22
DOMINIQUE
"Ma, mauuna na ako sa inyo ha. I'm meeting Julia for lunch," paalam ni Dominique sa Mama nya nang palabas na sila ng simbahan pagkatapos ng misa. "Tapos didiretso kami sa penthouse ni Pris for dinner. She's inviting you by the way. Tita Beth will be there."
"I'd love to, iha. Kaso may dinner din kaming pupuntahan ng Papa mo," Mrs. Encina said regretfully. "I'm glad you started seeing Julia again. You and Pris are also back together."
"Ma, we are not back together. We are just friends," Dominique corrected her mother. Until now, she still couldn't believe that her parents were open about her being with Pris. Kulang na lang na ang mga ito na mismo ang magsabi sa kanyang makipagbalikan sa ex-girlfriend nya.
"You are friends again. That's what I meant," nangingiting sabi ni Mrs. Encina.
"Are you still seeing Victor?" Tanong ng Papa nya na noo'y biglang lumitaw sa tabi nya kasunod ni Devon. Nakahabol din ang mga ito sa kanila. Marami kasing taong palabas ng simbahan.
"It's Vincent, Pa," sabi ni Dominique. Nangiti sya nang maalala ang lalaki. "Yes, I'm still seeing him. Sinasabayan nya ako minsang maglunch or coffee." Araw-araw silang nagkikita nito at lalo syang napapalapit rito.
"Kailan mo naman ipapakilala ang lalaking iyon? Ayokong nagpapaligaw ka sa kalye," nakakunot ang noong sabi ng Papa nya. "Kailangan sa bahay ka nya sasadyaing ligawan."
Dominique almost rolled her eyes. Napaka-traditional at conservative ng Papa nya. For someone conservative, hindi nya sukat akalaing hindi ito humadlang sa relasyon nila ni Pris dati.
"Soon, Pa," sagot na lang ni Dominique.
Sa totoo lang matagal na syang gustong puntahan ni Vincent sa bahay nila pero sya lang ang may ayaw. Natutuwa naman syang nirerespeto sya nito. Wala namang masama kung makilala ito ng pamilya nya. Vincent was a good person. He came from a good family. He's someone to be proud of. An ideal man. He's someone her parents would approved of. But for her, it's too soon.
Sinabi na sa kanya ni Vincent na gusto sya nito. Sinabi na nitong more than friends ang habol nito sa kanya. Inaamin nya sa sariling, attracted sya kay Vincent. She liked him. What's not to like anyway? But it's too soon. Gusto muna nyang makilala ang lalaki ng mabuti. Natatakot pa rin syang pumasok sa isang relasyon.
She already told him about her failed relationship and about her amnesia. He told her he will wait until she's ready and about her condition, she still looked perfect in his eyes. It made her blushed. Her heart fluttered. But Dominique didn't tell him about Pris. Natatakot syang baka mag-iba ang tingin nito sa kanya kapag nalaman nitong nakipagrelasyon sya sa isang babae. She wasn't ready yet to share that part of her life.
Speaking of Pris, medyo nagi-guilty sya rito dahil lagi nya itong tinatanggihan kapag inaaya sya nitong kumain sila ng lunch o kaya dinner or kahit coffee man lang. Lagi kasi nyang kasama si Vincent.
"Bye, I'll see you guys tonight." Bumeso si Dominique sa parents nya at kay Devon bago tuluyang sumakay sa backseat ng kotse nya. "Tayo na po, Manong." Mula nang lumabas sya sa hospital, hindi na sya nagdrive pa. Hindi pa nya kaya dahil natatakot pa rin sya. She couldn't go anywhere without her driver.
Nagpahatid si Dominique sa isang Thai restaurant sa Makati. Nandoon na si Julia nang dumating sya. Tumayo ito at nakipagbeso sa kanya bago sila muling umupo. Inabutan naman sila ng menu.
"I'm famished. Hindi na kasi ako nakapagbreakfast kanina before going to church. Late na akong nagising," wika ni Dominique while scanning the menu.
"Napuyat ka ba kay Vincent?" Tukso ni Julia, who looked pretty on her green dress. Dati itong chubby pero ang sexy na nito ngayon dahil nag-gym na.
"Sira! Saglit lang kaming nag-usap sa phone. Nag-movie marathon kasi ako," paliwanag nya pero natatawa pa rin si Julia.
Dominique was happy to be reunited with Julia. Isa ito sa mga kaibigan nyang iniwasan after syang lokohin ng ex-fiance nya at ng ex- bestfriend nyang si Lindsey. Hindi kasi nya kayang makita ang mga kaibigan na hindi naalala ang ginawa ng dalawa.
Recently lang sila nag-umpisang magkita ni Julia. They accidentally saw each other in a coffee shop the day after her weekend getaway at their resthouse in Quezon Province. She was still worried about Pris that time even if Kristine assured her she was okay. Wala rin sya sa mood pumasok sa office. To take her mind off it, she went out to get a cup of coffee at her favorite café. She took her laptop with her and streamed movies. Sya pa lamang ang naroon dahil masyado pang maaga. Someone entered and she looked up. Nagtama ang paningin nila ni Julia.
Dominique found herself smiling at Julia, who looked relieved and smiled back. Tumayo sya at sabik nilang niyakap ang isa't-isa. Maluha-luha pa sila pareho. They missed each other. Dominique realized she was stupid to push her friends away. They fell easily into conversation. She was shocked when Julia told her they already saw each other during her summer vacation in Ilocos and started hanging out together after that. Her friend also knew about her relationship with Pris, who told Julia about her accident and condition.
Naging magkaibigan pala sina Julia at Pris. Nalungkot ang kaibigan sa nangyari kay Dominique. Gustong-gusto daw syang puntahan ni Julia but she was adviced not to. Dahil hindi nya maalalang magkaibigan na sila nitong muli. Kay Pris ito nakikibalita tungkol sa kanya. Natakot si Julia na baka ipagtabuyan lang nya. And she was right. When Dominique woke up in the hospital, the pain was still fresh. Pero habang tumatagal, unti-unti ring napapawi. Hindi na nya masyadong naiisip si Marcus. Napapaligiran kasi sya ng mga taong nagmamahal at nagpapangiti sa kanya araw-araw.
"May napili ka na ba?" Julia asked.
Dominique looked up from the menu. "Yes. Let's order."
Agad na lumapit ang isang waiter nang sumenyas si Julia. They ordered a lot including her favorite Pad Thai. Nang makaalis ang waiter, napansin nyang tila may gustong sabihin sa kanya si Julia pero nag-aalalangan ito. "What is it? May problema ba?"
"Nakausap ko si Lindsey the other day. Bigla nya akong pinuntahan sa bahay at umiiyak," umpisa nito. Hindi kumibo si Dominique. Lindsey wasn't her favorite topic but she couldn't help feeling curious and at the same time worried. Kahit niloko sya nito, naging matalik na magkaibigan sila ni Lindsey. "Nakipaghiwalay na sya kay Marcus."
"What? B-bakit?"
"May babae si Marcus. She caught them on the act." Sumimangot si Julia. Bumahid ang galit sa mukha nito. "Pumunta si Lindsey sa opisina ni Marcus para sorpresahin sana. Lagi daw kasing umuuwi ng gabi lately. Kesyo maraming paperworks at panay ang overtime. She brought him food para sabay silang magdinner. When Lindsey got into his office, she found Marcus and his gorgeous secretary in a very wanton position."
"Serves her right!" That's the natural thing for Dominique to say and think but she found herself pitying Lindsey instead. Kahit ginawan pa sya nito ng mali, no one deserved to experience that kind of betrayal and pain. Nalungkot sya para sa dating kaibigan.
"Hindi ko na dapat sinasabi sayo to," Julia said when Dominique didn't say anything.
"No, it's okay. Nasaan si Lindsey ngayon?"
"Umuwi muna sa Mommy nya kasama ni Nina." Anak ni Lindsey ang tinutukoy nitong Nina. "Magpapalamig muna daw sya bago kausapin si Marcus. Desidido na raw syang hiwalayan ito. Dapat lang. He's such a jerk. Sabi ni Lindsey, ito daw ang karma nya sa ginawa nya sayo."
Dominique smiled. She suddenly felt thankful. Not because of Lindsey's predicament. "You know what Julia. I just realized something." Napatitig ito sa kanya. "For years, I asked myself why did he leave me? Bakit nya ako ipinagpalit? Anong bang mali sa akin? May pagkukulang ba ako? All these years, I questioned myself na baka ako ang may deperensya kaya nya nagawa yun. I've been so hard on myself, thinking that I wasn't worth it. But now, I realized, I'm not perfect but I am actually worth it. I feel lucky now that I didn't marry him. He's really a jerk. Kaya siguro nangyari yun for me to comprehend that I don't deserve him because I deserve better. Because he isnt worth it."
Natuwang pumalakpak si Julia. "Very well said. Never think that you are not worth it, Dominique. Because you are. You deserve someone better."
Something...a memory suddenly flashed on her mind.
She was standing before a blue beach and feasting her eyes on the picturesque view before her. She knew it was somewhere in Ilocos. Humahampas ang maliliit na alon sa mabatong dalampasigan. She heard a camera shutter. It was Pris standing few feet away from her. Pris was wearing a black sleeveless v-neck blouse with white denim jacket over it. Her long legs were clad in skinny torn jeans and black sneakers.
"Beautiful," Pris said and was looking at her intently. "The view is beautiful." But Dominique could tell she was referring to her. Pris told her about the beauty of Pagudpud to which she commented it was perfect for a new beginning.
"Thank you for listening last night," Dominique said."Nakakahiya. Bago palang tayong magkakilala, sinabi ko na agad ang drama ng buhay ko. I hope you won't think that I'm a damsel in distress."
Pris teased she was a trouble and a heartbreaker.
"I'm not! Ako nga ang nasaktan di ba?" Dominique protested.
Pris turned serious and said, "He's stupid to break your heart." Then she whispered in her ears. "I think, you are someone worth loving." Their eyes met again. Pris's eyes lingered on her lips. Dominique swallowed. Her heart started beating fast. "And beautiful too."
"Dominique! Are you okay?" She heard Julia called her attention. Dominique was back to reality. Nai-serve na pala ang mga orders nila. Nag-aalalang nakatingin sa kanya ang kaibigan.
"Yes, I am. Sorry. I just remembered something. I think it was a memory," Dominique answered and smiled when she recalled Pris telling her she's worth it and beautiful.
"Anong memory yan? Bakit ang ganda ng ngiti mo?" Julia teased.
"Secret," natatawang sabi ni Dominique. "Let's eat," she added when Julia was still waiting for her to talk about her memory. Kaso nanatili lang itong nakatingin sa kanya. "It was a memory of someone telling me I'm worth it and beautiful."
"Itago natin sa pangalang, Pris?" Natatawang pang-aasar ni Julia.
Dominique didn't confirm and glared at her friend instead. Naiiling na lang ito sa kanya. Nangingiti pa rin ito habang kumakain sila. "Ayaw pa kasing umamin. Kinikilig naman," komento nito habang sumusubo ng Chicken Satay.
"Hindi kaya," tanggi ni Dominique pero nag-init ang mukha nya.
"Ayaw mo na talaga kay Pris?" Seryosong tanong nito. Isa si Julia sa mga nanghinayang nang malaman nitong wala na sila ni Pris.
"Hindi naman sa ayaw. We're still friends," sagot nya.
Bumuntong- hininga ito. Alam ni Julia na umiiwas sya sa tanong. "I mean, hindi na kayo magkakabalikan? Wala ka ba talagang nararamdamang pagmamahal sa kanya? I know you forgot about her and all. Pero wala bang spark?"
Natawa sya. "You sound like Mary. Ganyan na ganyan din ang tanong nya."
"You're not answering me. Wala ba talaga?"
"Bakit ba lahat kayo parang pinagtutulakan nyo ako sa kanya? Hindi nga kami pwede. Pareho kaming babae. That's not a path I want to take." Dominique sounded upset and Julia was silenced. "I'm sorry. Let's talk about something else."
They changed topic and updated each other about work instead. Julia recommended TV series Dominique might like. They talked about many things and laughed the whole time. They watched a movie and had coffee after.
"Hey, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to be upset," Dominique said remorsefully.
Julia smiled. "Wala yun. Sorry din. I was being intrusive. But if you don't mind, I want to answer your question." Dominique motioned for her to continue. "I know that girl to girl relationship is not ideal at all. It's being tolerated but not totally accepted. I was skeptical too when you first told me about it. I thought it was just a phase. Naisip ko rin na baka nasaktan ka lang ng sobra kay Marcus at ayaw mo na sa mga lalaki. But whenever I see you with Pris, unti-unti akong naniwala that love knows no gender. When you are with her, you are glowing. Kapag binabanggit mo ang pangalan nya, lumiliwanag ang buong pagkatao mo. And the way you look at each other, it made me jelous. The way she looks at you made we wish to have someone look at me that way too. You are a match made in heaven. Its like the other isn't complete without the other."
Dominique was unable to respond. That's what Mary told her too. "Anyway, opinion ko lang naman yun. It's still your decision of course. Saka good catch din naman si Vincent," medyo kinilig pang sabi ni Julia. "Akin na lang si Pris. Ang hot kaya ng ex mo." Pareho silang tumawa.
Julia's cellphone that's on the table beside her coffee vibrated. Hindi mapigilang mapakunot ang noo ni Dominique when she saw the caller id. It was Pris. Alam nyang nagco-communicate ang dalawa pero nakaramdam sya ng konting inis. Pris haven't called her recently. "Lagi mo kasing nire-reject ang invitation nya," her mind pointed out. Buti na lang hindi napansin ni Julia na napasimangot sya.
"Hey!" Masayang bati ni Julia nang sagutin ang tawag. "Sure, I'll be there. Kasama ko si Dominique." Julia paused. "Sasabay na lang ako sa kanya pagpunta. Where are you? Bakit ang ingay?" She paused to listen. "Ah okay..." Julia sounded disappointed. "I'll see you later. Bye, ingat!"
"O, bakit daw?" Dominique asked.
"She's somewhere in Tarlac. Nagstop over muna sila. May sinundo daw syang girl sa San Juan."
"G-Girl?" Dominique couldn't help asking.
"Sabi nya she's been pursuing this girl at sa wakas napapayag daw nyang sumama sa kanya para makilala ng Mommy nya."
Dominique was stunned. She felt something inside her crumble. Her heart felt like it was being crushed. Who's that girl? Her mind screamed.
"She also invited me for dinner. Since pareho naman tayong pupunta, sabay na lang tayo ha."
Wala sa sariling napatango si Dominique. "Jules, excuse me lang. Magre-restroom lang ako." Nagmadali syang pumasok sa restroom ng coffee shop at napasandal sa pinto nang mai-lock ito. She felt her tears began rolling down her face. Hindi ka dapat umiiyak! Pagalit nyang sabi sa sarili.
Dominique quickly composed herself and wipe her tears. She took out her cellphone from her bag and started dialing Vincent's number. He answered on the third ring. "Hi! Sorry to bother you. Would you like to have dinner with me? Gusto sana kitang ipakilala sa mga kaibigan ko tonight."
Vincent was excited and said yes.