Episode 17: 8 years
I was dumbfounded for some time. Issa did that all of a sudden. From my cheek, now to my lips.
Everything happened so fast! I mean, hindi ko ba dapat i-big deal iyon? She's my girlfriend after all and that... after Tanya, siya lang ang babaeng humalik sa akin. I'm not sure what to feel.
"Emeril, tapos na ako maligo! Pahiram ng shirt mo ha?" she said and noticed she walking towards me now with a towel rolled on her head, wearing my large shirt, na animo'y daster na sa kanya. "Is this the soup?"
"Hmmm.... it's no longer that hot, I can heat them again..."
"No need! This is enough, thank you!" she said happily and dig a spoonful of soup and ate it. "Naks, masarap."
"It's an instant soup, nilagyan ko lang ng tubig at pinakuluan just like the instructions said." simpleng sabi ko kasi totoo naman.
"I know, but I'm thanking you for the effort. That's just it." sabi niya, "And just like the kiss earlier, I meant that. Just like I said earlier, it's also a thank you gesture! If you don't like it, I'm sorry, It's not going to happen again!"
"D—don't misunderstood, I was just not prepared about—"
"Look, if you keep on using that naive reasoning of yours to everything that we do as a couple then forget it! At least man lang ihanda mo sarili mo sa mga ganyang bagay! Kissing is pretty normal to couples! Don't make it a big deal!"
"I'm not making it a big deal! It's just that those things, example kissing, is done by couples that has mutual feelings—"
Napalapag siya ng kanyang kutsara sa lamesa and right, mediyo malakas kaya nagulat ako. "I see, wala nga naman tayong feelings sa isa't-isa kaya hindi tayo puwede maging intimate sa isa't-isa. Good, that's clear! Sorry kung masyado akong naging malapit sa iyo and initiate that kiss without your consent, Emeril. Again, hindi na mauulit kailanman! At dahil hindi na nga mauulit, why not let's just end this contract lalo na't alam naman natin parehas na kahihinatnan nito! I'm telling you, Emeril, let's stop wasting eachother's time!"
"Issa, can you at least listen to me when I'm talking?"
"Bakit, anong naive reason na naman ba? Everytime I act like your girlfriend parang naiilang at nandidiri ka! Hello! You are with Issa Elizalde, the fck Emeril!"
"Melissa!" I call like a warning. "Can you stop nagging? Pinapangunahan mo 'ko, e! Hindi ba talaga ako puwedeng manibago?! I just came from an 8 year relationship, wala akong ibang babaeng ginusto kundi isang tao lang, I've only kiss one girl since then! Do you expect me to go on like my past won't bother me that easy?" I said and right, I snapped.
She was silent, it seems like hindi niya inaasahan ang mga nasabi ko."Give me time to assess and whenever It seems to you na nagugulat ako o hindi ako nasasanay, please, understand me. I'm accepting the changes, I just needed more time."
"K—kaya nga I'm letting you know that I'm here, you have your own life, and present now." aniya at talagang nag rason pa. "Oh well, sorry if I'm being annoying! Nawala sa isip kong nasa moving on stage ka pa pala talaga! Your own pace then,"
Napahawak ako sa kanyang kamay. "Like I said, I came from an 8 year relationship and 80% of our relationship, magkalayo kami and 20% of it, nagkikita man, tinatago naman namin. Nobody knows our relationship! Everyone speculate, of course, pero we never really confirmed anything. Technically, everything about us is new to me. Hindi ako sanay." I said it kahit na dapat hindi na rin.
"So, it means, parang ako pa rin talaga ang first girlfriend mo, 'no? Iyong typical na girlfriend na nakakasama at nakikita araw-araw?"
"Hmm, just like my brothers to their girlfriends."
