what if we happened

Prologue

"If I had confessed my feelings to him, would there have been a possibility for us?" - Seren

Prologue

My good sleep was suddenly interrupted when my phone rang. Someone was calling me. Sinubukan kong huwag pansinin iyon pero talagang ayaw ako nitong tantanan. I reluctantly picked up my phone from beside of my bed. I was totally pissed. It was Anais on the line.

"What? For heaven's sake, wala pang 3 hours akong tulog, nangbubulabog ka na agad? I'm tired from my shift earlier this morning, so please, hayaan mo akong matulog nang payapa!" bungad ko, frustration clearly audible in my voice.

"Get up! Get ready, dali!" she commanded, para bang wala lang sa kaniya 'yong inis kong boses.

Ikinataas 'yon ng kilay ko at mas lalong nainis. "What do you mean get ready? Are we going somewhere ba or what? Baliw ka ba? Wala naman tayong gala, ah. Kasasabi ko lang, pagod ako. I need to take a rest, Anais. If you and Viviana are going out, please don't take me along. Miss ko na kayo pero not this time," I pleaded once more. I closed my eyes tightly, badly wanted to hang up this call and continue resting. "I'm f*cking tired! Maawa kayo sa akin," I gritted out."

"Gaga! We're not going anywhere, okay?"

"Then, what's all this about? Bakit mo ako pinag-aayos? Nangbubuwiset ka ba?

"Si Elias," she simply answered.

Whenever I heard his name, it always immediately calmed me down. I sighed. "Elias? What about him?" I asked softly, the irratation disappered.

"He's on his way to your condo right now."

Authomatic na ikinabukas iyon ng mga mata ko, tuluyang nawala ang antok sa sistema ko. "Tang*na, totoo ba? Are you not joking?" I asked in disbelief.

"Oo. Hindi ako nagbibiro, ah," seryoso niyang sagot.

"Nasa ibang bansa siya, 'di ba?"

"Well, he came back last week."

"Bakit daw? Paano mo nalaman? Wait, nagkita na ba kayo? Ako 'yong mas malapit sa kaniya pero ikaw pa unang nakaalam?"

"Yes, we met. Bago ka pa mag-isip ng kung ano riyan, dumaan lang siya rito sa bahay kanina, binigyan niya ako ng invitation. Then, he asked me where to find you so, he could give you an invitation too, and I told him your building and unit number. Actually, sabi niya huwag ko raw sabihin sa iyo because he wants to suprise you but yeah, as a good friend, you need to be informed to prepare yourself."

I sat up in my bed, napakamot nang marahas sa buhok. "Tang* mo naman, you shouldn't have told him my address!" I retorted. "Pero nakabalik na pala siya after five years. Ano ba 'yong invitation na ibinigay niya?"

She took a deep breath. "Promise me, hindi ka magugulat."

Tumayo at nagpunta ako sa kabinet ko upang magsimulang mag-ayos. "Okay. Ano ba iyon?"

"It's a we–"

I didn't catch the rest of what Anais said because my attention was caught by a knock on the door. Napabaling ako roon at kumalat ang kaba sa buong katawan ko. After 5 years of not meeting him, pinto na lang pagitan namin ngayon.

"Anais, I think nandito na siya," I said.

"Good luck, vebs. He's even more handsome now than before. Baka ma-inlove ka na naman."

"Ugh, I'm done with that era. Ayaw ko na ma-inlove sa mokong na 'to. Never again."

"Sus, aminin mo na, hindi naman namatay feelings mo sa kaniya," hirit niya pa.

"Ulol."

———