The Art of Letting Go

Chapter 50

The next day, Bea decided to go to work. She have commitments for the day kaya kahit ayaw niya, pumasok siya. Though, kahit nasa opisina naman siya, wala pa din sa trabaho ang focus niya.

A day had passed, pero wala siyang natanggap na tawag mula kay Kris tulad ng pinakiusap niya. She tried texting and calling him pero tipid na tipid ang mga sagot nito sa kaniya.. She also tried reaching out to Jake, pero ni isang tawag o text hindi niya sinasagot. She wanted to stop by at their house, but she was too scared. Na baka hindi siya nito kausapin. Na baka kaya hindi niya sinasagot yung mga tawag kasi ayaw nitong makausap siya. So she was left without a choice but to wait.

But the waiting game was not fun at all. All day long, she was just staring at her phone, hoping the next beep would be from Jake. But unfortunately, there was nothing.

The only beep she heard that day was only a calendar reminder, which she almost forgot. Muntik na niyang makalimutan na ngayon ang birthday ni Rick. Normally, she would have taken the day off to spend time with him pero right now, she was too caught up on everything that is happening to her that she almost forgot what a special day it is to her.

So she decided to leave early at work. Because she knows that she needed to talk to him right now. Just like what she always do whenever she's sad and lonely.

"Princess?" She called her secretary.

"Ms. Bea?"

"Please cancel everything on my schedule. I have to leave early."

"Paano po yung departmental meeting nyo later? Ano pong sasabihin ko?"

"Just tell them I'm sick and I need to rest. Alam mo na yan. Ikaw na bahala."

"May sakit po ba talaga kayo? Pansin ko kasi kanina pa kayo matamlay."

"No. I'm fine. I'm just tired."

Tumango lang ang secretary niya sa kaniya.

"Salamat. Alis na din ako."

"Ingat po kayo."

Nginitian na lang siya ni Bea and immediately leave the building. She went to the cemetery and light up a little candle on Rick's grave.

It was too quiet that time. Halos walang tao sa paligid kaya natuwa siya dahil walang makakaistorbo sa kaniya. Pero when she opened her mouth to talk, no words came out. Hindi niya kasi alam kung paano sisimulan, o kung anong sasabihin niya. She was left quiet, while staring at his name that was engraved in that marble glass.

A moment passed, then she heard a familiar voice that definitely made her shiver.

"Sabi na nga ba nandito ka e."

Narinig niya sa bandang likuran niya. At nagulat siya nang makitang si Jake ang pinanggalingan ng boses na yun. Hindi agad nakapagsalita si Bea, pinagmasdan lang niya ang binata. She was having a hard time constructing words to say. Gusto niya itong kamustahin pero wala talagang lumalabas na salita sa bibig niya.

"Dumaan ako sa opisina mo, sabi ng secretary mo umalis ka na daw." Pagpapatuloy pa ng binata. "I doubt na dumirecho ka sa bahay niyo so I assumed nandito ka, and hindi naman ako nagkamali."

"Uhm, Jake--" Panimula ni Bea pero napatigil siya ng ngumiti nang bahagya ang binata sa kaniya.

"You don't have to explain." Sabi niya tsaka umabante ng kaunti. "Birthday niya ngayon di ba? Kaya tama lang na nandito ka."

Walang bakas ng pagkasarkastiko ang pananalita nito kaya hindi mabasa ni Bea kung anuman ang tumatakbo sa isipan ng binata.

"Do you mind?" Tanong ni Jake sa dalaga. Gusto niya kasing ipatong sa puntod ang dala-dala niyang bulaklak. Umatras naman ng bahagya si Bea bilang pagpayag.