Hi guys! Here's Take Eight. Enjoy poooo! And let's all have a great week ahead.
Dedicated to all the readers that commented and requested for the update.
PS: I was listening to Ambon by Barbie Almalbis when I was writing this chapter.
Feel free to comment and/or vote after reading.
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Nicomaine
There are almost 60 people in the house right now, or so that's how I estimated it in my head while sitting here, in this round table with him. And when I said him, I mean RJ, quote unquote my boyfriend. Nobody, between us, has said a word since the big revelation that happened about fifteen minutes ago. I don't know what I should do now. I don't know what I should say.
My heart still pounding fast, my throat almost closing up from this awkwardness, my hands are slightly trembling with anxiety and palms are sweating. I feel I don't look so good right now. In my head, thoughts are battling with my words, I have things I do wanna say, some things I do wanna ask but I am breathless, I can't find my words, I am so disoriented somehow.
But I wonder, what about him?
What could possibly be on his thoughts right this moment?
Why hasn't he spoken anything to me yet after affirming me that he is indeed my boyfriend?
Is he shy? Is he regretting telling me that I am his girlfriend?
Does he really love me?
All this questions. Can I even handle this right now? Fuck.
RJ
Party is done now. All the guests are gone. There are only a few people left, the waiters cleaning up the event, the technical crew tiding up their equipment's, and then there's us.
We're all inside the house, in the living room to be exact. Nicomaine's family, were gathered around the room, and they're all standing, and they all look worried. I was sitting on the sofa couch, and only a few inches away from me, also sitting, was her. I take a deep breath and I looked at her. She was staring into space, she was deep in her thoughts I suppose, I wonder what she's thinking, I wonder if it's about what happened earlier at the party, and I wonder if it's about me. A part of me wishes she really is thinking about me.
Ngayon nya lang ako iisipin ulit.
Ngayon pa lang.
Pero siya, walang araw na di ko iniisip.
Lakas talaga mang trip ng mundo.
A few more silent moments and then her mom finally said something.
"Oh so ano na kayong dalawa?" Tita said while looking at me.
"Uhmmm..." I faced Nicomaine and reached out my hand.
"I'm Richard Faulkerson Jr..ahh ka-loveteam mo and boyfriend mo."
"Hello?" Nicomaine shakes my hand. "Ka-loveteam slash boyfriend? Hindi showbiz to? Totoong boyfriend talaga kita?"
"Yes, sinagot mo ko nung July 12, 2016, sa premier night nang una nating pelikula."
"So that was what six years ago?"
"Tama, six years na tayo."
"Oh okay, wala akong maalala pero sige okay, boyfriend kita."
"Teka lang po ha..."
I stood up from where I was sitting and left the house. I went to my car that was parked outside, I opened the trunk of the car and grabbed a medium size box. And then I went back inside the house and into the living room carrying the box, all eyes were on me as I put down the box on the table in front of Nicomaine. And then she looks at it, and then at me, she has her curious face, it's beautiful.
"Nandyan yung alaala natin. Lahat ng atin" I replied before Nicomaine could even ask.
"Alaala? Meaning?"
"Yung mga letters mo sakin, mga letters ko sayo, pictures natin nung nililigawan pa lang kita hanggang sa third year anniversary natin, pictures sa lahat ng out of town trips natin from eat bulaga to our movies, meron ding DVDs ng movies natin and episodes of Eat Bulaga..."
I cut myself midsentence and grabbed a plain looking CD from the box.
"Tapos eto, gawa ko to, after nung accident mo, after nating malaman na ganyan ang kalagayan mo. Itong CD na to, nandito lahat nang gusto kong sabihin sayo, nasa CD na to yung puso ko, sana mas makilala mo ako dito."
I gave her the CD.
"Baka nga di mo na ako uli maalala. Pero susugal pa rin ako, kasi Nicomaine..... kasi mahal na mahal kita."
Nicomaine
Paulit ulit sa isip ko yung mga sinabi niya. Di ako makatulog.
I felt how hurt he was with every word. And a part of me knows I am the one hurting him. But I don't want to hurt him, especially now that I know he loves me.
He loves me.
But I don't even remember him.
I thought I was the only victim in this game, but it turns out someone was hurting way worse than me. A lot worse.
My head hurts just by thinking about all that has happened for the last 24 hours. I popped out of bed and went to the bathroom to pee for a minute. And then as I was walking towards back to bed, I saw the box RJ gave me, it's sitting across the room beside my desk. I walked forward and grabbed the box. I saw pictures, so many pictures, pictures in the beach, in the park, in rooms I can't even remember, in restaurants and coffee houses, I saw the letters he was talking about, all sealed in a Manila envelope.
Then I saw the CD he gave me. I felt a lump on my throat again. I remembered his face earlier when he handed it to me. My hands were shaking a little but I sat down my desk, opened my laptop and played the damn thing.
There was nothing at first, just a pure black screen but after 30 to 45 seconds, he appears on the video, his eyes were almost bloody red, he was shaking, it seems like he just finished crying.
[video plays]
"Hi baby. So I just got home from the hospital, and they told me..." He stops and looks at his keyboard. He's struggling to breathe properly.
"..they told us you're in a coma. And konti na lang yung chance na magising ka ulet."
And as he said it tears came flowing from his eyes. But he's still staring at the camera. He looks so weak. He looks so hurt. I stared at him. He's sobbing with so much pain.
And then I felt something warm on my cheeks.
I am crying with him too.
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#TakeNine #Soon
