moirai

spilling the beans

Maine couldn't contain her smile. Yaya Maring had been watching from the window since the old woman heard the gate open.

"Ha?" Maine was somewhat distracted

"Sin-o ang nagdul-ong sa imo? Indi man to si Pedring (Pauleen's driver)." (Who brought you home> That wasn't Pedring...) Yaya Maring said.

"Ahh...si Rj..."

"Rj?....sin-o si Rj?" (Rj...who is Rj?)

"Bag-o ko nga friend, Ya...." (a new friend) she continued as they walked up to her bedroom.

Yaya Maring, who had taken Maine's bag from the girl, put the bag down on the dresser chair and walked around the room to pick up a shirt that was haphazardly thrown on the beanbag.

"Ga-pangaluyag sya sa imo?" (is he courting you?) the old woman asked

"Indi ahhh!" (No!) Maine said with an even bigger smile. "Bag-o ko pa lang sya nakilala....last week lang....nag-lunch kami kanday Pau kag Ruby...kilala ni Pau ang migo ya dayon gin pakilala kami....ato to sya sa party sang Saturday..." (I just met him..last week...we had lunch with Pau and Ruby...Pau knows his friend who introduced us to each other....he was also at the party last Saturday)

"Ahh...may ichura man sya ha?" (ahh..he's good looking...) the old woman smiled

"Hmm..." Maine agreed

"Ah...bag-o ko malimtan, naghimo ko sang pospas kagina....mabalon ka buwas?" (ah...before i forget, i made porridge earlier....you want to bring some tomorrow?)

"Pospas?" Maine's smile didn't quite diminish but her eyes lit up more. "Yes! Favorite ko na!"

"Kabalo ko..." (I know) Yaya Maring beamed. She knew a lot of Maine's favourites, having brought the young lady up since infancy. "...with lots of ginger and chicken!"

"Yes!! Yes!!" Maine excitedly said and hugged her Yaya. "Goodnight!" she kissed Yaya Maring on the cheek.

"Okay....pahuway ka na....goodnight, Tata" (Okay....rest...goodnight, Tata)  Yaya Maring said as she went to the door and left the room.

Maine excitedly got ready for bed. She took a quick shower and jumped under the covers. She was lying down already when she reached for her phone on her night table.

"Pau!!! Pau!!! Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet Pau!!!" she typed on her screen and sent the message to Pauleen. She turned off her lamp before sleeping with a big smile across her face.

She had barely put down her things at her desk when Pauleen "attacked" her as she entered their cubicle.

"Ano to?" Pauleen was holding up her phone trying to stifle an excited scream..

Maine grabbed her phone and pulled a confused Pauleen to a room across the hallway. The musty, dark room had files on shelves and people hardly entered there since unless they needed to find old files. Maine pulled Pauleen to one corner so that they couldn't be seen from the outside since the glass door was not fully frosted.

"Bakit tayo andito? Anong nangyari sa yo?" Pauleen asked, confused.

"Eh kasi...." Maine began. "Eh..."

"Eh ano?!"

"Diba di ako nasundo agad kahapon?"

"O...naglakad ka pa-Greenbelt...like always...sorry ha, di na kita nasamahan...family dinner e...."

"Sus! Okay lang! OKAY NA OKAY LANG!" Maine's eyes grew big...

"Hoy! Nicomaine Dei! Ano yang paglalaki ng mata mo?!" Pauleen grew excited as well. She and Maine had been friends for so long so she could "read" Maine even if they were 5 feet apart!