9 A Glimpse From The Past

"How can you be so cold Maiko?! We've been going out for three years already pero ang hirap mo parin intindihin! Maiko, yung presensya mo lang naman yung hinahanap ko! Ba't di mo magawang iwan saglit yung pagsusulat mo?!" Bella, my girlfriend, shouted at me with frustration. She held on to my coat, gripping it tightly with her delicate fingers as she cries her sorrows in front of me. "Maiko, sabihin mo nga sa akin. Ganon ba ko ka hirap mahalin?" Her grip slowly loosened as she dropped on the floor helplessly crying.

"Let's break up. I don't think with what you are right now you'll be able to have yourself a girlfriend." She murmured in between cries. "You won't be able to have one with that cold personality of yours. Leave!" With the last remaining strength she had, she cast me away without even hearing a word from me. Siguro na din dahil wala akong masabi sa kanya kaya nagawa kong maglakad papalayo.

I turned around and left her flat to walk back home. I glanced at the ring and novel that I had gift wrapped for our third anniversary. I even had to rush the publication just to give the novel to her right on our third-celebration but it turns out that it's just a waste after all. I had been busy for quite a while preparing everything and even though I was late because I had to look for the customer who I had swapped rings with when I bought it, I still made it on time for the celebration. But what's the use? She just already pushed me away.

Why are human emotions complicated? I know that at some point I am able to understand them pero ba't ang hirap pa rin? Am I not able to express myself well? Baka nga.

I looked at the ring on my hand for the last time before deciding to throw it on the river. As for the novel, I dumped it in the garbage bin. Getting rid of it won't be of help to me though. The book has been out in the stores on its first week on my own expenses for self-publication.

Present

I took a seat on the couch and looked at the novel in the kid's hands. "I wrote that book on a whim and didn't expect for it to gain a lot of attention two years ago." I gestured for her to take a seat beside me which she obeyed. "If you like that one, you can have it. Take it as a welcoming gift from me."

"Uhm, sir Maiko. Can I say something?" Medyo nahihiyang tanong niya sa akin. Her eyes were cast downwards as if to avoid an eye to eye contact with me.

"Go ahead." I answered as I comfortably lean on the back seat.

"I'm not one to criticize your works po, pero sa tingin ko maganda po yung pagkakasulat kahit po sinasabi niyo pong you only wrote it on a whim." She said in a low voice.

I furrowed my brows and asked her, "Why do you say so?".

"Although I felt lots of emotions in it and it took me on a roller-coaster ride, it felt warm. The warmth your novel gave off enveloped me and made me feel secure as I was reading it." My eyes widened as I was caught off guard with her insights just from reading one novel. And it had to be THAT novel.

It took me a few seconds to take in her reaction and it finally made me give off a hearty laugh. Her reaction was too precious that it made me want to protect her. Maybe, I felt like I had a little sister rather than a maid.

I ruffled her hair and stood up from my seat. "Alright, it's late already. Shouldn't we have our dinner soon?" Tanong ko, steering the topic away from the novel.

Her eyes widened as she realized yet again that we haven't eaten dinner yet. "Ah oo. Sorry po sir Maiko, nakalimutan ko. I'll go and prepare it now po." Pagpapaalam niya bago siya umalis ng mabilisan patungong kusina. I shrugged and just went to get my towel to take a shower while she's preparing dinner.