The (not so) Sweet Serendipity

29.3

3k reads, crazy! So here tutuloy ko na nga, enjoy! 

RICHARD

"Meng.. Why are we not together?"

Natawa siya. "Kasi baka hindi naman talaga tayo dapat maging together."

"And who dictates that? What if I want us to be together. Don't you?"

She smiled. "For the longest time I did." Ouch past tense yun. "But, timing's a bitch you see. Hindi pa ata natin time maging together. But who knows what the future holds for us."

"Bakit natin kailangan hintayin yung mangyayari sa future? What if sundan kita sa city? Doctor namana ako eh. I can work anywhere."

"And leave your patients here? Or leave your family here? I'm sure you have your life settled here. I have my life settled there. I wouldn't ask you to give up your life here for me. Never."

"I'm sure they will understand." Nagulat ako she held my face bigla.

"Huwag kang padalos dalos just cause everything is easy now."

"What if I'm leaving for me? Because with you is where I want to be."

"Easier said than done, right? Cheers!" Inom pa rin ng inom 'to.

"Bakit ka naglalasing?"

"Naglalasing ka diyan. This is me relaxing. I've been so stressed the past few days as you know. Sinalo niya work ko para makapag relax ako ngayon." Hay nako Kenneth nanaman. "O, bakit ganyan itsura mo? Selos ka?"

"Pano kung sabihin kong oo?" Pinagtatawanan niya ako. Grabe talaga 'to.

"Ang masasabi ko lang. Dapat lang magselos ka sakanya."

Wala na, iba na talaga itsura ko. Pinapamukha pa sakin eh. Tawa lang siya ng tawa, ginagago lang kaya ako nito. Kinikiliti pa niya tenga ko.

Tapos timing pa talaga, nag ring phone niya. Tinignan niya sino. Syempre sino pa ba, Kenneth. Pinakita pa niya sakin na tinatawagan siya nito bago niya sinagot.

"Hello! Kamusta? Ha? Hindi ako lasing ah. Umiinom lang ako pero hindi ako lasing."

Pucha, nagdadaldalan lang sila. Hindi nako nakatiis. Kinuha ko yung cellphone niya. Tumingin lang siya sakin pero andun pa rin yung mapang asar niyang ngiti. "Importante ba yung tawag? Tungkol ba sa work?"

"Hindi naman. Nangangamusta lang."

Yun naman pala eh, so ako kumausap kay Kenneth. Eh lasing na rin ako eh. "Pare, ako na bahala kay Meng ha. Bukas ka na lang ulit tumawag. Bye." Tapos binaba ko na. Binato ko na rin cellphone niya sa kama.

"Parang ewan 'to, bakit mo ginawa yun!"

"Hindi ba pwedeng kahit ngayon lang, akin ka lang muna?" Natahimik na lang siya tapos umayos ng upo at humarap sakin.

"O eto na po. All yours."

"You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now."

"Bakit hindi mo gawin?"

Lumapit ako sakanya and was leaning in. Tapos I stopped, "Kasi if hahalikan man kita, gusto ko yung hindi tayo nakainom pareho." Natawa lang siya. Jusko yung babaeng 'to. "You obviously still love me, so what's stopping you?"

Nag isip lang siya. "Alam mo yung kantang 'Sometimes Love Just Aint Enough'? May point yun eh. Hindi naman talaga enough yung love. Life gets in the way you see. Tapos si Louise pa."

"Eh pano si Meng? Pano si Richard?"

"They fucked up." She said with a smile. Downing another beer. But I can see the sadness in her eyes.

Naiyak na lang ako kasi nakakafrustrate. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit ako umiiyak pero kasi sobrang miss ko na yung kami ni Meng. Ano ba kasi yung hinihintay niya. Ano ba, bakit hindi kami pwedeng maging masaya with each other, ng magkasama?

Lumapit siya and wiped my tears with her hands. "Why are you crying? Ang iyakin mo talaga." Tapos kiniss niya ako sa ulo and inayos buhok ko. "Diba sabi ko you can never be friends with your ex? Who was I kidding. As if naman matitiis kita diba. Whether we like it or not, we are part of each other's lives. I feel like I got into you and Louise's relationship just because we are automatically part of each other's lives. Hindi na natin mababago na sobrang close ng pamilya natin na magkikita at magkikita rin tayo."

"So lumabas rin. Takot ka lang na pag umalis ka, babalik ako kay Louise."

"Maybe. But Louise can give you what I can never give you. No, rather she's been giving you what I can't give right now." Rare umiyak si Meng sa harap ko pero I swear she's getting teary eyed herself. "And I won't ever take it against you for choosing her over me all these years. Ako naman talaga unang nag let go because I couldn't stand seeing you hurting everytime we had to go our separate ways. I didn't want to be selfish."

"Who gave you the right to make that decision for me?"

She kissed me again sa forehead. "Dear. It was all you when you decided to stay with Louise all those years. Maybe fault ko yung hindi ako naging selfish, pero I couldn't. Because it was all going to be temporary, I was still going to leave."

"What you called 'temporary' were my happiest.. Couldn't you see that? I find it so unfair. I don't care if you thought I didn't deserve you, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I may have realise this late, but I won't let you be the one making the decisions for us anymore."

"I didn't want us to end up hating each other. It took me forever to get over you Chard. I missed you also. I just think you're a little too late, we are a little too late. The idea of 'us' is just that, an idea."

"No, it's never too late."

"I wish nga." Tapos we just stayed there hugging each other. She looked at the time. "Merry Christmas Chard. I never imagined I would be here with you like this again."

"Merry Christmas Meng." Her tone screams sadness now.

"But that's the thing. Here in your arms, it only feels familiar." I felt hot tears, she's crying. "But it doesn't feel like home anymore."

I hugged her tighter and she just lets me. I kissed her head. "I will take all your doubts away. Make you fall in love with me again, no matter how long it takes. You may have given up on us. But I'm here now. I will fight for us. Until you wake up one day and realise you can take me back, and we can be together again."

"Be patient with me this time ha." Her hopeful tone was enough for me. I don't let go of her. I just hug her.

"Tighter." She said something but I barely heard.

"Ano yun ulit?"

"Tighter please." So I did. "Tighter." And I hugged her as tight as I could.

Nakatulog na siya maya maya. In my arms. I watched her for a bit. Wondering what she has gone through herself all these years because of me. I was the selfish one sa aming dalawa.

I'm sorry Menggay. Just let me love you and let me make it up to you for as long as I live. Please let me.

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Thanks for reading! I really like that song too!