July 2006
Maine gasped as she rushed inside the columbarium to avoid the torrential rain before stopping in front of the vault where several cinerary urns including her grandfather's were stored. She entered the room and threw her bag to the floor after rummaging inside for candles. When she found them, Maine stood up to light the sticks, and then placed them on top of the candleholders, attached to the niche on the wall.
"Mabuti at nakadaan na sila ate."
She saw the flowers encased in a large vase, and smiled. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands to offer a prayer when suddenly, she realized there was another person inside the room with her. She turned to her left and found a man with his palms planted on top of the marbled façade as he cries. Maine bit her lip, and sympathized with the stranger as she could instantly recall her own pain when her grandfather died. She fished her handkerchief out of her front pocket, and approached the distraught man.
"Dad, why did you agree? Why did you force yourself and undergo-"
The man noticed her and stopped speaking. He turned to face her, and Maine saw eyes brimming with tears and reflecting pain and grief she knew well. She extended her arm and shakily offered the white cloth. While he was looking at her hand, Maine studied him closely.
Even with swollen eyes and a tear-streaked face, she could tell he was handsome. He was tall with big, dark eyes, a high-bridged nose, pale, thin lips, and an indented left cheek. She took a deep breath before speaking.
"Nung namatay yung Lolo ko at sinabihan ako ng mga tao na lilipas din ang sakit na nararamdan ko, gusto ko silang sigawan at suntukin." Maine shook her head in disbelief at the memory, and looked straight into his eyes as she urged him to take the handkerchief. "Pero meron namang halo na katotohanan ang sinabi nila. Oo, masakit pa rin, pero kahit paano hindi na ito kasingsakit tulad ng dati."
The man was stoic. He didn't respond nor take the cloth she offered him. She blinked, and started to feel flustered because of his unresponsiveness. She chuckled nervously, and was about to pull her hand away when he grabbed her wrist and took the handkerchief from her palm. The moment their hands touched, her face heated up as butterflies started to flutter inside her stomach. She smiled, encouraged and introduced herself.
"I'm Maine nga pala, Maine Mendoza." She waved her hand and gestured at her grandfather's tomb. "Nakalibing yung lolo ko duon. Malapit lang sa... umm... ano mo..."
"My father. It's my father who's buried here."
She was startled by his deep, husky voice, and it took several moments for her to recover. She nodded before apologizing for being meddlesome. "Sorry ha, masyado akong nangingialam. Binibring up ko pa yung mga bagay na masakit sa'yo."
"It's okay. It wasn't like his death was unexpected." He said before sighing deeply and extending his hand to shake hers. "I have to go. It was nice meeting you, Maine."
She squeezed his hand as a response and let go. He walked away, and he was already by the door when Maine found her voice again.
"Yung..."
He stopped when he heard her voice and turned around. He lifted his eyebrows in question. "Yes?"
"Yung pangalan mo... hindi mo pa sinasabi."
The man was quiet and his stony expression turned pensive as he pondered whether to tell her. Maine could feel the beads of sweat forming on her face as she waited. She doesn't understand her own persistence especially because she could tell he was reluctant to talk. When he continued to remain silent, she smiled before shaking her head, and assured him.
