Last Chance

Embrace

TORI'S POV

Kasama ko si Dad today, natagalan kami magkita kasi everytime na may date na set, lagi syang may biglaang errands but okay lang, naging busy din ako these past few weeks. Maliban sa work, pinaayos ko yung bahay. May bago kasing umupa kaya I checked kung may problema bago ko sila palipatin. Nag slight renovation din ako sa apartment. One of them is I changed my curtains to pitch black for undisturbed sleep. I ordered alot of it. I'm loving darkness mula nung nag rent ako.

Malayo pa lang ako kanina, nakita ko agad yung malaking bottle ng orange juice. Parang sasabog ang puso ko sa tuwa, it's like my childhood years are back - may juice and sandwich na iba iba ang palaman every meryenda. Ang pinaka-favorite ko is yung may ham, cheese, egg and lettuce with mayonnaise tapos fina-flat nya yung buns using spatula at medyo tutustahin, just the way I like it.

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Nasa iisang place lang kami all throughout the day, sa isang resto. Kuwentuhan then oorder ng food maya't maya. Malaking tulong daw yung partner nya to make his dream business a reality. Hindi naman sya corporation, but enough na daw for him. He got a lucky charm through his new flame. He talks about his business and his travels. Gusto nga daw nya ako i-surprise pero wala naman daw ako sa mga flight nya. He also asked me kung gusto ko daw makita yung partner nya next time and I say yes. He will make a schedule for it sabi nya.

Ang dami dami ko ding ikinuwento kay Dad, from what happened between me and Dave and how we end up as BFFs with his jowa, my work experiences local and abroad, binigyan ko pa nga sya ng ref magnet of his dream destination - Switzerland. Though di pa ako nakakarating doon, nakisuyo lang ako sa workmate ko. He hopes that someday he will get there.

Anak, pumunta ka ha? I meet up with you to personally give the invitation. Ayaw ko na wala ka...

I just smiled. Of course I will come. He deserves to be happy.

Anak. Sorry, kasi hindi nag work ang relationship namin ng mama mo. We failed you as your parents. But I'm glad you carried yourself so well after all of what happened. I am proud of you always anak. Sorry for being absent in your successes and failures. I should've been there as your cheerleader and a shoulder to lean on. We've been so selfish, sobrang nasaktan ka namin. We left home, tulog ka, and we didn't look back. Ni hindi man lang kita kinamusta. After graduation ngayon lang kita nakita...

You're so beautiful anak. Look at you! I remember, lagi mong ginagaya ang mga sinasabi ng FA and you always telling them na you will be like them when you grow up.

I realized na umiiyak na pala ako. Sobrang close ko sa dad ko, he is my superhero, the love of my life; and this is the first time na nagsalita sya ng ganito katagal.

Bumalik lang ang dati, na paggising ko, wala na mga gamit nila, ni ha ni ho, ni sulat, text o paalam, wala. That feeling na sinasaksak ng dose-dosenang aspili ang puso ko after they left me. Sinabi lang nila na they are separated tapos iiwan na lang nila ako kung kailan nila gusto. Of course I forgive them already. But the pain will always be here.

Bakit kaya ang unfair ng buhay no? Hindi naman ako naging sakit ng ulo sa mga parents ko, I never hide secrets from them. I studied really hard, I want them to be proud of me. But life is not all about rainbows they said...

I embraced him. Namiss ko 'to. Everytime na uuwe ako from school, niyayakap ko sya. Sinasabi nya na gumawa sya ng sandwich with cold choco or juice. His warmth, ah! Ayoko pa syang bitawan. My 5 years old me emerges.

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ICE'S POV

Nandito si ate sa apartment while naiwan ang boyfriend nya where they rent. He is working as a freelancer kasi, and has 2 part-time jobs. Before, the other one is full-time but he wants to go on a vacation, mabuti na lang pumayag yung boss nya. He'll be back to his original schedule pag nakabalik na silang UK.

Galing silang Aurora. Next stop nila is sa Bantayan Island and other parts of Bohol. Ayaw na nga daw bumalik ni Alistair since okay naman daw sya sa working set-up nya, well maliban sa internet connection.

Nag confess ka na ba sa kanya?

What? Who?

Sus Pablo Mauricio, alam mo na kung sino tinatanong ko!

Halata ka naman, noong pumunta tayo kila Mama, binulungan nya ako. She's asking kung ano ba daw kayo? Iba kasi daw titig mo sa kanya.

Hindi ko sya sinagot, hindi ko pinansin na parang walang narinig. Nag tulug-tulugan ako and she threw the pillow on my face.

Ako pa talaga niloko mo sa pag tutulog-tulugan ano? Mabilis matulog? Ganun?

I can't answer straight. Wala pa akong plano to confess so zero idea ako on how to tell her. She looks more focused on work kaya I set aside my feelings. But I miss her the more I didn't see her. Ang tagal na naming hindi nagkakasabay sa flight and hindi ko sya madalas makita.

What's stopping you?

Ang taas nya ate, hindi kami bagay.

Ay edi umamin ka din!

How?

Anong how? You know the answer to your how!

Nag excuse ako kay ate, nag ring ang phone.

Si Tori.

Ibang number gamit nya. Na low battery daw sya. Dadaanan daw nya ako dito mamaya, may pupuntahan kami.

Umalis na din si ate at gustong mag kape. Wag ko na daw syang samahan kasi mukhang may date daw kami. Lakas talaga mang asar nito ni ate. Sana nga diba? I think it's too early to confess. We'll see...