Romantic Short Stories [DUBREDO]

V. Malacañang Garden

Leni confided to her best friend, Grace after what happened. "Okay lang yan, people come and go." Grace comforted her as she was lying down at her thighs crying.

"Nung sinasabi niya kase sakin yon ramdam ko na gusto niya pa kaya lang sabi ko ayoko na kahit gusto ko pa talaga. Ngayon, wala na siya." She cried. "Bakit hindi mo siya kausapin ulit? Tingin ko naman mahal ka parin niya, hindi naman ganon kabilis mawala yun." She advised her. Leni sat down and wiped her tears. "Natatakot din kase ako." She confessed.

"Natatakot saan? Sa love? Sa una lang yan pero kapag nagtake ka ng risk, makikita mo. Sobrang sarap sa pakiramdam ng in love." She enlightened her.

"Ngayon lang kase ako nakaramdam ng ganito. Papano kung akala ko lang pala na gusto ko rin siya tapos sa kalagitnaan biglang magbago yung isip ko tapos masasaktan ko siya? Ayoko ng ganon." She shared. Grace held her hand and stroked it with her thumb.

"Yung fact na takot kang masaktan siya, hindi pa ba sapat na rason yon kung bakit dapat kang magtake ng risk?" She asked Leni.

"Tingin mo ba hindi siya worthy for the risk?" She asked her again. Leni paused and thought about it, he was important to her, he was worth all the risk.

"Pag-isipan mo. Ikaw lang naman makakasagot ng mga tanong na yan." Grace smiled at her and went back to her dorm room leaving Leni behind to think further.

—

Three months passed by, it was already November. Rodrigo and Leni intentionally avoided each other along the school campus. Rodrigo didn't wanna bother her and Leni feared he would confront her.

One Friday evening, their worship leader made an activity for a special bonding between the members and the newly joined ones. He grouped everyone by pairs, they were set to find the hidden message within the oasis. They were given portable tents, bags of water and snacks, flashlights, GPS and tracking chips. Leni felt sad, Rodrigo wasn't around, she was used to having him as a partner.

"Martin and Hans, Yasi and Judy, Gab tsaka si Kyle..." The leader paired everyone. "Kulang pala tayo ng isa. Leni assistant nalang muna kita ngayon." The leader told him. "Sige po." She replied.

"Hi!" Rodrigo shouted as he was ran towards them. Leni was shook to see his unexpected presence, she thought he would be going to Europe for his OJT.

"Sorry late! Nagsimula na ba?" He asked. "Hindi pa, oh kayo na ni Leni magpartner, kulang tayo ng isa eh." The leader informed her. Leni and Rodrigo looked at each other trying not to make things awkward between them.

"Okay everyone may start now!" Their leader ordered them and walked to their tent.

"Simulan na natin?" Rodrigo asked. "Ah? Oo. Sige." She agreed.

They searched for some clues at the oasis and it took all of them few hours to search for the message. Leni and Rodrigo has always been determined to win such activities ever since they joined the group and it helped them to temporarily forget the awkwardness between them.

Crystal clear as a diamond. Drenches your cheeks in misery.

Leni read the last clue but it hit the two of them emotionally. "Crystal clear... Di ba related yan sa tubig?" Rodrigo tried to cut the feels. "Oo! Sa batis!" She exclaimed and took his hand as they ran towards the spring.

"Paktay na—." Rodrigo uttered upon seeing the thick and sticky layers of mud. He looked at her and she was wearing a short shorts, it would be a bad idea to let her walk through the mud with that.

"Huy! Ano pang tinatayo mo diyan! Halika na!!" She exclaimed.

"Nakashorts ka! Pano ka tatawid?!" He groused. "Okay lang yan! Halika na baka maunahan tayo!" She eagerly replied. Suddenly they heard another pair talking from a distance.