All over again

Chapter 4

THROWBACK...

I am on a vacation after a long fieldwork. I decided to stay in manila for a while before going home to the province plus I'm excited to meet my boyfriend's new niece.

"Omg! The baby is sooo cute" you know when I met him. My plan in life changed. I am happy I get to be with him, I want to spend the rest of my life with him, have his babies, marry him, and be his best friend.

"Ate chie, congrats!" I greeted them as I enter their private room in the hospital. I hugged his Ate and made a fist bump with his brother-in-law.

"Mag-anak na rin kasi kayo" his brother in-law jokingly said.

"Busy pa sa careers namin" I answered which is true, at the moment we really want to grow as an individual together.

Whenever his sister and brother-in-law is busy with work. We would babysit Jazzy.

We would play in the nearby park every afternoon and whenever I'm busy with field work, they would visit me. sometimes, new co-workers think Jazzy is my daughter.

PRESENT

Their family left the island earlier than us. We we're still snorkeling while their boat passed by us. The children saw me, and they were waving their hands as bidding farewell with me.

"What happened yesternight?" I asked Isagani as he is the most serious person present here.

"You cried your heart out. Tagal ng iyak mo. Alam mo yung silent na iyak. Walang ingay pero feel namin yung sakit. Tuloy-tuloy lang yung luha mo habang umiinom" we were talking when we arrived in the mainland.

"buti nalang wala yung mga seniors natin. Jusko! Masusugod yung ex mo ng wala sa oras" dagdag ni JD.

"And then he came?" my curiosity spoke.

"Yeah. It was like he has a radar. He came when you started crying loud" Gab said.

I stayed for a while at gensan to spend time with my barkada's because we're working in different part of the country. The usual, sasadyain naming to play cards until madaling araw for Gab's mom to noticed that it's too late for us to go home then we invade his aunt's old room.

After the holidays, I am supposed to go to Dumaguete for work, but my schedule suddenly changed, and I am on my way Manila. 2 years ago, our foundation decided to build an office in UP Diliman campus. I will be working there for a few months.

Upon stepping the university, it brought me a whole lot of memories and mixed emotions. I decided to take a walk to visit my grad school alma mater and former workplace.

Flashback...

It has been my routine to walk from my office to my apartment. Aside from this is a healthy habit it has been an effective method to sort my thoughts out. Sometimes I would take 3 rounds of walk starting from sunken garden to oble then back to sunken garden. I don't even get bored that much because a lot of people jogs or take a walk every afternoon and I would have a lot of subject to observe. I know I sound too nerdy. Sometimes, after my class as a graduate student I would go with my classmates but often go alone. I would only miss this routine whenever I have and need to do field works.

Today, just like my normal days after class which has been an energy drainer from the start of the semester. I fixed my things and left it at my office. Tonight, I decided to walk 5 rounds around the campus because I have too many thoughts to figure out. My office is far from the sunken garden – which is my starting point. Upon arriving at sunken garden, I realized that its Friday by the amount of people around me.

I'm actually on my second year of my master's degree and what consumes my thoughts right now is my theses. It made me think too much that I forgot I am at a public place. I came to realization upon stumbling into someone.

"Sorry po" I immediately said. It was a guy taller than me – I get it easily because I'm only 5'0". "Okay lang" he said then turned his head to my direction. It was someone whom I was very familiar with.

"Ikaw gali na!" he immediately greeted me upon realizing it. He was a former colleague whom I never get the chance to be very closed.

"Hello!" I waved my hand as if were far from each other when in fact were just half meter away from each other.

"Gajogging ka man dire?" he asked.

"Oo" I am so introverted whenever we we're alone together just like back then.

"Subong lang ko kajogging dre. Gihagad abi ko ni Eric" he's referring to his cousin.

"So magkita kamo subong dire?" I asked him because I am close to his cousin which is also a former workmate.

"Oo may bal an daw sya nga namit kan-anan dre" I just responded with a nod.

"Dire ka gaw work?" he continued asking.

"Oo didto sa MSI" I told him then pointed the way to my office.

"Ikaw dire ka man sa QC gawork?" I asked him to reciprocate the question he asked earlier.

"Oo dre man sa UP ang project namon. Ginkuha kami ni UP as a contractor sa mga buildings nga ipatindog and need na irenovate" then I realized that our office building is one of those building that needed to be renovated this year. Mukhang mapapadalas kami ng pagkikita.

"Welcome to UP!" as a mabait na scholar ng bayan. I decided to tour him sa mga main part ng UP.

Back then, whenever the work is unbearable, my officemates always make sure that we make each other's company fun. That was something I really cherished. It was fun whenever I'm with them.

I then decided to tag along on his quest on finding the restaurant.