Matapos basahin ang mensahe nila Lilith sa group chat namin ay agad akong nagka-ideya kung nasaan siya. Lilith said that Lettie likes coffee shops so maybe, just maybe, she might be there. Nagtipa ako ng reply bago itago ang telepono ko. I ran quickly, hoping to find Lettie at that coffee shop.
Habang tumatakbo hindi mawala sa isipan ko ang nangyari kanina. She saw me dancing with another girl. Heath suggested that I should find another girl just so I can feel a bit better kaya napadpad ako roon sa gitna ng dance floor kasama 'yong babae. We were only supposed to dance kaya laking gulat ko nang halikan ako noong babae.
I froze where I stood. Too shocked to assess what was happening that time.
"Mikhail..."
Oh fuck. Hanggang ngayon naririnig ko parin ang boses ni Lettie. I want to forget her so bad but I know there's a huge part of me that doesn't want to erase her existence inside of my head and heart.
Nagulat na lamang ako nang bigla kaming natulak palayo sa isa't-isa noong babae. Kunot noo kong tinignan si Lilith na ang sama ng tingin sa akin.
The people around us stopped dancing and turned their attention towards us. Napansin siguro nila Heath ang pag-iba ng mood sa bar kaya lumapit sila sa amin.
"Mikhail 'yong totoo?! Akala ko ba gusto mo si Lettie pero bakit mo nagawa 'to sa harapan niya!" She was about to take a step towards me nang hawakan siya ni Heath at Akon sa balikat. Si Triesha naman ang lumapit sa akin. "Bitawan niyo 'ko!"
"Anong sinasabi mo, Lilith?"
She let out a loud laugh before staring coldly at me. Shivers ran down my spine as her intense gaze bore onto my skin. "Lettie saw you making out with this...barbie chick. Tinawag niya pa nga pangalan mo pero hindi ka man lang tumingin o tumigil"
"She was here. Lettie came here, but why?"
Pinisil ni Triesha ang kamay ko. "Ako nagpapunta sakaniya rito, Kael..."
Parang nanghina ang mga tuhod ko nang sabihin ni Triesha iyon. Inalalayan ako ni Akon at ni Triesha pabalik sa upuan namin. Lilith also followed us there but she remained standing. Si Heath naman ay nanghingi ng tawad sa buong bar at ang kumausap sa manager.
When Heath came back he calmed Lilith down. I saw her sigh as she looked at me.
"Look, I'm sorry nasigawan kita kanina. Nadala lang ako ng emosyon kasi best friend ko si Lettie"
"When we got back home from your hometown, niyaya niya akong doon muna sa lugar niya. Lettie cried the moment we got inside her apartment, Mikhail"
"Nasaktan din siya sa pag taboy niya sa'yo. Walang araw na hindi niya ako kinakamusta sa'yo"
Kinuyom ko ang aking kamay ngunit agad din itong nanlambot nang hawakan ni Triesha. She gave me a small smile before telling us what Lettie and her talked about.
Hinayaan nila akong tahimik na umiyak habang kinukwento ni Triesha ang lahat. Si Lilith ay panay ang pagtawag kay Lettie habang si Heath nagsimula nang magtanong sa mga kakilala niya. Matapos ikwento ni Triesha iyon ay naghiwa-hiwalay na rin kami.
Akon and Triesha went out together to find her, si Lilith ay pumunta sa apartment ni Lettie, si Heath naman ay nag-ikot ikot sa mga malapit na bar dito.
Hinihingal akong nakarating sa tapat ng coffee shop. I still remember the time I went here with her para i-treat siya.
The sound of bells rang as I entered the shop. The scent of coffee beans lingered in the air as I scanned the entirety of the shop.
And there I saw her.
She was sitting in the farthest corner beside the window. The same spot where she and I sat before. Nilabas ko ang cellphone ko at agad na nagmensahe sa group chat namin.
"I found you..." I whispered, but loud enough for her to hear as I got near to her table.
Her eyes widened and I could tell she was flustered. Namumula rin ang gilid ng kaniyang mga mata at ilong.
My baby's been crying and it's all my fault.
"Can I...sit down?"
She nodded and sniffed. "Sure"
Tinitigan ko lamang siya pagkaupo. She still looks stunning even if she just cried. Her hair was a mess but I couldn't be bothered by it. Her eyeliner was also smudged, probably because of her tears when she wiped them.
Looking at her now, I realized that I miss her very much. We both inflicted pain to each other and yet here we are.
That evening I told her everything. I apologized and explained what happened. Ganoon din siya. We let ourselves indulge in each other's presence.
I enjoyed every minute and every second of it with her. Parang natunaw pa nga ang aking puso nang pinagsiklop niya ang aming mga kamay.
Her hand perfectly fits mine and I can't help but be happy about it. She probably saw me blush kaya tinatawanan niya ako ngayon.
With her I am in peace. She is every good thing that makes me feel alive. She's the music to my soul. The melody I won't ever get tired of.
And I got to meet her just because of that one drunk text.
