Rj was a certified workaholic.
Anyone who tried to convince him to slow down or turn down projects knew how much he wanted to push himself to please everyone else.
"....Babe! Please...." Maine would beg.
"Kaya ko to....kaya ko pa...." was his constant reply.
They'd fought a lot. In the beginning, she could hold on to her tampo for a week or more but she really missed him and he seemed to know the right buttons to push to win her back.
In the end, Maine started to receive and take more offers and became a workaholic herself.
They would argue when sounded more nasal already or when their eyebags would be very visible despite putting on make-up.
The fans noticed and begged them to slow down, too.
The only time Rj suddenly changed his attitude and lifestyle was when Maine collapsed during one of her many events.
She had been feeling a little woozy that morning and he noticed that she was a little disoriented and lethargic earlier in the day before her event in the afternoon.
They went on KS, they were interacting via split screen like always but she seemed to be distant as the Lolas were doing most of the talking. He noticed this and messaged her right after the segment was done.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine....getting ready for my mall show...."
"Will I see you tonight?"
She didn't reply. He thought that maybe she was just getting prepped up for her show or was on the road so her signal was erratic.
Sometime in the middle of her show, she felt dizzy but managed to introduce the next performer. As she exited the stage, she collapsed as she turned to leave the stage, a few feet away from anyone else. Some of the band members on stage and the show crew rushed to her and took her to hospital immediately.
"Alden...." Pat called.
"Patchy Pie?" he wasn't sure it was her although her name appeared on his phone screen. "She doesn't call me Alden offcam...." he thought. His heart skipped a beat.
"Alden....si Maine...."
"Bakit? Diba nasa show kayo?"
"....nasa hospital na kami....."
"Hospital?....Anong nangyari?"
"Nahimatay....andito kami sa St. Luke's....."
He didn't hear anything anymore. He rushed to Mama Ten and tried to tell her the news that he got. Just then, her phone rang, too.
After a long while, with the phone still to her ear, she looked at Rj concernedly, eyebrows furrowed.
"....okay....sige, salamat...." Mama Ten ended the phone conversation.
"Sino yon?....si Menggay....anong nangyari kay Menggay?"
"Teka lang...." she moved to another spot and called someone.
Rj tried calling Maine's phones but she wasn't picking up. He was getting nervous. After about 3 tries on her personal phone, Pat answered.
"J....si Patchy to..."
"Si Menggay?"
"Nasa ER pa...."
"ER? Anong nangyari?"
"Bigla syang nag-collapse kanina...."
"Huh?"
"Hinimatay sa show nya....wala pa akong ibang details....chine-check pa sya ng duktor...."
"Saang hospital?"
"St. Luke's....BGC...."
"Okay....papunta na ako....." He ended the call and went to Mama Ten to tell her that they were leaving for the hospital immediately.
Because of the rains, the 30-minute drive to Taguig from Quezon City seemed to take forever. Rj was fidgeting in his seat.
"Buti nalang hindi ikaw ang nag-d-drive...." Mama Ten said.
"......si Menggay...."
"Yun nga....nag-collapse nga daw.....sa sobrang pagod na rin siguro...."
"Ma...." tears were now welling up in his eyes.
".....nag r reklamo na yung katawan nyo no....tingnan mo nga yang eyebags mo....."
"......" he couldn't say anything. He had been told over and over again to rest and not overwork himself.
When they finally reached the hospital, Rj almost jumped out of his car as Kuya Erick pulled up to the entrance.
A group of people were just outside Maine's room – her team, her family and a few friends, and some staff from her show.
He paid his respects to her parents as soon as he approached them. "...si Maine po?"
"Pinalabas kami ng doctor nya...." Tatay Teddy said.
"Nasa loob pa si Doc Mike...." Nanay Maryann mentioned.
"....so ayun....kaka-introduce pa lang kay Ken.....paalis na sya nung stage....."
"....inaantay namin sya sa baba nung steps pero bigla syang bumagsak ...."
"...kala nga namin nahulog sya dun sa tabi nung steps kasi madilim dun...."
These were bits of the story that he heard from the people gathered. After a long while, the Doc Mike and a nurse came out of the room, closing the door behind them. He shook his head "No" when Pat went near the door. He approached Maine's parents and pulled them away from the crowd to talk in private. A while later, the nurse who came out of the room together with Doc Mike, came back to the door and placed a "NO VISITORS ALLOWED" sign on the panel beside the door.
Rj had his head down while seated on the couch that lined the wall near Maine's room. He was at a loss when he saw the sign. Nanay Maryann approached him and sat beside him. The other people who were around, moved away.
"Rj.....anak.....sabi ni Doc Mike.....over-fatigued daw si Menggay kaya sya nag-collapse.....sinisinat na pala sya for the last couple of days pero di sya nagsasabi....sa sobrang sama nung pakiramdam nya, di na nya nakayanan kaya hinimtay na sya...."
"....pwede ko po ba syang makita?"
"....sabi pa ni Doc....total bed rest muna sya.....mga 3 to 4 days....depende sa tests nya.....wala munang bisita para makapag-rest talaga sya....kahit nga phones nya pinatago na...."
Rj could only bow his head and cry quietly.
