A & M Imagines

Perfect Strangers

"Have you ever had that feeling of just wanting to run away from everything?" She breathed out as the cool Tagaytay air fanned her face.

"Uhm...are you–"

"Kasi sometimes I do, for the past few weeks, I do. You know, pack and leave. Go anywhere."

"M–"

"Nakakapagod na kasi eh. They all have these expectations of me. They want me to do this, do that. I'm left with no other choice but follow them. All my life I've been saying yes to everything, as in EVERYTHING, they want me to do. This is becoming so frustrating." She finally looked at him and oh boy, did she have a pair of beautiful eyes.

"Sorry, creepy ba? Me talking by myself? I was actually talking to you but you seem to be uninterested since you don't respond." She continued looking at him and he couldn't find it in himself to answer back. He just kept on looking at those beautiful doe eyes.

"Hello! Earth to you!" She waved her hand in front of his face bringing him out of his reverie.

"Sorry, you were saying something?" He finally said.

"Grabe. Am I that uninteresting? Kanina pa ako nagsasalita wala ka palang narinig? Hahaha" Oh God her laugh. It sounds like his favorite song on repeat.

"Ha? No, no. I was listening to you. I was just momentarily distracted. Sorry."

Uy, ang gwapo niya pag naka ngiti. May dimple bes. Wait lang. Kalma self. Sipain kita diyan eh.

"So you were saying? You said you wanted to run away." Now she was the one distracted.

"Oh? Ah yeah."

"Bakit naman?"

"I feel like I don't hold my life anymore. Like this life, whatever I have, isn't mine. I feel like a dog who has to follow her master's orders. I can't make decisions for myself. I can't do what I want to do with my life. I want to go somewhere I can be myself without anyone telling me what to do."

"Maybe they just want what's best for you."

"I get that. I know that. But they're not helping. What I need is encouragement. Alam mo yun? Motivation, ganoin. I don't need them shoving things in my mouth. And you know...I feel sad that they don't have that confidence in me, in my abilities. Mababa na ang self esteem ko as it is, I don't need them to damage it further. Alam mo yung feeling na you're already feeling weak and they'll say things just to weaken you further. Instead of saying words of encouragement, they say the opposite? Thank you na lang. I already have too many pessimistic thoughts on my plate."

"I actually get you. You're trying to find yourself and the last thing you need is the pressure coming from them. You want to do the things that will truly make you happy, things that will make you want to stay, make  you want to fight for it because it is what you've been waiting for all your life. You know, that feeling when you're finally doing something right."

"Exactly! Finally! Somebody gets it! Let's have a round of applause for this gentleman! C'mon Ate, Kuya palakpakan natin siya."

This woman sure is something else. Hahahaha

"Seriously, thank you. You just don't know how I've longed for someone to finally get me. Yung maiintindihan 'tong nirarant ko. And I'm sorry for burdening you with these...?"

"RJ."

"Hi RJ, I'm Maine. Sorry ha ang dami ko nang sinabi hindi pa tayo magkakakilala. You might be trying to find peace and here I am pestering you with my life dilemma."

"No worries, Maine. I actually liked listening to you. Gets naman kita eh." He smiled his boyish smile.

"So what brings you here in this small haven?"

"Same as you."

"Wow, please do tell me more. Wala na bang ihahaba yung sagot mo? C'mon RJ!"

"Hahahaha. Eto naman. Nagmo-moment pa nga eh. Atat naman masyado marinig problema ko."

"Dali na kasi dami pang arte. Artista ka ba? Pwede ka, gwapo ka naman."

"Gwapo ako?" RJ smirked.

"Let me roll my eyes for a sec...talagang yun ang nag register sa lahat ng sinabi ko? And duh? I have eyes. Of course, I can see how good looking you are." Oh my God did his ears just turned red? Cute. Hihi

"Well it's not really a problem. Today's the day I lost my mom. It's a very tough day for me kaya I go to this little piece of heaven. I've been coming here for nine years now."

"Sorry..."

"Why are you apologizing? Hindi mo naman alam. It's okay."

"No, I feel so stupid having that rant. It pales in comparison to what you're feeling right now."

"Maine, don't ever feel stupid for feeling. Natural yan, ano ka ba. Iba iba ang struggle natin sa buhay so you can't say that mine's bigger than yours."

"You're so nice."

"Not really. I'm just telling the truth. Kaya nga nandito tayo sa small heaven na sinasabi mo di ba? Kasi each of us has different struggles. We want to breathe even for just a little while."

"Where were you when I needed someone like you?"

"Probably sitting on this park bench waiting for you."

"That was smooth."

"Talaga ba? Thanks. Hahahahahaha"

"Tuwang tuwa ka ha. First time? Hahahaha"

"Actually."

"Utot mo blue. Maniwala. Sa gwapo mong yan?"

"Gwapo ako pero hindi ako magaling sa mga ganyan."

"Whooh! Confident ka sa part na yun ah. Hahahaha"

"Ikaw nagsabi na gwapo ako eh!"

"Oo nga! Ang cute mo. Hahahahaha"

"Kanina gwapo lang, cute naman ngayon. Ano ako tuta?"

"Pwede rin. Hahahaha"

"Kung ako tuta, ikaw pusa!"

"Bakit pusa?"

"Yung tawa mo parang pusang hinihika. Hahahaha"

"Ay, grabe sya oh. Puro ako compliment sayo tapos ganyan ka."

"Sinabi ko bang pangit?"

"Bakit, maganda bang pakinggan ang pusang hinihika?

"Pag ikaw, oo."

"And you say you're not good with these."

"Hindi nga. Hindi naman kasi bola eh. Ang sarap kaya pakinggan ng tawa mo."

"Alam mo baka masabunutan na lang ako dito ha."

"Ha? Bakit?"

"Baka may sumugod or anything."

"Wala. Walang susugod sayo. Safe ka. Pano ako? Baka ako hindi safe ha."

"Timang. Safe na safe ka. Unless na yung aso ko ang sumugod sayo. Hahahahaha."

"Good."

"Ha?"

"About you running away. Do you want to run away with me?"

"Where are we going?"

"There's this coffee shop that I go to every time I'm here. Malapit lang naman siya. Want to have some coffee and some cake too, if you like?"

"Yeah, sure."

They walk side by side to his car to continue their conversation inside a small coffee shop with thoughts of running away and years worth of pain forgotten. ❤️

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Walang kwenta po di ba? Hahahaha. So there you go. An update. Just thought of writing this out of nowhere. Thank you for reading! 😊