Love You Both (Tagalog/Filipino)

Chapter 4

    Juluis confusingly looked at her as she walked away. There is really something going on with that woman. She tends to be sweet, funny and understanding all the time, but there are just these unexplainable changes in her personality once in a while. Like her being aloof and uninterested just now. 

    Oh, and of course, the memory lapses. Ilang beses din yata itong nagpasalamat sa kanya sa lipstick, earrings, bag, damit, etc. na binili kuno niya para rito. Nagtataka siya dahil hindi naman sa kanya nanggaling ang mga iyon. He even thought that she was cheating.

    There were times din nag nagkita sila at puro pasa ito at sobrang sakit ng katawan. One time, pina x-ray niya ito dahil sa hindi ito halos makatayo sa sakit ng katawan nito, nakitaan niya ito ng fractured ribs, samantalang wala naman daw nangyari dito at baka daw ay sa pagsasayaw lang nito. Siya pa talagang orthopedic ang lolokohin nito?

    Ilang beses din napurnada ang mga lakad nila, kung hindi ito late dahil kamo nag-oversleep ito, eh nagka-cancel na lang nito ng basta basta kahit naghihintay na siya. Naalala niya nung isang beses na nag-book siya sa Fireflight Roofdeck Restaurant. Anniversary nila noon pero hindi siya nito sinipot. Pinatay din nito ang phone nito kaya hindi niya ito matawagan. Sa sobrang sama ng loob niya, pumunta na lang siya sa bahay ni Kenneth at doon na nagpakalasing. Kinabukasan, ito naman ang tawag ng tawag sa kanya.

     Ilang ulit pa ito nangyari kaya hinayaan na lang niya ito. Puro sorry na lang halos ang namumutawi sa bibig nito. Ngayon ay hindi na siya halos nagyayaya makipagkita dito. Nababaliw na siya noon sa relasyon nilang dalawa kaya tama lang siguro na mabaliw din ito sa kanya kahit papaano.

    Naalala niya yung mag-bo-Bohol dapat sila. Anniversary celebration daw dapat nila yun. Eh naalala niya yung ginawa nito noong last anniversary nila kaya naman naisipan niyang gumanti. Sa totoo lang, wala naman talaga siyang mag-seseminar na ka-department. He just wanted to break her heart, like what she repeatedly did to him. Ayun, pumayag kuno siya, pero nag-back-out siya after nitong makapag-book ng tickets and hotel. He even managed to tell Kenneth that evil plan of his. 

    Yes, that is the kind of man he is, an eye for an eye. Ewan ba niya kung bakit ba hindi pa ito nakikipaghiwalay sa kaniya. Well, hindi naman kasi magiging maganda sa image niya kung siya pa ang makikipaghiwalay dito, unless logical ang reason. So he settled for the nonchalant relationship. 

    Not until Kenneth confessed his feelings for him. He got distracted. Pwede din sabihin na nadadala lang siya dahil sa estado ng relasyon nila ni Ana. Kaya siguro kapag si Ken na ang kasama niya eh wala siyang ginawa kundi ang ngumiti at tumawa. Laging maaliwalas ang paligid kapag kasama niya ito. But he never felt that way for a man before. He had numerous girlfriends before Ana, pero ano itong nararamdaman niya para kay Ken?

    Tila may kumukurot pa din sa puso niya sa tuwing nakikita niya si Ana. He wasn't ready yet to let her go. Ewan ba niya? Is it because of his ego? To prove to himself that he wasn't gay at all at pawang friendship lang talaga ang nararamdaman niya for Ken? That is why Boracay happened. He is finally weighing down his own feelings, for Ayana and Kenneth.

~~~

    Coque Bistro was a bit quiet when she got there. The music wasn’t on yet. There were only a few people hanging around there as of now. 

     Ah, maybe people aren’t in the mood for a vacation yet. 

    She headed to the counter and sat there. She motioned to the bartender, “Americano on the rocks, make it two.” The bartender grinned.

    “Wow, a lady drinking real man's drink." She saw that glow in his left incisor as he didn’t remove his sheepish grin while preparing her drinks.

    “Well, one has to make a difference right? Just like your tooth," she said while he gave her her drinks. Napikon na yata si kuya mong bartender at pansamantalang lumayo muna sa kanya. 

    She ordered another two, and she was on her fifth drink when someone sat beside her. It was a Chinese man in his early 40s. Ngumiti ito sa kanya kaya’t nakita niya ang sungki-sungki nitong ngipin. Mas mainam pa iyong ngipin ni kuyang bartender kaysa rito. She scoffed as she saw him waved his hand to the bartender. 

    “I like that lady drink," she heard him said. Medyo na-confuse si kuya mong bartender kaya she mouthed him A-ME-RI-CA-NO. 

    “Give the lady,” sabi nito noong ilalapag na sana ng bartender ang inumin sa harapan nito.

    Napakunot ang noo niya at tumayo na lang para umiwas sana rito, but he grabbed her arms na siyang kinainis niya. 

    “Mister, you are going to let go of my hand," mariing sabi niya rito, ngunit hindi pa din siya nito binitawan.

    “You rude lady, just want money.” Pinalis niya ang kamay nito at nagsimula nang maglakad palayo pero naramdaman niyang sinusundan siya nito. When she felt his hand tapped her shoulder she didn’t waste a time as she grabbed his arm and flip him over her shoulders. Thanks to her Judo and Muay Thai classes, kahit papaano ay may natutunan siya kahit once in a blue moon lang siya halos kung um-attend ng klase. 

    But to her surprise, she had thrown a different man on the floor. She looked at her back and saw the Chinese man baffled by what she had done. Lalapit pa sana siya dito pero tumayo ito sa kinauupuan at nagmadali na itong lumayo sa kanya. 

    Tinignan niya ang lalaking nasa sahig. He was groaning, still lying on the floor. She held out her hands to him. Inabot naman nito ang kamay niya at inalalayan niya na itong tumayo. 

    “I thought you were him so I acted abruptly,” pagpapaliwanag niya rito. 

    “Are you okay?” pagsisigurado niya rito. Hindi pa din ito makatingin sa kanya dahil sa sakit na dinaramdam. “Come with me, I know someone who can help you," sabi niya rito, thinking about her witnesses more than his pain. 

    “I’m okay," the man said. Then he looked at her. Hindi niya maitago yung gulat niya nang mamukhaan niya ang lalaking nasa harapan niya ngayon. It was as if her mind brought her back five years ago. She wouldn’t dare forget it, their fatal encounter. 

     What the hell is this man doing here? 

    “Are you okay?” ito naman ang nagtanong sa kanya. Tila nahalata nito na para siyang nakakita ng multo.

    “Vince?” iyan lang ang nasabi niya sa sobrang pagtataka niya sa pangyayari. 

    Her mind went blank of a sudden. Were the gods really rooting for their destiny? Or, was it just Vince playing god all along?