It was around five in the afternoon when he finished paying at the counter. He was on his way to his car in the parking lot with his hands full, carrying the bags of groceries in it, when he was suddenly stopped in his tracks with the loud blowing of horn from a car on his side. He was stunned and he lost grip of the other bag in his hand, making it fall to the ground. Everything happened so fast. It was too late for him to realize that he didn't see the incoming car. Suddenly, his feet had a mind of their own and it seemed to be rooted on the ground. He can't move.
Susmaryosep naman Lord!
Hindi ko pa nga nahahanap si Nicki
masasagasaan na ko. Wag naman po.
At tsaka yung mga itlog ko, sayang naman...
He closed his eyes and prayed as he waits in anticipation of the impact. But it never came. He didn't know how long he was holding his breath until he decided to look down on himself and heaved a sigh of relief that he's still standing in one piece. He noticed the bumper of the yellow car just a few inches from him. With furrowed brows, he slowly turned to face the car, itching to see the face of this reckless driver who almost hit him. But the car was heavily tinted. He waited for a few more seconds, hoping that the driver would be kind enough to check on him or to just apologize for what happened. But still, no movement or whatsoever. No signs of the reckless driver to show some concern.
Hindi ba talaga toh bababa? Nakaabala
na nga't lahat, wala man lang sorry?
Kapal ng mukha nito ah! Teka...
He was about to walk to the side of the driver but his phone rang. So he pulled his phone from his back pocket and saw Josh calling. He looked at the driver's side once again but still answered the call. When he realized that the driver wouldn't bother to check on him, he started to pick up the grocery items on the floor as he talked to Josh.
Kingina Josh, muntik na kong mabangga!
Huh? Saan Kuya? Anong nangyari?
Saang ospital ka dadalhin? Yung kotse?
Anong ospital? Siraulo! Muntik nga lang...
Ok yung kotse, naglalakad ako nung
mangyari...
Bat ka naglalakad? Diba iniwan ko sayo
yung kotse?
Tanga! Dito sa parking lot ng Rob.
Gago tong driver biglang sumulpot,
hindi ko napansin. Sige na, mamaya
na lang. Pauwi na ko.
Ah, ok ok. Sige ingat ka.
****************
She was really nervous and worried for the guy. The fact that she almost hit someone made her heart beat fast. Yet the moment she opened her eyes and saw that she didn't hit him, she felt relieved. She was calming her nerves so she can go and check on him. She blew the breath she was holding in but then she gasped in surprise when the guy turned to face them with furrowed brows.
"Hoooomyyygaaaaahd!" Sheena exclaimed in surprise, as both of them sat straight and looked at the guy standing in front of them. Sheena looked closely, as if trying to confirm who it really was.
Nicki was truly stupefied. She blinked once. Her heart started beating rapidly again against her chest and she found it harder and harder to breathe. She wanted to believe that this is just a figment of her imagination. She shut her eyes tight.
Wag ka naman magbiro ng ganito
sa'kin universe. Kanina ka pa eh!
Strike three na diba? Out of the game
na ko dapat! Bakit ganito? Tapos ganito pa
rin kagwapo yung ihaharap mo sa'kin?!
Nasan ang hustisya dun universe??? Nasaan?!
She slowly opened her eyes and found him still standing there. She closed her eyes again, still couldn't believe what she saw before her very eyes, thinking she might be getting crazy.
Lord naman, bat si RJ pa rin nakikita ko?
Sana ibang mukha na lang. Please!
Imposible diba? Hindi siya toh diba?
Juskupu! Nababaliw na yata talaga ko!
When she opened her eyes again, he's already down on his knees picking up the items that scattered on the floor. She let out the breath she was holding in and realized she's crazy for thinking that way.
It can't be him. Nasa malayong
lugar siya. At ang laki ng mundo
para magkita kami ulit. Baliw lang
ako pero hindi siya yan.
She stared at him from the inside, waiting for him to move away. But then the guy stood up, turned his head towards them for the last time. His eyes was looking directly at her as if he can see her from the outside. Her breath hitched as their gazes met for a few seconds. Then he shook his head as he walked away. She was paralyzed. She didn't think it was possible to see him again. She wanted to make sure but she didn't know how. It's hard to believe with everything that transpired today. It was as if the universe's playing with her feelings. She tried her best to ask her best friend. She opened her mouth to speak but somehow no words came out. She was afraid to ask, even more scared to know that she wasn't just imagining him. That it is really him.
"RJ.... Oh my gosh! Si RJ yun besh. Juskuka! Halika na dali, habulin natin!"
Suddenly, the surge of emotions came crashing down on her as she heard his name. She wanted to scream as she felt the pain in her chest when she saw him with his phone on his ear. She wanted to strangle him until he answers all of her questions but she can't find the courage to get out of the car and chase him. She didn't expect to see him. More so, she was not prepared for this moment. But then it dawned on her. He has his phone with him. And she felt like she found the answer to all her questions as tears began to fall from her eyes.
"Ano pang hinihintay natin? Let's go! Baka di natin siya maabutan! Nics! Huuuuy! Wag kang umiyak dyan. Let's go!"
NO!
"What? What do you mean NO?"
Hindi natin siya hahabulin.
"What?! Bakit hindi? Nandyan na siya besh oh, kausapin mo na to answer all the questions in your head. For your own peace of mind."
He doesn't need to answer it.
Nasagot na yung tanong ko.
"What? Hindi kita maintindihan, besh... Kung hindi mo siya hahabulin, ako ang hahabol sa kanya. Nics! Unlock the door! Please! Tarantado yun, paisa lang!" Sheena pleaded, determined to chase after him. She doesn't want to see her best friend suffer anymore. But Nicki refused to unlock the door and just continued to cry.
Wag na, Sheens... He... he forg..
forgot ab..about meeee...
So wag na... wag na natin s..siya..
ha..habulin....
"Beeeesh... How can you say that? Hindi pa naman natin siya nakausap. Di mo pa siya nakausap. How would you know he forgot about you?"
The.. the ph-phone... he has
his phone.. damn it! his phone!
i'm such a fool...
Nicki cried even more as Sheena moved closer to hug her tight and comfort her. They stayed like that for a while until they heard car horns continuously blowing. That's the only time Sheena realized that they were still in the middle of the parking lot.
"Nics, tahan na... i still don't understand pero mabuti pa let's go back to your pad na.. papadeliver na lang tayo... i'll stay with you tonight... palit tayo ng pwesto, i'll drive... please Nicki, besh, unlock the door na... promise, lilipat lang ako dyan and we'll go. Wala tayong hahabulin if that's what you want."
Nicki pressed the unlock button beside her as she sobbed harder. Sheena quickly made her way out and ran to the opposite side of the car after she instructed Nicki to move to the passenger seat. Once she was seated in the driver's seat, she fastened Nicki's seatbelt then hers, then drove away.
On their way back to Grand Towers, she was constantly checking up on Nicki. She was no longer crying, but her head was leaning on the window and she was just looking outside.
"Nics, if you want to talk, i'll listen. Promise di ako magsasalita. I'll just listen to you. I'm all ears, you know that."
Nicki went straight to her bedroom as soon as they entered her condo unit. Sheena took that time to call for food delivery before she went inside Nicki's room. She found her lying in her bed, her back against her, hugging her pillow, and sobbing relentlessly. She sat on her side, caressing her back.
"Besh, kausapin mo naman ako oh. Please. I'm really really worried na."
L-last na toh... p-promise.. di na..
di naa k-ko iiyak a-after...
"Sige besh, iiyak mo lang yan hanggang sa maubos na... basta dito lang ako, di kita iiwan. I'm ready to listen anytime."
Nicki turned to face her and hugged her as she cried harder. Sheena readily accepted her with open arms, and just let her cry. Patiently waiting for her to speak up.
When her tears died down, Nicki began to speak.
Hindi ko alam kung bakit ang sakit-sakit, Sheens! Okay na ko kanina eh. My mind is already set to move forward and begin this school year right. Hindi ko alam kung sadyang malas lang o talagang pinaglalaruan ako ni universe. Kasi almost everything that happened today, it reminded me of him. Mula sa Tocilog ng breakfast, sa pabanner sa College, sa surprise ni Joaqui. Lahat yun besh, si RJ ang pumasok sa isip ko. Ang hirap. Sabi ko sa sarili ko parang dejavu ito ah. Si RJ lang ang kulang. Pero hindi ko pinansin. Hinayaan ko lang. I should've seen it coming, you know? Na lahat ng nangyari kanina will lead me to seeing him again today. Andun na yung signs eh. When I saw him, everything that I felt when he stood me up that morning in Boracay came back. I've waited for hours and we... we almost missed our flight. Kaya yung inis, yung sakit, yung katangahan ko. Lahat yun. It all came back. And i don't understand why it still fucking hurts! Kaya hindi ko matanggap na siya yun. Ayokong maniwala. Hindi ko magets kung bakit ganito yung epekto sa'kin ni RJ. Parang he found his way into my heart in such a short period of time. Sobrang short. Kaya nga kinalimutan niya na eh. Ganun ba ko kadaling kalimutan Sheens? Mukha ba kong madaling paglaruan? Bakit ako, besh?! Ang dami naman dyan eh... Bakit ako?!
"Besh... kaya nga gusto ko siyang habulin kanina eh. Kasi diba mas maganda malaman mo yung dahilan kung bakit? You deserve to know why he didn't show up. The reason why he did what he did. I'm sure may reason ang mga bagay-bagay. Hindi man natin kilala si RJ pero naniniwala ako na may rason kung bakit nangyari lahat. Bakit ba kasi pinigilan mo ko? Andun na eh. Yun ang di ko gets eh.
Gustung-gusto ko siyang lapitan. Sigawan. Awayin. Pero hindi naman na kasi kailangan eh. Hindi naman ako tanga, besh. Nakita naman natin pareho hawak niya yung phone niya kanina diba? That means he has his ways to connect with me. Alam ni RJ yung number ko. That's the only way we can communicate. Pwede niya kong tawagan o itext man lang even after he stood me up. Magsorry lang siya nun kahit walang explanation tatanggapin ko eh. Pero ano?! He broke his promise to me. I waited over a month pero ni hi o hello wala. Ni blank message nga o wrong send wala e.
Pero nung nasa airport tayo sabi mo out of reach diba? Did you even try to contact him again when we got back to Manila?
You think I didn't do that? I sent him messages pero walang reply. I tried to call him pero out of reach pa din. Narealize ko na lang one day na maybe nagpalit siya talaga ng number so I won't reach him anymore. That what we had was maybe a one time thing to him. I should've known better. Eh kaso first time ko eh. Nadala ko sa dimples, sa biceps at sa charm. And that's what hurts me most.
Hays! Kaya nga sana hinayaan mo ko kanina na habulin siya. Ready na ko besh eh. Sasapukin ko na talaga kanina yung tarantadong yun kung inabot ko. At.. at hindi lang yun ha. Kahit gwapo siya at ang yummy ng biceps niya, hindi yun uubra sa'kin besh. Kakagatin ko talaga yung biceps nun! Payummy eh!
Gaga! Nicki chuckled a little bit.
"Yaaaan! At least napatawa na kita. Hahaha! Pero totoo naman eh. Aminin mo, payummy kaya siya kanina. Jusku yung biceps niya very inviting eh!" Sheena said and Nicki just glared at her.
"Sabi ko nga eh. Gago talaga yun si Jay! Pag nakita ko talaga yun masasapok ko yun ng very very hard! Sinaktan niya beshie ko, tatamaan talaga siya sa'kin! Naku naku!"
Haaays. Sira ka talaga! Yaan mo, I will be more careful next time. Sabi ko naman sayo eh. My mind is set to move on and start the school year right na eh.
"Dapat lang noh! I will be right here to support you on that. Kaso... ito ba nakaset na din to move on and start right?!" Sheena asked as she points to Nicki's heart. Nicki wasn't able to answer it.
"Nics, can you promise me one thing?"
A-ano ba yun?
"Promise me na when you meet Jay again you'll give him the chance to explain?"
Wha-what for?!
"For closure. Kasi alam mo kahit ano pang sabihin mong move on move on na yan, kung hindi naman panatag ang puso mo, waley din. Tsaka malay mo..." Sheena stopped as she heard her phone ringing. She sat up straight and immediately answered it.
Malay ko ano? Hooooy! Sino ba yan?! Nicki was trying to interrupt her but the call ended too soon. Sheena turned to face her again.
"Huh? That's the delivery, pinaakyat ko na. Ano ulit yun?! Nicki sat up straight, not yet wanting to leave her bed.
Malay ko ano???
"Aahhh... well... Malay mo lang may valid reason... baka may chance pa... hihihi! sayang din yung biceps nun beshie parang ansherep keshe hehehe..."
Oh gahd! You're unbelievable!
Nicki shook her head then facepalmed.
"Jowk lang, toh naman! Pinapatawa lang kita talaga eh. Hihihi! Pero seryoso Nics, let him explain his side when the time comes. Kahit for your own peace of mind lang... who knows?!"
Juskuka!
Inenglish mo lang
yung "malay mo" eh!
"Hihihihihi!"
****************
A/N: So alam niyo na ha?! Hindi siya sinipot ni RJ kaya nagkaganyan si Nicki... eh bakit nga ba hindi sinipot?! Malalaman natin yan soon...
Maraming salamat po sa patuloy na sumusuporta at nagbabasa. Hangga't nandyan po kayo, hindi ako titigil magsulat para sa inyo at para kay Richard at Nicomaine! Maraming salamat po sa tiwala. Sobrang appreciated ko talaga.🙏🏻
Wag masyado mainip ha. We'll get to the good parts soon. Promise!😘
Xoxo
Tinkybella16
ctto Google for the GIFS used in this chapter!😊