"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh what has just happened" Paulit-ulit kong sabi sa sarili ko while I was walking towards the gym and hanggang sa makarating ako doon.
Hindi pa rin nagsi-sink in sakin yung nangyari kani-kanina lang. Like I'd just met and talked with Juan! Oh my gosh. Ang gwapo niya talaga super. Ang hot sobra like ang lakas ng dating niya and mababaliw na ata ako dito. Myghad. Ang swerte ko.
Nang makarating na'ko sa gym, maraming tao na ang pumila like there were a hundred of students and I don't know if maabutan pa ako sa dami ng bumibili pero pumila pa rin ako. And I pray na sana hindi ako maubusan.
I stand and waited for half an hour already and I feel like hindi a hundred yung mga nakauna sakin. Feeling ko sobra pa kasi, parang hindi gumagalaw yung pila e.
Tumunog naman ang cellphone ko and pagtingin ko ay tumatawag na naman si Erica.
"Uy, Eva, sa'n ka na? I have tickets already and binilhan na rin kita" said Erica after I answered her call.
"Talaga?! Binilhan mo 'ko?! Andito na'ko sa gym, nasa likod ako, pumipila" I told her at lumingon-lingon ako trying to find her.
"No need na nga. I bought you ticket already and wait, puntahan kita dyan." Binaba na ni Erica ang tawag and masayang masaya talaga ako nang isinama niya ako sa pagbili ng ticket.
Umalis na'ko sa pila and later on, Erica and I met.
"Kakay!" I yelled and pulled her to the side because iku-kwento ko na rin sa kanya yung nangyari kanina.
"What? Wait, oh, eto na ticket mo. Buti, I was able to buy 2 tickets sa patron side kasi iilan na lang din yung natitira." Wika ni Erica as she hands me my ticket.
Ngumisi ako nang malaki and niyakap ko siya nang dahil sa tuwa, "Yiee, thank you so much bespren, pero may iku-kwento ako sayo!" Tili ko sa kanya because alam niyang kinababaliwan ko ang isang Juan Gomez de Liaño.
"Ano nga?" tanong niya looking so giddy.
"Juan and I met!" I announced with my big smile and I saw her eyes widened, "What? Kailan?"
"Kanina, while I was on my way here. Nagkabunggo kami sa malapit sa ano, basketball gym nila tapos he talked to me." Kwento ko sa kanya and mas lalo pa akong kinilig.
"And then what happened?"
"Ayun, we said sorry to each other tapos he asked me if i am okay ganun, then it was only a short talk naman kasi nagpaalam na'ko kagad sa kanya na I'm in a hurry kasi bibili ako ng ticket for their game."
"WOW, congratulations! I'm so proud of you. Now, magkakilala na kayo.." She laughs at me at napangiti na lamang ako.
"Pero, bayad mo sa ticket ah. That's not a treat." Erica added as she changed the topic at napasimamgot ako.
"Ay, hindi pala 'to libre?" I asked laughing at slightly nakanguso.
"Hindi noh, wala na'kong money so you have to pay me.." Pag-iiling niya at inilahad niya ang kanyang kamay expecting me to pay.
"Libre na lang to..."
"Hindi pwede. That ticket is expensive kaya tsaka bayaran mo na'ko, ang yaman-yaman mo e..." Pagsasabi niya at napatawa ako. "Sinong mayaman?"
And then she rolled her eyes, "Who else? Edi, ikaw. Your family is rich."
At ako naman yung umirap ngayon. "There's a difference between me and them. Sila lang yung mayaman, not me."
"Tse! Basta, mayaman ka! Nagmomodel ka nga rin e.."
"Part time lang yon. Ano ka ba."
"Part time nga pero they pay you big money.." She says and I really can't believe Erica. Kuripot pa rin as always.
I sigh and decided to pay nalang. Because alam kong pipilitin niya talagang pabayarin ako. "Sige na nga. Kuripot mo talaga.."
I reached for my bag on my back and when I try to open the small pocket ng bag ko to get my wallet, I saw it opened already and lumaki ang mata ko nang hindi ko makita wallet ko doon sa loob.
"Hala, yung wallet ko" Kabado kong salita when I really couldn't find my wallet. Oh my Gosh, nakabukas pa naman yung bag ko. Shit.
"Bakit? Nawala?" Asked Erica and I nodded my head habang inopen ko rin yung malaking pocket ng bag ko at hinanap ang wallet ko sa loob.
Kinuha ko naman yung mga laman ng bag ko at wala talaga yung wallet ko sa loob.
"Huy, yung wallet ko, nawawala." I said in a worried tone and kinapa ko yung bulsa ng jeans ko pero wala akong maramdamang wallet.
"Baka your left it sa bahay niyo?" she says and I shook my head, "No. I was the one who paid for Ate's things pa nga kanina nung nasa mall kami."
"Where did you put your wallet ba?"
"Sa bag ko nga. Sa small pocket dito" I said pointing to the pocket of my bag "....tapos this pocket was opened already."
"What?! Baka someone took it or maybe you forgot it to close tapos nalaglag?" She says and hindi ko alam kung ano yung isasagot ko.
"I don't know. I hope nalaglag lang. Nandoon yung dalawang ATM ko" I whined "...wait I'll look for it. Titignan ko sa mga dinaanan ko" I added.
"Samahan na kita.." Sabi naman niya at tumango ako.
We went back to the places na dinaanan ko kanina pero hindi talaga namin nakita ni Erica yung wallet ko.
"Baka sa mall nalaglag or kaya sa car ng Ate mo? You text her kaya and ask her na to check her car."
Tumango naman ako sa sinabi niya at tinawagan si Ate. After a couple of rings, she answered it.
"Yes, Eva?"
"Ate, my wallet was lost and can you check your car if baka I left it there or baka nahulog sa loob?" Sabi ko sa kanya.
"What? Sige, okay, I'll go check it, wait lang." I heard her says and naghintay ako sa kanya.
And then mayamaya, sabi ni Ate na wala rin daw siyang nakita sa car niya.
"Oh my God. Sige, ate, hahanapin ko na lang muna dito sa campus. I'll text you later." Sabi ko.
"Okay sige, bye"
"Bye"
I turned off my phone and napahinga ako nang malalim dahil sa kaba. Nandoon lahat ng savings ko, yung pera na pinagtrabahuan at pinaghirapan ko.
"Hahanapin ko ulit dito Kay, and diba may class sa in 5:30?" I asked her.
"Yun na nga e. As much as I want to help you Eva to look for your wallet, but I have a class e. Balitaan mo na lang ako" She replies.
"It's okay. And yeah sure" I reassured her with a smile.
Erica and I went for a quick hug at nagpaalam na ito na umalis. I saw her ride a jeepney and once the jeepney left, I continued to look for my wallet sa daan. Bumalik ako sa mga dinaanan ko nagbabasakali na baka hindi ko lang nakita doon.
Nang nasa tapat na'ko ng basketball gym while looking for my wallet, I saw Juan again who came out and our eyes met each other kaya napatigil ako sa paghahanap.
"Hey, it's you again." Wika ni Juan at nginitian naman niya ako ulit. Hay nako ito na naman yung puso ko. Ang bilis ng tibok nito. Iba talaga yung feeling pag nakikita mo yung crush mo especially if you talked pa.
"Hi. I was just looking for my wallet, nawala kasi e.." I told him.
"Really? Maybe you left it somewhere" He says and umiling ako, "No e. I put it on my bag tapos I found out na naka-open pala yung bag ko. I have a feeling na nalaglag yon"
"I'll help you look for your wallet" Juan says and my eyes widened.
"No, hindi na. It's okay. Baka you have training and naisturbo pa kita" I said stopping him.
"We don't have training today kasi rest day. And c'mon, let's look for it" He says at hindi ko na siya pinigilan.
Juan and I went to the places na dinaanan ko o kaya nilagpasan ko pero wala pa rin talaga. Tsaka Juan even asked some students kung may nakita ba silang wallet pero all of them responded 'no'.
"Excuse me, um, my friend's wallet was lost and we just want to ask if you saw a long black wallet" I heard Juan asked for the nth time sa isang grupo ng mga estudyante pero wala talaga sa kanila nakakita.
"Juan, hayaan mo nalang. Baka may someone na nakapulot and the person needs it more kaya siguro gano'n" Sabi ko kay Juan. Hays, goodbye savings.
"Are you sure?" He asked and I nodded "Yup. Thanks for helping me ah. It means a lot to me"
"No problem and um, by the way, I didn't got your name, what's your name?" Juan asked and I laugh kasi finally he asked for my name na. Kanina pa kaming magkasama pero he didn't bother talaga to ask for my name.
"I'm Eva" Pakilala ko sa kanya and bigla syang naglahad ng kamay for a handshake, "And I'm Juan"
"I know. Juan Gomez de Liaño" Tawa ko at nakipaghandshale kahit na I'm worried pa rin for my wallet.
"Um, are you hungry? Gusto mo bang kumain?" Tanong ni Juan and natuwa ako when I hear him speak Tagalog. You can hear a slang from him like you can tell na he's more fluent in speaking in English.
"No, I'm fine but thanks" Sabi ko sa kanya "and uuwi na rin naman ako, hinihintay ko lang yung Ate ko na magsusundo tsaka you can go rin naman, you might still have some other things to do pa" Dagdag ko
"Okay. It was nice meeting you Eva" He smiled and ngumiti rin ako "Likewise Juan. Thank you for helping me again"
Juan came to me tapos nagulat ako when he hugged me pero yinakap ko na rin naman siya. It was only a quick hug pero kilig na kilig ako dun. Nagpaalam na ito and he starts to walk away hanggang nasa malayo na siya.
Tinext ko naman kagad si Ate na magpapasundo ako sa kanya and napaupo muna ako sa isang bench sa sidewalk while waiting for her reply.
Minutes after minutes, wala rin akong reply na natanggap kay Ate and I start to get worry na naman kasi paano ako makakauwi nito. If I'm going to book a grab, I can't kasi I don't have a grab app. Hindi naman kasi ako naghiwalay-grab I always take our car or kaya may maghahatid sakin
I tried to call Ate many times pero hindi niya sinasagot. It would only ring.
Napatayo na'ko sa upuan ko and decided na mag co-commute nalang ako kahit hindi ko alam kung papano. Honestly, last time na nagcommute ako ay hindi ko na maalala. So, I have no idea how to commute. I can just ask naman siguro, and this is one of the things I hate talaga. I'm shy going to a person na hindi ko kakilala.
Habang naglalakad ako ngayon sa UP, may biglang bumusina and a car stopped right beside me.
Napahinto ako and someone climbed out sa driver's seat and the first one I saw was a curly hair. Kaya, alam ko na kung sino ito and it was Juan na naman.
"Hey, hindi ka pa umalis?" He asked
"Um nope, but I'm about to leave na rin. My sister didn't reply e so magco-commute na lang ako" Sabi ko sa kanya
"You know, I can drive you to your home. Medyo magabi-gabi na rin and it's a lot safer" Wika ni Juan and nagulat ako
"Hindi na. Okay lang ako. Nakakahiya na rin kasi parang hinahassle na kita masyado. I can manage.." Sabi ko sa kanya
"No, it's fine Eva. I insist." says, Juan.
"Hindi na nga. Okay lang. Magco-commute na'ko.." Sabi ko sa kanya and nag-akma akong nagsimula ng maglakad but I saw Juan jogs towards me at hinarangan ako.
"I know that we'd just met today but I want you to be safe when you get home" Pagsasabi niya and I looked at him.
I want to take Juan's offer kaso nahihiya ako and I really don't want to commute kasi nga I don't know how.
"I promise, I'll take you home safe" Sabi naman ulit ni Juan and this time, um-oo na'ko sa kanya.
"Okay, fine. Basta, you insist ah.."