“So how was your date?” Angel asked Sarah that night.
Si Sarah at Angel ay matalik na magkaibigan since college. At dahil sa sobrang close ay tinuturing na nila ang isa’t isa na parang tunay na kapatid. Ang mga magulang ni Sarah at nag-iisang kapatid na lalaki ay nasa probinsya kung saan ang kanilang pamilya ay may ekta-ektaryang Mango farm. Kaya naman right after college, Angel and Sarah decided to share an apartment. Nung mga panahon na may pinagdadaanan si Sarah ay si Angel ang kanyang naging karamay. Angel knows what Sarah went through and swore not to let anything or anyone hurt her again.
Halos isang taon na rin ang nakalipas nang pumanaw si Luis. At simula noon ay naging matamlay na si Sarah. Hindi na s’ya halos lumalabas para maglakwatsa maliban na lamang kung si Angel ang kasama. But the past few days, Angel noticed a sudden change in her friend. There are moments when she would catch her deep in thought but with a smile on her face. Wala naman nababanggit pa noon ang kaibigan kaya she didn’t assume anything. Kaya naman when Sarah mentioned that she was going out for coffee with a friend after their meeting, iba ang naramdaman ni Angel. Pinilit n’yang pagkwentuhin ang kaibigan kung sino ang kasama nitong lumabas. At first Sarah just kept saying that the friend is one of her student’s guardians who’s volunteering for the retreat. Hindi s’ya nagbabanggit ng pangalan, ni hindi man lang sabihin kung ito ay babae o lalaki. Pero dahil sa kakakulit ni Angel ay nadulas din ito. “It’s just coffee and I made it clear to him that it’s not a date,” ang sabi nito. Angel was so happy to find out that her friend has agreed to go out with another person aside from her, more so because it’s with a guy. Hindi n’ya tinigilan si Sarah hanggang hindi ito nagkwento. At nang banggitin na Gerald ang pangalan ng kanyang bagong kaibigan ay napansin ni Angel that there was a momentary twinkle in her eye – something that she has not seen since Luis passed away.
“I told you it’s a not date,” Sarah retaliated.
“O s’ya, sige na. Hindi na date. Kamusta ang pag-inom mo ng kape kasama ang bagong friend mo?”
“Okay naman.”
“That’s it? Okay naman? Wala bang kwento ‘yan?”
“We ordered coffee and cake. We talked a little tapos hinatid n’ya ako pauwi. That’s it.”
“Wait! Pumayag kang magpahatid dito sa bahay?”
“Ang kulit eh. Ayaw pumayag na hindi ako ihatid. Hindi daw ako bababa ng sasakyan n’ya kung hindi sa tapat ng bahay ko.”
“Oooh. I like his style ha.”
“Ano ka ba? Wala ‘yun. He’s just being a gentleman.”
