Chasing an Angel

C10-3

MENG'S POV.2

It's almost three months now since I started working here in Manila and my job and everything is going smoothly. Our boss is a great one. Although he is very strict in meeting deadlines, for he makes it a point to be very clear in what he expects from everyone, yet he is quick to recognize our efforts and give credits when and to whom due, he make us feel that he is not above but just one of us and that we work and succeed as one team.

As he has told me when I left for Manila, Brian followed three weeks later. He is now working with a firm in Makati. He stays with a relative but he is planning to transfer to a place near us once he has established himself. It had become a normal routine for him to come to our house at the end of his shift several times a week as this is only two short rides from his place of work and one ride from our apartment to the place where he stays. We also made Sundays our regular weekly whole day get together. It is either he comes to our house or Lolly and I would meet him at a mutually agreed place and just like old times, we attend mass first and spend the rest of the day on anything that we would all enjoy.

Our activities had been my best therapy for I can now feel the pains subsiding slowly. Sleep is no longer elusive and with the two of them laughter just comes spontaneously.

I have no idea if Brian had an insight on what I had gone through for he never asked nor made any relative remarks. I was just wondering on times that he seems to be trying to be overly funny just to make me laugh and whatever is his reason, I appreciate it very much.

For Lolly, I know she had already a faint idea of my ordeal and I know she is just waiting for me to pour my heart out to her but she never pressed me on this. And, as I am recovering little by little every day I think there is no need for this at the meantime. As my best friend however, I have no intension of keeping this a secret from her forever. I will tell her everything once I feel that talking about it won't hurt anymore.

Brian is lucky that he is off on Saturdays and Sundays while Lolly and I has Sunday and half day of Saturday offs. Hence, we made Sundays our official regular weekly get together.

It is Friday evening and we three, Brian, Lolly and I are gathered at our apartment's living room watching tv over a large box of pizza that Brian brought along. This is a payday Friday, and Lolly excitedly told us that there is a big sale in Trinoma a popular mall in Quezon City which is easily accessible to where we live by metro railway transit. A self-confessed 'sale aficionado', she convinced Brian and me to hang out this whole Sunday at this mall. We woke up early and by seven Brian is already at our doorstep with a bag of takeout breakfast bought from a popular fast-food chain. This is the best thing Lolly and I love Brian so much. He is our food provider and if he is with us we could never expect a grumbling stomach. We had a fast breakfast then left barely half an hour later for Lolly and I are already dressed for our adventure when he arrived. As the mall opens at nine thirty in the morning we agreed to attend mass first then proceed to Trinoma for the day's escapade.

We attended Sunday mass at the Our Lady of Hope Chapel which is near SM North also a big mall adjacent to Trinoma. At the church, I was seated between Brian and Lolly, with Brian on my left and Lolly on my right. After the mass, we walked on our way to the mall and I was laughing at Brian's jokes when I noticed that Lolly was no longer walking with us and was left behind so I turned around to search for her. It was when a figure with a very familiar posture crossed my vision but before I could take a look at his face, he disappeared from the crowd. I scanned the spot where I saw the figure but it is nowhere in sight. I failed to notice Lolly who is now on my side and tapped my shoulder asking if I am looking for something. I just shook my head and we continued walking. It's impossible, I reminded myself. He is miles away and the least of your concerns, so stop hallucinating. It is just your senses playing again on you Meng, I scolded myself.

It is a mall wide sale and lots of items are offered at half the usual price which made Lolly very excited. As I had already learned the pitfalls of going to mall sales, I had a ready list of much needed items so as to avoid buying things that I will regret later. Brian has no choice but to tag along with us as we hopped from store to store searching for bargains. By lunchtime, we had visited most of the stores of our choice and bought the items that we need. We decided to eat at the food court where there are more available seats as most of the popular eating places are full.

Brian ordered for us and as usual refused to take our share for the cost of our food.

"Alam mo Brian pag nagkagirlfriend ka na at sasama ka pa rin sa amin ni Meng tiyak masasabunutan kami ng girlfriend mo," said Lolly.

"At bakit?" retorted Brian.

"Kasi nauubos sueldo mo sa kapapakain sa amin at wala na kayo pangdate," explained Lolly.

"Problema ko na iyon but one thing I assure you, if she will do this to any of you, then that is the end of what we have," and he laughed loudly.

"Honestly Bri, minsan nagdududa na ako sa iyo, bakit kami ni Lolly ang pinagtyatyagaan mo," I teased him.

"Huwag mo nang ituloy Meng dahil pag ipinagpatuloy mo hahalikan kita dito sa gitna ng food-court para mawala duda mo," and he acted as if about to kiss me which caught me by surprise and I immediately avoided on instinct.

"Oh di natakot ka ngayon. Huwag ako Meng," and he laughed wholeheartedly. I felt my face heat up and I slapped his right arm while laughing too.

"Sira ulo ka talaga, pinakaba mo ako don a," I told him.

"Ikain mo na lang yan," he quipped back and filled my plate with more food.

"Ayan ubusin mo, bawal magtira dahil marami nagugutom, at para magkalaman ka naman dahil malapit ka nang maging walking skeleton."

"OO nga Meng ang laki ng ipinayat mo, kumain ka nga ng kumain," added Lolly.

It was while eating that I had this weird feeling that I am being watched. I roamed the place with my eyes but did not notice anything peculiar. I continued eating and joined Lolly's laughter at Brian's protests about women's shopping itch.

With our shopping needs fully accomplished we decided to see a movie. Brian paid for the tickets while Lolly and I bought the foods and drinks that we will bring inside the movie house this time. Again, we were seated in the same position that we had during the mass. It was a feel good movie and we enjoyed watching it. At the later part of the movie however, I became aware of an audible gasp coming from Brian.

I turned to him and asked, "Anong nangyari?"

"Me bumangga sa kanang braso ko na nakapatong sa likod ng upuan mo. Medyo malakas at masakit talaga but he never bothered to turn back to say sorry. And I am sure he is aware that he hit me when he passed by. Bigat siguro dala dala non," he told me nang nakatawa pa. He then pointed to the retreating figure already at a considerable distance whose back is turned to us and blocked from complete view by some moviegoers behind him. Again, there was that explainable edgy feeling that I could not define but I promptly pushed it at the back of my mind. We resumed our focus on the movie who is about to end. We let the crowd going out of the cinema thin down first when we rose from our seats to take our exit from the cinema house.

After the movie, we spend the rest of the day just sitting on the park located on the same floor with the movie houses talking about anything that come to our minds. We also had our supper on the mall before we finally decided to go home. It was a very tiring but undeniably wonderful day. I feel really blessed that despite the trials I still have these friends acquired during college days that will always stand by me.