Bridgetine Trilogy III One Day Soon

Chapter 3

ANNE 

What’s the point of telling him about it if he doesn’t believe it? Magsasayang lang ako ng laway sa pagpapalawanag sa kanya kaya pinili ko na lang manahimik. Tumingin ako sa labas at napansin na traffic pa rin. Aabutin na yata kami ng umaga dito at hindi umuusad ang mga sasakyan. 

"Gising ka pa?" untag n'ya sa akin.

"Ano?"

"Akala ko ipapaliwanag mo sa akin ang forever. Hinihintay ko," sagot n'ya sa akin. 

"Give me a minute. Ang kulit mo.” Nag-isip ako ng magandang paliwanag sa kanya. "Alright, think about this. You meet thousands and thousands of people, and none of them really affect you. And then one day, you meet that one person you can't bear to live without. That's what forever is like."

"That seems like a long time," sabi n'ya sa akin.

"It is, but forever is not long enough when you finally found that one person whose smile warms your heart and presence makes you whole," nakangiting sabi ko sa kanya.

Kumunot ang noo n'ya. "You think you can find that?"

I don’t know where I got my courage but here it goes. "I already found it in this lifetime. I just don't know what to do about it," sagot ko sa kanya at saka nagkibit-balikat.

I can't believe I blurted it out like that.  I mentally laughed and checked the time on my phone. 

Oh crap! Two hours na pala kaming stuck sa traffic. Ang tahimik bigla sa kotse, kaya napatingin ako sa kanya. He was looking at me too, but I can't read his face.

"What?" tanong ko sa kanya. Ang mga mata n'ya ay parang may hipnotismo at nanghahalina.

I saw him slowly leaning towards me. I froze and failed to come up with words. I can feel his breath fanning my face. It smells like mint. I didn't know what to do so I just closed my eyes. 

At doon ko narinig ang isang malakas na busina. Umusad na pala ang traffic at nakatigil pa rin kami. Natigilan naman si Jerry sa gagawin n'ya at narinig ko ang paghinga ng malalim. He composed himself and started the car. 

Gusto ko ng lamunin ng lupa ngayon. What was I thinking? That he would kiss me?? In my dreams.

***

JERRY

When I heard her talked about forever earlier and started giggling, I felt warm and I suddenly had the urge to kiss her. Kaya lang, naunsyami pa. Contrary to what others think of me, I do believe in love. 

But I don't seek love, just to be in love. 

Anne is someone dear to me. She makes me laugh but she also makes me want to pull my hair out when she says ridiculous things that makes no sense to me. Most of the time, I am late when we meet. 

Yes sometimes I am really late, but other times -- I only make her believe that, so I can stare at her a little longer from afar. 

The thing is, she scares me. 

She makes me crazy. 

When she's around, she gives me those somersaults and makes my heart beat faster. I even look for her when she's away.

I remember back in high school, I wasn't doing very well with Math. It was enough for me to fail, and although she's not that great with it -- she took the time to study with me. Naintindihan naman n'ya ang lesson, so she asked me to study together. Tinanong pa n'ya ako kung saan kami pwedeng mag-aral --- sa bahay ba nila o sa amin?

Madami silang magkakapatid at kahit bunso si Anne, minsan gusto rin n'ya ng tahimik na araw. So I asked her to come to my house instead. Kababalik lang nina Mama galing sa farm at madaming dalang mangga.  I know that Anne loves them kaya may meryenda na kami kaagad pagpunta n'ya. 

Nang magsimula kaming magreview, nawawala ang atens'yon ko sa binabasa ko. And when I get distracted, she would pull my ear and make me face the book.  May exam kasi kami sa Lunes. 

We studied hard that Saturday for our test, at nang makuha ko ang resulta ko na mataas, I looked for her first and found her sitting on a bench. I stopped in front of her and showed her my paper. Her face lit up when she saw that I passed. Sa sobrang saya n'ya ay napatalon at napayakap sa akin. 

Maybe that was the moment I felt something for her that I can't name then. Kahit ngayon, hindi ko pa rin alam kung paano ipaliwanag ang nararamdaman ko sa kanya. She’s been in my life for a long time and I shared all my ups and downs with her. I guess I am just scared that I'm going to lose her if we don't work out.

And I don’t want that to happen.

What if we dated, and it didn't work out between us? Then I have to live without her for the rest of my life?

I was driving at hindi ko namalayan na nandito na pala kami sa tapat ng bahay nila. It's already past eleven in the evening at nakatulog na s'ya. I took the time to stare at her. Ang cute n'yang matulog. I was about to wake her up when I heard her murmuring things I don't understand. Ngayon ko lang nalaman na nagsasalita pala s'ya kapag tulog. 

"Anne, gising na," sabi ko sa kanya. I caressed her cheek.

"Hmm," ungol n'ya. Halatang masarap ang tulog at ayaw magpagising. Nanatiling nakapikit ang mgam ata n'ya at pinagsalikop ang mga braso sa kanyang dibdib. Mukhang nilalamig. I want her to sleep some more pero ayaw ko din naman na papakin s'ya ng lamok dito sa kotse. Mas mabuti kung pumasok na s'ya sa loob at mahiga ng maayos sa kanyang kama.

"Kapag hindi ka pa gumising, hahalikan kita," bulong ko sa kanya. Sa sinabi ko ay bigla s'yang nagmulat at pinitik ang aking noo. "Aray ko!"

"Jerry! Huwag ka nga!" Tinanggal n'ya ang seatbelt at kinuha ang kanyang bag sa sahig.

"Napakabayolente mo talaga!" reklamo ko sa kanya. 

Pinanlisikan n'ya ako ng mata. Classic Anne Marie. "Kung ano-ano kasi ang naiisipan mong bwisit ka! Kulang ka lang sa tulog, umuwi ka na. Thank you for today." She gave me a peck on the cheek. "Text mo ako pagdating mo sa bahay para alam ko na safe kang nakauwi ha? Goodnight!" Naiwan akong tulala. Nakita ko s'yang binuksan ang gate nila at pagkapasok sa bahay ay kumaway pa sa akin.

Nakarating ako ng bahay ng maayos. I pulled out my phone and texted her that I am home. I took a quick shower and went to bed. I tried to get some sleep, pero ang ilap ng antok sa akin ngayon. I close my eyes and I see Anne's face. Alas kwatro na ng madaling araw pero mulat na mulat pa rin ako. 

It was the first time she initiated a kiss. At kahit pa sa pisngi lang 'yon -- s'ya pa rin ang nagkusa.