A Date Or A Disaster?
Marsan's big bike stops in front of a park here in Manila. My jaw instantly drops because of the beautiful sight I have never seen. I hurriedly drag Marsan to the statue of Jose Rizal, our National Hero. I read in the book that here lies Jose Rizal that's why it was guarded and amazingly the guards are not moving even an inch, though. The rope-like-knotted steel seperates as a little far away from the statue. Sayang, I want to touch Rizal.
"Can we take a selfie?" I plead with happiness in my smile. He smiles and nods on me. Inilabas niya mula sa kanyang bag ang kanyang cellphone. I handed his phone and I smile so wide while Marsan is serious as we take a selfie with the background of the statue.
I gasp, "Wow!" It escape from my mouth when a beautiful fountain appear in front of my eyes. It is so wonderful because of the color of the lights that are mixing to the fountain which is dancing harmoniously.
"Is this your first time here?" Marsan ask with amusement in his smile.
"Yes. Thank you for bringing me here. So beautiful." Marsan hand his phone and take a picture of me behind me is the fountain I adore so much. We take a selfie too. Naglibot-libot pa kami, and we've seen so many statues here.
Stephen suddenly appears in front of us while we are walking leisurely because nalibot na namin ang buong park.
"What are you doing here? Sinunsundan mo ba kami?" Marsan say as he clench his teeth in front of him.
"Let's just say I don't follow you but fate let me to be with my Française." Ngiting-ngiting pahayag ni Stephen and I couldn't stop myself to roll my eyes.
"Yours?" I can see blood in Marsan's eyes and his hand is in fist. Few seconds happen when his fist landed on Stephen's face and I have no idea why did he did that. Stephen stands up at maangas na pinunasan ang dugo sa kanyang labi.
Lumapit pa siya sa akin. "Ofcourse. She's mine." He puts his hand on my shoulder na agad namang tinanggal ni Marsan at pinilipit ang kanyang braso.
"You don't touch the girl I'm with." Marsan's gritting his teeth as he say those words.
"I can touch her. She's mine." He says as he unwraps from Marsan's strangles. Dali-dali na naman siyang umakbay sa akin. He turns his back on him and dragging me away from Marsan. I'm still facing Marsan because I don't want to be with Stephen. I just want to be with him and cherish the moment when I'm with him but that doesn't do because Stephen destroyed our supposed moments.
"I'm just protecting my——" He covers my eyes that's why I didn't hear Marsan properly, idagdag pa ang aming distansya.
"My bad. I forgot that you're just her bodyguard 'kuno'."
Marsan glared at him.
"Oo na. Hindi na. Let's eats first, libre ko and then let's enjoy here." Stephen surrenders.
Stephen brought us in a Filipino Restaurant, I've never been before. The style of the restaurant is nipa hut and it is so cool here. The ceiling is made of pawid, the walls are made of bamboos and outside of the restaurant there is a line up of trees and coconut tree that's why it so fresh inside. The table and chairs are also made of bamboos. This is such a great restaurant. We sitted and even the chair are so comfortable because even if its made of kawayan, yung salumpuwit niya ay may malambot na foam.
"Let's play a game." Stephen declares. "We will tell her a joke. One laugh of her means one point. Deal?"
"I can't." Marsan seriously say.
"Oh, please." Pamimilit niya na parang bata kay Marsan habang hawak-hawak ang kamay ni Marsan. If I don't know his as a playboy, then I would think he's gay for what he is doing.
"Lugi naman ako." Marsan say with a frown. He's like a puppy which had been hiding a toy from him. I'm stopping myself from laughing. "Ikaw na lang." But I couldn't stop laughing because truth to be told he can't make a good joke. "Is that one-point for me?"
"One-point, then. My turn now. What part of your body delivers a baby?"
"What?! What kind of question was that? That's not even a joke." Irritation starts to burn my body because of this perverted jerk.
"Don't be mad at me." He said as he touch my hand. "Someone called the Jollibee, he dialled 8-7000 Jollibee delivery," He sang the tune of that "and deliver the baby with his hands. It is your hands, what do you think earlier?" His grinning from ear to ear while caressing my hand.
It was a good joke, gusto kong matawa pero mas ginusto kong hampasin ang kamay niya kaya iyon ang ginawa.
"That was a green joke, Step. I don't do those, I really can't compose a joke. So pass. And another thing, don't touch her hands."
"Marsan got one point, tapos ako wala. Ang daya mo, Française, hindi mo ako tinatawanan. Hindi ba ako nakakatawa?" Stephen frown and look away from us. Napatitig ako sa kanya at napansing ang gwapo niya kapag naka-sideview, kitang kita ang tangos ng ilong niya, his perfectly fine jaw, his pink lips and his brown eyes really match on his playboy personality. Kay siguro maraming nagkakagusto sa kanya, If it wasn't Marsan, I could've like this guy. Napapasaya at napapatawa niya ako kahit iritadong-iritado ako sa kanya.
"Do you like him?" Marsan ask abruptly na ikinabigla ko. Nabitawan ko ang tinidor na hawak habang inuubos ko ang cake.
"Really you're asking that question in front of him?" Pabulong kong tanong.
"Walang masama kung sasagution mo." Lumingon na sa akin si Stephen na seryoso na tumingin sa akin.
"No, if you say romantically but yes if you say as a person. You're good person even though I have my bad impression of you but when I get to know you that was just a word now."
"I'm glad that I got promoted as a good person you like." Nakangiting saad ni Step.
"Promoted yourself. Hanggang diyan ka nalang. Huwag na huwag mo siyang liligawan. Mabugbog talaga kita. I wouldn't think twice to beat you into pulp." Hindibko mapigilang matawa sa inaasal ni Marsan and I don't why there's butterfly in my stomach, I feel like they wanted to fly out. Itinawa ko na lang ang pakiramdam na iyon.
"One-point on me again." Marsan declares.
"One point for what, Stephen?" I curiously ask.
"One point, one kiss." He explained with sad face, I can see that he is really disappointed. "I should've make you laugh." A small smile form on his lips and face Marsan. "Gagamitin mo ba ang points mo akin na lang?"
"Don't you dare. Remember my threat." Matalim na tinitigan ni Marsan si Step.
"Edi, you'll kiss her?" It's Stephen.
"What kiss? Where?" I ask cheerfully.
"Sa cheeks mo lang. If it was me I would kiss you on lips. Torrid."
"You perverted jerk!" I hissed at him.
"Good thing you didn't laugh on his joke." Marsan chuckles lightly.
"If it is a kiss on cheeks. That's normal in France. There's no harm because we greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks. Faire la biss." I explain.
"Even a kiss on lips?" Amusement is spread all over his perverted-jerk face.
"Sometimes, di namin sinasadya kapag nagbebeso kami ay natatamaan namin ang lips ng isa't isa. C'est normal."
"Hindi mo pa ako na-gigreet in that way." A smirk form on his lips.
"Okay." Lumapit ako sa mukha ni Stephen para biruin lang sana siya dahil wala talaga akong balak na halikan siya. But instead my lips land on Marsan's cheek.
"I'm just getting my reward. And you'll never kiss him. Philippines is a philippines. A kiss here represent that you're in a relationship. A kiss is a kiss even just a peck on a cheeks. It means you're in love with each other. So don't just kiss guys here in the Philippines, especially Stephen."
But years ago, I have kissed Marsan on the lips and just a moment ago, I kissed him on his cheeks. I can feel that my cheeks are heating kaya naman I bow my head to hide it from him.
"I understand now."
"You!" Duro ko kay Stephen at sinabunutan siya. "You're trying to fool me earlier but I'm smarter than you kasi di naman talaga kita ikikiss non. Kunwari lang sana." I blush when I instantly remember the feeling of my lips pressed on Marsan's soft cheek. His smell is so good that I can't get enough of it. Nabitawan ko ang buhok ni Stephen at napatungo na lang ng ulo.
"Ouch. Grabe ka talaga ka sakin Française. Di mo na ako mahal."
"Di naman talaga kita mahal."
"Ouch. You keep hurting my heart." Sambit niya habang hawak-hawak ang dibdib. "I have here ticket for you."
"For what?"
"Philippine Arena. New Year's countdown."
"Kumuha ka na pala. Di ako makakasama. Sa bahay lang kami magcecelebrate ng New Year."
"Edi, 29 kahit hindi na sa countdown. Three days naman yon."
Tinanggap ko ang ticket at binulsa. Nang maubos na namin ang pagkain ay naglakad-lakad uli kami sa Luneta Park. We take a picture, the three of us in front of the statue. The stranger gives back my phone.
"I'm really glad to have you two as my friends." Nakangiti kong saad. I open myI facebook account and upload our picture my cover photo. I insert, "These two are my friends, " as a caption.
"I am not your friend, Iyah." My heart drops hearing that from him. Tutol na tutol talaga siya. "I'm more like your—"
Hindi ko na naman naintindihan ang sinasabi niya dahil tinakpan ang bibig niya ng kamay ni Stephen.
"I'm just your bodyguard, dammit!" Singhal niya sa akin.
But I thought were friends, after all you're just my bodyguard for a month and you said you'll take care of me and we know each other for years. Ngunit hindi ko maibuka ang aking bibig. Cat got my tounge at hindi ko kayang makapagsalita.
"Marsan de Luna, don't you dare hurt my precious Française Ruella Marseille soon to be Kennedy!" Stephen says as he punch him. "Ikaw ang lagi niyang kasama tapos sasabihin mo you're not his friend."
"Not you're friend pala eh. Iwan na natin yan." Hila-hila ako ni Stephen at pinasakay agad ako sa kotse niya.
"We're best of friends since high school. Kami nila Jonel, Marsan at Clarence kaya I know what's on his mind. But you for years that I've been with you, following you for so long now, I already know you. I know you don't just say it but it is so obvious in your movementsthat you like him. You laugh on his not-so-good-joke. You blush when you kissed him. You are agitated when you're near him, even though you know him for year now. Please until you're not hurting, stop that damn feeling for him. Sakin mo ibaling ang feelings mo because I sincerely like you, my precious babe."
"I don't like Marsan!" Pagtutol ko. "And what do you think of me your one-week girl? Di ako papatol sayo. Kahit pa makagunaw na ang mundo."
"You know you're smart. Today is Tuesday. The day I get a girl." Ipinakita niya sa akin ang kanyang schedule ng pagkuha niya ng girlfriend. Tuesday: He gots one, Wednesday: dates her, Thursday: dumps her.
"It's just for three days? Why do your ex-girlfriends bragged that you dated them for a whole week? "
"They can't believe me." Sambit niya sabay tawa.
"Di ka ba nakokonsensya?"
"Ikaw di ka ba nagseselos?"
"What?!" Nanlaki ang mata ko sa tanong niya at di makapaniwala sa kayabangan niya. "Why would I be? I don't want that kind of relationship so no. I'm not jealous. I only pitied the girls you've dated."
"What if there's no expiration only if you don't want to be with me anymore? Can you be my girlfriend?"
YongRine