See You Soon, Love

Chapter 22

22

I continued walking cooly kahit nagsisimula na namang bumigat ang nararamdaman ko. Hindi ako ulit tumingin sa kanya hanggang sa nakaabot ako sa table, sitting beside Mommy, in front of him.

"Ali, I invited Giro too. So you can spend time together." Si Tita Celeste.

I just smiled at her and slightly nodded.

"I wanted us to meet dahil may sasabihin po ako." Panimula ko.

I saw how Giro moved uneasily in his seat in my peripheral vision.

"What is it, dear?"

"Uh..." Hindi ko napaigilang sumulyap kay Giro na ngayon ay titig na titig sa akin. He's pissed and angry. I can't really tell. Tumingin ulit ako kay Tita. "I don't wanna marry Giro. And he feels the same too. We just don't click with each other. We already talked about it yesterday. I'm sorry po, Tita."

"Ali..." Mommy called me.

Tita's lips parted and she wants to say something but she can't. She looked at Giro instead.

"Did you do something? Nag-away kayo?" She asked Giro.

I looked at him and he's still staring at me. Ibinaba ko ang tingin sa pagkain ko sa harap.

"Third." Tawag ni Tita nang hindi sumagot si Giro.

I looked up at him.

"We never talked about it yesterday, Mamà." He said while still looking at me.

Kumunot ang noo ko. "No. You clearly told me yesterday-"

"Let's talk outside." Putol niya.

"We're done talking yesterday."

He stood up and went close to me. He held my wrist and made me stand up.

"Ano ba, Giro. If you want to talk then let's do it here!"

"Please excuse us, Tita, Mamà." Paalam niya, ignoring what I just said.

He held my wrist and walked away from our table.

Nang nakalabas na kami ay agad kong binawi ang kamay ko sa kanya. I looked at him angrily when he looked back at me.

"What the fuck is your problem?! Ayaw mo sa akin di'ba? So just let me end it!"

Nilagpasan ko siya para magtungo sa parking lot. Ayaw niyang makipag-usap sa akin kahapon kaya hindi ko rin siya kakausapin ngayon.

"Ali." He called. "Mag usap tayo."

"I said we're done talking! Don't follow me!"

Nakaabot na kami sa parking nang hinawakan niya ako sa braso para pigilan. Agad ko siyang hinarap at inilayo ang kamay niya.

"What's your problem? You don't want to marry me, right? Bakit hindi mo nalang ako hinayaan kanina! You should've agreed with what I said para matapos na! What else do you fucking want from me?! Ano? You want too see me more being so pathetic, forcing you into a marriage you do not want? Nag eenjoy ka ba? Okay! You won! You won the bet! I won't marry you! Think whatever you want of me!" I said so angrily that I can't recognize my own self. Hindi pa ako nakaramdam ng ganitong klase-klaseng emosyon na pinagsama.

Upset. Disappointed. Angry. Sad. Misunderstood. Sullen.

"Ali, calm down..." He tried to reach for my arm ngunit iniwas ko iyon.

"Don't fucking tell me to calm down. Let's not see each other again. I hate you. You don't have to imagine being married to me now dahil walang mangyayaring ganoon." Tinalikuran ko na siya.