Mister Villain

CHAPTER FOUR

Making a decision is hard but sometimes, sticking with the decision you made is harder.

Napakadali lang naman kase talagang sabihin ang isang bagay pero ang panindigan ito ay laging sadyang kalbaryo.

"Sigurado ka ba dyan?" her bestfriend, Patricia or who she has given the pet name "Patring" asked her for possibly the nth time last night habang magka-usap sila sa Skype. Maine was dwindling time away while on her laptop habang naghahanda naman pumasok ang bestfriend niya for work. Naka-base ito sa London.

"Hindi nga e pero nakapag-promise na ako."

"Pwede pa rin naming umatras. Diba sabi mo parang mabait naman yung Gab?"

Bumuntung-hininga si Maine. "Yun nga e! Kaya lalo akong hirap umatras kase ang bait bait niya! At saka kagabi din, kinausap ko si Ms. Karen kung ano ba sa tingin niya ang gagawin ko."

"Bakit publisher mo kina-kausap mo? Malamang o-oo siya kase revenue yan kapag nag-release ka nang part two e."

"Hindi naman ganun si Ms. Karen. I agreed to be published by her, in the first place, because she doesn't care about money. Mayaman na yun e. Pero gusto niya nang magandang istorya talaga."

"Wait, kailangan ko lang magmumog" sabi nang bestfriend nya, who was brushing her teeth during this skype call.

"Kinwento ko sa kanya yung mga nakuha ko na gist nang story from Gab and pareho din kase kami nang nararamdaman... maganda yung focus kay Gab for the second book kase para siyang "redemption" story."

"And you can never say no to a redemption story... malamang kating kati ka na isulat yan" Patring proceeded to wash her face.

"OO NAMAN!" Maine answered in the affirmative "Yun nga lang kase kinakabahan ako at saka nahihiya din ako kay Gab."

Naintindihan agad ni Patring ano ang gusto nya sabihin. "Eto nga yung magiging bawi mo, kung sakali, diba? Nung sinulat mo naman story ni Louise at Enzo, you didn't know Gab and her family pa e at saka I read that story Meng, you did your best in being as objective about the story as possible."

"Pero nakakahiya talaga!!!"

Patring rolled her eyes at her "Nahihiya ka o natatakot ka dun sa Kuya ni Gab?"

"PAREHO!"

"Sabi na e!" her bestfriend laughed "Basta ang sa akin, sundan mo gut feel mo. Very rare naman yan magkamali e. At saka hindi ka naman tinutukan nang baril para isulat yan diba?"

"Patring, may moisturizer ka pa sa mukha" Maine pointed out and then re-focused on their topic "Pero sabi din naman ni Gab e wala pa ang Kuya niya. Siguro naman mabubuo ko na yung story ko in two weeks na wala yung kapatid."

"Takot na takot ka talaga ha" pang-aasar nang kaibigan niya, who was starting to put the base of her make-up habang tuloy pa rin ang chikahan nila.

"Oo no. Aminado din naman kase si Gab na masungit nga talaga yung Kuya niya."

"Mukhang kakampi mo naman si Gab e. Basta kung may pag-aalangan ka, meron ka pa naman ngayon para mapag-isipan yan. Basta Meng, gawin mo yung nararamdaman mo na dapat mo gawin."

She could feel knots forming in her stomach just thinking about what she should do next. Every fiber in her being was sure she wanted to write this story.

Iba lang siguro talaga ang takot na nararamdaman niya at being faced with the prospect of meeting the man she had written off as a villain in her story.

Hindi siya sanay na may galit sa kanya e at sigurado siya na galit na galit ang kapatid ni Gabrielle. Hindi din naman idineny yun nang dalaga nung mag-usap sila.

Pero Maine made a promise to Gab three days ago and she never breaks her word.

So here she is, finally face-to-face with Gab's fiancé, and sweating bullets.

"I've loved her for years even before she and Enzo even broke up" Ruru answered when she asked how long he had been in love with Gab.

That peaked her interest dahil hindi nabanggit nang nakababatang Faulkerson ang fact na yun when she shared tidbits of her story to Maine. "Years?!?!"

Tumango si Ruru. "Hindi halata sa itsura ko no? Alam ko iniisip mo na mukhang ako ang hinahabol nang babae e."

She laughed aloud and after realizing it, apologized.

Natawa ang kausap niya "Huwag ka mag-sorry. Gusto talaga kita matawa kase para kang natatakot sa akin e."

Maine smiled. She appreciated the gesture. "Hindi naman ako natatakot, to be honest. Siguro, nahihiya?"

"That is normal, I guess. Pero do not be. Napag-usapan namin ito nang matagal ni Gab and what you wrote is already in the past. We're both starting our lives together soon and if you write our story naman, it would be such an honor and it would save us so much time from telling other people about us. Pag tinanong ako, ibabato ko lang yung libro."

Totoo nga ang sinabi ni Gab na palabiro ang lalaking pakakasalan nito. Maine started to feel her qualms fading away.

"Pwede mo ba ikwento sa akin mula sa umpisa?" she now asked "Kelan kayo una nagkakilala? Kelan mo siya nagustuhan?"

Ruru took a sip of his coffee, smiled, and then Maine knew that what was coming was going to be a really good story.

She had seen enough, in talking to people about their love stories, that when they flash a smile like Ruru's, she knew it would be a story of hopelessness and then eventually, amazement at how everything worked out in the end.

He told her of his first encounter with Gab that happened during his second year in highschool while she was still an elementary student who could put all his hard-learned manners to shame.

She was as prim and proper as her Kuya and he had never though of her as anything more than RJ's baby sister during those times. But she was also game for anything and not afraid to get dirty for fun.

He recounted an incident wherein he tried to make her scream by giving her a dagang costa pero imbis matakot e natuwa pa ito at muntikan pang hingin sa kanya ang daga para gawing pet sa bahay.

Maine nodded, allowing him to be comfortable in telling his story as she took notes. She often wrote down not only important points of the story that another person shares but how they share it.

Iyon kase ang nagiging basehan niya minsan as to how she build mannerisms for her characters – Kumikislap ba ang mata nila sa saya? Kumukunot ba ang noo sa inis? Tumataas ba ang kilay pag naiirita? Nagkakamot ba nang ilong kapag nagiisip? Humahawak ba sa tenga kapag may naaalalang nakakahiya? Tinatakpan ba ang bibig kapag nagpipigil nang kilig?

She watched Ruru as intensely as she listened to him and wrote down points about his facial features for reference on how she would physically describe him.

Dumating na si Ruru sa part na kung saan siya nag-desisyong ituloy ang "inspiration searching" tour nila ni RJ nang maramdaman niya na tumayo ang buhok niya sa batok sa lamig nang boses na biglang pumutol sa kwento ni Ruru.

"Bro, bakit mo kausap ang babaeng to?"

Maine knew that voice because she researched him and found him in a youtube video giving a speech during the opening of a new office.

She felt her whole body go cold as if the winds of the North Pole had come down to Manila. She was sure...

Right behind her stood, Richard Faulkerson Jr. or as she called him in her head – Mr. Villain.

And the tone of his voice told her he was beyond livid.