Take a Shot

PROLOGUE

As soon as she arrived at San Gabriel Almendra jumped on her and gave her a warm hug. A happy smile showed in Hendrina's face.

"You miss me that much huh!" She said and hugged Almendra too. This friend of hers is acting so weirdly. She's not a clingy person and it creeps her.

"Maybe, because of my pregnant thing." Her bestfriend dropped the bomb that shocked her. Her mind went blank for a moment.

"OH MY GOSH!!! IM GONNA BE NINANG NA! IS IT REALLY TRUE? YOUR PREGNANT!" Sigaw niyang sabi at nakatingin sa tiyan nito. There's still no a bump there.

"Yes, it is just two week so my tummy is still flat. I am so genuinely happy because of this little baby growing inside me. I'm gonna be a Mommy soon and the feeling is so nerve wrecking." Masayang tugon ni Almendra sa kaniya.

"Congrats to you Al! Is the gang know about this? They will throw tantrums kapag nahuli sila sa balita." Pagtatanong niya. Niyaya naman muna siya ni Almendra para pumasok sa loob ng kanyang bahay. She said that they will talk everything in their girl bonding session.

"So Hendrina, this is your room." She said at pumasok siya sa loob. Agad niyang binuklat ang maleta niya. She will be staying for a week. "Unpacked your things already and you help me out in the kitchen. The other girls will be here in an hour. They surely famished, as you do!" Al continued and closed the door.

Other girls. Realization hits her.

"THE GANG WOULD BE HERE! WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME EARLIER?" She screams at the top of her lungs.

"YEAH! AND I FORGOT, ANYWAY MOVED YOUR ASS AND HELP ME OUT OF HERE." She replied back shouting at her too.

Inalis niya ang kanyang gamit at inilagay sa kabinet. Her room is not big, but not small just suit her taste. The room color is white and it has a balcony that help the sun to enter the room. As she finished unpacking, ay nagpunta siya sa balkonahe. Malamig na simoy ng hangin ang bumungad sa kaniya. Alas dos na ng hapon pero ang sinag ng araw ay hindi masakit sa balat. Ang bawat bahay dito sa San Gabriel ay malayo ang agwat sa isa't isa. Marami ding puno ang natatanaw niya dito sa balkonahe. Sa di kalayuan naman ay isang malawak na rancho. A lot of animals are there.

Almendra enjoyed province life she guessed. You can't stop her for loving animals. Her profession tells it all. Her best friend is a veterinarian. Huminga siya ng malalim at nilanghap ang sariwang hangin. Ito talaga ang kailangan niya sa panahong ito a fresh air to breath. Manila is too suffocating. The environment, traffic, pollution, and people are all becoming suffocating for her. She loved Manila but she can't stay there for now. She may go nuts kung mananatili pa siya doon. This certain man keep on bugging her mind and hurting her heart. She can't take being hurt too much. She know her self worth at mahal niya ang sarili. Ayaw niyang patuloy na masaktan sa taong hindi siya kayang pagkatiwalaan at hindi niya din kayang pagkatiwalaan ng buo. There is always doubt between them. A knocked on the door out her from reverie.

"Hendrina Are you alright?" Nag-aalala na tanong ni Al mula sa pintuan.

"Ayos lang ako." She said and changed her clothes to a comfortable one. Itinali niya ang buhok to a messy bun at lumabas siya ng kwarto. A worried Almendra appeared in front of her.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" She said, with such concern.

Ngumiti siya sa kaibigan, reassuring her that she's fine. "Maybe some other time. This day is yours kaya kailangan masaya tayo. Tara na sa kusina. We have a blast party to make." She happily said to lift up the mood.

They went to the kitchen and her pregnant best friend became too hyper. Alam niyang makulit ito pero dumoble pa ngayon. Her arms are damn red dahil sa kakapisil nito. There's nothing special to her arms pero mukhang pinaglilihian nito. They cooked food and set up a kitchen with a baby party theme. Pupunta din pala si Marius dito sa bahay ni Al. Balak itong surpresahin ni Almendra and that is exciting. Her boyfriend must be happy about the news. Five in the afternoon and the gang enter the room. They look confused at the place decoration but when Al said she's pregnant. Everybody screamed with joy and excitement. That day was a blast celebration and she forgot her heart ache for a while.

Three days surpassed and she still sad despite of being with her bestfriends. She's here to forget and the gang is helping her. It's just that her heart and mind is the problem. Nandito siya sa probinsya pero ang puso at isip niya ay nasa Maynila. Her face was hit by the wind and her hair flew in the air. They are here in the Santibañez ranch riding a horse. Wala si Almendra ngayon at kasama ang nobyo. Sinusuyo kasi nito si Marius na galit sa kanya dahil binalak ni Al na sumakay sa kabayo. That pregnant woman is really pain in the ass. Hanggang ngayon ay pinaglilihian pa din siya. Her sleeping hours are ruined by her friend who keeps asking favors for her. Brunette woman wearing a cowboy's hat came closer to her. Nakasakay din ito sa kabayo kaya naman pantay pa din sila.

"Can you smile Hendrina? We are here to enjoy and relaxed. Stop being serious for a while! Nagiging kamukha mo na si Raina eh." Reklamo ni Friel na pumalahaw din ng iyak sa bonding session nilang magkakaibigan.

"Narinig ko na naman ang pangalan ko." Sabat ni Raina na di kalayuan sa kanila. Ngumisi lang si Friel bilang tugon dito.

"Hayaan mo na lang Raina totoo naman kasi ang sinabi ni Friel kamukha mo na siya. Pareho kayong seryoso ang bukas ng mukha." Asha told fixing her hair that was ruined because of the wind.

"Tumigil na nga kayo! I will smile whenever I like. This is a free country, so I have all the rights to do my thing. Leave Raina alone too. She's enjoying herself and that is the way she is." Paglilitanya niya.

"Sige huwag kang ngumiti para kapag nakita ka ni Almendra iiyak yon sa lungkot. Baka nakakalimutan mong pinaglilihian ka. Ikaw din, sayo lang naman tumatahan iyon kapag umiiyak. Kahit iyong boyfriend wa epek kapag si buntis ay nag-tantrums." Balik na litanya sa kanya ni Friel.

Inis naman siyang tumugon. "My gosh nakakasakit na ng ulo at kalamnan iyang si Al. Literal na masakit talaga ang kalamnan ko sa kakapisil niya. May ube na tuloy ang braso ko sa panggigigil ng buntis na iyon." Reklamo niya sa mga ito. Her friends laughed in unison.

Sa dami ng pwedeng pag lihian ako pa!

She busy herself listening to Asha's story about her students. Nakakatuwa kasi itong magkwento may action. Bagay talaga itong maging guro, kaya kasi niya na makuha ang atensyon ng kahit na sino. She gently touched her horse whose busy grazing in the grass, when she hear a familiar baritone deep voice.

"Drina!"

That name make her freeze. Only one person is calling her that. She tilt her head and looked at the man behind her. Bumaba agad siya sa kabayo ng makumpirmang ito nga iyon.

"Allen, what are you doing here?" She asked with no emotion in her eyes.