After the "CUT!"

Hope

"Teka, wait, balik! What do you mean by walking alone, out in the streets, at this hour?"

He must have misheard her. He was so preoccupied with re-arranging his schedule on Saturday so that they could have a date night, he must have not heard her correctly. She could not be thinking of taking this challenge to heart to the point of roaming around the streets of Metro Manila at this hour. It's almost 8 in the evening for God's sake.

Maine just rolled her eyes upon hearing RJ's frantic question. She knows that she doesn't have his full attention, what with Leysam always keeping her posted with the 'ganaps' about him. No, she is neither stalking him nor she requested for Leysam to do so – he is just being a good kuya to her by reporting everything, and somewhat a bully kuya to RJ.

"It's exactly what I meant Babe. I will walk out in the streets in my taong grasa costume, alone, at this hour. Well technically not alone kasi susundan naman ako ng van. Pero you get what I mean. And it's just for a couple of hours tops."

"Nicomaine..."

Headache. Yes, that's what he has now. Whilst he understand her point, it frustrates him to no end as well. His girl is not aware of the dangers this mini social experiment entails. She's so positive and enthusiastic, he is this close to tearing out his hair because of frustration.

"Ay whole name na. Richard, please understand. I'm already in my costume and the opportunity is too golden para sayangin. It will just be a for a couple of hours. Sige na please Babe. At sa dumi kong ito, sure walang makakakilala sakin."

She needs to do this, she wants to do this. When she said before that this is one of her dream roles, taong grasa, she was neither lying nor saying it just for kicks. She really wants to do this. She always wondered how it will feel to be in their shoes, or lack thereof. She's seen a lot of them in the streets but she's wants to know if there's more to them than the pitiful, most of the time disgusted, stares that they get from a lot of people. No, she is not a saint and will never claim that she is not one of those who ignored them before but there must be something more to them other than being 'parasites' the society coined them to be.

"Babe please sige na. I won't do it if you say no, but I would be forever grateful if pumayag ka. Sige na please."

This girl will be the death of him, her and her lack of self-preservation. Yes she will be in full costume, and yes the possibility of people recognizing her is close to zero... but there is still a possibility. The world is not a safe playground for people with good heart like her, a lot of things could happen - bad things. He is worried, no one can blame him for that. Letting her do this will probably give him mini heart attacks for the next hour or so until he knows that she is back safely in her condo unit, but he has to let her make her own decisions

"Hay naku Menggay. Tatanda ako ng maaga sayo. Sige sige, payag na ako."

"YAY thank yo---"

"PERO, wag ka muna magtatalon diyan, PERO at most 2 hours lang and you will have someone following you close by. As in really close, pakibigay please yun phone kay Ate Pat kakausapin ko sandali."

"Yay! Thank you Love! I'll see you later. Ate Patchyyyy kakausapin ka daw."

"Oh nadamay nanaman ako diyan."

After 3 hours...

He can't sleep, she hasn't replied to his messages yet. Her last text was 2 hours ago when they were on they're way to their last location, nothing after that. The worry that he was feeling earlier is starting to turn into full blown panic now, he has bombarded her with text messages but all has been left unanswered. She's not picking her up his calls too. He is at the end of his wits.