The Heart Never Forgets

Chapter 5

CHASE'S POV

Kakabalik ko lang ng Pinas.Wala sana akong planong umuwi pa dito dahil busy ako sa business ko sa Singapore. I am a chef and I own a small business in Singapore.Besides having a restaurant there, I am also a freelance I.T professional.I also have a business here sa Pinas and it was Pablito's restaurant located along Ignacio Street. Maganda ang pwesto namin dun dahil napapaligiran kami ng mga establishments that made our restaurant a big hit in that area.Soon gusto ko pang mag-expand ng branch to some places. Kahit nasa Singapore ako ay nakamonitor ako sa takbo ng negosyo ko dito. Pwede naman akong nasa Singapore lang while monitoring my business.Aside sa may pinagkakatiwalaan naman ako ay miminsan si Mama Alice ang umasikaso nito.Pero may mga pangyayaring hindi inaasahan. Biglang nagka stroke ang Branch Manager ng restaurant na naging matalik ko na ring kaibigan. At dahil busy si Mama sa pamamahala ng rental business nya,madalang nya lang itong nabibisita. And though I was a busy man,kailangan ko talagang paglaanan ng oras at panahon ang Pablito's dahil maganda ang takbo ng restaurant. Also,I came back for some personal reasons too. My longtime LDR girlfriend broke up with me. She said she can no longer take the kind of relationship we have. Kahit na bumabawi naman ako sa kanya when our anniversaries come.I made sure that even if I'm physically away,she can always feel my presence and support.Twice or thrice a year we go on international/local vacations just so I can make up for those times that we are not together. I thought that we are all good and okay with our relationship until she just called me up one day and told me she wants to call it quits between us. I seriously was devastated.I love her so much that I am planning to propose on her birthday next month,on her 29th birthday sa Oct.12. I thought things would end up well but it just don't.And I can't just gave up easily.I still have to try. I'll woo her until I'll have her again.And I promised not to go back abroad without her being engaged to me first. Yan ang goal ko here.

Hawak ang cellphone while trying to reach Mira again today.I've been calling her since I got here. But she just ignored and never answered my calls. Even my attempt to meet her at her workplace comes in vain as I found out she had resigned already. My texts were unreplied and I got frustrated by our situation. Napakasakit isipin na masasayang ang pinagsamahan namin. I choked up just by the thought of it.

"EXcuse me" bahagya akong napatingala at kunot noong tinignan ang babaeng nasa harapan ko. She was looking for my mom. I bet she was the one Chelsea was referring to yesterday. Her friend who would rent a unit in one of mom's rentals. Parang namamalikmata ako sa tindig at anyo ng kaharap ko ngayon. Muli pa nitong inulit ang sinabi at saka lang ako nakahuma ng medyo nilakasan nito ang pagsasalita.

I don't understand but this woman's presence suddenly shookt my system.Napapailing ako sa bagong sensasyon na nararamdaman ko. Nang makabawi ay sinagot ko naman ito.

"You were looking for my mom" tanging nasambit ko at sinabi sa kanyang maghintay at tatawagin ko lang.Nagmamadali akong tumalikod dahil para bang di ko matagalan at nanlalambot ang mga tuhod ko while staring at her even if she's just merely and simply talking.Pagkatapos sabihin kay mama na dumating na ang bagong mangungupahan ay sumunod ako sa kanya dahil pagka ganitong oras ay laging dun ako nakatambay sa mini garden na yon na nasa tapat ng entrance ng 2 storey apartment ni mama.Isa pa,parang naengganyo ang sarili ko na muling pagmasdan ang babae kanina.

Matapos magpakilala ni mama ay saka na niya ito sinamahan paakyat sa taas habang ako ay nakasunod lng ng tingin sa kanila. Ng bigla akong tinawag ni mama para hingan ng favor na bitbitin ang isang bag nito.I heard my mom call her Gella.Nice name. Parang ang sarap bigkasin ng pangalan nya sa labi ko.Pati tunog ng pangalan nito ay parang musika sa pandinig ko.Ano bang meron sa babaeng ito?.She's not the model type but there's something in her that would really caught someone's eye and attention. She's simply a typical woman.Malayo sa nag-gagandahang nakadate at mga babaeng naikama ko.Of couse excluded doon si Mira na girlfirend ko.Nasa 5' or 5'3 ang height,balingkinitan ang katawan,medyo maputi at maamo ang mukha.And first thing I noticed was the way she handle and dressed herself.Kahit simpleng pantalon at black fitted shirt ay kay ganda nitong tignan. She had that aura that would make you look at her more intently. Kahit ng nakasunod ako dito ay di ko maiwasang mapansin ang malalaki nitong pang upo. Malapad na balakang at maliit na baywang. Pati paglakad nito ay parang kalkulado kahit di naman sinasadya.Damn,she walks gracefully and I love how she looks from behind. I found myself becomes a little bit naughty kaya pinalis ko ang tingin dito habang nakasunod ako. At ng makarating sa room nya sa second floor ay agad ko lang inilapag ang bag nito at walang pasintabing umalis at iniwan sila ng mama. I went straight to my room and can't help myself for giving in to what my body wants.Parang sasabog ang p*********i ko at talagang nag-iinit ako. As all men do at times like this,I need to release. Biglang nag init ang pakiramdam ko sa simpleng pagkakita lang kay Gella.She had that intense effect on me even without her doing anything. I admit,I don't like this feeling. I am so much inlove with Mira.And I am here too because I want to fix things between us. Naiiling and napapikit ako pagkatapos kong magrelease. Pinakiramdaman ko ang sarili and I knew,I do love Mira so much.And maybe what I felt for Gella just right now are merely physical attraction. Napukaw nito ang pangangailangan ko bilang isang lalaki.Yes,I've bed different women in my life but since I met Mira,I totally changed. She has become my world and my plans include her.She has always been the reason why I worked so hard.Dahil gusto ko ng mag settle down with her. And though we've been together,I never cross the line.We never did that thing dahil nais nitong ibigay yon sa akin pag na bendisyunan na kami.And I respected her so much that I abstained myself for soooo long. Kaya ngayon lang uli ako nakaramdam ng pag-iinit ng katawan dulot lang ng simpleng pagkakita ko kay Gella. And I know it's normal.

Pagkatapos ng tagpo kanina ay di na ako muli pang bumaba.Pagkatapos ng dinner ay agad kong e de-nial ang number ni Mira. And I was so happy when she finally picked up.

"Hey,how are you.Been trying to reached you many times. Can we please talk?" malambing na tila nagsusumamo kong usal rito.

"Chase,let's talk again tomorrow.I'm tired and I want to rest early." sagot naman nya sa kabilang linya. Nanlumo ako dahil ramdam kong iniiwasan nya ako.

"Okay Babe. I'll call you again tomorrow.Have enough rest. I love you Babe." Kahit tinapos na nito ang relasyon namin ay gusto kong iparamdam dito na hindi kailanman nagbabago ang damdamin ko. Na hanggang ngayon ay mahal ko ito at ipadama dito na hindi ako susuko. Nalulungkot man ay nabuhayan pa rin ako ng loob dahil bukas ay makikipag-usap syang muli sa akin. I'll hold on to that hope.I know Mira loves me.Hindi nya basta-basta lang itatapon ang ilang taong pinagsamahan namin. I'll make sure to win her again.

Dahil maaliwalas ang gabi ay lumabas ako ng terrace.Ang ganda ng langit..kahit na nga dito lang sa terrace ay nakakapag-palubag loob na.Kay gandang pagmasdan ng mga flowering roses ni mama. Napatingin ako sa paligid ng mahagip ng mata ko ang bintana ng kwarto sa katapat ng terrace. And if I am not mistaken,it was Gella's room. And her windows are half closed but things can still be seen from the outside. At iba na naman ang itinakbo ng isip ko. DAMN! why was this girl such a temptation?! bago pa lumala ang iniisip ko ay tuluyan na akong bumalik sa loob at nagpahinga.I need to get rid the thought of Gella at iba pang walang kwentang bagay.Besides,I still have to go to Pablito's tomorrow. Early tomorrow.