The Love We Are Meant To Find

Chapter 7

“Oh… umiinom ka naman ‘di ba?” Lianne asked April, offering her a beer.

“Umiinom ka pala?” April exclaimed, surprised as she took the bottle from Lianne’s outstretched hand.

“Oo, tao din ako noh!” Lianne said, sitting down a little distance away from Calix.

“Ha? Kelan pa? Nung prom nga ‘di ka uminom e,” Calix said, looking at her with a questioning gaze.

“Hoy, Lianne, baka dahil kay Martin kaya ka umiinom ha?” Meisha teased, her voice light and playful.

“Hindi noh! Pake ko don… Meisha naman, ‘wag kang kill joy d’yan. 3 weeks na lang aalis na tayo, uminom ka na,” Lianne said, her voice firm and resolute.

“Fine, basta ikaw bahala sa mga magulang natin ah…”

“Hindi naman nila malalaman eh,” Lianne replied with a wink.

“Bad influence ka talaga sa kapatid ko,” Calix said to Lianne, but she didn’t even bother to acknowledge him.

Meisha sat beside Lianne, noticing her friend's intense stare at April as she talked to Calix.  She also noticed the way Lianne was gulping down the beer as if it were water, causing her to blush slightly.

"Dahil ba kay Martin kaya ka nagkakaganyan?" Meisha asked her bestfriend, her tone laced with concern.

"Hindi," Lianne replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Sabihin mo, ano bang problema mo? Akala ko ba nag-bakasyon tayo para mag-enjoy? Anong nangyari?" Meisha pressed, her eyes full of worry.

“Wala nga… pero may itatanong ako sa’yo…” Lianne sighed, her voice heavy with emotion.

“Ano?” Meisha asked, sensing the depth of the question in Lianne’s tone.

“Sa tingin mo ba pwedeng magmahalan ang dalawang matalik na magkaibigan?”  Tanong ni Lianne, may halong pangungulila at pag-asa ang tono ng boses niya.

“Oo naman, bakit?”

“Paano kung huli na ang lahat para umamin?” Lianne’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke, her eyes welling up with tears.

“Wala namang huli pag dating sa pag-ibig.  Ngayon kung may mahal ng iba yung taong ‘yon, at least sinubukan mo,” Meisha explained, her voice warm and reassuring.

“Bakit ba? May bago ka na bang gusto? Sino? Ang bilis mo naman makahanap.” Meisha’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Wala naman,” Lianne denied, her voice soft.

“Sino nga?!” Meisha persisted, her tone light but inquisitive.

“Oo na, meron na… kaso… parang may ibang na siyang gusto.  Dati nung may boyfriend pa ako, akala ko kasi nasanay lang ako na siya lagi yung kasama ko. Kaso nitong mga nakaraang araw, parang tuwing nakikita ko siyang may kasamang iba, nasasaktan ako…” Lianne explained, her voice filled with sadness.

“Hindi ko na alam!” she said, finishing her beer in one long gulp.

“Sino ba ‘yan?”

Lianne looked at Meisha, her eyes revealing the answer.  Meisha thought long and hard before realizing.

“Si-si kuya? Oh my gosh!” Meisha exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand in shock.

“He likes you too. My brother likes you too, matagal na.” She said, her voice full of revelation.

“Nangako ako kay kuya na hindi ako ang magsasabi, pero siguro it’s time for you to know the truth.”

“What?! He likes me? Since when?” Lianne’s eyes widened in disbelief.