Forever With You

CHAPTER 31

"Thank you, 'Ya..." Paulo and I both thanked Yaya Melda as she served us some snack. It was just a simple sandwich na may palaman na Nutella at mayroon din kaming juice na inumin.

Kasama ko si Pau rito sa bahay. As usual, hinatid niya ako pauwi pagkatapos namin mag-usap at magpalipas ng kaunting oras sa condo niya. Tsaka, sumama na rin siya sakin dahil gusto niyang sabay naming sabihin kay Mommy na kami na.

I love how confident he is. I even teased and joked him earlier that maybe Mom might get mad pero wala lang sakaniya iyon dahil kahit na masungit samin noon si Mommy, alam naman niya na boto siya sakaniya. Para saan pa raw at matalik na magkaibigan din ang mga magulang namin.

"Mom!" parehas pa naming sinalubong si Mommy nang makauwi na ito.

"Oh, nandito ka pala, Paulo. Aren't you busy?" Mom asked Pau.

Pau looked at me for a second before answering Mom.

"Ah, opo, Tita. Hindi naman po kami masyadong busy sa ngayon." sagot niya. I made Mom sit at the couch at the living room tsaka ako tumabi sakaniya habang si Paulo naman ay naupo sa tapat at ngayon ay nakaharap siya sa amin ni Mommy. "May gusto lang po kaming ipaalam sa'yo ni Bianca kaya tumuloy po ako rito kaninang paghatid ko sakaniya. We just want to inform you about something." Pau said.

I was just smiling while listening and watching them.

"What is it?" Mom then asked.

"Bianca and I... I mean, your daughter is now my girlfriend." I smiled more when he finally said it. "Kami na po ni Bianca, Tita." Pau added making it more clear to my Mom.

I looked at Mom beside me and she just smiled too.

"That's what I'm talking about. Congrats, then." Mom said as she looked at me and Paulo. "I trust you, Paulo. There was already an incident when Bianca already cried to me because of you before noong hindi mo raw siya pinapansin at kinakausap. I know it will not happen again, right?"

"Hindi na po. We'll do our very best to keep our relationship healthy." magalang na sagot ni Pau.

"That's good to know. Pero hindi rin naman maikakaila na hindi maiiwasan sa isang relasyon yung mga tampuhan or little misunderstandings. You both are smart. I know you can handle it well... Basta, I'm happy for the both of you." Mom told us.

Now knowing that we're now okay to Mom na siya lang naman ang pinaka-inaalala ko ay para bang nabunutan na ako ng tinik sa dibdib. I felt so much relieved.

Paulo ate dinner with us before he went back to his condo. The next day I woke up with a happy heart. Parang nanibago nga ako dahil sobrang saya ko lang para sa aming dalawa.

We didn't get to see each other the whole day but we always update each other. Natutuwa lang ako because knowing Pau, maiikli lang ang replies niya but when it comes to me, humaba. Natawa nalang ako nang maisip ko iyon.

I'm planning to visit Dad this weekend. Thursday palang naman ngayon at nandito ako sa mall. I was with Bria earlier. We're on different paths now at parehas din kaming wala na sa kompanyang dati naming pinagtatrabahuhan. And it's because I focused myself in doing what I really want and that is writing. Habang siya naman ay nagbabalak mag-negosyo kasama ang kapatid niya. I just wished them good luck on their future business kung ano man iyon.

I decided na tumambay muna saglit sa food court ng mall. I then checked my phone and as expected, message ni Paulo ang bumungad sa akin. I didn't get to reply to him earlier dahil hindi ko hawak 'tong phone ko at nalibang akong kausap si Bria.

I was just about to send my reply to him when he suddenly called so I immediately answered it.

"Where are you? Nasa mall ka pa ba? Kasama mo pa ba si Bria?"

Iyon agad na mga tanong niya ang bumungad sakin pagkasagot ko ng tawag niya.

"Yes, nasa mall pa 'ko. Nandito ako ngayon sa food court. Tsaka, umalis na pala si Bria, may pupuntahan pa siya kaya pinauna ko nang umuwi." pagsagot ko sa mga tanong niya. "Bakit nga pala?"

"Great. Wait for me there."

My brows furrowed a little. "Huh? Bakit? Nasan ka ba?" tanong ko ulit.

"Galing akong studio. Papunta na 'ko diyan. Let's date."

Simple words but what he said, the last one, makes me kilig. Huh, date lang naman pero yung puso ko nagwawala na.

I maintained my facial expression here at hindi ko ipinahalata na kinikilig ako dahil baka kung anong isipin ng mga taong nasa paligid ko.

"Okay. Drive safely. Ano ba gamit mo ngayon? Kotse o motor?" I asked dahil noong paghatid niya sa akin sa bahay ay si Dusty ang gamit niya, yung motor na binili niya noon.

"Kotse." aniya.

"Okay. Ingat ah. Eyes on the road." I reminded him. "And, I love you." pahabol ko.

I heared him stopped for a while on the other line but later on he chuckled softly. "I love you too." he said.

I giggled but I immediately ended the call dahil sa hindi maipaliwanag na nararamdaman ko. Hindi talaga halatang inlove na inlove ako sakaniya.

My god, si Pablo, nag I love you too sa akin not just as a friend!

I waited for him at the food court for I think fifteen minutes. Hindi ako bumibili pa ng pagkain dahil hindi naman ako nagugutom. At sa paghihintay kong iyon ay nagulat ako nang may biglang humalik sa pisngi ko. My eyes widened in shock as I looked at him and to the people around us next.

"Pau..." I uttered at him, worrying a bit.

"It's okay. May nakakakilala man satin ngayon dito o wala, okay lang. Girlfriend naman na kita. What's wrong with that?" he asked as he lightly raised his brow at the last few words that he said. I gulped as I stayed quiet. "How long have you been here by the way?" he asked again, changing the topic so I answered him quickly.

"Kanina lang, wala pang thirty minutes." sabi ko. "Uh, are you hungry? Bili tayo ng pagkain." sambit ko pero umiling lang siya.

"I ate before leaving the studio. May kasama kasi si Josh kanina, I don't know if it's a friend or what. Then nagpadeliver din ng pagkain, nilibre kami." napatango-tango nalang ako. "How about you? Gusto mo bang kumain?" tanong niya.

Umiling ako bilang sagot. I stood up on my seat as I pulled him up with me. Awtomatiko naman akong kumapit sa may braso niya nang magsimula na kaming maglakad.

"Let's stroll around. Bored ako eh." I said, pouting a bit.

"Okay."

I smiled when he agreed. Ibinaba ko ang kamay ko at ipinagsiklop ko ang mga daliri namin. We are holding each others hands while we are walking at the mall. We're both not minding whoever may see us together like this.

Nag-uusap kami ni Paulo tungkol sa kung ano-ano habang naglalakad-lakad kami.

"Nga pala, Pau, free ka ba sa Saturday?" I asked him.

"Bakit?" tanong niya't tumingin sa akin.

"I want to visit Dad." I said. "Alam mo naman, dumadalaw ako kapag namimiss ko siya at kapag may oras ako." sabi ko pa.

He nodded in agreement to what I said. "Sasamahan kita, dalawa tayong dadalaw kay Tito."

I smiled genuinely as I gently squeezed his hand. "Samahan mo rin ako," sabi ko ulit.

"Saan pa?" tanong niya na medyo nakakunot na ang noo.

"Sa pagtanda."

Napahinto ako nang huminto siya sa paglalakad niya. He then turned to me. He was too stunned to speak dahil sa biglaang banat ko kaya kinindatan ko nalang siya tsaka siya hinila para makapaglakad na ulit kami. I'm even swinging our hands a bit like a kid.

"You don't have to ask for it, Bianca... I'm willing to spend forever with you."

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