Reaching the Sky | ✓

32

"You saw me?" I asked, he nodded his head like it was not a big deal.

"I think I should go ahead, see you tomorrow Mau, Wes." Alam ko namang napansin na niya ang namumuong tension sa pagitan namin kaya naman tatakas na siya. RK talaga kahit kailan walang pinagbago.

When his car left the parking lot, it was my cue to leave too.

"Can you pretend that you didn't saw me that day?" I asked after turning my heel at him.

"Will you also ask me to pretend that today didn't happened too?" He asked me, pain is dominant in his voice.

"Can you?" I turned to him, he shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Do we always have to be like this when we see each other, Mau?" He gulped, I saw how his adams apple moved. "Do we really need to distance ourselves like we never met? Can't we be friends? Was that too much to ask?"

"Ex lovers can't be friends unless they still has feelings for each other." He nodded at me, maybe he got me there. And it hurts so much that I still feel this love for him, na parang kahit ilang taon na ang nakalipas hindi nawala bagkus lalong lumalim.

"If that's the case, sige, ako na ang unang iiwas. Good luck on your future endeavors. Future doctor." He stepped forward to give my head a gentle pat.

"Thank you so much, good luck on your path as well, Engineer." I whispered in his ear. I was tiptoing but fell out of balance and ended up hugging him.

Damn bakit kasi nasa elevated space siya?

"God bless you, Maurice." He stated after fixing me, I held back my tears, he's still like that. I nodded my head sniffing, he smiled at me giving my head a soft kiss before turning me around.

As I take a step, my tears run down my cheeks freely, God. Nandito na naman ako. Bakit palagi na lang akong bumabalik sa pahinang ito?

Habang papaalis ang sasakyan ko ay kita ko siyang nakatingin sa akin, mula noon hanggang ngayon, pinanood niya pa rin ang pag-alis ko.

"How was the first day?" Mom asked me, I winced at the question.

"Mommy gusto ko lang namang humigop ng sabaw ng matiwasay." Saad ko bago ginawa ang sinabi. Napatawa na lang si Mommy sa akin.

Nang gabing iyon inabala ko ang sarili ko sa pagbabasa ng mga topics na possible naming madaanan. Madami na rin kasi akong librong nakatambak dito, galing pa iyon sa collections ni Mommy noong nag-aaral pa rin siya ng medisina.

Nang ilapag ko ang libro ay bumulaga sa akin ang isang pamilyar na makapal na photo album. Binuklat ko ito at napangiti sa sarili nang makita ko ang mga larawan ng aming nakalipas.

Ang dami na pala talagang nangyari sa buhay ko, sa pagkakaibigan namin. Nakangiti pa akong nagbubuklat hanggang sa mapadpad ako sa pahina kung saan nakadikit ang mukha naming dalawa.

"We were too good to be true, pero madaya talaga ang mga tao." Marahang bulong ko habang yakap yakap ang photo album. Nakatulugan ko na nga lang na yakap ko iyon. Nagising ako kinabukasan sa mga katok ni Maureen.

Mabilis ang naging pagkilos ko para makapasok na rin. Tulad kahapon tiring ang medical school pero nakaka-enjoy naman. Aside from RK may mga naging bago akong kaibigan tulad nila Karryl Lopez na pinsan pala ni Kai. Si Trina, si Pia, si Isla at si Codee.

"Bar daw sa sabado ng gabi!" Sigaw ni Trina. Napatingin ako roon pero mabilis na ibinalik kay RK ang aking paningin.

"Sama ba tayo?" Umiling siya, of course marami nang nagbago pero hindi ang buhay niyang naka-kadena sa apat na sulok ng paaralan, hospital at mansion nila. Tumango na lang ako.