Drive-Thru

The Three Women: Kendra

Jenrick left three women for the same reasons he loved them.

The first one, Kendra, was sweet. She was charming. Ito ang kauna-unahang babae na minahal niya nang lubusan, hindi iyong lilipas din. Gustong-gusto niya na palagi itong tumatawa sa mga jokes niya, kahit minsan corny.

She even said, "Hindi naman 'yon corny. The fact na you made an effort to make me laugh... that's something else."

He felt an unfamiliar thump. Ang akala niya, gusto niya lang ang presensya ng babae. Akala niya, masaya lang ito kasama. At isang gabi, hindi niya mapigilan ang isipan sa kakaisip kay Kendra.

"Dan dan dan, dalandan..." he find himself singing the song. Kendra slapped his shoulder. "Bakit ba?"

"I hate and love that song!" she pouted. Bigla na lang niyang pinisil ang mga pisngi nito dahil hindi na niya napigilan ang sarili. "Stop it!"

"You're so cute."

"Uh huh. And pigs fly."

He sipped at her milktea. She slapped his shoulder. "May milktea ka naman, nakikiinom ka pa sa 'kin!"

"Ang sarap ng reaaaaaal!" He laughed.

Her phone rang. Nag-play ang Nesfruta commercial sa phone nito. Kendra's face was as red as the walls in the milktea shop. She hid her face under her bag at the side. Hindi matigil sa kakatawa si Jenrick.

"Answer it!"

"Never, unless you stop laughing!"

He didn't notice time was flowing when he was with her.

"Gabi na pala..." she whispered. They were at the front of the milktea shop. Parang masigla pa rin ang pulang kulay ng milktea shop kahit na umuulan. "And, wala akong payong."

"Too bad, ako rin wala." Ni bag nga, wala siyang dala, e. "Maghihintay ba tayo, or take the plunge?"

"What's the point of waiting? Mababasa rin naman tayo!" And she dragged him into the rain. Their hands met. Ito na naman. The unfamiliar thump. He wasn't sure if she feels the same too, but what's important is that they're together, under the rain.

After a few seconds, they were catching their breaths. Mukhang hindi pa titila ang ulan. They walked. Napansin kaya nito? sa isip niya. Their hands were still intertwined.

"Alam mo ba, magkakasakit tayo nito," she began.

"So?"

"Wala, sinasabi ko lang." She laughed. He smiled.

"Hindi naman 'yung mangyayari kung hindi ko hahayaan."

"So ano'ng gusto mong sabihin? Ipapasa ko ang sakit ko?"

"Pwede."

"How?"

They stopped in front of a bench, near a lamppost. May ilang dumadaan na may payong. But when they walked in the pavement, it was as if the people stopped walking there. Hinawi nila ang mga tao. Some people eyed them curiously.

Lumapit siya sa tenga ng babae. Kailangan niyang pigilan ang sarili. Pero, hindi niya kaya. Tuwing kasama niya si Kendra, tila hindi niya mapigilan ang sarili. Hindi niya kailangang pekein ang mga aksyon at nararamdaman. Hindi niya kailangang magkompromiso.

"If you would just let me..." love you. He stopped midway. The rain suddenly stopped. "Wala nang ulan."

"Don't worry," she assured. "We'll have another time for this." And he thinks her smile was the reason why the rain stopped. It must've swooped the clouds away.

But they didn't. The chance of walking in the rain again didn't come again. He thought, aamin na siya kung mangyayari ulit iyon.

The dates continued. She was still amazing. She topnotched all her exams! Kaya nilibre niya ito, kahit na dapat si Kendra ang manlibre. Siya naman, hindi naman nag-topnotch. Konting pilit na lang.

"You know, ice cream is my ultimate comfort food," she muttered before fulling her mouth with ice cream.

"Halata nga."

"As in! Last sem, nakaisang litro ako kasi sobrang stressed ako nun sa pagrereview. Best night! But afterwards, pinagsisihan ko na."

"Bakit? Was it so good you bought another one at naubos na ang pera mo?"

"No," she whispered. "It was too good that I went sick after. Mabuti na lang, kinaya ko pang mag-exam kundi magfifinals ako."

He didn't remember the same words until one night, when he was crying.

Sinabunutan niya ang sarili. Bakit nga ba siya umiiyak? Nakita niya si Kendra, may kasamang lalaki. She was animatedly talking to the guy. Napaisip siya, Ganoon rin ba siya kung kinakausap niya ako? He was so near the both of them, she saw her eyes sparkle.

He recalled all the instances he was with her and their eyes met. Her eyes did not sparkle like that. Her eyes with that man was saying, "This is it. He's the one." Parang nahanap na ang tamang icing sa ibabaw ng cupcake nito.

Was she too good that he didn't notice, he was deeply falling? Madly falling in love? Does falling in love involve crying--wailing, even? He was so fixated on being with her and he didn't notice that she wasn't feeling the same. He was so focused on his happiness.

All that matters for him is that he was with her. She was the drug he needs to stay alive.

Napaisip pa siya nang malalim, what if ganoon lang talaga ang personality nito? What if from the very start, wala naman talagang pag-asa? What if...

And so, he left her.

The dates stopped. The texts and calls stopped. He never showed himself to her.

He was consumed by the feeling that she doesn't love him. He jumped into conclusions. He never knew Kendra's side, until a few years later when he met Khristine.