Learn to Love Again

No One Will Mind

“I’m gonna miss you again,” he said as he hugged her really tight.

It was Sunday afternoon, Sarah insisted that she bring Gerald to the airport and see him off as he goes back to Cebu.

“You know I’m gonna miss you, too.”

“Wait for me okay?”

Sarah released herself from his embrace and looked at him. “Anong drama ‘yan Da?”

“Wala. I’m just saying na hintayin mo ako. It’s gonna be three more weeks of being apart. Feeling ko kasi mawala lang ako sandali ay may poporma na agad sa ‘yong iba.”

“Da naman. Kahit may ibang magpacute sa harap ko eh hindi ko naman mapapansin kasi they would have to measure up to you. Ang taas kaya ng standards ko. Kailangan ka nilang higitan bago ko sila mapansin,” she sweetly told him.

This made him smile. She held her hand and kept squeezing it as he looked into her eyes.

“Da, hindi kaya ako matunaw dahil d’yan sa mga titig mo?”

“Gerald and Sarah?! Oh my gosh!”

They instantly searched for the source of the voice and were surprised to see one of their officemates. She instantly removed her hand from his hold.

“Kathy? Anong ginagawa mo dito? Aalis ka or dumating na?” Sarah asked.

“Dumating na pero that’s not the issue here,” Kathy excitedly said. “Kayo ba? OMG! Kailan pa? I really can’t believe it. Alam n’yo may small talks na going around the office about your real relationship but I never really believed it kasi I know how close you are. Pero ngayon I believe it na.” Sarah shyly bowed her head and didn’t say anything. This didn’t escape Kathy’s eyes. “Ooops sorry. Secret ba ‘yun? Hindi n’yo pa ba pinagsasabi? Sorry. Don’t worry your secret’s safe with me. I won’t tell anybody. So paano, nandito na ang sundo ko. Alam n’yo sinabi ko na ito sa kanila dati eh at ngayon sasabihin ko sa inyo. Bagay na bagay kayo. You look so perfect together. I think it’s but right to say that you complement each other. Sana kayo na until the end. Gerald alagaan mo ‘yan si Sarah ha. Sige, alis na talaga ako. Bye. See you around.”

Gerald turned to Sarah and saw something different in her. For the first time he felt like she was too embarrassed to be seen with him. He felt a bit hurt. “Are you okay Ma?”

“Yeah. O pasok ka na. Baka ma-late ka sa check-in.”

Gerald just nodded his head and kissed her forehead before heading inside the building. In the airplane, he couldn’t stop thinking about the look on her face. He tried to dismiss it but it keeps coming back to him.

********

“Ma, nandito na ako sa condo,” he sadly said to her on the phone.

“O, bakit ganyan ang boses mo?”

“Wala. I’m just tired.”

“Ganun ba? Sige Da, magrest ka na. Don’t shower first ha. Magrest ka muna para hindi ka mapasma.”

“Yeah.”

“O sige. Magrest ka na. I love you Da.”

“Mahal mo ba talaga ako?” he suddenly blurted out.

She was taken aback by the question. She knows very well where it was coming from but she wasn’t sure how to answer him. She loves him deeply but is not ready to shout it out to the world… for his own sake.

“Your silence is so reassuring,” he added.

“You know that I do,” she finally replied.

“Eh bakit ganun? Bakit feeling ko hindi mo ako kayang panindigan? Haven’t I shown you enough para paniwalaan mo ako that I’m here to stay? Do you still doubt my feelings for you?”