22 - That Night in Calatagan

Charm's POV

I can't believe that the Tisoy who I had an encounter with in Calatagan five years ago is RJ whom I will be marrying in a couple of weeks from now. Ganon na ba kasama ang ginawa ko noon para parusahan ako ni Lord ng ganito. After seeing his picture, nasisiguro kong si RJ yung Tisoy na kasama ko sa Calatagan. Ang araw na ayoko na sanang maalala pa.

It was Olga who orchestrated that trip. She said there is something she needs to tell. Abot hanggang langit ang kaba ko nung araw na yun. I do not know what was it that she needs to tell us though I already had a clue. Hannah and Camila does not have any hint on what was going on with Olga that time, she was in her most vibrant self from the time we arrived until we had our dinner.

I can now vividly recall, it was only after dinner, in front of us are several hard drinks and beers when she poured out what she was going into.

"Patrick has another girl." She said.

"Sus eh babaero naman talaga yang boyfriend mo, ano naman ang bago dun?" Hannah reacted.

"But this girl is different, hindi na katulad ng dati si Patrick. Before this girl, kahit na one hour syang ma-late sa date namin, dumarating sya unlike ngayon, cancelled agad. Ako na ang humihingi ngayon ng panahon nya samantalang dati nagagalit kapag wala akong time sa kanya." She said in between sobbing

"Gagong yun ah, sino yung babae, ano ang itsura?" Camila asked.

"Hindi ko alam, hindi ko kilala. Hindi ko pa kasi nakikita." Olga replied.

"Ay parang tanga, wala ka palang ebidensya eh para saan ang pag-emote?" Hannah asked.

"Iba na nga kasi si Patrick ngayon. Sobrang laki ng ipinagbago nya, pakiramdam ko anytime now, makikipaghiwalay na sya sa akin." Olga said.

"Baka naman may nagawa ka ring hindi nagustuhan ni Patrick kaya mukhang nagbago na sya para sa iyo. Sometimes you also need to assess yourself. Hindi pwedeng basta na lang sya magbabago ng walang dahilan." I said then I gained a fierce stare from the three my three friends.

"Tangina naman Menggay eh, nakita mo nang depressed si Olga, bakit parang mas kinakampihan mo pa si Patrick?" Camila asked.

"Hey I'm just being objective here. Bakit perfect girlfriend ba sya sa boyfriend nya?" I asked.

"But you can say it in a nice way Meng." Hannah calmly said.

"That is the nicest way she could get from me." I replied.

"Palibhasa wala kang boyfriend kaya ganyan ka magsalita eh." Olga exclaimed.

"Oh ikaw ang pinag-uusapan dito di ba, bakit napunta sa akin? And how sure are you I don't have a boyfriend? You are too busy with your stuffs Olga, you don't realized that it is the people around you who always adjust to your schedules and that includes your boyfriend." I said.

"Those are school stuffs. Palibhasa sigurado ka na sa slot mo for being a cum laude kaya madali lang sa iyong sabihin lahat ng yan. Pero ako Meng hirap na hirap ako kasi hindi naman ako kasing galing mo." Olga exclaimed.

"Sandali nga, bakit parang kayong dalawa na ang nag-aaway? We are talking about Patrick's infidelity here girls bakit parang lumihis na tayo ng usapan?" Camila asked.

"You are right Camila, lumihis talaga tayo ng usapan because apparently our dear friend Olga here refuses to accept that she also has her own share of lapses kaya lumalabo ang relationship nya kay Patrick." I said.

"You are my bestfriend you are supposed to be on my side." Olga said crying.

"I am your bestfriend that's why I am telling you what is wrong with you. Nakakairita na kasi na parang lagi ikaw ang inaapi where infact ang yabang yabang mo naman." I said then I grab the bottle of vodka and walks to the door.

"Where are you going Charm?" Hannah shouted.

"Going out, and I want to be alone. Kayo na lang ang kumausap dyan at makinig sa mga walang kwenta nyang hinaing sa buhay. Tangina ang arte-arte parang laging inaapi." I exclaimed before banging the door and totally leaves the room.

Nobody dares to follow me because my friends know whenever I say, I want to be alone, I mean it in every single word. That is how me and my friends are, we respect each other's space whenever we feel like to be alone.

I walked as far as I can, dun sa kung saan hindi nila ako makikita. I don't want my friends to see me sobbing because everything I said to Olga hurts me more that it hurts her because guilt is eating my whole being. I know who the girl Olga was talking about and it is I. Patrick, her boyfriend is my boyfriend too. Her bestfriend fell in love with her boyfriend. Isang malalim na pagmamahal na hindi sinadya at hindi na ako makawala. I cheated on my bestfriend.

RJ's POV

Now I remember her, sya yung babaing nakita ko sa harap ng cottage ko sa Calatagan na nilulunod ang sarili sa alak habang miserableng nag-iiiyak. I was hesitant na lapitan sya baka kasi may kasamang boyfriend na nag lover's quarrel lang. Mahirap nang bigla kaming abutan ng boyfriend nya .

I remained staring at her for a couple of minutes wala pa ring tigil sa pag-iyak ang babaing yun. Ngangalahati na nga yung vodkang dala-dala nya. Natatawa nga ako nung maisip ko na mukhang itataob ako nito sa inuman. When I realized that she is indeed alone. That was the time na nilapitan ko na sya.

"Are you alright Miss?" I asked her. She looks at me, gosh she is prettier sa malapitan. She tried to stand up maybe to have a closer look at me. At sa sobrang kalasingan yata eh hirap na hirap syang tumayo so I helped her stand.

"Patrick?" She asked then poked on my dimple "May dimple ka pala, bakit ngayon ko lang yan napansin? Anong ginagawa mo dito? Gago ka baka makita ka ni Olga lalong magalit yun sa akin. Alis, umuwi ka na hindi ka pwedeng makita dito ni Olga" She said.

"Miss hindi ako si Patrick na kakilala mo, Tisoy ang tawag sa akin ng mga kaibigan ko." I said. Hindi sira ang ulo ko para ibigay ang tutoong pangalan ko sa isang babaing mukhang wala sa sarili.

"Tisoy? Hindi ka si Patrick?" She asked again.

"Hindi nga ako si Patrick." I replied.

"Ang galing ah, maganda yang naisip mo, kunwari hindi ikaw si Patrick para hindi makahalata si Olga, naglagay ka pa ng dimple. Paano mo ginawa yan?" She asked while continuously poking on my dimple.

"Are you with someone? Lasing na lasing ka na, ihahatid na kita. Saan ang cottage mo?" I asked her.

"May nakikita ka bang kasama ko? Mag-isa lang ako di ba, I am obviously alone." She replied.

"Are you sure you're alright?" I asked and I started to worry on her nung bigla na lang sumalampak sa buhanginan at nag-iiyak.

"I am such a bad person. Ang sama-sama kong tao, gago kasi ako eh at ang tanga-tanga rin. Hindi ko na inisip na masasaktan ko si Olga, I'm such a selfish brat." She continuously said while blubbing. Grabe ang laki naman ng problema ng babaing ito. I sat beside her while she was drowning herself in misery.

"Mukhang ang laki ng problema mo miss." I told her.

"Who are you? Why are you sitting beside me?" She asked me.

I grab the bottle of vodka she was drinking then straighly drink it from the bottle. "I am giving you company. Kawawa ka naman eh, mag-isa ka lang." I told her.

"You? Giving me company? Hindi nga ikaw si Patrick, kasi yun kapag sinabi kong gusto kong mapag-isa, hinahayaan lang nya ako sa trip ko." She replied.

"Atsaka bakit mo iniinom yang vodka ko? Akina nga yan." She said.

"Teka lang, painom lang naman, ubos na yung sa akin eh, alangan namang ikaw lang ang umiinom. Ano ba kasi ang problema mo? You can share it with me." I said.

"Bakit close ba tayo? Bakit ko sasabihin sa yo ang problema ko? Gago ka no." She said.

"Hey I am just offering some help here. And will you please stop cursing, kanina ka pa eh." I said.

"Si Olga, my bestfriend. Her boyfriend is cheating on her." She replied.

"Yung bestfriend mo ang niloloko ng boyfriend nya, pero ikaw ang naglalasing? Ang labo nun ah." I said.

"I am the girl she was talking about. Her boyfriend and I, we are cheating on her." She said.

"Then you are right, gago ka nga at selfish. How dare you call yourself as her bestfriend kung niloloko nyo sya ng boyfriend nya?" I said.

"But I love him, I love him too much to let him go." She said while sobbing so hard.

"Did he tell you he loves you? Pareho ba kayo ng nararamdaman ng lalaking yun?" I asked.

"He said he likes me." She replied.

"He only likes you and yet here you are getting miserable. Tangina miss, ang arte mo." I said.

"Tangina mo rin, wala kang pakialam." She replied. "Teka nga, bakit inubos mo yung alak ko?" She asked and suddenly stands and walks to my cottage.

"Hey, saan ka pupunta? Cottage ko yan." I shouted.

"Anong alak meron ka sa cottage mo? Palitan mo yung ininom mong vodka ko." She said.

I quickly stand and follow her, "I have plenty of liquors to choose from. Be my guest tutal mukha namang gusto mong magpakalunod sa alak. Sa isang kondisyon, hind pwedeng lumabas ng cottage until bottoms up ang bote." I dares and she easily accepted it.

"Call!" She replied.

"Are you willing to play some games with me miss? Ang boring naman kung mag-iinuman lang tayo." I asked her.

"Maliit na bagay." She brags.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Tangna, ang daming sinasabi. tara na sayang ang oras." She said then I quickly held her hand going inside my cottage to have a very long night.