Risa Hontiveros couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the pictures she was staring at. It wasn’t that she was upset—well, maybe she was—but the Mayor of Bamban had just told her days ago that she was single. Yet here were all these pictures and videos on Facebook that seemed to tell a very different story.
Risa was so engrossed in scrutinizing the posts that she didn’t even notice her friend Leni entering her office.
“May lighter ako dito, gusto mo sunugin na natin ‘yang papel na ‘yan?” Leni’s voice broke the silence, startling Risa out of her thoughts.
“Leni! Ano ba, bakit ka nangugulat?!” Risa clutched her chest, catching her breath as Leni burst out laughing.
“Kanina pa ako kumakatok, hindi mo naman ako pinapansin. Masyado kang busy diyan—ano ba ‘yan?” Leni asked, snatching the papers from Risa’s hand before she could protest.
“Leni, that’s evidence!” Risa whined, trying to retrieve the papers, but Leni held them just out of reach.
“Evidence? Mukha lang naman ito ng mayor ng Bamban at ng Mayor ng Pangasinan!” Leni said, examining the pictures with curiosity.
“Jinggoy gave me that evidence, proving na may something talaga doon sa dalawa na yun,” Risa grumbled, her tone growing increasingly frustrated.
“Tapos? Selos ka naman?” Leni teased, raising an eyebrow as she handed the papers back to Risa.
“Selos? Ako? No way! It’s just… bakit siya magli-lie sa Senate na wala silang relationship dalawa? Under oath siya! Baka may tinatago sila—baka silang dalawa talaga ang nagmamay-ari ng POGO!” Risa speculated, voice rising with a mixture of indignation and curiosity.
Leni smirked, clearly entertained by her friend’s intense reaction. “Malay mo, low-key lang sila. Ikaw naman, pakialamera ka.” She took a seat across from Risa, crossing her legs comfortably.
“Low-key?! She was under oath, Leni. Dapat sinabi na lang niya na ayaw niyang ipaalam sa publiko! At saka... ang pangit ng choice niya—mukhang palaka yung mayor!” Risa’s voice cracked with exasperation.
Leni’s eyes twinkled with mischief as she rummaged through her bag. “Sandali, parang may nawawala…”
“Ano nanaman?” Risa asked, still fired up.
“Edi ‘yung karapatan mo! Nawawala kasi, pakialam mo ba sa love life ng iba especially ng mayor ng Bamban?” Leni laughed, unable to contain her amusement.
Risa let out a frustrated groan. “Akala ko naman kung ano na ehh…”
“Seriously though, bakit ka nag-o-overthink tungkol sa relationship nila? Pakialam mo kung may jowa si Alice at kung ano man ang kamukha nung jowa niya. Type niya yun, ano magagawa mo?” Leni continued teasing, her laughter bubbling over as she watched Risa’s expression darken further.
“Ugh, I’m just saying…” Risa grumbled, pushing her chair back as she avoided her friend's gaze. “Bakit ba nandito ka, ha? Umalis ka na nga!”
“Sama ka sa’kin sa mall! Sunday na Sunday, tapos nandito ka pa rin.” Leni stood up, offering a hand.
"Ayoko nga gastos lang yan!" Risa shook her head "Sige na minsan lang naman ehh" Sabi Ni Leni na parang bata
Risa rolled her eyes but eventually sighed, conceding. “Fine, fine. Pero hindi ako bibili ng kahit ano, ha.”
---
Meanwhile, in Bamban...
“Alice, ano ba talaga ang hinahanap natin? Kanina pa tayo nagkakalkal dito, wala naman tayong mahanap!” Sabrina’s patience had run thin as she rifled through piles of paperwork.
“Hindi ko rin alam, basta. Something important,” Alice muttered, still distractedly searching her office shelves.
“Something important?! Alice, lahat ng ‘to importante!” Sabrina snapped, holding up a fistful of papers at Alice.
“Hindi ‘yan, Sabrina!” Alice insisted, furrowing her brows as she scanned the room.
Sabrina groaned, throwing her hands up. “So ano nga?!”
Alice finally stopped to explain, “Janine mentioned a few days ago na meron akong ledger of all my business associates. Meaning, andun yung pangalan ng may-ari ng POGO. I have to find it.”
Sabrina, visibly exasperated, crossed her arms. “Ledger mo ‘yan, Alice. Dapat alam mo kung nasaan yan!”
“I forgot, okay?!” Alice blurted out, frustration mounting since she didn't really want to tell Sabrina she didn't remember since she was from a decade ago so she didn't where her future self had put the ledger
Sabrina shook her head in disbelief. “Paano natin ‘yan mahahanap ngayon?”
“Basta! Maghanap ka na lang diyan. I’m sure it’s in my office somewhere!” Alice continued searching frantically, while Sabrina looked at her ready to give up.
With one last burst of energy, Sabrina charged toward Alice, ready to smack some sense into her. In her attempt to dodge, Alice accidentally leaned on a painting, sending it crashing to the floor—revealing a vault hidden behind it.
Both women stared at it in shock.
“Is that… a vault?” Alice whispered.
“Ay hindi, pintuan ‘yan. Syempre vault ‘yan!” Sabrina quipped sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
Alice approached it cautiously, rubbing her temples. “Alam ko ang PIN nito, I swear…”
“Sure ka diyan? Kasi kung ‘di mo nga naalala na may vault ka, ‘yung PIN pa kaya?!” Sabrina fired back with a smirk.
"Pag ito nabuksan ko, wag mo ako kausapin!" Alice, determined, entered ‘1-9-8-9.’ The vault didn’t budge.
Sabrina burst out laughing.
“Tumahimik ka nga diyan! Hindi ako makafocus!” Alice grumbled, trying another code—‘1-2-1-3’—but still, nothing.
“Dami mong sinasabi, hindi mo rin naman mabuksan,” Sabrina laughed, sinking into a chair.
---
Hours later, well past midnight, Sabrina was sound asleep in the guest room while Alice remained in her office, glaring at the stubborn vault.
Frustrated, Alice sighed and poured herself a glass of wine. As she took a sip, her phone buzzed with notifications. Absentmindedly, she picked it up and began scrolling through Twitter, where she noticed multiple people tagging her in a post.
“Ano nanaman ‘to?” she muttered, tapping the image attached to the tweet.
It was a photo of Risa Hontiveros, her arm wrapped around another woman—Leni Robredo.
Alice nearly spilled her wine. “Sino ‘yan? Si Leni Robredo? Girlfriend niya ba yan?!”
She quickly Googled Leni’s name. “Vice president of the Philippines, Ahh, kaibigan niya… Pero bakit may nagshi-ship sa kanila?”
Alice shook her head, laughing to herself. “LenRisa? Baduy naman…”
Just then, Sabrina appeared, groggily rubbing her eyes. “Anong oras na? Hindi ka pa ba matutulog?”
Alice snapped her phone shut. “Matutulog na. I just saw something funny.”
"Ano naman yun?" Sabrina asked
"Basta akin na lang yun" Alice dismissed Sabrina's question
“May jowa ka na, noh?” Sabrina teased.
“Ako? Wala noh! As if,” Alice replied quickly, almost too quickly.
“Guilty!” Sabrina teased, walking away with a chuckle.
Alice threw a pillow at her, laughing. “Matulog ka na bago kita sapakin diyan!”
YOU ARE READING
Accidentally Yours
عاطفيةAt 23, Alice wakes up one morning to find herself mysteriously transported into the body of her 33-year-old future self. Suddenly thrown a decade forward, she must navigate the life she unknowingly built, facing the unresolved challenges, relationsh...
