Love Me From Yesterday

Chapter 3 - Francis' POV

Tinitigan ko yung phone ko ng napakatagal. I was pondering whether to give it a shot and call her or just do nothing. As he said, wala namang masama kung magkakilala na kami before the arrange date. It was for pleasantries, just that.

In the end, nothing happened. I don't know but it would be so weird if I started messaging her out of the blue. As if parang nag-antay ako ng napakatagal just for this to happen.

I stood up, grabbed my coat and left the office. I mean it's already time for me to go home. Ilang araw na din akong hindi nakauwi and I stank like crazy. I do wash my hair from time to time pero iba pa din talaga yung feeling na babad ka sa shower.

Like a lightning bolt, humarurot ako ng takbo papunta sa sasakyan ko. I opened the car, checked myself in the mirror and started the engine.

Here's the thing, kapag papalabas ka ng hospital using any vehicles, dadaan lahat ng sasakyan sa front lobby. As I was exactly in front of the hospital's entrance, I suddenly received a phone call which made me stop the car. I took the call without realizing who it was and after hearing her voice, my mood turned sour.

"Francis...," she said with the softest voice she could give. "Thank you for picking up. I never expected na sasagutin mo mga tawag ko."

Again, hearing her voice made me scoff. "Sa tingin mo sasagutin ko mga tawag mo with my tail wagging like a f*cking dog?"

"But you still answered it, right?"

Saying those words, I could immediately hear how happy she was. "Does that mean, I ha-," I cut her off in an instant.

"Haa, look here woman. Baka nakakalimutan mo lahat ng ginawa mo. Let me remind you Sarah, you cheated. Not only cheat, but you even shared the same bed with that bastard. I gave you everything that I had and what? Ano nga ulit yung sinabi mo? Hindi ka na masaya? Now that you had your fun, are you saying na babalik ka sa akin as if nothing happened? The audacity, Sarah," I unintentionally yelled with anger.

I mean sino ba naman yung hindi magagalit, that w***e slept with another guy and now, gusto niya makipagbalikan? Ang kapal naman ng mukha niya.

"Don't f*cking call me again," just like that I dropped the call.

Napapikit na lang ako trying to calm myself down. Because of her, I drowned myself with work trying to act as if nothing happened. She's really making my mood sour.

After a few minutes, biglang bumukas yung pintuan sa passenger seat. A woman entered and sat down like it was normal, as if it was her car.

I was dumbfounded. I stared at her with confusion and awkwardly blurted out, "Excuse me?"

She reciprocated my stare and said, "Mitsubishi Mirage G4, ikaw to diba?"

"Ha?"

She raised her phone and showed me a car grab app showing a Mitsubishi Mirage G4. It immediately struck me. Akala niya siguro ako yung grab car niya and entered the car without even checking the license plate.

"Makati Diamond Residence," sabi niya as she was fixing her seatbelt.

" OK," I abruptly replied as I started the car.

Wala siyang balak bumaba ng sasakyan and it was too awkward for me to tell her that she was in the wrong car, so I decided to just play along with her. I mean I live in the same residence where she was staying, so it's not that big of a deal. I also need someone to talk to after that unpleasant call.

It was so awkward. Hindi siya nagsasalita and even if I try to start a conversation with her, there's this invisible barrier preventing me from doing so. I had this feeling na baka masabihan lang akong weird and much worse, a p*****t.

Even so, I couldn't keep myself from glancing at her. I guess she's around her mid 20s. I could exactly tell how miserable she was as she had this long face ever since she entered my car.

Without even looking at me, she suddenly said, "Am I that beautiful?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, kanina ka pa nakaw ng nakaw ng sulyap, so it wouldn't be bad if I said that you're quite interested in me? Am I wrong?"

I was flustered and did not even know what to respond. If I were to respond to that, she might think that I was kind of reasoning out, so I decided not to answer.

I awkwardly chuckled as I never dared to look at her after that. I fixed my gaze in front and zipped my lips in embarrassment.

"Seeing that you are not responding to what I asked, it means I am not partially wrong, right? Well, this is awkward."

That's it. It was even more embarrassing that she was taking my silence just like that.

I faced her trying not to look at her directly and responded, "Uhm, it's just that you're kind of, how should I say this, like sad? That's why hindi ko maiwasan mapatingin sayo miss, let's just say I'm kind of worried."

"Do you pity me?"

"I'm just worried. May nangyari ba? Sa family mo, are they sick, that's why nasa hospital ka?"

She heavily sighed and still didn't even take a glance at me.

"Do you believe in fate?" she suddenly asked out of the blue.

Without thinking much, napatango na lang ako in agreement with what she asked, "Well, I do believe in that. Ikaw?"

"Ako? Hmm, ano sa tingin mo?"

Napatingin ako ulit sa kanya, "With the way you look, I guess so?"

She slightly smiled, "Aren't you being biased?"

"Am I wrong?"

At last, she finally looked at me. It was such a weird feeling but I felt butterflies. Seeing her upclose, I can't argue that she was indeed beautiful.

"Then why do you think she cheated on you?"

I was startled, "Huh?"

"Sorry but I overheard your conversation with someone earlier. Hindi ko sinasadya marinig but the way you raise your voice, I can't even pretend like I did not hear anything."

"So you've heard that? How embarassing."

"So what do you think? Hindi sa nangingialam ako but I was also in the same situation as you do."

A momentary silence made the atmosphere kind of heavy.

"He cheated on me, with my best friend on top of that," she looked down dejectedly. "Just like your situation, sinabi din niya na hindi na siya masaya, when he never realized that I literally gave him everything."

With the way she's opening up to me, hindi ako makareact as I do not want to offend her or add any more fuel that could make the situation worse.

With all that, all I could say was, "Kaya nga eh. Binigay naman natin lahat but to think it wasn't even enough. I mean, saang part tayo nagkulang at gusto nila hanapin yun sa iba?"

After that, no one uttered a word. Hindi ko inexpect na she was also in the same situation as mine. I felt a great sense of camaraderie from her. We're that hurt but we're trying to do our best not to show it to everyone. A great sense of pride, I guess.

We finally arrived at the Residence and I stopped the car in front of the lobby.

"I guess we're here," sabi ko.

I looked at her and she was totally out of it. Moments later, she snapped out and asked, "So what do you think?"

"Think what?"

"Although hindi niya totally sinabi, alam kong gusto niya makipagbalikan sayo. Makikipagbalikan ka ba?"

"Why are you trying to ask me that?"

She replied, "I'm just curious. Just like yours, gusto din niya makipagbalikan sa akin. He's being so persistent that I'm beginning to give in."

Napatingin ako sa kanya and I realized how she kept her eyes in front of the car. There's a man standing outside the entrance of the lobby.

Without any hesitation, I asked, "Is that him?"

"Yeah. It's been two months since he started doing this. At first, knowing his personality, I thought he would never even last a week if I completely ignored him, as if hangin lang siya. Seeing him making an effort like this, gumagaan pakonti-konti yung loob ko sa kanya. There are so many what ifs surging in my head right now that I can't think straight."

She unbuckled her seatbelt. She looked straight at me and said, "Anyways, thank you. Hindi ko inexpect na mag-oopen up ako ng ganito. Hindi ko alam kung ano mangyayari satin but I wished the best for both of us."

She handed me the fare money, and I took it without saying anything. She left the car and slowly approached the guy who was patiently waiting for her.

I was getting ready to leave as well and parked the car in the parking lot ng bigla akong kinilabutan sa nakita ko.

That same guy, the one who was patiently waiting for her, suddenly slapped her in the face.

"What?" I am so confused.