"Prido," agad na napalingon ako sa biglaang umupo sa tabi ko at masuyong hinalikan ang noo ko. "Sorry natagalan ako, pinuntahan ko kasi si Sabrina."
"Ah," pilit na ngumiti ako sa kanya. "Ayos lang." saka ibinalik ang paningin ko sa harap ng stage kung nasaan ang bagong kasal, sila Mama.
While we were having a photoshoot earlier, kita ko sa mata ni Mama na masaya sya. I was the one who walked with her in the aisle, hand in hand with Mama. She was crying, because she's happy.
Sapat na para sakin ang malamang masaya si Mama.
"Hindi yun ayos." ramdam ang paghawak ni Yubi sa kamay ko at marahan iyon pinisil. "Wag mong sabihin na ayos lang kung hindi naman."
"Ayokong magdemand."
Marahan nyang dinala ang kamay ko sa pisngi nya. I can feel my heartbeat-sobrang bilis. "Hindi ka nagdedemand, nagsasabi ka lang ng totoo."
I heaved a sigh. "It felt like demanding." marahan kong binawi ang kamay ko saka itinukod ang palad ko sa buhangin. "Hindi naman tayo. May girlfriend ka, Yubi. Please stop giving me false hope."
"Girlfriend?" tinaasan nya ako ng kanang kilay. "Wala akong girlfriend, magiging girlfriend pa lang. At ikaw yon."
Ota don't lie. She doesn't lie. She won't lie to me or to George. "Someone told me otherwise." ngumiti ako sa kanya. "Wala kang girlfriend? Bakit? Nakipagbreak ka na ba kay Sabrina?" marahan na tanong ko sa kanya.
I can't help but ask her, hinding hindi ako matatahimik. Otherwise, I would overthink things and keep it to myself and just wait kelan ako sasabog. That's unhealthy. It's unhealthy.
"Ayan ka na naman, Rina." bahagyang diin niya sa pagbigkas ng palayaw ko. Bigla akong kinabahan. "Pinapangunahan mo na naman ako. Wala ka talagang tiwala sakin."
"I-," I closed my eyes and turn away from her. "I'm sorry. My emotions took over." pagdadahilan ko.
I'm rational. But when it comes to you, I become irrational and reckless. Hindi na pwede to, kailangan ka ng ipatumba.
Tumayo siya. "Pagkatiwalaan mo naman ako kahit konti lang, Rina." was what she said habang pinapagpag ang buhangin na dumikit sa suot nyang pantalon. "Una na ako."
I felt like crying, but that would ruin my make up.
I should be happy for Mama, but Yubi-I'm feeling the opposite of happiness.
Kasalanan ko. Napabuntong hininga ako. Wala akong tiwala sa kanya, dapat magtiwala ako kahit konti.
"Penny for your thoughts?" napalingon ako sa biglaang tumabi sakin.
It was Nick, wearing the same tuxedo as Carter. Both of them are their dad's best man, while I am Mama's maid of honor and was the one who walked with her on the aisle.
Magtatampo talaga ako kay Mama kung hindi ako ang ginawa nyang maid of honor.
Nick, Carter and their father met us halfway ng aisle. After, the three of them kissed mine and Mama's dorsal side.
After they kissed ours, Mama kissed Nick's, Carter's, and my forehead.
Pero bago pa man sila tumungo sa altar, kinausap kaming tatlo nila Mama. Saying that this day would be the day that our formula was made.
Ang cheesy lang talaga pero it was kind of sweet.
"It's nothing." ngumiti ako sa kanya saka tumingin kung nasaan ang papa nila ni Nick na nakikipagusap sa mga kumpadre nya.
"It's about your girlfriend, right? Saw her walking away from you. Fought with her?" ang tanong nya sakin.
"Misunderstanding." was what I said. "I think I was a little hard on her. I was being irrational, it was my fault that she walked out."
"Is it about Sabrina?" parang tila may bumara sa lalamunan ko sa diretsang tanong ni Nick sakin.
D*mn, too straightforward.
Nang hindi ako sumagot ay nagpatuloy lang sa pagsalita si Nick. "You should put a little faith on your girlfriend, Rina. If you ended up hurt again for trusting her, at least you won't have regrets in the end for not giving her a chance."
Napangiti ako. Parang kuya ko lang din naman si Nick, it's nice having someone older and mature as a sibling. "How'd you know it was about Sabrina?"
"Well, you guys have the both nickname. Rina. Hers is from her name Sabrina, and yours' from the word Ballerina." walang kwentang sabi nya.
"Doesn't make sense. Really."
Tumawa lang si Nick kahit wala namang nakakatawa. Baliw na to. "I know right? But love does not make sense too, right? You get happy, you get sad. You doubt and you trust. Love doesn't make sense. It doesn't need to make sense. It doesn't have to be sensible and rational. Just do what you want to do. Just love and love and love and-," ngumiti si Nick sakin. "Love."
"Even if I get hurt multiple times?" tanong ko na tinanguan ni Nick bilang pagsagot.
"Even if you get hurt multiple times. Love is what is driving us to live. It is like the steering wheel in our life, and we take the left road, right road, the highway, and whatever road there is." ngumiti muli si Nick sakin. "We are the one driving our car, Rina. We get to choose where we are and where we will go. You just need to open yourself up and trust Yubi."
"You sound like an expert, Kuya." I teased. Marahan kong binangga ang braso nya sa braso ko.
Napakamot si Nick sa batok nya. "It feels weird. I have a little sister." parehas kaming natawa sa sinabi nya.
"Aren't you running after your girlfriend?" biglang tanong ni Nick sakin kaya napatingin ako ulit sa gawi nila Mama.
"I don't know. Should I run after her?"
"Why are you asking me that one? You should ask yourself that question. Do you want to run after her?" agad akong napaisip sa tanong ni Nick. "What does your heart wants?"
"Be right back!" ang tanging sabi ko bago tumayo at kumaripas ng takbo para hanapin si Yubi kahit na bahagya akong nahihirapan dahil nakadress pa din ako.
"Excuse me. Sorry. Excuse me." ayun lang ang sinasabi ko kapag may nababangga akong mga guests dahil sa pagmamadali ko.
Agad na bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko nang makita ko ang isang nakatalikod na pigura at naglalakad sa dalampasigan.
"Wa-Yubi! Yubi!" kita ko ang paghinto nya at dahan dahan na paglingon. Mukhang nagulat pa sya nang makita nya ako.
Napahawak ako sa mga binti ko nang makahinto ako sa paglalakad and tried exhaling and inhaling slowly para maging stable ang paghinga ko.
In just a short span of time, ang layo na ng naabot ng mga paa ni Yubi!
"Prido?"
"Hindi ka na galit sakin?" puno ng ingat na tanong ko sa kanya.
Umiling sya bago lumapit sakin. Crossing our distance. "Hindi ako kailanman nagalit sayo, Prido. Hindi ako kailanman magagalit sayo." was what she said as she held my hands.
"Bakit?" bigla syang natawa sa tanong ko. Agad na nagsalubong ang mgs kilay ko. "Bakit mo ako pinagtatawanan? Hindi ako nagjojoke."
Bigla nyang pinisil ang pisngi ko that made me frowned. "Nagtatanong ka kasi kung bakit di ako nagagalit sayo, natural na hindi."
"Eh, bakit nga?"
Sunod naman nyang pinisil ay ang ilong ko. "Oily." biglang komento nya kaya sinipa ko sya na ikinatawa nya. "Joke lang eh! Bat ka naninipa?"
"Siraulo ka eh!" tinabig ko ang kamay nyang nakahawak sa kamay ko pero muli lang nyang hinawakan ito.
"Nasaktan lang ako kanina. Pero nangingibabaw ang pagmamahal ko sayo, Josephina."
