Scene 6 – Just be happy, Clara
Nang nagbalik Pilipinas si Clara at Ian ay tinutulungan siya ni Ian na ayusin ang lahat ng dapat ayusin para makalayo na siya. Sinuportahan ni Ian ang lahat ng desisyon niya dahil siguro alam din nito na eto talaga ang tamang gawin.
She would never move on if she’d always see Ralphe. How could she? And what would she tell when her stomach was showing? She would be one of those controversial actress that got pregnant and no man claimed her child. It would be so humiliating.
Nasa den sila ni Ian at si Ian ay nakatayo sa may harap ng inuupuan ni Clara na sofa. “Where do you want to go?” pointing at the big map.
Clara pursed her lips, her fingers playing with the dart she stared at the map, “US.” because US was large enough and she could easily fade.
Ian flipped the chart until the map of US showed, “Mayroon 50 states ang Amerika saan mo gustong tumira.”
Sa totoo lang hindi niya alam kung saan niya gustong tumira. She didn’t want New York, it was too touristy, she wanted Seattle but then again, it rain so much in Seattle, she didn’t like rain much. Too inconvenient.
So she did what most undecided people do, she threw the dart at the map and let it decide.
Ian looked at her with mock anger, “I could have been hit!”
She rolled her eyes, “Ian, I’m a master with darts.” She boasted, after all she was, all those times in those college bars with Cass and Ian helped, while Cass waited for Anton to join them they played darts. Playing darts could actually pick men up. Somehow it turned men on. She didn’t know why, was it how women arched their body or what.
He looked at her with laughing eyes, “Yes you are.” He turned his head to the map, “Illinois.”
“Chicago?” she asked, actually Chicago would be nice, the only bad thing in Chicago was the winter but Chicago would do. She smiled, it just felt right, “Chicago it is then.”
That decided, Clara and Ian talked through the phone with her lawyers to find a clause for breaking her contract with Phoenix Entertainment so that she needn’t be sued for breach of contract.
Nang araw ng pagpunta niya sa Phoenix Entertainment ay inaya siya ni Ian na samahan siya nito pero hindi siya pumayag dahil madaming magtataka at makikiusisa, lalo’t na ang relasyon niya kay Ian noon ay isang pinakamalaking balita noon. Ayaw niyang magtanong ang iba kung bakit niya ito kasama.
Nasa parking lot na siya ng building ng Phoenix Entertainment, naghahanap ng lakas para matapos na ang lahat ng ito, hinawakan niya ang tiyan niya, “Rip, this is it. Hindi ako magsisisi sa gagawin ko dahil alam ko eto ang makakabuti sa ating dalawa. Magiging masaya tayo, I promise.” Pangako niya sa anak na nasa sinapupunan niya.
Bumaba na siya ng kotse at agad nagtungo sa conference room kung saan naghihintay ang mga head, legal team ng Phoenix Entertainment at ang mga lawyers ni Clara.
Pagkapasok niya sa loob ay binati siya ng mga ito, napansin din niya na nagtataka ang mga ito sa tinawag niyang meeting.
“What is this about, Clara? Are you not satisfied with what we’ve provided you?” tanong ng chairman.
Nginitian niya ang chairman, “I am. Dahil sa Phoenix nakilala ako, malaki ang utang na loob ko sa inyo pero po, kailangan ko na pong umalis. Sana po magbigyan niyo ako.”
Nagbuntong hininga ang chairman at tumango ito para simulan na ang proceedings. Pinag-usapan ang lahat ng dapat gawin ngayon’t kakawala na siya sa kontrata niya sa Phoenix.
“Miss Dela Merced would of course pay for the penalty of the cancelled contracts with her endorsements and her latest and upcoming films.” Her lawyer stated.
“There’s no need for that. Her contract with us clearly stated that we pay for the damages. We would like to part amiably with Clara.”
That being said, she didn’t pay for anything at all, she insisted she paid the penalties if not the five million that was stated in her contract if she ever broke it. Sila na daw ang bahala sa lahat dahil nga daw kahit aalis na si Clara ay pamilya parin sila.
Why would they really insist that she pay when she brought them loads of money when she came to them, siya ang dahilan kung bakit ang Phoenix Entertainment ang pinakamalaking entertainment agency sa bansa. She kept the money coming in Phoenix Entertainment, a drama that critiques saying would flop, they’d bring Clara and that said drama would be number one.
Alam niyang labag sa kanilang loob ang pag-alis ni Clara pero wala silang magagawa dahil kahit pa anong gawin nila ay aalis at aalis parin siya kahit pa magbagayad siya ng sobra sobra.
They shook hands and after that, the agency announced to all the staff her departure. Everyone was surprised and they all bid her goodbye. Nanginayang lang ang iba dahil hindi na siya makakasa sa mga junkets at premiere ng There’s Love and There’s Yu.
As if, naman na makakaya niyang pagkunyari pagdating kay Ralphe. Sure, she was a damn great actress but she doubted she could hide her hatred she felt for Ralphe. She couldn’t play pretend not even for one night.
Nilingon niya ang PA niya, “Jane pwede bang pakikuha ang mga gamit ko sa bahay ni Ralphe?” bulong niya rito, isa si Jane sa mga nakakaalam na naging sila ni Ralphe, nahuli kasi nito sila ni Ralphe sa dressing room ni Clara na naghahalikan.
“Sympre naman. Alam ba niyang aalis ka?”
She smiled bitterly, “Wala naman pakielam yun. At isa pa matagal na kaming tapos, nakakalimutan ko lang na kunin yung mga gamit ko.” yung mga gamit na ayaw niyang dalhin dati sa bahay ni Ralphe pero nagpumilit si Ralphe na magdala siya ng mga gamit niya para mag nag overnight siya at may mga damit na siya doon.
Sa totoo lang kaya hindi pa niya nakukuha yung gamit sa bahay ni Ralphe ay dahil umaasa pa siya noon na pwedeng mag work ang lahat, na tatanggapin ni Ralphe yung pagiging ama. Na mamahalin siya ni Ralphe.
Pagkatapos niya makipag-usap sa mga staffs ay nagpasya na rin siyang bumalik sa bahay ni Ian. Pagod na siya at gusto nalang niyang matulog. Alam niyang bukas din madami ng makakaalam ng pag-alis niya sa show business.
Kahit pa nangako yung iba na mananahimik sa pag-alis niya alam niyang hindi pupwede iyon sa larangan ng show business. Malalaman din bukas na bukas na tapos na siya sa show business. They would speculate as to why but they will never learn the truth. They would never. She won't let them know the truth. It was too much of a risk for the normal life she had planned for her and the baby.
Pagkauwi niya ay sinalubong siya agad ni Ian, “Naka-book na yung flight mo mamayang alas onse. And once you step foot in US soil, you’ll no longer be a Filipino citizen, I have it all handled.”
“That fast?” nakakamangha talaga ang kaya ng mga mayayaman na tulad ni Ian. Lahat kayang gawin tulad ngayon na ginagawa ni Ian, kulang nalang siguro palitan ni Clara ang pangalan niya at alam niyang kaya iyon ni Ian pero hindi niya gagawin iyon.
Gusto nga niyang lumayo pero ayaw niyang talikuran ang buong katauhan niya.
Tumango si Ian at naglakad papunta sa den, sumunod si Clara at umupo siya sa couch, “Dun naman sa titirhan mo, nakausap ko na yung real estate agent ko dun sa Chicago, may mga property na siyang nakita, papakita nalang niya sayo pag dating mo at pumili ka nalang. Until then you can stay at one of the properties she’s been looking for me.”
***
Nasa private lounge sila ni Ian sa airport at hinihintay nalang ang departure niya. Tinignan niya ang phone niya, nanlaki ang mga mata niya dahil si Ralphe yung tumatawag, bakit ito tumatawag sa kanya?
Siguro nalaman na nito na aalis siya. Pero bakit? She shook her head and she hit reject, she didn’t want to talk to him not now not ever. She was done with him.
Ayaw na niyang masaktan dahil nakapagdesisyon na siya, aalis na siya. Magpapakalayo na siya para mabuhay ng masaya. At alam niyang pag narinig niya ang boses ni Ralphe, she’d waver.
She couldn't do that to her and to her unborn child. So she decided to turn her phone off then handed it to Ian. Gusto niyang itapon sa basurahan kaso alam niyang hindi iyon tamang gawin, paano nalang pag may nagbukas nito at nalaman na phone niya iyon?
“Get rid of it. I’ll get a new one once I’ve settled.”
Tumango si Ian at may kinuha ito sa bulsa nito, binigay nito kay Clara yung isa pang phone, “Use this so I can contact you. You cannot be alone in Chicago without a phone.”
She nodded and then she heard them announcing her flight so she looked at Ian and hugged him, “Thank you for everything. You’re the best.”
“I know.”
She pulled away, “I’ll miss you.”
“I will miss you too but we’ll see each other soon. I’ll visit you maybe I can convince James to even allow Cass to come with me during those visits.”
She snorted, she doubted that bastard husband of Cass would allow Cass. “Or maybe you can plot an escape for Cass.”
“We’ll see.” Ian said. “I’ll bring you Love once she got her okay.”
She nodded, nang dumating sila sa airport ay sama sama nila si Love kaso hindi binigyan ng clearance si Love dahil may lagnat ito kaya papadala nalang ni Ian.
“Thank you. I don’t know how to ever repay you, Ian.”
“Just be happy, Clara, that’s enough payment. If one of us should be happy, it should be you.”
She hugged him again, “I will so should you.”
Ian pulled away and with that he helped her with her carry-on and they walked toward the exit, nung nasa tapat na siya ng attendant ay inabot na ni Ian yung carry-on niya sa kanya at yinakap siya nito bago ito naglakad paalis.
Inabot ni Clara sa attendant yung passport at ticket niya, pagkatapos tignan ay binalik ito. The attendant gestured her in so she walked through the air bridge, she never looked back.
She wanted to but she couldn’t. If she looked back that would mean, she was having second thoughts, she wasn’t. She stopped on her tracks and placed her hand to her tummy, she breathed deeply and closed her eyes. This was the right thing to do so she opened her eyes and walked straight to the plane that awaited her new life.