“Bro, what brought you here? I’m sorry to say this but you don’t look too good,” Fred told Gerald when the latter came to visit.
“Salamat ha,” Gerald replied with sarcasm.
“Kamusta ka na? Hindi ka pa rin kinakausap ng asawa mo?”
“Hindi pa rin eh pero I leave a message on her voicemail everyday. Sana kahit papa’no makatulong naman ‘yun para mapatawad na n’ya ako.”
“So you don’t how she’s doing there now?”
“Her parents tell me stuff whenever I visit them.”
“Ano nga pala ang reaksyon ni Tito at Tita dito sa nangyari sa inyo?”
“Nalungkot of course. I explained to them everything. Sa tingin ko naintindihan naman nila. They keep assuring me lang that all will be fine.”
“Tara doon tayo sa garden. Nandoon si Lara,” Fred invited.
At the garden, Lara was busy working on something on her laptop. The guys joined her anyway.
“Hi Lara!” Gerald greeted and kissed her on the cheek.
“Grabe Ge, you look like crap!” Lara said.
“Mag-asawa nga kayo. Pareho pa na panlalait ang bati n’yo sa akin.”
“Eh kasi naman totoo. Ano na ba ang balita sa inyo?” Lara asked.
“Ganun pa rin. Phone pal ko pa rin ang voicemail n’ya. Pero di bale 2 weeks na lang at tapos na ang fellowship. I can finally be with my wife.”
Their conversation went on but what the guys didn’t know was Lara was also chatting with Sarah at that moment. At one point Lara discreetly brought out a small web cam that she positioned to be facing Gerald. So while Lara and Sarah were chatting, Sarah could also see her husband.
Lara: Mare, he really looks messed up. Can you see him clearly?
Sarah: Yup but mare, ang gwapo pa rin ng asawa ko :)
Lara: Ay sus, kinikilig pa rin pala ang babaeng ito! LOL
Sarah: Oo naman! Anong pinag-uusapan ng magbestfriend?
Lara: Kinakamusta ni Fred si Ge kanina. We’re talking about you actually. Sabi ni Ge malapit na raw matapos yung training n’ya and it looks like he’s going there to you.
Sarah: ‘Yan nga ang madalas na sinasabi n’ya sa messages n’ya.
Lara: Mare, ilang buwan na rin naman na ang nakalipas and I think it’s about time that you talk to him. Tignan mo nga ang ginawa mo sa asawa mo. Nakakaawa na.
Sarah: Sa totoo lang minsan gusto ko na sagutin ‘yung calls n’ya. Namimiss ko na rin s’ya kaya lang baka naman isipin n’ya patatawarin ko lang s’ya ng ganun-ganun lang.
Lara: Bakit? Ganun ba kalaki ang kasalanan n’ya para hindi mo mapatawad? Did you ever hear his side?
Sarah: Hindi na kailangan ng explanation. Sapat na narinig ko ‘yung boses nung babaeng ‘yon para maconfirm na hindi s’ya tumutupad sa usapan namin at niloloko lang n’ya ako.
Lara: Tignan mo, you don’t even know the whole story. Mare, sinasayang mo ang panahon dahil d’yan sa pagmumukmok mo na kung tutuusin ay wala naman talagang saysay. Pinahihirapan mo lang kayong dalawa.
Sarah: Do you know the whole story?
Lara: Of course! Ge told me and Fred. And honestly, I believe him. Mahal na mahal ka nitong mokong na ‘to. LOL
Sarah: Do you think I should talk him already?
Lara: Positive. Kawawa naman o. Eh di mas gwapo pa sana s’ya ngayon kung kinakausap mo na s’ya. Mare, ako na ang nagmamakaawa sa ‘yo para sa kanya.
Sarah: Talagang nagmamakaawa ka pa ha? :)
Lara: Eh kasi naman nagiging gloomy ang mood naming mag-asawa ‘pag nagpupunta ‘yan dito. Nadadala kami sa kalungkutan n’ya.
Sarah: Haha! Sige na nga!
Lara: Great! Excited na ako!
Sarah: Say hi to him for me.
Lara: Now?
Sarah: Yup!
Lara: Seriously?
Sarah: Yup!
Lara: Okay, wait lang. Gosh, tignan mo sa cam ang magiging reaction n’ya ha. Hihihi!
“Ah Ge?” Lara said. Both guys looked at her. “Sa just told me to say hi to you for her.”
Gerald’s eyes were wide with bewilderment. “Sa? Sarah? My Sarah?”
Lara nodded. “I’m chatting with her now.” She then turned the laptop so that the screen will be facing Gerald.
On it, he saw a message that made him smile: Hi Babe! He immediately stood up and entered the house while dialing on his mobile phone.
“You are an angel my dear wife,” Fred lovingly said.
“I know Hon,” she replied with beaming eyes.
“So kanina pa kayo magkachat ni Sarah?”
“Yup, even before you came out here with Ge.”
“Ikaw ang reason kung bakit pumayag na si Sa na kausapin si Ge?”
“Konti lang. Alam ko naman na gusto na rin n’ya eh. She just needed a little push.”
“You are such a wonderful person that’s why I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.”
A few minutes later Gerald came out and hugged Lara really tight.
“You’re welcome Ge,” Lara said even if Gerald hasn’t said anything yet. “Nakakainis na kasi ‘yang mukha mong palaging nakasimangot eh kaya gumawa na ako ng paraan. Ha… ha… ha!”
Gerald went back to the seat he previously occupied. Fred and Lara couldn’t help but notice the change in his aura – the twinkle in his eyes and genuine smile were back.
“Bro, parang hindi ikaw ‘yung Ge na pumasok dito sa bahay namin kanina ah. Anong napag-usapan n’yo?”
“Parang wala nga ‘ata s’yang sinabi eh, panay ako lang ang nagsalita. But she couldn’t talk long kasi she said she was in the middle of writing her paper.”
Then they heard a loud shriek from Lara which made them turn to her.
“Don’t mind me. Girl talk ito,” Lara said.
“Bro, ‘yan ang paper na sinasabi ng misis mo,” Fred joked.
“Okay lang. We’ll talk again later when I get home.”
“So okay na lahat?”
“Hindi pa but this is definitely the start.”
“I’m happy Bro. I’m happy for the two of you. And next time just do what she says. Kung may natutunan man ako sa married life, ‘yun ay the woman always knows best.”
“I’ll keep that in mind Bro.”
“Ge, Sa said she misses you too. Hindi mo daw kasi s’ya pinagsalita masyado kanina.”
Gerald stood up to reply to the message on Lara’s laptop: Sorry Babe, I got so excited. I love you so much my baby. I’ll call you again later.
**********
Author’s Note: I hope you didn’t get too confused with the flashbacks and all in the last two chapters. And to keep you in check, in this chapter it has been 14 months since Sarah left for Australia.
