Epic Love (Triangle)

Chapter 14

The kiss could very well pass for a dream when, upon leaving for Japan, Peter was back again to being a 'friend'.

It's okay. It made the guilt less bearable, that perhaps we were just drawn into the moment. We celebrated the success of the play with a round of drinks there at Java's, and with Peter and Lily in a discussion that I knew nothing of, I chastised myself for what happened at the back stage, and pretended like I was not the least bit affected.

Even when the two of them saw me off at the airport I was not looking Peter in the eye, and he seemed to have gone shy on me, too. He merely looked at me when I finally had to leave for the departure area. Lily gave me a smack; I gave her a hug in return. With Peter I merely saluted, grinning as if nothing happened at the back stage.

A big liar and a great pretender.

That I am.

***

I so like the sound of new wave.

I must be what, not even born when New Wave was the hottest, when Brits were hailed the best singers of all, when Retro seemed like some manic trend set by the Americans in an effort to be as popular as new wave's familiar drums. Imagine my gladness when, while vacationing in a peaceful Japanese town, I heard the blast of new wave songs being played medley on a nearby club, and I became one of the usual sights there when 6pm hits and my parents are on their 'save our love' dating spree.

I loved new wave since, and I recounted all the songs I'd learned to Peter on our everyday-skype-calls.

"I like chopin..." I would sing to him one time, "love me now and again... oh, rainy days..."

"It's a sunny day here, Shan. 'Wag ka magpaulan." Peter intercepted.

"You. KJ as usual. Keep on being like that and I'd swear, hindi ko ibibigay sa 'yo car stereo na binili ko. Hah! It cost me, what, fifty dollars lang naman and now it'll be stuck in my cabinet for lord knows how long."

I heard Peter sigh at the other end. "Sing me your favorite."

I beamed. "No way. You say please first."

"Shanni..."

"Fine. Magpapala-bunutan na lang ako sa school. Piso premyo car stereo."

"Okay, Okay, please. Geezus. I can afford ten of that, Shan."

"Then why do you want it?"

"It's the thought that counts," Peter was laughing now.

Okay. Don't point out how I glowed at that.

"Has Lily returned already?" I'd ask him then, to which Peter would reply, "Not yet, Shan. Must be having fun in Paris. She'd waited all her life to be there."

Feeling sorry for him I'd stop asking what he was doing to keep himself busy, for Peter seemed more interested in my stories than telling me his. Then Peter would tell me where in Japan I should not go home and missed seeing, as he happened to be there only two years ago with his cousins.

When I wasn't on the phone him, I was chatting with him on the net, that I had a fair idea what Peter was doing in his side of the world.

Alone. Probably glued to his iPad. There was never a time he wasn't online, even when he was on cell phone with me. And as always, I prevented myself from sounding like a Nanay who harps 'kamusta na ang baby ko? Wawa ka naman diyan.'

Lily called me once only, and that was the night of my departure back to Manila.

"Lily-baby!" Yap, I had gotten so used to Lily's style of speaking I was almost sounding like her. "Why naman ngayon ka lang tumawag? Kaw ha. Tampo na si Lolo Peter, ayaw lang pahalata. Have you called him?"

"Not yet, Shan, eh." Lily's smooth voice drawled from Paris. "I know tampo siya sa 'kin. We had a fight nga bago ko pumunta dito. Are you home already?"

"No. Tomorrow. Still here in Japan and I'm bored out of my wits na." I giggled. "When are you coming back?"

"Another week pa siguro. Oh, Shan, this place is so fucking fabulous! I bought these dresses from a bazaar and they're so exotic and so chic I couldn't wait to wear them to school. And Shan, I bought you some cool outfits, now, don't you dare tell me you'd stick to your lousy tops! I'd make sure you'd wear them to school." Lily laughed when I groaned. "Silly, I know naman your style. These are not so sexy. Unlike mine-" and Lily raved on about her latest purchases that made me wonder if the woman knows she was burning money while on call with me.

That's what I loved about Lily. My devil-may-care big sister in the past.

But then Lily's tone turned from excited to dreamy, and it was then I realized she was talking not of 'what' anymore, but 'who'.

" - don't say a word to Gabi please ha? I know I'm being a bitch here, but he's just so romantic, so larger-than-life that I can't help but date him a few more times." Lily must have sensed my silence on the other end that she added hastily, "But don't worry Shan. I love Gabi very much. This is going to be over before I fly back there. Secret natin 'to ha?"

Roberto. The name is Roberto, Lily's fling in Paris. (What's with Paris anyway? Look at Carlo and Vivian, the lovers in Paris, leaving a cute but hurting Martin in the process. Hmp!)

And although the call was long ended, I was still there stunned and unmoved by my couch overlooking Mount Fuji.

What the hell is happening?