Somewhere Beyond

Part Two: Six O'Clock

April 26, 2020 5:53 P.M.

"Nicomaine Mendoza! Hindi ka pa uuwi?"

Maine snapped out of her thoughts as she was approached by Jake, her officemate and best friend. He's known Maine for as long as he can remember. They were best of friends, and that's all he is to Maine. But not for him. One day, he and Maine arranged a dinner date because 'she had something to tell him' which got him excited. So he decided to confess his feelings to her then. His hopes came crashing down when Maine brought along Richard, whom she introduced as her boyfriend. He was upset at first, but he saw how much they loved each other, more so how much Richard loved Maine.

"Ay oo nga pala. Wala pang 6 o'clock. Hep! Oo na, mauna na ako. You need time to think and be alone." Jake raised both his hands as if he was surrendering.

"Haha. Buti alam mo." Maine let out a chuckle and rolled her eyes.

"Sungit mo talaga no? Buti nga nakakausap ka na."

"Bakit? Nakakausap mo naman ako dati ah?"

"O sige, kinakausap nga kita. Pero sumasagot ka ba?"

Maine shook her head and rested her chin on her hand. He was right, they couldn't talk to her ever since she lost RJ. She was depressed and her parents even considered admitting her in a rehabilitation facility.

"Naku, Jake. Umuwi ka na nga!"

"Heto na po, Miss. Uuwi na."

As soon as she was left alone, her thoughts go back to two years ago, when she still had RJ. She never moved on. She never forgot that painful feeling in her heart. RJ was her everything. He still is. Mere thoughts of him made her tear up.

"And I thought I told you enough."

"You did. May naalala lang ako."

"Sabi ko di ba, ayokong umiiyak ka."

"Hindi naman talaga ako iyakin eh. Simula lang nung iniwan mo 'ko. So basically, kasalanan mo."

"Haha! Oh sorry na, wag ka na umiyak. Move on na."

"Move on?" She was heating up.

"Maine-"

"How do you expect me to move on kung naririnig pa rin kita?!"

It was suddenly quiet, and the silence was deafening. She was definitely crying now, and there's nothing but cold wind to comfort her and brush all her tears away.

"You know, ikaw naman may kasalanan nito."

"Ako?!"

"Kasi ayaw mo ako pakawalan."

"RJ... Alam mo namang hindi ko kaya."

"Kaya mo. Ikaw pa."

"Mahal na mahal kita."

"Mahal na mahal din kita, Maine. Di magbabago yun. Pero kailangan mo na akong pakawalan. Kailangan mo maging masaya. Papasukin mo yung mga taong gustong magpasaya sa'yo."

"Wala namang ibang may mahal sa'kin kundi ikaw."

"Ang dami kaya! Si Nanay, Tatay, mga kapatid mo, si Dad, Riza, Kuya RD... si Jake."

"If I know, galit na sa'kin yun."

"Hindi kaya! Mahal ka nun!"

"Pa'no mo alam?"

"Pa'no mo hindi alam?"

Jake is her friend. Her best friend. That's all he ever is to her. Sure, he's offered her his only jacket when she purposely left hers because 'she didn't need it' in the cinema. Sure, he drove straight from Manila to Bulacan at three in the morning because Maine needed someone to talk to. Sure, he was the only one left of Maine's closest friends because he never thought twice about staying when she pushed them all away. But he's just a friend... Di ba?