Let Love Happen

Chapter 6 - clash of hearts

I stood at the corner of Alabang Business Park, waiting for a taxi, when a blue car came to a halt in front of me. The SUV was blocking my way, so I walked to the right to catch a cab. But unfortunately, the car forwarded.

I turned to my left this time. And to my dismay, the car ran on reverse.

I went to back to the right, but the SUV started to move towards me. When I walked to the left again and it followed, I decided it's not just a parking problem.

Nananadya na ito, I muttered under my breath.

I need to be somewhere important and as much as I want to admire the obviously brand-new car, I simply don't have the time. So, when I walked back to the right and the driver started the engine again, I heaved a sigh and knocked on the tinted window.

"Excuse me. Are you-" was all I could come up with before the window rolled down. I instantly spotted a grinning moron on the steering wheel.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked Tristan, replacing my supposedly polite question with a retort.

"Trying to give you a ride," he quickly answered with a smug smile and quickly got out of the car to open the passenger door for me.

Of course, I was reluctant.

"And what made you think that I would accept your offer? Why would I want to be inside the same car with you?" I asked with raised eyebrows and hands crossed in front of my chest.

"Because you need me to take you to the airport."

I frowned but failed to hide my curiosity.

"How did you know I'm going to the airport?" I inquired with suspicion.

I don't remember telling anyone where I'm going today. Pinakiusapan lang ako ni Ate Andrea na sunduin ang kaibigan niya na darating from Dubai at a very short notice. Kahit na nagreklamo ako at ipinaalala sa kanya kung paano ko mag-isa hinila ang mga bagahe ko noong umuwi ako, ayaw niyang pumayag.

"I have my ways, Ms. Lazaro," he replied with another smug smile, ignoring my question.

"Sumakay ka na, mahirap mag-abang ng taxi ngayon," he added and tried to reach for my bag.

"I'm not accepting any favors from you," I refused and stepped back.

He tucked his hands inside his jeans' pockets instead and shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not doing this favor for you, you know. I'm doing it for Ate Andrea," he told me.

"She contacted you?! Bruhang 'yun!" I couldn't help but exclaim.

"E ano naman? Just because you didn't want to be friends with me anymore doesn't mean your sister and I should stop being friends too. Friends pa rin kami. Hindi gaya mo, you blocked me on social media, didn't you?"

Irap lang ang isinagot ko sa sinabi niya.

"Umalis ka na. I can hire a cab. Hindi kita kailangan," I declined stubbornly and walked to the back side of the car.

"It's past nine in the evening, Ms. Hardheaded. You think sa traffic na 'yan, makakarating ka sa NAIA ng ten thirty?"

Pati time of arrival ng friend ni Ate ay alam niya. I can't believe my own sister asked my total enemy to come with me.

I know I can't. I meant to leave earlier pero may hininging comparative report si Ma'am Zyrene na gagamitin niya bukas ng umaga sa meeting kaya halos nine na ako nakalabas. Mabuti na lang at sinamahan ako ni Megan mag-overtime pero pinauna ko na siya pagdating namin sa kanto dahil mas malayo ang uuwian niya.

"Let's go, time is ticking. Hiniram ko pa itong sasakyan kay Seth. Sasakay ka ba o gusto mong buhatin kita? I'm more than able to do that, believe me," he teased.

Payatot siya simula pa noong bata. Noong College nga, napansin ko na mas pumayat pa siya kumpara noong High School kami. I have no idea kung saan nanggaling ang iginanda ng katawan niya ngayon, but if that last sentence was his way of bragging about it, I'm not in any way pleased.

"Subukan mo," I warned as I glared at him and held up a fist.

He chuckled and tapped his watch.

I still wanted to put up a fight but when I realized that we only have less than an hour, ako na mismo ang naglakad pabalik sa sasakyan na dala niya. Gusto ko mang magmatigas, hindi ito ang tamang panahon.

I spent the rest of the ride trying to tune him out - which was not easy. Sinasabayan niya kasi lahat ng kanta sa radio station na napili niya at panay ang kwento kapag may commercial. May pagkalabit pa siyang nalalaman kapag hindi ako nag-react sa sinabi siya at todo ang preno kapag nakakatulog ako sa byahe.

What was supposed to be an hour-long drive felt like forever sa tagal. Partida pa nga iyon dahil sa short cut siya dumaan, ano pa kaya kung sa main road? Baka tuluyan na akong takasan ng katinuan.

Pero in fairness naman sa kanya, we actually arrived fifteen minutes before the expected time of arrival.

"Diba ten thirty ang arrival? Bakit wala pa?" I asked as I walked back and forth at the waiting area.

"Umupo ka nga, nahihilo ako sayo," saway naman nito bago hinila ang kamay ko kaya napilitan akong maupo.

I immediately withdrew my hand from his grasp as I sat na para bang nakuryente ako.

"Over acting ha, malinis kaya ang kamay ko. Sa Comfort Room lang naman ako galing," pang-aasar pa niya kaya hindi ko napigilang hampasin ang braso niya.

My sudden move made the cellphone he was holding fall on the floor with a loud thud and I quickly glanced to check if it was broken.

His cellphone wasn't damaged, but he looked at me as if I committed a grave sin.

"O ano? Di naman nabasag ah!" matapang na tanong ko.

"Hindi nga. But it's worse than that. You interrupted my game!" he blamed me.

I frowned at him.

"Wow, hiyang-hiya naman ako sa nakapa-importanteng ginagawa mo na naabala ko. A matter of life and death ba 'yan?" I snapped and shook my head when he went back to playing Clash of Gens as if his life depended on it.

"A troop is attacking my storage areas of gold and elixir. It could have been destroyed. Lahat ng pinaghirapan ko pwedeng mawala! Alam mo ba kung gaano ka-crucial iyon?"

I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

I don't understand why this game is such a big deal for him pero pasado alas onse na at wala na akong energy para makipagtalo sa kanya so I let him be.

I kept on glancing to check if Ate's friend has arrived when an announcement was aired about the delay of that particular flight.

"Great," I said sarcastically and heaved a sigh of frustration before slumping back on my seat.

Knowing that I have no choice but wait, I leaned on the backrest to catch a few winks. It has been another stressful day at the office and a quick nap would be nice, considering na dapat naman talaga ay natutulog na ako ng ganitong oras. Unfortunately, I’m still here, stuck with a guy I can’t stand.

"Whew! Buti na lang hindi tinamaan ang base at town hall ko," I heard my seatmate exclaim happily, followed by a nudge from his elbow.

"Do you mind?" I snapped.

"Tuturuan kitang mag laro sa cellphone, huwag kang matulog," he offered while wriggling his eyebrows.

"That's very tempting. But no, thank you," I replied with absolutely no interest and closed my eyes again.

"This is very educational, maniwala ka," he said, trying to convince me.

"Hindi ko maidadagdag sa resumé ko ang additional knowledge na makukuha ko diyan kaya tigilan mo ako," I told him without bothering to open my eyes.

"Sige na, sandali lang," pilit niya sabay kalabit sa braso ko.

He prodded my side with his elbow once again, but I tried to ignore it. He even shook my shoulder, but I sat still and kept my eyes shut. But when I felt something tickling my ears, hindi ko na kinaya.

"Sige na nga! Bilisan mo, you only have ten minutes!" mataray na sabi ko bago humalukipkip at kunot-noong tumingin sa cellphone na ipinapakita niya.

Mukha siyang isang laruan na bago ang battery, hindi ko alam kung saan siya kumukuha ng energy kahit dis-oras na ng gabi.

"This is interesting. Trust me," he gladly started.

"And why would I be stupid enough to do that?" I couldn't help but retort.

The excitement on his face suddenly disappeared.

"Because you don't know the truth behind the things you thought you knew."

Biglang nawala ang antok ko sa sinabi niya, especially when he took his eyes off his cellphone and opted to stare at me.

"You only have eight minutes left. Make it fast," I reminded and averted my gaze back to his phone screen.

He cleared his throat and straightened up before reviving his cheerful self. Immediately, he explained the game's mechanics to me. Sa totoo lang, hindi ko na-absorb iyong mga naunang sinabi niya. But as he went on, naintindihan ko rin.

"The walls are very important. Make sure to upgrade you walls as quickly as possible. Put it around the most important buildings first, like yung town hall, gold storage and elixir storage," he was saying when I interrupted.

"For protection, like a fortress," I remarked, and he nodded, looking surprised that I was actually paying attention.

"Yes, a fortress. Parang laban ng buhay rin ito, you should prioritize the protection of the things that are most important to you."

His eyes lingered on mine for a while when he said that, but I dismissed the awkward moment by prompting him to go on.

"You have to make sure that your base is concentrated in one area. Place your key buildings in the most defensible position and put your storage and town hall in the center of your base, behind the defenses and walls. For the enemies, lure them but don't forget to put traps in sneaky places."

"That's another way of saying 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'," I couldn't help saying.

A crease formed on his forehead at my comment.

"In a way, yes. But first, you must know your real enemies. Choose your battles. Hindi pwedeng tira lang nang tira. Of course, you must attack, but attack wisely. Dito, you should check kung maraming gold ang enemy base before attacking. If it has none, don't bother attacking. If it has a very large amount, for sure it's too well defended for you to attack kaya dapat careful ka rin."

My eyebrows shot up at his last statement.

"So, you mean I shouldn't take risks?" I questioned, somehow disappointed.

"If you think you can take it, do it. Take a few risks," he advised.

"How well are you at doing that?" I challenged.

"Honestly, I wish I had taken more risks in the past," he answered and glanced sideways to look at me.

"I wish I had been braver. Instead of pulling back my troops, I wish I had gone for it and didn't quit. I could have brought home a gold if I wasn't a coward."

I swallowed hard at the seriousness of his voice.

"We're still talking about the game, right?"

"Yes. And real life," he whispered, not letting go of my gaze.

I'm not the type who would look down first at eye-to-eye battles because it's synonymous to accepting defeat. But this time I chose to turn away.

"Let's stick to the game, shall we," I suggested.

Tila natauhan si Tristan sa sinabi ko. He responded by babbling non-stop as he turned back to his cellphone. Hindi ko na masyadong naintindihan ang mga sinabi niya about building a laboratory and collecting trophies. May mga binanggit pa siyang league at clan na hindi ko na rin na-absorb because my mind was stuck on the things that he previously said.

"Overall, just protect your defenses. If you lost troops in a battle, train more to replace them so you could-," he was saying when someone tapped my left shoulder.

"Hi Yana," a voice asked.

Masyado yata akong naaliw sa mobile game tutorial ni Tristan at nalimutan kong pagsundo sa darating ang ipinunta namin dito sa Airport. Remembering that, I stood at once and turned around.

The voice sounded familiar.

Even the touch of her hand.

And my eyes filled when what I saw confirmed what my heart already knew.

"Ate Andrea?!" I asked in disbelief.

Bihira akong umiyak but this time I couldn't help it lalo na nang niyakap niya ako.

"I-a-assume ko na natutuwa ka sa pagdating ko ha, hindi ako papayag na hindi tears of joy 'yan," she kidded when she let go of me.

"Bruha ka, bakit hindi mo sinabing ikaw ang uuwi?!" I exclaimed and wiped my tears.

"Siyempre, para surprise! Secret lang namin yun ni Tristan," she said.

I craned my neck and saw Tristan watching our little reunion with a smile of contentment.

"Really now. But you didn't hesitate in telling him?" I asked in a low voice.

"Natural. Noong naka-chat ko siya sa Messenger dati, sabi niya sabihin ko lang raw sa kanya kapag uuwi na ako and he will gladly pick me up at the airport. I just accepted his kind offer."

"But you know that-"

"Away ninyo iyon, Little Sis. Huwag mo akong isali sa issue ninyo, labas ako doon."

I looked over her shoulder and saw the numerous bags and balikbayan boxes behind her.

"Ang dami mong gamit, does that mean-?"

My sister smiled at me and nodded happily.

"That I'm staying for good," she finished for me.

Kanina akala ko ay naisip lamang niyang umuwi para dalawin ako. I'm glad I was wrong.

"Dalawa na lang tayo sa buhay, maghihiwalay pa ba naman tayo?" she added.

"Pero diba sabi mo, hindi mo kikitain dito iyong kinikita mo sa Dubai?"

With that, she pinched my cheeks with both hands.

"Pero kasama kita. What could be more rewarding than that?"

My eyes felt warm again and my hands trembled as I reached for hers. As I initiated the hug this time, I counted in my mind the many times she made sacrifices for me.

Bata pa lang kami, siya na ang defender ko. She would constantly take the blame for my mistakes and tell white lies if needed. Ilang palo rin ni Papa ang sinalo niya na dapat ay para sa akin.

She decided to work abroad kahit wala sa plano niya dati ang mag-abroad because she wants to provide for me financially. After I graduated, she maxed out her savings para mapasunod ako doon. Despite her hectic work schedule and monster boss, she would take a leave to take care of me when I'm sick.

And now she gave up her job and came home not to follow her dreams - but to be with me.

Now that is my real fortress.

"I love you, Ate," I uttered to sum up all my feelings before we left the airport still hand in hand.

The ride back to Alabang was a lot faster dahil wala nang traffic. Ate and Tristan talked about almost everything from Manila traffic to politics to work matters while I sat contented in the backseat, knowing that I can now call that little apartment a home because my sister is with me.

It was already past two in the morning when Tristan decided to go. Ate was talking to Auntie Mina on the phone and I had no choice but to walk him out the door.

"Thank you," I said as we stood in front of Seth's car.

I still hate him pero pinalaki rin naman ako na may manners, nawawala lang minsan kapag pino-provoke niya akong maging maldita.

"Saan?" tanong niya na patay malisya.

"Sa pagsundo kay Ate. At sa mobile game tutorial na rin," sagot ko bago nagkibit-balikat.

I was expecting a chuckle for his response, but he just gave me a sad smile.

"Maliit na bagay. I just wish I can do the things I do best at Clash of Gens in real life. I wish I could have built a fortress around the people I treasure the most so nothing or no one can take them away."

I don't like it when he sounds serious. Nor when he looks intently at me straight in the eye. Kapag kasi seryoso siya, maraming alaalang bumabalik sakin. It reminds me of the things that made me happy back then when life was still simple, when everything wasn't complicated.

Simula nang magkita kami ulit, nakasanayan ko nang inaasar at binubwisit niya. Everyday, he's pushing me closer and closer to the edge sa mga ginagawa niya.

Oo, nakakainis. But I think it's better that way. My heart is safer that way.

"Life isn't just a game of Clash of Gens," I told him as I closed the gate.

He nodded sadly.

"I know. I know," he whispered and heaved a sigh before getting into Seth's SUV.

It was my turn to heave a sigh as I watched the car sped away.

Walang mali sa sinabi ko. For one, you can’t just replace the people you lost in the battle as if nothing happened and there are no emotions attached. And there's a big difference in building a fortress sa laro at sa totoong buhay. Sa Clash of Gens, when things didn't work out, you can start over again and build the walls around you. You decide how tall and how thick the walls should be.

I'm a living proof that it's not as simple in real life.

Once the wall was taken down, it's almost impossible to rebuild.

Not when you don't have the resources.

And especially not when the foundation is lost - like trust.

Si Tristan? He used to be my fortress.

Sadly, that same fortress came crashing down on me.

Clash of Gens is indeed a far cry from the real battles in life. Life is more of a Clash of Hearts.