Kakoolookiyam's Book of One Shots

In The City Of Love

IN THE CITY OF LOVE

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Do you know what's worse than being in the place you hate the most in the world? It's being in the place you hate the most in the world.

Right now, I'm standing on the taxi bay area of Charles de Gaulle airport, waiting for a cab.

Bwisit kasi itong si Trixie, ewan ko ba kung bakit ko siya tinawag na best friend eh palagi lang naman niya akong pinapahamak. Alam naman niyang ang Paris ang pinaka-ayokong lugar sa buong mundo eh, tapos naisipan pa niyang isali ako doon sa raffle promo ng isang sikat na French bakery dito sa bansa kung saan may 'all expenses paid' trip sa Paris. To make matters worse, good for one person lamang ang ticket kaya wala akong pwedeng bitbitin na kasama ko sa pagbabakasyon; tapos hindi ko pa pwedeng ibigay sa iba ang plane ticket kasi nakapangalan na ito sa'kin kaya tuloy wala akong choice--sayang din naman kasi. Besides, maybe Trixie is right. Maybe I do need to return to the place where it all began para makabitaw na ako ng tuluyan.

Okay, you might be wondering what I'm talking about, right? Well, I might as well tell you. The things is, nakakabwisit 'yang Paris na 'yan. Sinasabi ko talaga, huwag na huwag pupunta ang Paris na 'yan sa kanto namin dahil ipapabugbog ko talaga siya sa mga kapitbahay kong maton. Hindi totoong city of love ang Paris kasi sa totoo lang, city of heartaches 'yan. Doon ko kasi siya nakilala...

Sino siya? Hindi pa ba obvious? Eh 'di 'yung lalaking tumarantado sa'kin! His name is Howard; tall, dark, handsome, and pa-fall. Ako naman, si tatanga-tangang Elise, pa-victim. Naniwala agad ako na meant to be kaming dalawa ng magkakilala kami dito sa Paris three years ago. I was on vacation then, just like now. Siya naman, on a business trip. Isa kasi siyang Filipino-British corporate guy. You know, the type of guy who walks around town wearing suits and holding Starbucks coffees in one hand, while the other hand is holding a smartphone, texting and email-ing people. Sa isang lalaking kagaya niya ako nagkagusto. At sa isang lalaking kagaya niya ako nawasak.

Right now, bumaba na ako ng taxi and I'm making my way through Champs Élysées, where my hotel is located. It's a five star hotel, pretty fancy for someone not so fancy like me. Pagkatapos kong ma-i-akyat ang mga bags ko ay naisipan kong magpahinga muna. I can't wait for this ten-day trip to be over. The thought of having to stay here for nine more days bothers the hell out of me kaya napatingin ako sa aking hotel room. The room looked fancy too, with beautiful golden fleur-de-lis designs running through the walls. Shit, naalala ko na naman si Howard. Ganito din kasi ang hitsura ng hotel suite niya kung saan niya ako dinala noon. To be honest, that hotel is not so far from this hotel.

Okay, medyo magulo na itong pagkaka-narrate ko ng kwento ko. So let me get things straight, first. Three years ago, while I was on vacation here in Paris for the first time ay nakilala ko si Howard. Nagkabanggaan kasi kaming dalawa sa isang coffee shop sa Montmartre and he spilled his coffee all over my bright yellow summer dress. He was gentleman then, insisting on bringing me along with him to his hotel para matulungan ako ng kanyang assistant na palitan ang damit ko. I told him it was fine since sa ukay-ukay ko lang naman nakuha ang damit ko kaso nagpumilit nga siya. In the end, ang summer dress kong nabili sa 150 pesos eh napalitang ng isang 1500 euros worth na Dolce and Gabbana na dress. Lucky, right? Well, sinunog ko na ang dress na iyon ngayon dahil gusto ko nang kalimutan si Howard.

Why am ai so bitter over him? Simple lang. Manloloko siya, pa-fall. After our first chance meeting, we kept on bumping with each other over the course of the next few days ng bakasyon ko. I don't if it was destiny, or sadyang mapaglarong tarantado lang talaga ang universe kaya kami nagkita sa Notre Dame cathedral, sa Montparnasse, at sa iba pang sulok ng Paris. On my fourth day in Paris, nagkita na naman kaming dalawa sa Eiffel Tower--ang cliché ng lugar noh? Speaking of Eiffel Tower, bumangon ako mula sa aking pagkakahiga at saka umalis ng hotel para mamasyal. Agad akong dumiretso ng punta sa Eiffel Tower.