WHEN HEART SHINES BRIGHTER

Chapter 4

'Ate my friends can't believe that I received a video greetings from Franco! Buti na lang nakita mo rin siya. Sabi ko na nga ba, malapit lang siya sa area mo kasi nakita rin ng kasamahan mo. Thank you so much Ate. I love you always!'

Napapangiti ako habang binabasa ang chat ni Rajah.

Nakarinig ako nang busina. I slipped my phone back to my pocket and smiled to the handsome man behind the wheel as he rolled down his window.

Sumakay ako at naupo sa tabi niya. Pagkasara nang bintana, agad niya akong hinalikan sa mga labi saka pinaandar ang sasakyan.

"How's your day?" he asked.

"God, ER is like a battlefield today!" I sighed as I wore my seatbelt. Sumandal ako nang mabuti sa upuan. Nilingon ko ang aking katabi nang may ngiti.

"My sister is too happy about the video greeting. Thank you, Franco."

"You're welcome," he smiled back. "Did she wonder how you get it?"

"I told her I accidentally met you."

He laughed. "Liar."

Yes, we're dating now. Just like our first meeting, everything happened so fast. Walang ligaw, walang pagpapakipot, walang pasikot-sikot. Parang may silent agreement kami na let’s just go for it. The urge to see each other when there's chance turned me into a believer that Franco is not really a womanizer.

What's happening to me is also happening to him. Para kaming may invisible magnet sa pagitan namin na humihigop palapit sa isa’t isa. We're just crazily into each another. Maybe this is a different form of attraction that something I never knew existed.

"Do you want to have dinner outside?" he asked.

"I'm really tired Franco. Pwede bang magpadeliver na lang tayo?" I honestly uttered.

"Okay. I'll order when we arrived at my place," ngiti niya.

"Thank you." I smiled back.

I'm thankful that he sneaked into my bag on the first night that we met and secretly took my calling card while I was asleep. Because after that first call, my life routine changed into...

Hospital. Studies. Franco.

Pagkatapos ng trabaho o klase, either we go to my place or his place. We rarely go out to avoid scandal. Kahit sa paghatid-sundo niya sa akin sa hospital, di siya bumababa ng sasakyan dahil medyo maraming Filipino nurses sa amin. It's not that he's ashamed of me,hindi siya ganun, kundi ito din ang gusto ko, to protect my peace at lalo na ng pamilya ko sa Pilipinas.

When we reached his apartment, I threw my bag on the sofa. Nagtungo ako sa kwarto. Nakadapang bumagsak ako sa kama.

"Anong gusto mong kainin?" Franco asked.

"Just noodle. Beef maybe," walang lakas na sagot ko. Sobrang pagod ko. Lagi naman. Sa totoo lang, the intimacy between us were intense in the first few days, pero nang unti-unti nang umiiral ang reyalidad ng schedules ko, having s*x is no longer the first option. And I’m just really grateful that Franco understands. He never complains. Never makes me feel guilty about it. Basta magkasama kami, masaya na kami. Kuntento na.

Pinapakinggan ko siya habang omorder. Nilalabanan ko ang antok dahil gusto kong magkasabay kaming kumain. When he's done ordering. Lumapit siya sa akin at naupo sa kama. He removed my shoes and gently massaged my feet.

"Thank you," antok na sambit ko habang nanatiling nakadapa. Nababawasan ng haplos niya ang pagod at pangangalay ng aking mga paa. "How's your day?" tanong ko nang may garalgal na boses.

"I renewed my passport."

Franco is an American passport holder. He got dual citizenship. He's mixed blood. His mother is a Filipina and his father is a pure-blooded French but born and raised in the US. Franco was also born here but his parents got divorced and he moved to the Philippines with his mother when he was seven years old. That's the reason kung bakit hindi ko agad inakala na Filipino din siya.

"I also read scripts," dagdag niya habang patuloy sa pagmasahe sa aking paa.

Napaangat ako ng mukha. "Scripts? For what?"

"Mga offer na movies. I'm choosing which one to accept first. I'm going to make one right after I get back to the Philippines."

Napalunok ako. May tumusok na kirot sa dibdib ko nang mapaalalahanang dalawang linggo na lamang siya sa America. Actually, we never talked about it yet. Or kung ano ba ang mangyayari sa aming relasyon pag umuwi na siya ng Pilipinas. Are we both capable of handling a long distance relationship? I have so many questions in mind but I couldn't bring it up, hinihintay ko na siya ang magkusa na pag-usapan ang tungkol dito.

"Franco do you love your job?" seryosong tanong ko. He's a political science graduate in New York University. Nagtataka ako kung paano siya napunta sa pag-aartista.

"Yes. Because it pays well," pabirong sagot niya. "Seriously, nung una pinagbigyan ko lang yung request ng isang kaibigan kong theater director na sumali sa play niya. Doon nagsimula lahat. I was offered roles in the movies and TV shows. When I realized that it pays well, I started taking it seriously."

"Do you like fame?" I asked again.

"Yes. Because the more famous you become, the more money you earn," diretsong sagot niya. "It has advantages and disadvantages but that's the nature of my work and I embraced all of that professionally."

Ngumiti ako. "I'm glad to hear that you're not being overshadowed by fame. Some people turned into narcissist when they become famous."

“That’s true,” sabay tango niya. “Some people enter showbiz for the fame alone. But in my case, the opportunity just came to me. So I worked hard to keep the job and stay in the game. I won’t deny that it’s also because of the money. Pero hindi ba ‘yun naman talaga ang dahilan kung bakit tayong lahat ay nagtatrabaho?”

Napaisip ako sa sinabi niya. Totoo rin naman. We all have different passions, but at the end of the day, we work to live. Ako rin naman kaya nagpapakamatay sa pag-aaral at pagtatrabaho so I can have a stable career that pays well in the future.

His hands gently moved to my back, drawing small comforting circles. "Are you uncomfortable with my job?" tila may tampong tono niya.

Nawala ang aking antok at mabilis ko siyang nilingon. "Of course not. I'm just asking because your world is too different from mine. Kahit ano pang trabaho mo, as long as it's not illegal, I will respect it," mariing paglinaw ko.

Ngumiti siya at tahimik na itinuloy ang pagmasahe sa aking likod.

"How about you? Are you happy with your job?" balik na tanong niya pagkalipas ng ilang sandaling katahimikan.

"Right now. Not really that happy yet. Pero pag naging ganap na surgeon na ako, I'll be the happiest person on earth," ngiti ko sa dulo habang iniimagine ang sarili na nasa operating room at matagumpay na nailigtas ang buhay ng isang pasyente gamit ang sarili kong mga kamay.

Tumigil siya sa pagmasahe at nahiga sa tabi ko. He looked straight at the ceiling with dreamy eyes. "'A superstar and A Surgeon ', do you think that's a good start of a headline when we reveal our relationship?"

Natigilan ako. Naantig na napatingin sa kanya. Though we're very happy at this moment but honestly I don't expect that our relationship will go that far. I still have many reservations. Sa kabila ng pag-aalaga, atensiyon at mga efforts na binibigay niya sa akin, may alinlangan pa rin ako na baka kaya lang kami andidito sa ganitong sitwasyon dahil nagkataong andito ako sa US. A woman he can date more freely without the scrutinizing eyes of the fans. Ang babaeng naging convenient ka-date habang siya’y naka-break at nasa ibang bansa.

"Franco... why do you like me?" seryosong tanong ko.

Halatang nagulat siya sa tanong ko. He laughed softly. "What's there not to like? Everything about you is likeable. You're very beautiful, smart, kind-hearted, sensible... and I just like you, that's it. I feel it and I don't need to explain it."

Lihim akong kinilig sa mga compliments niya... although alam ko may mga part na exaggerated. Umayos ako ng posisyon. Tumagilid paharap sa kanya. "Very beautiful.... totoo ba yan?" nguso ko. "Paano mo nasabing maganda ako? Sanay na yang mga mata mong makakita ng mga super gandang celebrities. Parang wala naman ako sa level nila."

Humarap din siya sa akin. Pinisil ako sa pisngi. "Lauren, those women you're referring too... yes they're beautiful but you're way beautiful than them. You're beauty is real, natural. You don't need make up just to be pretty." Tinitigan niya ako. "You have a very beautiful almond eyes," kinurot niya ang ilong ko. "A straight refined nose..." bumaba sa mga labi ko ang daliri. "full and sexy lips that don't even need lipstick to be rosy." may gigil na hinawakan ang aking baba. "And a rounded chin na masarap kagat-kagatin."

He rested his head on his hand and gazed at me more. "You know what makes you the prettiest in my eyes?"

"What?" I replied, trying to sound calm.

"Your strong aura. Remember the night we met? The moment I saw you, I knew you're different. Beautiful but rare." He snickered. "Kaya pala di ako main-love, in-love sa Pilipinas dahil dito pala nagtatago sa Amerika ang babaeng mamahalin ko."

Nakatitig lang ako habang naluluha. My heart was doing somersaults in my chest. The least that I expect to hear from him was the word 'love' or 'mahal'... Words I wasn’t even ready to use for us… yet.

“Franco…” I whispered. “Do you really mean that?”

He gently reached out, brushing a few strands of hair from my face. “I’ve never been more honest in my life,” he said. “You’re the kind of woman I didn’t even know I was looking for… until I found you.”