Pieces of Me

Four

"Hi. Sige Maine, iwan ko muna kayo. I'll go set up the exercise mats. Let me know pag rea--"

"I'm ready now. Let's go, RJ."

"Pero, baby... I think we need to talk. RJ, pare, can you leave us alo---"

"No. RJ is not going anywhere. You are. There's nothing to talk about, Lucas. So please leave. I would appreciate it if you never show your face around these parts anymore."

"Baby..."

Ay puta please ang kulit.

"Stop calling me baby. You've lost all the right to call me baby when you broke things off with me the day before our wedding. Nakikita mo ba tong itsura ko ngayon? Take a good long look because this is all your fault. And from what my family has told me, not once did you come to check up on me all those months na nasa ospital ako, desperately trying to claw myself out of a coma only to wish na sana namatay na lang ako when I woke up and realized I couldn't feel anything below my waist. Nag-spiral ako into a deep dark hole that I'm still not sure I want to leave but since my family thinks it's about time I break free from this... this self-imposed hell I'm in, I'm slowly trying to regain my mobility and the will to live. So excuse me if I don't have any time for you and your lame attempt at a reconciliation. We're done, Lucas. Get the fuck out of my life and stay out."

Anlayo ko sa pinto leche, hindi ko tuloy mabalibag pasara. Tapos paano ko mag-wo-walk eh hindi pa nga ako maka-walk? Ano to, about face ng wheelchair tapos roll out, ganon? Autobots lang ang peg? Sayang yung dramatic monologue ko bu--- ay binuhat ako ni pogi. Ganda ko tala--

"Maine?"

"Ha?"

"You spaced out again. Umalis na si Lucas."

"Akala ko ba hindi mo na ko bubuhatin?"

"The situation called for it. I made an exception."

"Thanks. Let's start na?"

"In a while. You need to relax first. Yang kunot ng noo mo, andyan pa rin o. Have you had lunch? Padeliver tayo. What do you want?"

"Ha?"

"Ako din, parang gusto ko ng pizza. Yellow Cab na lang? Oo Yellow Cab na lang. Parang gusto ko rin ng Charlie Chan Chicken pasta. Normally I don't drink carbonated stuff pero since today is Exception Day, let's go crazy and have ourselves some ice cold Coke. Yung ice cream din nila masarap. I prefer Pistacchio, ikaw anong gusto mo?"

"Ano?"

"You're right. Parang mas masarap yung Dark Chocolate nila. Sige yun na lang. And potato wedges. Yeah. Potato wedges."

Lord, nasiraan na po yata ng ulo tong therapist ko. Anyayare, Lord? Inferr kanina pa niya ko buhat pero parang dedma lang. Pero teka nga bakit siya yung tarantiterns? Ako yung may dramatic scene kanina pero siya yung apektado. Huy Nicomaine, kalma sa pero. Nakakailan ka na.

"Nicomaine."

"Ay ano, bakit buo? Kulang pa ng Dei. Sagarin mo na."

"Why do you always space out like that? Does it have something to do with your accident? What did your doctors say?"

Woi! Bastos na to. Hindi ako krung krung no?! Masamang mag internal monologue?

"Sorry. Madami lang iniisip. Hindi ka pa ba nabibigatan sakin? You can put me down now. Sa sofa na lang please. Kung di pa naman tayo magstart with today's session. Is that okay?"

"No, it's fine. You barely weigh anything. Could you reach into my back pocket for my phone tho? Tawag na tayo sa Yellow Cab. I skipped lunch kasi. Left pocket. Yan. Thanks."

KUMALMA KA SELF JUSKO. Patigilin mo sa pagsisirko yang matres mo. Ang assuming mo na naman ateng. Hindi porke't ayaw kang ibaba at pinadakma pa sayo yung pwet niya eh till death do us part na ang drama niyo. Wag ganun. Kalma. Hinga. Hambangooo kinginaanak naman po talaga.

"RJ, you can put me down. I'm fine. Really, I'm okay."

"I'm not. Baka hindi pa nakakalayo yung ex mo. If I put you down, I'm liable to run after him and beat him until he can't walk."

Rapunzel, kabahan ka na girl.

"Fine. Can you at least sit down? Ako napapagod for you."

"And I can keep holding on to you?"

"Yes. As long as you need to."

~•~•~•~

"Tapos? Tapos? Anong nangyari after that?"

"Pinaglihi ka talaga sa atat, girl. Sandali kasi. Mahirap kumain at magkwento at the same time."

"Mamaya ka na kasi kumain! Kung singhutin mo yang laksa parang ngayon ka lang nakakain after 48 years."

"Eto turon. Saksak mo muna sa baga mo. Mamaya na muna yung kwento tungkol kay Mister Pogi. Kain muna tayo."

"MENGGAY KASI MAGKWENTO KA MUNA!"

"Hala siya. Ang intense mo bes. Bes meron ka bes? Oy oy ibaba mo yang laksa ko. Dadanak ang taba kapag natapon yan. Fine fine jusko magkukwento na!"

"Sige gow. Spluk na."

"So ayun na nga. We didn't get any exercising done yesterday. Mukha mo o. Bumerde agad. We just talked, Coleen. We finally connected on a personal level. Dami rin palang pinagdaanan ni pogi. And to be fair, it felt good to finally talk about what happened to me and Lucas. I mean I know I talk to you and Ate Niki pero iba kasi nung sa kanya na ko nagkwento. I didn't have to justify my feelings. I didn't have to rationalize my decisions. Nagkwento lang ako. And he listened."

"Tapos gabi na siya umuwi?"

"Madaling araw na actually."

"And all you did was talk? Pahiram nga ng salamin, meron ka ba? Kahit maliit lang. May check lang ako."

"Huh? Meron sa kwarto. Bakit ano iche-check mo?"

"Kung mukha akong pinanganak kahapon."

"Ay o, push! So ikina-witty mo na yan, ganon? Totoo kasi. All we did was talk. We tried watching a movie pero mas peg talaga namin mag-usap. Kaya ayun. Usap and lafang to death. Sabi niya babawi kami today sa exercises. Malamang mamaya mag-aaway na naman kami."

"Puta kasi girl, umayos ka kasi. Let him help you. Help yourself na rin. Walang mangyayari kung magmumukmok ka dito forevs. We miss you alam mo ba yun? We miss our Menggay. Please don't let Lucas take her away from us for good. Oo masakit. Oo unfair. Pero ayan na eh. Nangyari na. You can't keep punishing yourself and everyone around you because you fell in love and trusted the wrong guy."

"Wow. Sinabi ko lang na malamang mag-away kami mamaya ni pogi eh sinapian ka na ni Oprah. He's okay with us fighting. A little anger actually helps daw. Basta walang personalan, keribells lang na magsigawan kaming dalawa."

"Mag sunggaban na lang kasi kayo."

"Ambastos mo rin no? Umalis ka na nga. Parating na yun."

"Weno naman? Mamaya pa kami magkikita ni Mike. I have nowhere that I need to be in the next hour or so. Ditey muna ko."

"Kasi nga. Alis ka na. Mag window sho---"

Bbbzzzzzzt.

"AKO NA MAGBUBUKAS!"

"Huy Coleen kumalma ka nga puta."

"Hi, RJ! Kamusta ka?"

"Hi, Coleen. Hi, Maine. Okay naman."

"Paalis na rin si Coleen."

"Utot mo, hindi no. Mama--- hala.. ahm RJ ano yang nasa leeg mo?"

"Ha? Sa leeg ko? Insekto ba? Ketchup? Baka nalagyan kasi nag drive thru ako for chicken nug---"

"Your ketchup looks suspiciously like a hickey."

"Ha?"

"Talked lang pala all night ha? Usap at lafang lang ba kamo, Menggay?"

Kapag sinasagasaan ko kaya tong si Coleen nitong wheelchair maco-comatose rin kaya to? Tangina.