Hey Mister, It's a Love Letter!

To Be Continued

We will start in five minutes. Sigaw ng babaeng naka boy hair cut, at may headphones sa leeg at may hawak hawak na papel which I think one of the organizers. All I can say is, wow! Pinaghandaan talaga ng company namin ang press con na to. Mula dito sa waiting area, kitang kita ko ang daming press from iba't ibang magazine, newspaper, online mags, TV at radio. May nakikita din akong mga camera. Mas lalo tuloy akong kinakabahan.

"Kaya mo yan Alie!" Pag ch-cheer up sa akin ni Ate Raian. "Okay lang kabahan, pero I know you can do it! Ikaw pa ba?"

"Hehe, thanks, ang lakas lang talaga ng mga paro-paro sa tiyan ko. Tsaka tignan mo si EIC, Maleficent na naman ang peg." Well, actually, what I meant to say was, masungit nanaman ang aura niya, palaging mapanindak yung mga mata niya. At siyempre yung face structure niya, di ko pa ata nasasabi sainyo pero, ang umbok talaga ng cheek bones niya. Maleficent nga! Kulang na lang ng sungay at pakpak! Lilipad na to.

"Haha, baliw ka talaga!" Bumenta naman kay ate Raian yung sinabi ko. "Alam mo Alie, dapat sayo, i-relax mo na yang isip mo. Para makasagot ka ng ayos sa mga tatanungin ng mga press."

"Ganun ba talaga pumatok yung book? Tsaka ano ako, celebrity? And di naman siguro tanong ng pang panel sa thesis yung questions nila diba?"

"Kahit na, you know the press. They will always find an interesting and juicy part of your life. Lahat ng butas at sulok ng buhay mo aalamin nila. Kaya be ready. And always answer safely but intelligently." Advice sakin ni ate Raian.

Tama siya. I have to be ready in answering their questions. In fact, this story, even they don't know, is my story, my life story. Without them knowing, isinasapubliko ko ang buhay ko. Unti-unti kong binubuksan ang pahina ng buhay ko.

"What a wonderful day to you my dear media friends! Welcome sa press con ng Hamper Books. Sa sobrang generous ng Hamper you are free to ask questions, hahaha! So wag na nating patagalin pa! The authors and writers of Hamper Books, Karissa Mijong, author of Lintik na Pag-ibig and You were my Love." Nagpalakpakan naman ang mga tao sa paglabas niya. Isa isa kaming tatawagin at take note, panghuli pa talaga ako.  "Author of the Best Ride of Life, now is tagging to be on big screen, Elidio Cera,"

I am here with my shaky knees, pinapanuod ang mga co-writers ko na lumalakad papunta sa stage at paupo dun sa long table. Ng biglang may tumapik sa akin, si Maleficent, ay este si EIC. "Just be you. Pero wag kang uutal-utal. In the first place, this Press Con is because of you!" Ang sabi niya. Wow, very encouraging huh!

"And lastly, mmmm, last but not the least! The best-selling author di lang locally but Internationally, I'm glad to introduce and unveil to you the face of Miss Interpret, Alissa Marie Cristobal!"

Nung lumabas na ako from the holding area, para akong the reigning Miss Universe. Feeling ko nanalo ako ng isang prestigious award, Palanca Awards. All eyes are on me. There were flashing lights, there were murmurings, all the people were clapping and standing. The cameramen were pushing their selves to get closer to where I was. I suddenly feel I am Queen Elizabeth. I suddenly felt I am important.

"Isa-isa po namin kayong tatawagin for questions, if you do have a follow-up question, you can raise your hand. First, Rikka from Pop.com," Ang sabi ng host.

"Thank you. Uhm, this question is for Miss Interpret, Miss Alissa, right?"

Nanlaki yung mata ko kasi ako yung una niyang tatanungin, "Uh, me? Ah, Alie na lang!"

"Miss Alie, how do you feel right now that your identity is now open to the public? Are you happy with that?"

   Doog

   Doog

   Doog

   Doog...

I looked around, di ako sanay sa mga ganitong bagay. I'm sweating hard. Really hard. Luckily my eyes meet EIC's. She was staring at me. Not as the EIC, not that Maleficent stare, pero yung tingin ng parang isang ina. Very soft, caring, thoughtful and cheerful. Her right hand is closed, supporting her chin, and her eyes are looking at me. Only me.

You can do it. Her lips moved, at yun ang pagkakabasa ko sa mga labi niya.
Binalik ko ang tingin ko sa gitna, doon, kung nasaan yung reporter na nagtanong sa akin.

"I...I...honestly don't know what to feel. I was once an ordinary, simple carefree girl, who mistakenly sent a file to Hamper. But I thank God for this incredulous blessing. Di ako masyadong na orient, but still, thank you pa din lalo na sa mga sumuporta sa libro ko at sa mga tao behind my book."

"Uhm, what do you mean by mistakenly sent a file?" Tanong ulit nung reporter.

"What I mean is, it wasn't supposed to be sent. But I was drunk that time and then, I don't remember kung pano na send sa hamper yon, haha!" Lahat sila nakitawa din sa akin.

"Ano ba yung naging inspirasyon mo sa pagsusulat ng best selling book na ito?" Muli niyang tanong.

I stopped. My whole system stopped. The memories of him flashed back to me again. How we met, how we became friends, how I fell in love, how we became strangers, and how he disappeared suddenly. Maybe I was blankly staring at them for almost a minute.

"Uh...My, mmm. I wrote this because of the man that I loved. Yes with d. I'm sure, lahat naman tayo naranasan na ang magmahal. Dumating sa buhay natin yung tao na magtuturo satin kung what love is. Nakilala mo, naging close kayo, hanggang sa umibig ka, nagmahal ka, umasa, nasaktan, iniwan. Pero mahal mo pa din."

Everyone is in silence, siguro nagkaron kami ng same connection sa feeling na naramdaman ko.

Napansin ko lumapit si Ate Raian dun sa host namin, nung mejo awkward na at wala ng gustong magtanong sa akin.

"Okay, mukhang wala na atang tanong si Miss Rikka?" Salo ng host sa dead air situation namin kanina.

"Yes, maybe later ulit," sagot nung reporter.

"So I guess it's my turn," sabi nung lalaking reporter which in my judgement, a gay. "Base sa sinabi mo, is it true na may book 2 yung novel mo? Kasi book 1 ended with "he left. He went away" period. Walang kasunod na words, or any pages. Just it."

I looked once again kay EIC, then turn my eyes to Ate Raian, she nodded, and her eyes are telling me na sabihin sa kanila about the second book.

"Yes, that's true. There will be book 2! The story is to be continued!"