"Damn it, Adam, answer the phone!"
"Hindi pa rin niya sinasagot?" she asked Colin.
"No! The phone just kept ringing and ringing."
Sumama siya dito pabalik nang Maynila.
Kanina, pagkatapos nitong masigurado na wala na nga si Adam, nagpaaalam na sa kanya ang mga ito. Hahanapin daw nila ang groom.
Hindi rin naman siya mapapakali hangga't hindi nakakausap ang binata, sumama siya. At ngayon ay magkasama sila ni Colin sa sasakyan nito. At habang nagmamaneho, maya't maya ay tinatawagan nito ang lalake.
Somehow, she knew why he left.
He thought she would say no.
"You make a mistake of saying no and you won't like what will happen," she remembered him saying.
Ano ba ang maari nitong gawin kung sakali ngang tumanggi siya?
Ayaw niyang mag-isip nang masama.
Hindi ito ang tipo nang taong gagawa nang hindi maganda kapag hindi nasunod ang gusto.
"You'd gone quiet."
"Colin, madalas bang magdesisiyon si Gerard nang biglaan? I mean, is it his habit to make sudden decisions?"
"No. Hindi niya ugali ang magpadalus-dalos. Actually, I was surprised kanina nang humihingi siya nang tulong para bumili nang singsing para sa 'yo. It was such a big step for him, yet siguradu-sigurado siya kanina. I did not see any hesitation on his part. Sa business, he's always calculating his move. Hindi nagmamadali, making sure that every move he'll make will lead him to win the game. Parang chess, precise, calculated, one hundred percent sure that he's doing the right thing.
But with you, it was so easy for him to make a decision. He kept saying natatakot siya, yet hindi siya nag-alangang humakbang para harapin ang takot niya. Siguradung-sigurado siya sa pupuntahan niya. By the way, did he give you the ring?"
"He was offering it to me kanina pero hindi ko agad tinanggap. Inakala niyang tatanggihan ko siya kaya ako pumasok sa loob para magpaliwanag sa inyo."
"Ah, he thought tumanggi ka nga. Stupid jerk!"
Hindi siya nag-react.
Dumaan ang ilang minuto na tahimik sila. Parehong nag-iisip kung saan posibleng mahanap si Adam.
"O baka naman yun talaga ang pinalabas mo?" walang anu-anong tanong ni Colin.
Hindi pa rin siya nagsasalita.
"You were going to reject him, weren't you?"
"Honestly, oo. Noong sinabi niyang andun kayo para mamanhikan, nag-panic ako. It was so sudden Colin, how did he expect me to react?"
"I understand. Minsan lang kasi talaga yang si Adam, hindi nag-iisip, especially when it comes to you."
"Why? I mean how different am I sa mga naging girlfirends niya?"
"Malaki. Though you all fell in love at first sight sa kanya, unlike those girls, you did not throw yourself on him. And....I don't know, maybe he saw something in you extraordinary. I found you extraordinary, I found you special. Siguro kung wala si Jennina sa buhay ko, my friendship with Adam would be at stake kasi ipaglalaban kita."
"Colin..."
"Hey, I'm just trying to point out that you're one of a kind. And suwerte ni Adam sa 'yo. So huwag ka nang magtaka why he was acting as such."
"He told me I won't like it what he'll do if I say no. What do you think he'll do?"
"Let's just hope he'd still sane not to think of anything stupid. Ano ba pinakain mo sa kaibigan ko at masyadong in love sa 'yo?"
