The next day I went back to the coffee shop. I need to start presenting my story board soon and wala pa rin akong idea what to write about. I don't even know who my characters would be. I'm not entirely sure if I can figure out how to finish this.
I just stared at the blinking cursor of my laptop. Naubusan na 'ata ako ng words. After my last novel, I'm not sure if I can produce another one.
Nagulat ako nung biglang sumulpot si Mikha sa harap ko and signalled me to remove my headphones.
"Hello, stranger." sabi niya and she was smiling again.
This time she was just in a plain shirt with a jacket on top of it. She still had her sunglasses and her flaming red hair, but this time she matched her coffee with a smile.
"You're here again." sabi niya sa 'kin as if it wasn't obvious enough.
"Yes," sagot ko sa kanya and I looked around. "and this time there are plenty of vacant seats."
"Ouch. Is that how you treat a friend?" sagot niya habang ginagawa niyang headband yung shades niya.
"I don't treat my friends this way, but we are not friends, as you have blatantly pointed out today by calling me stranger." sagot ko sa kanya. She just shrugged.
"But since you don't look like you're going away, take a seat." dagdag ko and umupo siya ulit across from me.
"So, how's your story going?" tanong niya. "Nakapagsulat ka na?"
"Wala pa rin. But somehow I have an idea already." sagot ko sa kanya. I really had something floating in my mind before she interrupted me.
"Well, let's hear it. What is your next story going to be?"
"Person A meets Person B in a bookshop. Person A was walking down the aisle when they both reached for the same book. When Person A looked at Person B, she felt it."
"She felt what?"
"Love."
Nagulat ako kasi biglang tumawa si Mikha. I raised my eyebrows. Wala namang nakakatawa sa sinabi ko ah.
"What's so funny?"
"Tell me, Aiah, have you ever been in love?"
"Oo naman."
"Well then you should know by now na there's no such thing as love at first sight." sabi niya convincingly.
She took a sip of her coffee and sat down properly.
"I mean, come on. If it doesn't happen in real life, then you shouldn't even be writing it." dagdag niya.
"Last time I checked, ako yung writer."
"Yeah, well, last time I checked, you have writer's block. And that's so cliché."
"No one falls in love during the first meeting, attracted probably, enchanted, or whatever. If you're lucky enough, you get a second meeting. If hindi, then they're just a isang-beses-lang kind of thing." sagot niya.
"Isang what?" tanong ko.
"Isang-beses-lang kind of thing." sabi niya. I laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"Sobrang conyo mo eh."
"Pinagtatawanan mo ba pagiging conyo ko?" sabi niya tapos kumunot yung noo niya.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." sabi ko na lang. I mean it's cute, but if she's offended, then I really should stop laughing.
I took a sip of coffee. I mean it is true. No one really falls in love the first time you meet someone. Baka nga hindi mo man lang maalala kung anong pangalan niya eh. And funny enough, you also usually don't remember the first time you become close to someone.
Tinitingnan lang ulit ako ni Mikha and the longer she was staring, the more conscious I am becoming. Ano na naman ba kasing naisip niya?
"I'm curious. Why do you write romantic novels? Bakit hindi... let's say, horror stories?" sabi niya sa 'kin. I took another sip of my coffee and tumingin ako sa labas para mag-isip.
"I don't know. Siguro because I'm a hopeless romantic and do I really need to write horror stories when in fact, can you think of a much horrifying story than living the harsh realities of life?"
"Hmmm." sabi niya "I think there is something much horrifying."
"And? What is that?"
"Falling in love."
"Ah." sabi ko sa kanya then I drank my coffee again. I realized my coffee is starting to get cold.
"So I would take it na you've been hurt." sabi ko sa kanya. She laughed.
"Grabe, alam mo, we're only meeting for the 2nd time and yet you've judged me on both occasions."
I had to laugh this time around too. Totoo naman na na-judge ko rin siya last time and here I am judging her again. She paused and she looked like she had something on her mind.
"Do you believe in destiny?" tanong niya out of nowhere breaking my train of thoughts again.
"Oo naman. Destiny is such a wonderful thing. Don't you?"
"I don't. I refuse to believe na there's this unseen force that basically dictates to you who you should be with, all along causing heartbreaks towards whatever gets in their way. And people keep romanticizing it as if it is something magical, but in reality, it's just really one big shitty excuse that we tell ourselves after we get heartbroken."
"Mapait ba yan?" sabi ko sa kanya and I pointed at what she was drinking.
"Well, wala namang coffee na hindi mapait. It's what you add to it that makes it sweet." sabi niya then she winked.
"Anyway stranger, I'll let you be. Good luck on your story." sabi niya tapos tumayo na ulit siya.
"Why do you keep calling me stranger? You clearly know my name."
"Well what does knowing each other's name make us then if not strangers?"
"I don't know." sabi ko sa kanya. Oo nga 'no. Wala naman din talaga akong alam tungkol sa kanya. "Doesn't that make us acquaintances?" dagdag ko.
"Does it matter? I mean, why are people so obsessed about labels?" sabi niya.
"Cause labels define how you should act around people."
"Talaga ba? May instruction manual ka ba for it? I might need tutoring. I'm not pretty sure what's the proper way to act around acquaintances. Or baka naman may guide ka rin on how do we actually progress to the next label then?" sabi niya.
I rolled my eyes.
"You know what, if you are leaving, just leave already." sabi ko sa kanya
She laughed.
"Alright, alright." sagot niya tapos naglakad na siya.
"Mikha." I called out.
"What?"
"You know if you just want to talk to me, you can just ask me out for coffee."
"Well, aren't you a firm believer of destiny? If I see you again tomorrow then I might actually do so." sabi niya then she winked.
