Calle Maganda Series: Grazzle Maila Rudero

Chapter 15

INIS NA IBINAGSAK NI RANZ ANG SUSI NG KOTSE. It has been almost two weeks since he last saw Grazzle. Right after the private discussion they had with the boards ay hindi niya na ito nakita. Umuwi siya ng Calle Maganda pero hindi niya ito mahanap doon. Kinausap niya si Violet pero wala itong ibang sinabi other than telling him that she will reach out to him in time. Kahit ang ibang kaibigan nito ay walang masabi sa kanya. And he knows she's not in the village because he's been camping on his house to see if she has returned. But to no avail she didn't come home. Ni anino nito hindi niya mahagilap. Hindi din ito nakaduty sa branch na hina-handle nito. According to their employees, naka-open leave si Grazzle. He then asked his grandmother but she was tight lipped about it.

These two weeks was already frustrating him out. Hindi pa sila nakakapag-usap ng maayos pero heto at pinagtataguan na siya nito. Just why the heck is she running away from him for? Alam niyang may malalim itong dahilan. Dahil hindi ito ang klase ng taong basta-basta nalang gagawa ng desisyon patungkol sa nasabi niya nang hindi man lang siya nakakausap.

"Sir? Nandito po ang Lola niyo. Gusto niya po kayong makausap." Saad ni Bettina na hindi niya namalayang kumakatok pala.

Nanatiling nakatalikod siya dito habang nakaupo, "You can let her in." narinig niya ang mahinang pagsara ng pinto at ang mahihinang galaw ng lola niya sa loob ng opisina. Nang maramdamang naupo na ito ay huminga siya ng malalim saka ito nilingon. "Are you happy seeing me this miserable, giagía?" aniya nang makita ang ngiti nito sa mga labi.

"It is good to know that someone could make you show this side of yours, hijo. I haven't seen you this flustered for a very long time now."

He groaned frustratingly and leaned on his chair. "Can't you just please tell me where she is? Alam kong may alam ka. You talked to her before the conference. She might have talked to you about something right?"

"Yes. She said she can't love you."

Napatuwid siya nang upo't nanlalaki ang matang napatitig sa ginang. D-Did she really say that? God! His heart hurts! He wanted to drink even if it was still that early. Gusto niyang magpakalasing just to forget those words even for a while—

"I was just kidding, hijo."

"Ha?"

Natatawang tumayo ito at lumapit sa mesa niya. How can his grandmother be this cruel? "Giagía, were.. were you really just joking? Those weren't her words, right?"

Tumango tango ito and he felt a bit relieved. "But she said she doesn't want to see you, though."

He grimaced, "La. Can you please just stop? That's even worse. And it's not a good joke."

"But it's not a joke, hijo. Those were her words, not mine." Mas lalo siyang nanghina sa sinabi nito. Why won't she want to see him? He thought they were okay. Maayos naman ang panliligaw niya nitong mga nakaraan. Were his advances too much? But she didn't look too bothered by it. And he knows Grazzle, if it was too much for her, she would talk some sense to him or beat the shit out of him.

Then where did he go wrong? Talaga bang dahil iyon sa naging pagtatapat niya? He did catch her off guard. Hindi lang naman ito, even he was caught off guard at that realization. That moment as he stared at her eyes, he just realized that he was in love with her and before he could stop himself, he already said the words in Greek. Love was not common for him; it was something new. But he welcomed the idea of it the moment he met Grazzle. It was only a matter of time for him to fully accept that he was in love with her.