And fifteen minutes is not enough to go through all her clothes to pick the perfect dress. And then there's also makeup. She had to pick the right accessories.
It's just impossible!
"Nandyan na ako ng 7:30. Kapag hindi ka pa bihis, hindi na tayo tuloy."
"Ano?!" She got off the bed and rushed to the bathroom. "Nanggagago ka ba?!"
"May twenty minutes ka pa. Kung ako sa 'yo, maliligo na 'ko."
"Eto na nga o!"
She put the phone on loud speaker para matanggal niya ang damit.
"Ni-loud speaker mo?" tanong nito sa kanya.
"Oo. Para makapagtanggal ako ng damit!"
"M-Maliligo ka na?"
"Minamadali mo 'ko, di ba?"
She turned the shower on.
Toby suddenly felt uncomfortable. What is she doing? Tulog pa ba ang diwa nito? Who in their right mind would turn on the shower while on the phone with someone? Unless she's seducing him.
He felt his cheeks flush.
Umiling siya, shaking the thought off. She probably didn't mean it that way.
"Nandyan ka pa?" tanong nito sa kabilang linya.
"O-Oo." Tumikhim siya. "Ibaba ko na. Bilisan mo ha."
"Okay."
Medyo nakahinga sya ng maluwag nang tapusin niya ang tawag.
Wala naman talaga siyang planong yayain itong lumabas. But it's the weekend and it's grocery day for Jazz. Pero wala si Kent dahil abala ito sa pagtulong sa ginagawang bagong branch ng restaurant nito at ng pinsan nitong si France.
Jazz wouldn't mind, of course. Because if Kent's not there, she could just turn to him, the best friend who is obviously always standing on the side, waiting to be summoned by the love of his life who caged him inside the friend-zone.
But he's not having any of that crap today. So when she called him earlier, he declined and made an excuse. He said he's going to meet Jae. Halata namang hindi gusto ni Jazz si Jae. It's mainly because Femi didn't like her dahil ex ito ni JT. JT is Femi's now. But Femi still feel threatened.
Gale would obviously side her best friend and she, Jazz, would have to side the sister-in-law and the friend. Hindi niya maintindihan ang takbo ng utak ng mga babae. Okay lang naman si Jae kay Rico. Yun nga lang, kapag kaharap nito si Gale, he'd pretend that he also hates Jae, na naiintindihan naman niya.
Impromptu na lakad ang nangyari pero alam niyang natuwa si Jae nang tumawag siya rito kanina, kahit pa ba alam niyang puyat ito at wala pang masyadong tulog. That made him feel guilty though. Dahil ang lagay, he's making her his escape, which is unfair to her.
But maybe he'd make up for it by making this day really special for her.
Binagalan niya ang paglalakad at pinalampas ang ilang sasakyan para mahuli ng kaunti. Usually, it would take Jae an average of three hours to get ready. Kaya ang ginagawa niya, inia-adjust niya ng isang oras ang lakad nila. Tapos magpapahuli siya. That way, kung maghihintay man siya, mga isang oras na lang or less.
But when he got to her house and knocked on her door, she was there to open it up. And she was already dressed. Hindi nga lang kagaya ng madalas nitong ayos. Her hair was still wet because she had no time to blow it dry. Mukhang nag-lipstick lang ito at blush on, because she also had no time for makeup. And her clothes looked like something that she threw in at the last minute.
But there's something about her look that got to him. Hindi kasi kalkulado. Hindi pinag-isipan. She had no time to put her guard up. It's one of those times na mukha itong proned. Prone to him and to the world, as bare as she could be in less than an hour. And he had to admit to himself that he likes her that way.
"Hindi ka naligo, ano?" biro niya.
"Hoy, naligo ako!"
"Nagbasa ka lang ng buhok e."
Ginulo niya ang buhok nito. She tsk-ed and swatted his hand.
"Magulo na nga, ginugulo mo pa!"
He smiled at her. Yep, she's definitely the same girl, easily annoyed and spoiled, just a bit stripped down.
"Tara!" aya niya.
"Saan?"
He locked the door and walked to the gate. Like a true gentleman, he didn't forget to open the gate for her.
"Mall."
"Mall? Alas otso pa lang a!"
"Oo nga. Magbabyahe pa naman tayo."
"Hindi pa rin bukas ang mall kahit mag-joyride tayo ng dalawang oras," she pointed out.
"E di gumala muna tayo somewhere else. Tapos punta tayong mall."
So kumain muna sila ng breakfast at tinagalan nila para makunsumo ang dalawang oras na gagawin sana nilang paghihintay sa labas ng mall bago ito magbukas. Pagkatapos noon, nagbyahe na sila. They took the long way and he found the bus ride quite annoying and enjoyable at the same time.
Jae rarely rides a bus. And most of those rare times are with him. Taxi girl kasi ito.
Halos 30 minutes ng open ang mall nang makarating sila.
"Ano'ng gagawin natin dito?"
"Maggo-grocery tayo."
"Ha?"
"Wala ka kasing pagkain sa bahay mo."
"Hindi ko naman kasi kailangang mag-stock ng pagkain dun."
"Dapat may stock ka lagi. Saka magtuto ka ring magluto. Ang tanda-tanda mo na, ni pagsasaing hindi mo alam gawin."
"Oy marunong ako!"
"Sa rice cooker."
Umirap ito sa kanya. "Why would I learn how to cook?"
"Syempre, para kapag nagkaasawa ka na, hindi ka nya agad iwan."
Napatingin ito sa kanya. Napalunok siya nang makitang mataman ang tingin nito. Na-misinterpret kaya nito ang sinabi nya?
"Kung mag-aasawa ako, e di yung marunong nang magsaing, maglaba at maglinis ng bahay ang aasawahin ko."
"So gusto mo prinsesa ka?"
"Yeah. Or kukuha ako ng katulong. Hindi ko naman kailangang maghirap kung mag-aasawa man ako."
Nailing na lamang siya sa sinabi nito.
"Grabe ka."
She returned his comment with a sheepish smile.
"Bakit nga pala dito tayo sa mall na 'to pumunta?"
"Ha? A, wala lang."
"Kung maggo-grocery tayo, mamaya na lang bago umuwi. Manuod muna tayo ng movie."
"Mamaya na. Mag-grocery muna tayo."
"Marami pang time para dyan. Movie muna!" she insisted.
He rolled his eyes and sighed. Paano ba naman sya mananalo laban sa isip-bata nyang girlfriend? In the end, he didn't complain when she dragged him to the movie house.
Dalawang movies ang pinanuod nila dahil ipinilit nito. Since marami raw naman silang time, lubusin na. Pagkatapos nilang mag-movie, inaya sya nitong mag-lunch. She finally agreed to buy groceries at 4pm. Kumuha ito ng basket at pinahawakan sa kanya habang ito naman ay lagay nang lagay ng kung anong mahawakan sa shelves, na ibinabalik din naman niya.
They were on the aisle for snacks when someone caught his eye. Agad niya itong sinundan, careful not to get too close. And Jae tailed behind him.
Tumigil ang dalawa sa vegetable section. Tulak-tulak ni Kent ang push cart habang si Jazz naman ay nakataas ang dalawang kamay na may hawak na mga gulay. It looks like she was making him choose. Medyo malayo sila kaya hindi rinig kung ano ang pinag-uusapan ng mga ito. Mukhang may sinabi si Kent na nakakatawa because Jazz laughed. And then, as if finding her laughter cute, yumuko si Kent para halikan si Jazz sa ilong.
Some might find it cute and adorable. Not him. It's been like forever since that faithful day when she broke up with him. But he didn't stop hoping. At kahit ngayong may asawa na ito at magkakaanak na, umaasa pa rin siya.
That made it much more painful.
He blinked a few times because his vision's getting blurry. Doon niya naramdaman ang isang kamay na humawak sa mukha niya at ibinaling ito sa kaliwa. And then he felt something soft on his lips.
Para siyang binuhusan ng malamig na tubig. It was like he was pulled away from an excruciatingly beautiful dream.
He pushed her, but he didn't mean anything by it. He just wanted to breathe. He just wanted space to clear his head. But she took it negatively.
He could still see the pain in her eyes as the stingy tears fall. Saka ito tumakbong palayo.