Please play Justine Vasquez's cover of 'When I met you' in the multimedia.
Shakia's POV
Halos mapunit na ang labi ko dahil sa kakangiti habang magkasama kami ni Van. Hindi ko lubos akalain na makikita ko ang ganito niyang side. Scratch that, I didn't expected that he have this kind of side at all!
Matapos ang masayang kainan sa boulevard ay nag-aya siyang mag sine at heto kami ngayon pumipili ng pwedeng panoorin. I'd love to watch something romantic with him. Ngunit sa kamalas-malasan ay horror ang lahat ng showing ngayon. Ayaw man lang makisama ng pagkakataon. Nanghahaba na ang nguso ko habang sinisipat ang bawat poster.
"Find anything you wanna watch?" Sumulpot sa tabi ko si Van na may dalang maliit na box ng popcorn.
"All of them are showing bloody murder."
He chuckled and swept the posters himself. "You missed one." Nilapitan niya ang isang plain looking poster. Sinilip ko din ang tinitignan niya. Maliit ito kaya siguro ay hindi ko kaagad napansin. "When I met you," basa ko sa title nito. Awtomatiko akong lumingon kay Van.
"Yeah. When I met you," Van said in a quiet voice, his eyes on me.
Kumabog na naman ng malakas ang dibdib ko. Tingin ko'y hobby na 'to ng puso ko kapag nasa paligid ang lalaking 'to.
Ibinalik ko ang atensyon sa poster habang pinapakalma ang nagwawala kong sistema na kahit kailan ay hindi yata masasanay sa mga titig at ngiti ng isang Evankhell Hanford. Back to the poster. 'Di ko kilala ang mga artista sa paskil pero mukhang love story. And that's the only thing I want to watch right now. A happy ending love story.
Napansin ko agad na walang ni isang tao sa loob ng sinehan nang makapasok na kami. The auditorium was barely lit so I took extra care in treading in between spaces of adjoined padded chairs.
"It's not starting yet. Mukhang masyado tayong maaga?" I said in uncertainty. I don't usually go to cinemas kaya hindi ko alam ang kalakaran dito. Para kasi sa mga katulad ko ay luho ang gumastos para lang makapanood ng palabas.
"Mukha nga," sang-ayon ni Van. "Wait here. Bibili ako ng isa pang box ng popcorn. This one's too small." Tumango nalang ako at naupo sa pinakagitna at pinakaunahang pwesto.
I drummed my fingers on the chair as I waited. Normal ba na hanggang ngayon ay wala pa ding ibang pumapasok dito? Is this a bad movie? Umiling-iling ako at nilibot ang paningin. Hindi pa bumabalik si Van.
I wonder what's taking him so long. Tatayo na sana ako para sundan siya nang biglang pumailanlang sa buong auditorium ang tunog ng gitara.
Kumunot ang noo ko.
Someone is strumming a guitar. Seriously? Here?
Tumayo ako at luminga-linga para hanapin ang pinagmulan ng tunog. Napatigil ako sa paglinga nang may ibang tunog pa akong narinig.
Bumukas ang ilaw sa likuran ko, sa banda kung saan naroroon ang big screen. I know this because I could see how it reflected on the other wall. Lumunok ako. Nakaramdam ako ng kakaibang kaba.
🎶There I was an empty piece of a shell🎶
I froze when the strumming slowly faded and that voice filled my senses with something so... so unreal it almost feels like magic.
🎶Just mindin' my own world
Without even knowin' what love and life were all about🎶
Dahan-dahan akong lumingon at muntik nang bumigay ang tuhod ko sa nakita ko.
🎶Then you came
You brought me out of the shell
You gave the world to me
And before I knew
There I was so in love with you🎶
It was him. Van. Two spotlights were directed on him. And he was sitting, on his side is the microphone while strumming a plaque colored guitar.
A spotlight suddenly shone on me and Van's gaze held me in captivity.
🎶You gave me a reason for my being
And I love what I'm feelin'🎶
Nakakabingi ang tambol ng dibdib ko. And there was something else too. Ache. I love him so much that it hurts.
🎶You gave me a meaning to my life
Yes, I've gone beyond existing
And it all began when I met you🎶
Ang ganda ng boses niya. Malamig sa pandinig pero naroroon ang emosyon habang titig na titig siya sa akin. I never knew he could sing. Ang dami ko pang hindi alam tungkol sa kanya.
🎶I love the touch of your hair
And when I look in your eyes
I just know, I know I'm on to something good🎶
I still don't know his favorite food. I still don't know what he wants to be in the future.
🎶And I'm sure, my love for you will endure
Your love will light up my world
And take all my cares away with the aching part of me🎶
I want to watch the sunrise with you. I want to know everything about you. I want to be with you. Muli ay naramdaman ko na naman ang kirot sa dibdib ko. I blinked.
🎶You gave me a reason for my being
And I love what I'm feelin'
You gave me a meaning to my life
Yes, I've gone beyond existing
And it all began…
when I met you...🎶
"You're crying. Do I sound like a dying frog?"
Kumurap ako nang matapos ang kanta'y nilapitan ako ni Van. Iniwan niya ang gitara sa maliit na entablado.
I shook my head, unable to find my voice. Nagpatuloy sa pagdaloy ang mga luha sa mga mata ko. 'Di ko alam kung paano ipapaliwanag 'tong mga luhang 'to. Evankhell just sang for me! And I can't believe how something so wonderful could feel this frustrating.
"I'm sorry for making you cry again." And the first apology that escaped from his lips was followed by a soft kiss planted on my forehead before he pulled me towards him and enclosed me in a hug.
"Let's go home," bulong niya sa bandang tenga ko.
Hinigpitan ko ang yakap ko sa kanya at lalong isiniksik ang mukha ko sa dibdib niya. "Let's stay like this for a while."
Just for a little while.
But of course that little moment has to end no matter how badly I want to froze it right there.
Pabalik na kami ngayon ni Van sa suite niya. Ipagpiprito niya daw ako ng itlog. He said this time it will be perfect. He looked so adorable when he said that.
Bumuntung-hininga ako nang mapansing mag-aalas siyete na ng gabi. Bakit ganoon? Sobrang dali ng oras kapag masaya ka at tila sobrang bagal naman kapag malungkot ka.
I sighed again. It's just life.
Papasok na kami sa suite nang may makasalubong kaming dalawang babae. Mukhang kaedad ko lang ang mga ito at mukhang kilala din ako ng mga ito.
"Btch, that's her, right?"
I don't know if she was trying to whisper or if she deliberately wanted me to hear her.
"Of course that's her. 'Yung club dancer sa Hanford Academy. Gawd, we should warn the guy, nakakaawa naman, pokpok ang kasama niya."
Hindi pa din pala ako sanay sa mga ganito. Nakakapanghina pa rin pala ng loob na marinig sa mga tao ang ganitong salita.
I braced myself when both women approached us. Ngunit bago pa man may makapagsalita sa kanila ay naunahan na sila ni Evankhell.
"I think, it would be best for both of you to keep your distance from us." Halata sa malamig nitong boses ang pagtitimpi.
Gulat na napatitig sa kanya ang dalawa. The other girl laughed flirtatiously. "I think you should know something, boi. That girl is a...whore. Kalat na kalat sa socmed ang kapokpokan niya."
I flinched at the words.
"I think..." Van said in a low voice, "...you should know something too. I can have both of you kicked out of here if you don't get fcking lost now."
Like scared little squirrels, both of them left without another word.
Walang imik na sumunod na lamang ako kay Van sa loob ng suite. Halatang galit pa din ito. And why would he be? What does he care?
"They were right, you know. Pokpok naman talaga ako. You thought so too, diba?" Ngumiti ako nang itanong iyon. Naalala ko ang mga pagkakataon na sinasampal ni Van ang parehong salitang binitawan ng mga babae kanina.
"Don't say that," he muttered between gritted teeth. He was looking at me darkly. What a perfect ending for a seemingly fairytale-like day.
"But it's true, Van. I'm a slut. I have been bedded by more men than my fingers could count. That's why you think I'm so disgusting, right?"
Hate me. Hate me.
"Wrong. Maybe once, but I see now that I am wrong." He stood a mere two meters away from me, glowering.
"No. Tama ka. Pokpok ako. Nagpapakapokpok para may makain. You know that right? You should. You had me investigated after all. Kaya kung awa ang dahilan kung bakit ka umaakto ng ganito sakin nitong nakaraan ay salamat nalang. You can keep your pity to yourself." Tama lang 'tong ginagawa ko. He should hate me now.
"I feel many things towards you, Shakia. But trust me, pity is not one of them."
I felt my throat tightening. "Oh so you just think I'm disgusting huh?"
Seyoso niya akong tinignan at bago pa man ako muling makapagsalita ay mabilis niya na akong kinabig at hinalikan. Nanggigigil ang mga kamay nitong nasa likod ko at idinidiin ako sa katawan nito habang ginagalugad nito ang bibig ko. Habol ang hininga ko nang maghiwalay ang mga labi namin.
Dinungaw niya ako, hindi pa rin inaalis ang kamay sa likod ko. "Tell me, Melendez. Is that how a man kisses a woman that disgusts him?"
My head was still muddled when I uttered a weak, 'but'.
"You have no idea how much I wanted to hate you, Shakia. But every time I look at you I just can't help but question my own sanity. I don't give a fck if you have bedded a million man before me. What I care about is now. You. Now. And nothing else," he expressed passionately.
"Why?" I was almost scared to hear his answer. Gusto kong marinig ngunit natatakot din ako sa sagot niya. Nanaig ang takot.
Kaya ng ibuka niya ang bibig niya ay agad ko siyang pinigilan. Tinapat ko ang hintuturo ko sa labi niya at umiling-iling ako.
"Fck this. A man can only hold back for so long, Shakia."
And with that, he crashed his lips unto mine.