CHAPTER 2

BETWEEN THE BLUES, MEETING IN COINCIDENCE

"What could be the best reaction when you meet someone special from the past, by coincidence? Would it be normal to find your heart beating fast or find yourself acting so cool in front of that person?"

"He's not even worth your tears."

"Don't even think about it, it's his loss. Masasapak talaga kita." Narinig kong sinabi ni Robe nang papasok ako sa living area.

"Your boyfriend cheated?" Tanong ko nang makalapit dala ang wine na napagkasunduan naming inumin ngayong gabi. The frustration of the two is visible, while Crissine is like a kitten being scolded by her friends. Kahit ako hindi ko gugustuhing magiging tanga siya sa lalaking iyon.

"May nakakita raw." Sephie took her glass as she told me the details.

"And he did not deny it." Crissine said silently.

"But you were thinking of getting him back! How kind of you." I concluded frustratingly to her.

"Chill, Deux. I won't!" she said chuckling. I rolled my eyes at her and sit beside Robe. Knowing her, it's not impossible.

Walang nagsalita sa aming apat habang paunti-unting iniinom ang autumn flavoured wine na napili ko. And I think it's better than saying something that could ruin the night.

"I think you predicted that my relationship fell. You bought this for me, right?" Sabi nito habang tinitignan ang bote ng wine.

"Stop it, Criss. I am single for 28 years now, don't try to be sadder than me."

"Iba naman kasi yun—"

"Oo na, naghanap ng iba iyong sa'yo." I said obviously that made her glare at me. I know our situations are different but I just can't stand it when she's being clingy with her exes. It's not like they are worth being taken back. Once is enough to be fooled.

"Stop it you two. Pareho naman kayong pangit." Pasarang na sabi ni Robe na ikinatawa ni Sephie.

"Back at you!" Sabay na sabi namin ni Criss but that did not lessen the tension. It took a while of talking about the plan for next week before we became cool. We all talk about how we should do our photoshoots before the party begins. Di na kasi makapag photoshoots pag nasa party na, usually they would make use of the opportunity to party so we should do it before that happens.

I will be the one to take the pictures. Since I have a camera and photography also became my hobby because of my mom, so they let me take care of that part.

"Do you know some boys that are invited to the party?" I lazily said while shaking my glass slowly. They looked at me playfully like it was new to me which is indeed I rarely do.

"I mean Mama is bombarding me with that relationship thing. I'm taking possibilities, baka may gwapo naman doon. I might be interested if you introduce someone."

"I don't know someone but I know there will be." Robe said with a smirk. They are looking at me playfully like I announced my marriage to them when I'm just looking for someone to get to know.

"You're overreacting. I'm of age to do that."

"Exactly! Glad you realized it. We thought you would be single 'til you get old." Natatawang sabi ni Sephie na sinang-ayunan ng dalawa. Umismid ako dahil alam kong di agad matatapos ang pang-aasar nila.

It's like I am a late bloomer that just found the will to bloom by taking the first step like this. That's how they always see me and I'm not even complaining because that's what I have been doing.

I sighed when they seemed to not move on from that.

"Forget it. I'm taking it back." I will just find it out myself. I drank my last shot and got up.

"You should go home now. You're all drunk." I said while clearing the table.

"You're just avoiding us, stop with that card, we just had wine." Nanghahamon na sabi ni Robe na binatuhan ko ng unan bago umalis do'n at dumiretso sa kusina na ikinatawa pa nila. Buti naman at tumayo na sila kalaunan pagkabalik ko.

"Tanungin mo Robe kung gwapo, tapos matalino na rin. Ang hirap pagustuhin niyang kaibigan natin eh." Narinig kong sabi ni Criss kay Robe habang tinatanaw nila ang cellphone nito.

"Gwapo raw!" Nanggigigil silang tumingin sa akin habang tumitili. I'm really used to this situation but having a loose screw in the head is really not always a right thing. They are getting excited when we still don't know what type of guy they are talking about. I might not like him, you know.

Still annoying me, I lead them outside a little irritated because of the noises they are doing. I don't mind them getting so fired up because of my issues but it's their noises that are making me sour! May mga kapitbahay pa naman ako.

"Bye!" Sabi ko nang sabay-sabay silang pumasok sa mga sasakyan nila. I chuckled while watching their cars exiting the parking lot. It's the moment like this that I like. We might annoy each other when we are together but at the end of our rendezvous, we still consider it part of the fun. I like it that I could spend time with them without worrying about anything.

Patungong elevator ay nakita ko ang pamilyar na lalaki sa di kalayuan. Beside him is his girlfriend. Napangiti ako sa sarili nang makita ang dalawa, he really has grown already. I wanted walk past by them silently but his girlfriend saw me that made him look at my side. I walked slowly as I came nearer to them and smiled awkwardly.

"Good evening." I greeted to lessen the awkwardness I am feeling.

"Hi!" His girlfriend replied while he just smiled. I smiled at her and thought of leaving but I just can't do it because they really stopped in front of me.

"Uh-you dined in here?"

"Yeah. We just visited a friend. We're going home now." He finally talked. His usual shy voice is still there but I can see that he had changed a lot.

I nodded and excused myself from them.

"Oh, Sephie just left too. Anyway, take care you two. Uh..I should go." I gestured to leave and they thankfully understood. I glanced at his girlfriend and smiled for the last time while I take my small steps away from them.

This is the moment that I just don't like but I don't hate either. Unexpected situations like this bring out what kind of person you are. Whether you want the opportunity to get your closure or choose to not stir the past depends on what your personality tends to do at that moment. But whatever you might want to do, we just have to know that we could get closure without stirring the past.

Napangiti ako nang marinig ang storya ng isang kaklase. I am so glad that he decided to reach out to me after all his hesitations in the past months.

"We really should not judge people by their covers." Sabi ko habang nirerehistro parin ang mga narinig ko galing sa kanya.

"W-why?"

"I didn't know you have something going on in your life like this." It hits me when I remembered how he acted when he was with us. He was indeed like an attention seeker. He approached us most of the time in a bolder way that I didn't realize it was just his way of defending himself from people.

He nodded at me and looked at me with a drawn line.

"Sorry if we judged you, we should have known better."

"N-no..no..it was me who got a problem. Your reactions to my behaviors were also my fault. I didn't know how to communicate properly. Actually, no one taught me, so." Marahang sabi niya. Naiintindihan ko ang ibig niyang sabihin. It is hard to treat others properly when you grew up being deprived of a normal life. And from the looks of it, he's doing better. Knowing and acknowledging where he came from and is fighting to overcome it is a good sign that he's starting to grasp it all.

"It must be hard for you. But, try not to be so tense. Loosen up and try to be with people you are happy to be with. Everyone's different, much more different from the people who caused you pain. You just have to free yourself to see it." Just after I said it, a knock was heard on my door. I concluded our session and both stood up when the door opened and Robe was in sight.

"You done? Oh.." she pointed at my client and looked at me as if she found it interesting.

Iginiya ko palabas ang kliyente at nang masarado ang pinto ay kuryoso ang matang nakatingin sa akin ang kaibigan.

"Diba siya yun—" tinanguan ko siya at umupo na sa sofa. Umupo siya kaharap ko at biglang may naalala.

"I heard you talked last night." She said, hinting that she need some elaborative explanations.

"It's not news."

"It is! Duh. You rarely crossed paths."

"When you left, they were at the building too, so we happened to cross our paths. I just greeted them for old time's sake. I can't just ignore them."

"Right, para ka namang di naka move-on kung dimo pinansin."

Moved on? Seeing them last night made me think of the past. I know I did the right thing by letting him go but I realized that night how stupidly right my decision was. Stupid because I let go of someone good like him and right because I know it was the right thing to do to prevent more damage done by our relationship.

"It made me think lately though. If I held on to him, we would have become just like how they were with his girl. But I guess it's just my loneliness at times that wants him in my what ifs." I'd moved on but the memories with him will stay with me for a long time.