TRY . jinlia

000

[ CHOI LIA'S ]

"Lia, I want us to try again..."

Parang tumigil ang buong mundo ko nang marinig iyon, tanging tibok lang ng puso ko ang naririnig ko. God, sana hindi nalang ako nagkape!

I blinked and stared at the steering wheel.

Try again? Try again? Naalala niya pa 'yong sinabi ko? I mean, I would love to say yes, it's what I've been wanting for the past years. Pero hindi ba biglaan? We just saw each other again. We've created new routines, hindi kaya magugulo 'yon kapag nagsimula kami ulit? We're not teenagers that could play around anymore.

But... were we playing around back then?

No. I believe no. Leaving her was one of the hardest decision I've made back when I was a kid. We might have started in a wrong way, but I know my feelings were true. Kasi kung hindi, it wouldn't still be her inside my heart after all these years.

"Lia..." she called back my attention and so I looked at her. Her eyes looked begging, making my heart melt. "I know we just met again... but I really don't want to let this opportunity go now that you're here, you're back. I've been waiting for 8 years... 8 years, Lia... I can't wait another day anymore..." mahinahon ang pagkakasabi niya niyon, tila nanlalambing.

8 years... I waited 8 years, too. Pagiging marupok ba kapag um-oo ako ngayon pagkatapos naming maghintay ng walong taon?

My eyes wandered around her face. Her fluffy cheeks, her sparkling eyes, and her lips that I missed. And as if my body has a mind on its own, I leaned forward to reach her lips.

It was softer than how I could remember but how it's making me feel is the same—no, this time, it feels more intense, more passionate that it makes me wanna cry.

She pulled my head nearer, her hands grabbing my face just so she could kiss me better.

We were both chasing our breaths once we decided to let go, our foreheads touching. We looked at each other, eye-to-eye, and her eyes looked so soft and dreamy I could get lost in them.

"Let's... let's try again..." mahinang usal ko, enough for her just to hear.

A smile spread across her cheeks as she grabbed my face and kissed me again.

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

"Saan po ito, Ma'am?"

I was in the middle of fixing the materials for my clinic when one of our helpers called for my attention. "Ah, doon nalang po muna sa ibabaw ng mesa ko," sagot ko na agad naman niyang sinunod.

Huminga ako ng malalim at nagpatuloy na sa pagwawalis. It's been a few days since I've been back and malapit na ring maayos 'yong clinic ko.

I tied my hair into a ponytail after letting go of the broom. It's 3 in the afternoon at oras na para pag-meriendahin ang mga taong tumutulong sa'kin dito kaya naman mag-isa ko lang ngayon dito sa loob, nakatutok sa electric fan, nagpapahinga.

I blinked at the ceiling, reminiscing what happened the first time Ryujin and I met after years of not seeing each other.

Namula ako nang maalala ang sagot. I immediately said yes. Hindi na ako nagdalawang isip pa. It's what I wanted too, anyway. Bakit pa patatagalin, 'di ba? There's nothing wrong with trying again especially when we've learned from our mistakes in the past. We've forgiven ourselves too. We're better now and I can't wait for a better love between us this time around.

Hirap kaming paghiwalayin simula nung araw na iyon. Walong taon kaming hindi nag-usap o nagkita kaya marami kaming kwento tungkol sa isa't isa na hinahabol.

Ryujin hasn't changed. She's still as naughty as back then. Hilig pa rin niya ang mang-asar. She's more clingy now too or maybe that's just because we've missed each other so much. Nadala niya na rin ako sa office niya and introduced me to her co-workers. She's so successful and I can never be more proud.

Ryujin and Papa have met, too. And he's happy for us. I knew he missed her too.

Napabalikwas ako sa upuan ko nang may pumasok at nakahinga lang ng maluwag nang makitang si Ryujin iyon. She's all smiles, her whisker dimples visible. Cutie talaga.

In her hand was iced coffee while Dallie, one of her pet cats, was on the other.

"Why did you bring her here? Maalikabok pa dito!" nguso ko at agad kinuha ang pusa. I also learned that she started taking care of cats months after we left. May isa pa siya, si Byul, pero mukhang hindi niya dala ito dahil wala akong makitang dala niyang isa pang pusa.

"Gusto ka raw makita e," sagot nito, nakangisi.

Umirap ako. "Si Dallie o ikaw?"

Her smile grew wider. "Ako rin... Gusto ka ring makita," sagot niya at hinila ako sa pulso papalapit sakaniya.

Kinagat ko naman ang pang-ibabang labi ko at nagpatianod lang sa hila niya. She let Dallie wander in my clinic while she pulled me near her.

"Magkasama lang tayo kanina at magkasama ulit mamaya. Hindi ka ba nagsasawa sa mukha ko?" tanong ko.

Umiling siyang parang bata. "I haven't seen this face for 8 years... I don't think magsasawa ako ever," sagot naman niya, hinawi pa ang buhok na nakaharang sa mukha ko.

She's been better at flirting, too. Hindi ko nga lang alam kung kanino o paano niya ito natutunan. I guess that's another story she has to tell me.

"Sus..." ngisi ko at itinulak ang noo niya para ilayo ang mukha sa'kin just for her to pull me closer to her.

"Hoy, may tao sa labas!" bulong ko. "Napakalandi nito."

She giggled. "E di makita lang nila."

I shook my head but I let her hug me there, anyway. We can't tell what would happen in the future but I want this there with me. I want to be with her even in the future. Alam kong mabilis, pero gano'n yata talaga kung hindi na kayo mga bata at ayaw nang magsayang ng oras pa. We're adults that knows what they want and to be together is what we want.

I can't wait to live life with her this time. Make new memories, better than what we had in the past. And if ever things would go wrong again which I highly doubt, I'd always want to try again with her. Always.