One-Shot

Two - Maling Akala

"Surprise!"

"Jenna?!" It's Kuya Eric. Best kuya in the w.w.w.! He run to me and carry me like the old times. Para kong sako ng bigas sabay ikot at baba agad. Nakakahilo!

"Oh my gosh! Jenver Asha!? Jenna! Ikaw nga! Eeeeee!" It's Chleo, my childhood bestfriend. Along shrieking with her are Katie and Ate Shine, Kuya Eric's girlfriend. Dati naman para silang aso't pusa pero ngayon hindi na mapaghiwalay. Based on facebook pictures yan. Hehe! Facebook na lang communication namin since lumipat na kami ng U.S. 3 years ago.

They all hugged me tight nang makalapit sila sa'kin that we even lie down to the garden's bermuda grass at kiniliti rin nila ko. Parang dati pa rin talaga.

"Ang bigat nyo!" I shout at them while we're laughing and me, pushing them away. Napaupo na kaming lahat na nagtatawanan pa rin and they start standing up at nung ako na lang someone offered a hand. I smile and grab it without looking who owns that hand. But the time na nahawakan ko 'to biglang bumilis yung tibok ng puso ko. I know whose hand is this. Nag-iisa lang sya. Sya lang...

I slowly look at him until I met his gazed and without hesitation, he pulls me towards him to give me a hug. He's still holding my hand and his other one holds my nape and I can feel his breathing on my neck. "Asha... you're back." I stunned as I hear him call my name that way again dahil sya lang ang tumatawag sa'kin ng ganyan and now I don't know what to do that's why tinapik ko lang yung likod nya at kusa ng humiwalay sa yakap nya plus faking a smile.

I can see na nagtataka sya. He wants to say something pero hindi na nya itinuloy pa.

Parang dati pa rin. Ganun na ganun pa rin syang yumakap sa'kin. Ganun na ganun pa rin yung kakaibang dating sa'kin ng pagbanggit nya ng pangalan ko. Ganun na ganun pa rin yung tibok ng puso ko kapag sya na yung nasa harap ko. Ganun na ganun pa rin yung isinisigaw nito. Sya pa rin. Sya lang...

"Ahh... Yeah... I guess, I'm back. Hehe!" And I can sense they all know that my small laughter is fake. They're the few people who knows who really am I. Lalo na yung taong nasa harap ko ngayon.

Si Kieffer... Johnson Kieffer Dela Cruz.

The one I fell in love with and fell for me too, then. The one that I still love. And the one who hurt me most.

At biglang bumalik sa'kin lahat ng sakit. Kung pano nya ko hiniwalayan ng wala akong kamalay-malay kung may nagawa ba kong mali o ano. Ayokong pumayag nun but what he did hit me at my limit. I saw him that day in his own room, in his own bed lying and a girl sitting on him doing nasty things on him. At sya? Hindi nya pinipigilan.

I walked out and cry to Kuya Eric. Galit na galit sya nun and he wants to hurt him pero pinigilan ko pa rin sya dahil I love Kieffer so damn much! Na ako na lang ang masaktan, wag lang sya.

Eksakto namang kinukulit ako nila Mommy at Daddy to live in New York. Pumayag na sila na mag-stay pa sana ko for a year or two dito sa Philippines pero when that thing happens, umalis na kami that night din dahil na rin sa pagpupumilit ko. And celebrate my debut in the States instead na dito.

Hindi na ko nakapagpaalam sa kanilang lahat dahil biglaan ang lahat. I deactivated my website accounts and change it to new ones. I ask Kuya Eric, Ate Shine, Chleo and Katie not to ever tell him my new accounts. Sinabi ko na rin sa kanila yung nangyari and whenever they're about to tell me something about him, I'm cutting them off.

Iniwasan ko lahat ng makakapagpaalala sa'kin ng tungkol sa kanya. Iniwasan kong sumilip man lang sa mga accounts nya. Sobrang sakit pa rin. At sobrang hirap magpigil sa sarili ko.

Pero when I learned that he's in Hawaii and studying there, as I accidentally saw in Kuya Eric's FB account yung picture nya na may kasamang pregnant na babae pero nakatingin sa iba kaya hindi ko nakita yung mukha, I decided to go back and gave them a visit. I know I owe them this one. Akala ko wala sya dito kaya ang lakas ng loob kong umuwi pero... mali ako...