~MIKA
I have been prancing back and forth our receiving area. It was early morning and I was about to leave for school. One week na since Tin, Kim and I went to Encore. I have been convincing myself that I am not bothered by this Ravena guy. Ulit ulit kong sinasabe sa sarili ko na hindi siya ang makakapagpa uneasy saken. Hindi ang kagaya nya ang makakapagpa ramdam sa akin ng anxiety. He will be one of the knights in my list of chess. I am the Queen. Ako ang makaka checkmate sa hari.
I received a call the night before. After giving up and settling myself that nothing will ever happen, it seems I am now on pins and needles.
===
I woke up having a very heavy head. Hindi naman ako nasusuka pero nahihilo paren ako. I let my eyes get used to the light in my room. Tinignan ko ang relong suot ko for the time. 9 AM na pala. Since wala naman akong pasok today, hindi ko minadali ang sarili kong bumangon. I pondered on what happened last night. Naalala ko na I danced with Ryan and had a few more drinks until yayain ako umuwi ni Tin and Kim. In a way exit ko na din yun dahil eversince I laid my eyes on the King Eagle, I had been thinking of him the whole night.
His name will be one for the books. Another name off my list.
Nang maalala ko si Ravena, napabalikwas ako sa kama. I headed to my rest room and showered. Kumakanta kanta pa ako while thinking of people that we both know. Common friends.
Ang concern ko ngayon ay kung paano ko kukunin sa kanila ang number ni Ravena without sounding too needy.
"Bahala na nga" and I rinsed my hair.
I was dressing up when someone knocked on my door.
"Saglit lang, nagbibihis ako" I shouted
Nagmadali akong nagbihis and took my brush. I was doing my hair when I opened the door.
Mama was by my door looking worried
"Anong oras ka na nakauwi?" mama asked. I did not offer my room. I just left a crack on my door, silently implying she is not welcome. I hate it when mama is this way.
"Hindi ko na po maalala ma. Pero ok naman po ako nakauwi. Hinatid ako ni Kim" I sheepishly replied
Mama looked down the floor. I know may gusto siyang sabihin sa akin na hindi niya masabi sabi.
"Ok. Pero please anak refrain na from going out. Wala ako kasama dito sa bahay lalo na wala naman ang ate mo."
I felt guilty. Alam kong ako nalang ang dinedependehan ng nanay ko. Pero ayaw kong magmukmok dito sa bahay. It just makes the feel more wounded.
"I'll try po mama." I replied
I still respect my mom but I cant help but feel sorry for her. Masyado nyang mahal yata talaga ang papa ko para magpakamartyr.
"O sige anak, kumain ka na sa baba at nakahanda na ang breakfast mo. Aalis muna ako at bibisitahin ko ang ate mo sa Maynila." my mom said, now with a little smile on her face.
"Sige po" I said and I closed my door as she slowly walked away.
I was thinking of my mother when my phone beeped, prompting that there was a viber message.
<-LINGS
Tin
Hey Miks! ano na nangyare sayo?
Kim
Oo nga ling! wala kang bukambibig pauwi kundi King Eagle ah. hahaha
Tin
hahahaha finally.. love na ba ito? hahahaha
Nice
OMG! really? awwww
ME
not in your widest dreams lings.. not in your wildest dreams...
I am so busted! Si Tin at Kim ang kilala kong may mga kaibigan na friends din ni Ravena. Now how on earth am I going to be able to find someone na kakilala namen parehas. Well, it really shouldn't be that hard. I have friends, who have friends... who have friends.
I went down our dining and ate by myself still trying to think of a person that Ravena and I both know in common.
After having breakfast, I went back to my room and decided to rest. Mahihirapan yata ako dito ah.
===
A few days has passed and wala parin ako maisip na pwedeng pagtanungan ng number ni Ravena. Come Thursday I called my teammates so we can catch up and jog together since wala kameng practice today. Baka magkaroon na ako ng guts to ask them. Mahina loob?
This is so not me.
"Ara,I don't have classes e. Baka we can jog together." I told her
"Sige, Miks. Punta ka nalang dito sa school. Mag jog kame ni Kimmy later." Ara replied
"Ok punta na ako diyan. Mag-aayos lang ako ng gamit." I told her while getting up from my bed and I quickly fixed my things. "Makakahanap din ako ng taong mgapapakilala sa atin Ravena" I uttered
I went to our school and waited for my teammates. Hinintay ko lang silang makapagbihis then we started stretching.
After about 10 minutess of stretching, we started to jog. All of us with our earphones fixed on our ears.
After about an hour of jogging and some brisk walking in between, we decided to run it down and talked about where to go next.
Kimmy: "Kain tayo?" while looking at me, knowing na ako ang pinakamalakas kumain sa aming tatlo
"Sure sige, shower na muna tayo" I agreed
We were having dinner and I really can't keep to myself. I kept on fidgeting while we were catching up.
"Ano ba nangyayari sayo Mika? Kanina ka pa hindi mapakali" Ara noticed
Since kanina pa pala nila napapansin, I decided to tell them. Aside from lings, itong dalawang taong ito ang mga pinaka pinagkakatiwalaan ko
"Kilala nyo ba si Ravena?" I asked. Not looking at them both. Alam kong magugulat sila
A few seconods has passed and I was still unable to get an answer. That is when I decided to check on them.
Both have different expressions. Si Kimmy napakalapad ng ngiti while si Ara mukhang worried.
"Ano na naman plano mo Mika?" Ara said, suspicion in her eyes.
"Wala naman. Gusto ko lang makipagkaibigan. Nakita ko kasi sa Encore last week"
"Mukhang bagong bihag yan Mika ah. hahahaha" said Kimmy
"Oy hindi ah. Gusto ko lang makipagkaibigan talaga" I answered.
Kimmy got her phone and I know she was checking her contacts
Ara then spoke "Wala akong number nya. Saka please leave me out of your adventures."
Kilalang kilala ako ng mga kaibigan ko and I do not blame Ara for not giving me the King Eagle's number kung meron man siya. I did get a friend of her's heart broken. Alam kong hindi na nya gustong maulit yun
Kimmy was still busy with her phone when I gave Ara an apologetic smile. I did a double look at her dahil parang awa ang nakita ko sa mukha nya. Hindi ko nalang pinansin.
I saw Kimmy put the phone on her ear. Kimmy signalled na dead daw. I gave her a questioning look.
"Not in service yung number na nasa akin Mika e. I'll check with Aly. 100% sure ako meron siyang number ni Ravena."
That's when I knew wala nang pag-asa. Aly and I are ultimate rivals inside the court and I know na hinding hindi nya ibibigay sa akin ang number ni Ravena. Alam kong she thinks of me as a wild, party girl. Wala din naman akong pakialam sa kung anong sasabihin nila. They do not know me. Wala silang alam sa buhay, pinagdaanan at pagkatao ko.
Nginitian ko lang si Kimmy then continued eating.
SIGN.OF.DEFEAT
I drove home after the 3 of us had dinner. I settled myself into thinking na wala nang pag-asang mameet ko ang King Eagle.
After parking my car in our drive way, I went inside the house and saw mom hving dinner by herself. I went to her and kissed her as I said hello.
"Hi ma."
"Oh anak. Nag dinner ka na ba?" mom was a bit lively today.
"Opo, nag dinner na po kami nila Ara and Kimmy." I asnwered as I kissed her in the cheek "Mukhang masaya ang araw mo ngayon mama ah." I joked
"Ay oo anak. Your ate called me and dean's lister daw siya ulit." my mama said with a wide smile accross her face
"Talaga po?! That's good to know mama. Ate has always been excellent naman." I said
"Yes, aaward-an nga daw siya come end of the term. I already called your papa and sasama daw siya sa awarding."
So this s where all the giddiness is coming from. Nalukot ang mukha ko nang narinig ko na sasama daw ang tatay ko. I don't want mama feeling all these excitement para ma disappoint na naman. Ilang beses na bang nangako ang tatay ko na dadating sa isang okasyon only to have my mom's heart broken again.
I know mama sensed that I do not approve of this at inunahan na nya ako
"Anak, please give papa another chance." She was pleading. convincing me while convincing herself at the same time.
"If you say so mama." I gave her half a smile "Aakyat na po ako. Napagod po ako sa pagjojogging namin."
"Ok anak. Take some rest. I love you."
I smiled, kissed her again and went back to my room.
Halfway into the stairs, mama called me, shouting.. as if she forgot something really important
"Mika! Mika!"
"Yes po ma?"
"Anak, may tumawag pala kanina."
"Sino po?"
"Suzuki daw."
"Bakit daw po?" I asked. Why didn't they call me on my cellphone? I got my phone and checked if I had missed some calls. Lo and behold, meron ngang 3 missed calls.
"Meron daw kayong outreach. Kasama daw sa contract yun."
"Ay sige po mama. Tawagan ko nalang po pagdating sa kwarto. Akyat na po ako ma."
"Goodnight anak"
"Goodnight po" and I smiled at her
I placed my bag at the foot of my bed and changed first. Magaayos muna ako bago ko tawagan yung agent from Suzuki.
After doing my nightly ritual, I took my phone and returned the call from Suzuki.
"Hi Mika" said ate Kaye on the other line
"Hi ate Kaye. Sorry po hindi ko nasagot yung tawag nyo kanina. I was driving and I didn't notice na tumatawag pala kayo. naka silent po kasi yung phone ko."
"Ay mabuti naman at hindi mo narinig at sinagot. Ayoko naman na madisgrasya ka habang nagmamaneho." said ate Kaye
Ate Kaye is my agent from Suzuki. Siya ang nagaasikaso sa contract ko at nagreremind sa akin kapag may activity and event na kailangan kong attend-an. for the past year, I must say na bukod sa agent ko siya, tinuring ko na din siyang kaibigan.
"Sabe nga po ni mama may tumawag daw from Suzuki, chaka ko lang po tinignan yung cellphone ko. baket po ate?" I got curious
"Ah kasi baet, may outreach program kayo sa isang araw. Sorry ha kasi short notice. Inayos pa kasi yung schedule nyo. E dahil alam ko namang wala kang pasok at practice pag Sunday, nag go na ako for you. Ok lang ba?"
"Ay oo naman po. Wala pong kaso sa akin yun. Pakitext nalang po sa akin yung details. kung anong oras at saan." I told her.
"Sige Mika. I text ko sayo yung details. Send ko na din sa email nyo." she said "Ayan, nasend ko na. Check mo nalang baet ha"
"Ok po ate. Thank you po." I then realized na kanina nya pa ako sinasabihan ng kayo at sa inyo kaya tinanong ko siya before I said goodbye, pero habang nagtatanong ako, nakasabay naman ng pagpapalama niya.
Mukhang busy talaga at nagmamadali kaya hindi narinig ang tanong ko.
I then took my laptop and checked my email.
recipient of the email reads:
-> Mika Reyes; Kiefer Ravena
I was dumbfounded
"fate really has its way.." I whispered
"your time has come boy..." with a huge grin on my face