The Governor’s Desperate Wife

KABANATA 6

KABANATA 6

Paglabas namin sa museum, medyo gutom na kami, kaya naghanap siya ng restaurant na malapit lang. Hindi siya nagmamadali, at kahit simple lang ang lugar, ramdam ko yung comfort sa presence niya—yung tipong kahit hindi namin kailangang magmadali, okay lang.

"Here's a nice spot," he said, pushing the door open for me. "They serve really good local dishes... and their coffee is excellent."

I nodded, sinusubukang panatilihin ang Abi persona ko, pero hindi ko maalis ang pakiramdam na yung mga galaw niya—yung gentle push ng chair para makaupo ako, yung slight pause before he sat down himself—ay hindi ordinaryong casual. May attention sa detalye, parang walang random sa paligid niya.

While waiting for our orders, napansin ko yung face niya sa candlelight ng table. There was something familiar in his features—maybe the shape of his eyes, or the way his lips curl slightly when he smiles—but I couldn't place it. It nagbigay sa akin ng weird na déjà vu. "He looks... familiar," bulong ko sa sarili ko, half curious, half frustrated.

I tried to shake it off. "Abi, focus on the meal, not the deja vu," sabi ko sa isip ko, pilit nagpa-calm. Pero hindi ko maiwasang panoorin siya secretly habang nagkukwento tungkol sa mga exhibits, the way he described the colors, the textures, even the emotions behind each piece. The passion sa tone niya made the room feel smaller—parang kami lang.

He ordered for both of us, smiling when the waiter asked for confirmation. "Two plates of their specialty, please. And two coffees, black."

As we waited, I looked around the resto. Cozy, intimate, medyo vintage ang ambiance. Pero hindi iyon ang kumuha ng attention ko—siya ang nag-occupy ng focus ko. Every slight movement he made, kahit yung simple gesture ng pagsuplay sa sarili ng water, parang may rhythm na hindi ko kayang i-ignore.

Suddenly, habang tinitingnan ko siya, bumalik yung face ko sa déjà vu—parang nakita ko na siya somewhere before, but I couldn't recall when. Hindi ko alam kung sa school, sa event, o sa panaginip lang. Heart ko biglang nagkaroon ng maliit na skip. "Wait... saan ko siya nakilala?" I whispered under my breath, almost embarrassed na sinasabi ito aloud sa sarili ko.

He caught my glance and raised an eyebrow, curiosity in his eyes. "Everything okay?" tanong niya casually, pero yung tone niya, parang hindi basta-basta—may subtle interest.

I shook my head subtly, trying to dismiss it. "Yeah... just thinking about the exhibits... and the food," sagot ko, pilit casual, kahit internally confused.

When the food arrived, he pushed a plate towards me gently. "Here, try this. You'll like it," he said, and I noticed the care in the way he handed it over. Not over-the-top, not flirty... just considerate.

I took a small bite, then glanced at him. "Wow... ang sarap," I admitted. He smiled, not boastful, just satisfied na nagustuhan ko. Parang ganoon siya—simple satisfaction sa simple joys.

As we ate, I tried to place the familiarity. Ang dami ng naglalaro sa utak ko—somewhere, somehow, may connection siya sa memory ko, pero parang naglalaro sa hangin yung answer. He talked about the city, the streets we walked, the colors of the museum, and even the scent of the gallery. I couldn't help but notice how naturally engaging he was, how words flowed effortlessly from him.

Kahit Abi lang ako, ramdam ko yung weird pull—yung tipong safe ka lang sa tabi niya, pero simultaneously, yung curiosity ko about him grows more intense. Hindi ko maalis yung pakiramdam na kahit simple lang ang lunch na ito, it was... special. And all the while, yung déjà vu ko sa mukha niya stayed at the back of my mind—nagbibigay ng tension, ng intrigue, ng quiet excitement na hindi ko ma-explain.

He laughed softly at a joke he made about the artist we saw earlier, and I found myself smiling too, even without intending. "I think he's funny," bulong ko, half in disbelief. But deep down, alam ko—hindi lang siya funny. There was something about him... yung presence niya na kahit hindi mo nakikita sa unang tingin, ramdam mo.

And as the lunch went on, I realized something: kahit Abi lang ako ngayon, kahit nagpi-fake pa ako sa kanya, there's a part of me that wants to remember this moment—want to engrave it in memory—because something tells me, somewhere in the threads of fate, I'm going to see him again... and the familiarity I can't place? Maybe it's leading me somewhere I don't expect.

Matapos naming mag-lunch, niyaya niya ako maglakad-lakad sa gilid ng museum. "Just a little walk... para ma-digest natin 'yung food," sabi niya, casual lang, pero may tono ng genuine care. Pumayag ako, kahit alam kong hindi ko maiwasang mag-overthink habang nakikita ko siya sa tabi ko.

The air outside was crisp, medyo may lamig na humahaplos sa balat ko, and somehow, parang mas nakaka-focus ang utak ko. Hindi ko maiwasang i-digest hindi lang ang food, kundi yung lahat ng nangyari kanina—yung déjà vu sa mukha niya, yung tawa niya, yung mga detalye sa gestures niya.

Habang naglalakad kami sa cobblestone path, tinanong niya ako, "So, are you okay now?" At kahit Abi ang persona ko, napangiti ako, medyo hesitant. "Hmm... kind of," sagot ko, trying to keep it vague. Pero hindi ko masabi sa kanya ang buong truth—yung nakaraan na bumabalik sa akin sa bawat galaw niya.

Napahinto siya bigla sa isang maliit na open space, may bench at tanaw sa fountain. Tumigil siya, parang iniisip kung saan tayo pupunta. And for a moment, tahimik lang kami, except for the soft murmur of water and distant chatter of tourists.

Hindi ko na matiis. Napatingin ako sa kanya, at parang lahat ng Abi facade ko, yung pilit na casual na persona, nag-collapse sandali. "Actually... may something I need to tell you," simula ko, medyo tahimik, pero steady.

He looked at me, curious, slight tilt of the head. "Yeah?"

"Y'know... yung face mo..." pilit ko tinatanggal yung awkwardness sa tono ko, "...reminds me of someone I... I had a crush on, back then."

Riel blinked, nawala saglit sa mukha niya yung casual expression niya, napangiti lang siya, pero yung ngiti niya, parang nag-catch sa attention ko. Napansin ko—parang may tanong sa ngiti niya, at hindi ko maalis sa isip ko kung bakit ganun.

"It was a long time ago," I continued, medyo naglalakad ako sa gilid ng bench, sinusubukan i-balance ang emotions ko. "I was... thirteen? And it was my mom's birthday. There was this guy... super kind, handsome, with this smile na parang..." Napabuntong-hininga ako, half laugh, half nostalgia. "Parang ikaw."

He tilted his head, a small chuckle escaping. "Me?"

"Yeah... the way you smile, yung eyes mo... medyo reminds me of him," sabi ko, pilit pinipigilan ang big grin na naglalaro sa labi ko. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero ang presence niya ngayon, parang nag-trigger sa memory ko—yung innocence, yung curiosity, yung excitement na naramdaman ko noon.

Riel's eyes softened, still curious. "Interesting... what happened to him?"

I hesitated, for a moment, parang nag-i-internal debate ako kung ibubulalas ang totoong identity. Pero alam kong Abi lang ako sa kanya ngayon. "Life happened... we lost touch. It was a long time ago," sabi ko, simple lang, but deep in my heart, yung memory na iyon, vivid pa rin.

He smiled again, that slight, gentle curve of his lips na palaging nakaka-capture ng attention ko. "He must have been special, huh?"

"Yeah... he was," sagot ko, medyo malambing ang tone ko, half out of nostalgia, half out of the warm, strange feeling na naalala ko siya. And kahit Abi lang ako sa harap niya, ramdam ko yung connection—na kahit hindi niya alam ang buong kwento, parang may intimacy na bumabalot sa words namin, sa space namin.

I paused, tiningnan ang fountain na kumikislap sa sunlight. "Funny thing... yung ngiti niya noon... parang yung ngiti mo. Nakakatawa, pero kinda comforting din."

He laughed softly, a genuine laugh na parang tumagos sa loob ko. "Wow... I hope I didn't steal your memory away or something," biro niya, medyo teasing, pero may undertone ng sincerity.

I shook my head, trying to keep composed, but inside, my heart was racing. "No... You didn't. It just... brought it back. The feeling of... simple happiness, I guess. Yung tipong simple, pero memorable."

And in that quiet moment, habang naglalakad kami sa gilid ng museum, hindi lang tungkol sa lunch, o sa déjà vu, o sa resemblance ng mukha niya sa nakaraan ko. It was about presence—yung subtle comfort na ramdam ko, yung curiosity na biglang bumabalik, at yung awareness na kahit Abi lang ako ngayon, may part sa akin na nakaka-connect sa kanya, sa any way, sa tiniest memory echoes of someone I knew before na hindi ko man lang nakuha ang pangalan.

Pagkatapos naming maglakad-lakad, umupo kami sa gilid ng maliit na plaza, sa isang stone bench malapit sa fountain. Ang lamig ng umaga, halong sinag ng araw na tumatama sa balat, ay nakaka-relax kahit kaunti. Tahimik muna kami, nagbabantay sa bawat galaw ng ibang turista sa paligid, pero ramdam ko ang curiosity na bumabalot sa kanya.

Tumingin siya sa akin, eyes sparkling with interest. "So... who is he?" tanong niya, with a tone na half teasing, half genuine curiosity.

Napangiti ako, medyo naglalakad ang isip ko sa mga lumang alaala. "Siguro kung wala kang salamin, kahawig mo na siya," sabi ko, trying to sound casual, kahit medyo mabilis ang t***k ng puso ko. "Kahit ako... marami akong kahawig na artista, e." Half joke, half truth—but the memory behind it was vivid, yung innocence of young me.

Riel chuckled, a light laugh that made my ears warm. "Really? An artist?" Tanong niya, still curious, but the corners of his lips hinted na alam niya something.

Hindi ko agad sinagot, huminga muna ako, tiningnan ang fountain at mga droplets na kumikislap sa sunlight. "Hindi ko alam... hindi ko nakuha pangalan niya," sagot ko, bahagyang ngumiti. "Hindi ko siya kilala personally. I just... remembered him from that day. Just a fleeting moment, pero parang stuck sa memory ko."

Napangiti siya, yung ngiti niya na parang alam na alam niya ang buong kwento, pero pinipili niyang hayaang ako ang magkwento. "Hmm... I see," sabi niya, medyo malambing. "And you remembered all this now, huh? After all these years?"

"Yes... Weird, right? Pero parang... yung resemblance niya, yung moment noon, bumabalik lahat ngayon. Even the feeling..." Medyo napahinto ako, trying to contain the mix of nostalgia and subtle thrill na nadarama ko sa presence niya. "It's like... You know, simple happiness? Something small, pero yung imprint niya... naalala ko pa rin."

Riel leaned back slightly, his expression soft. Ramdam ko yung pride na hindi niya ipinapakita ng malakas, pero clear—natutuwa siya. Alam niyang siya ang kinikwento ko, at kahit Abi lang ako sa harap niya, may part sa kanya na nahihikayat, na "aha, this is about me."

"Wow... I can't believe I get to be part of someone's memory like that," biro niya, half teasing, half sincere. "Though... I'm just a copy, huh?"

Napangiti ako, hindi mapigilan. "Copy or not... the resemblance made me remember him. And now... It's funny kasi you're here, and I'm telling you this." Medyo tumingin ako sa kanya, and the playful curiosity in his eyes made my heart skip a beat.

At doon kami nag-stay for a while, sa bench na iyon, nakikinig sa mga tunog ng fountain at mga tao sa paligid, pero parang the only two people in the world. Riel's smile, his subtle curiosity, at yung genuine warmth sa presensya niya—parang pinupuno ang gap na naiwang bakante sa loob ko mula sa memory ng aking long time crush.