Chapter 4
I was busy watching basketball on tv when my phone rang.
BZZZZZZZZZT! BZZZZZZZZT!
‘Manager Julie Calling…’ napangiti ako when I saw her wacky face flashing on my phone’s screen.
“Yes manager?” I said as I answered the phone.
“Muppet, may photoshoot ka today right? Then you have—“
“Yup! Photoshoot then guesting sa Startalk then technical rehearsals after. You coming with me ba?” I asked.
“No. Busy sa shop ngayon eh. I have a lot of orders and madaming tao today.”
“Aww. But I want you to come.” I whined.
“Hoy! Para kang bata diyan. Mag-ayos ka na, ha. I’ll hung up na. Tatapusin ko pa yung mga orders ngayon eh.” and she did hung up.
“Daya talaga nun.” I said. I went to my bedroom and fixed my things tapos naligo na ako and got dressed then I went to the location of our photoshoot.
*****
“Ma’am tumawag po si Mrs. Ramirez. Bale, yung junior cake daw po pinapagawa niyang dalawa na. Then she also added 25 pieces of chocolate cupcakes.” Jana said.
“Okay sige. Uhm, Gina?” I called Gina my assistant.
“Po?”
“Ikaw na dun sa cupcakes ni Mrs. Ramirez okay?”
“Sige po, ma’am.” she replied and went back to work.
“Uhm, Ma’am si Ms. Maqui po nasa labas.” Jana said.
“Huh? Osige. Pasabi wait lang ha?” I said. Tumango naman siya and went back to the front of the shop. I washed my hands at saka na lumabas ng kitchen.
“Julieeeee!!” Maqui said and waved at me.
“Hi Maq.” I greeted her and kissed her cheek. “Napadaan ka?” I asked.
“Well, yung client ko kasi malapit lang dito so I decided to drop by lang.” she said. “Anong ginagawa mo girl? More more pa sa flour sa hair ah. Eww! Ang gusang!” she teased me habang pinapagpag ang hair ko.
“Tsk. Busy kasi kami eh. Daming orders. Ewan ko ba anong meron this month! Puro parties.” I rant.
“Hahaha. Need help? Wala na kong gagawin today. Free na ko and Gino’s with Derrick and Kris sa gym naman so di kami magkikita ngayon.”
“Hm. Okay lang ba?” I asked her.
“Ay! Let’s go bake them cupcakes!!” she said sabay hatak sa akin pabalik ng kitchen.
I’m glad Maqui came. Napadali kasi ang trabaho. Buti na lang talaga she’s great in baking din. We even finished early kaya nadeliver ng mas maaga yung orders and we received happy feedbacks from our regular costumers.
“Kapagod.” I said nang makaupo kami ni Maqui sa office ko. She nodded and sipped from the frappe she made herself.
“Bakit nga pala biglang uwi ka kagabi?” she asked.
“Inantok na ko nun eh. Grabe pagod ko din kahapon. Hahaha.” She nodded in agreement.
“Nga pala, Jules. Naloka ako kay Sam ha? Di ko ineexpect yun. Hahahaha.”
“Oo! Ayan. Kakareto mo saken, gagawin mo pa kong kabit.” I told her and threw a crumpled paper at her.
“Hahaha. I didn’t know okay?! Malay ko bang soon-to-be married na pala yung siraulong yun. Eh last time I checked, single and ready to mingle siya.” she said.
“Weh? Kailan mo chineck? 4 years ago?” I asked.
“No! Mga… 5? Hahahahahaha.”
“Ewan ko sayo, Frencheska!” sabi ko.
“Hahaha. Pero maiba tayo. Si muppet ba nagpunta sa inyo after the party?” she asked me.
“Oo. Nambulabog kaninang 2am.” I said. She looked at me with that sheepish smile plastered on her face. “Nothing happened, Maq.” I said.
“Oh! Bakit defensive?!” she said sabay tawa.
“Because I know that look, Maqui. Kilala kita when it comes to Elmo hanging out at my place at night.” I said.
“Alam mo kasi, I don’t believe na walang something sa inyo eh.” she said.
“Ha? Maq, seryoso. Wala talaga.”
“Ito Julie observation lang ha?” she said and I nodded. “Isipin mo kasi, bakit hindi siya nagssettle sa isang babae kung wala naman siyang ibang mahal diba? Teka. Medyo magulo. Ganito. Hindi kaya may mahal na siya pero hindi niya kayang aminin sa sarili niya kaya he tries going out with different girls?” she said.
“Impossible. Elmo Magalona, inlove with someone? Maq, di mangyayari yun.”
“Sino ba talaga bestfriend dito? Eh parang mas kilala ko pa si Elmo kaysa sayo eh.” sabi niya sabay sandal sa couch. “Ito pa, bakit kapag nakikita ka niya, he has that sparkle in his eyes and yung ngiti niya 360° ang peg sa sobrang lapad?! Don’t tell me dahil bestfriends lang kayo ha. Sapakin kita dyan eh. Tayo bestfriends din, pero di naman tayo ganyan sa isa’t isa ah. Sina Jmee and Sef, bestfriends din pero di sila ganyan. As in, namumukod tangi kayo ni Elmo na ganyan!” she said.
“Maq, wala lang siguro talaga yun. He’s Elmo. Ganun talaga siya.” I told her as I played with my pen.
“Pero ikaw hindi.”
*****
“I was buying flowers for my mom’s birthday when I saw this girl. She’s very pretty. Black, shiny hair. Skin as white as milk, and a body that can wow anyone.” I heard my co-model say while he’s doing his vtr for the Valentine Special of Candy Mag. “But I didn’t get to know her name.” He added. After niya sa vtr ay bumalik na siya sa chair niya. He did the ‘hey’ nod when he saw me and I did the same. Di na ko nakalapit sa kanya kasi ako na next for the vtr.
“Okay, Elmo. Just say something about love.” the editor-in-chief said. I nodded and started collecting my thoughts.
“Okay in 3…2…1!” the camera guy said.
After ko, I went to the make-up section to rest. Wala naman nang gagawin except for a few more shots then uuwi na.
“Uy bro!” my co-model said.
“Dude!” I greeted him and we even did our handshake. “Musta?” I asked.
“Ito. Okay naman. Ikaw? Tagal tayo di nagkasabay dito ah.” He said and sat back on his chair.
“Hahaha. Yeah. Hectic kasi eh. But I’m good.” I replied.
“That’s good.” He said. I looked at him and saw that he was busy with his phone. Baka naglalaro. “Tsk. Should’ve asked her name.” I heard him say to himself.
“Ha? You were saying?” I asked.
“Huh? W-wala. I was just looking at this.” He said and showed me a picture on his phone. I loked closely and saw that it was a blurred picture of a girl.
“Sino yan dude?” I asked.
“I don’t know, pare. Pero I saw her earlier sa flower shop. Birthday ni mom ngayon and I went to buy her flowers tapos nakasabay ko siya sa cashier. She’s very pretty, dude. Angelic face. Big brown doll-like eyes, full red lips, and dude, sexy! Grabe. Kaya lang when I was about to ask her name, wala na siya. And there. Yan lang napicturan ko.” He narrated. I took his phone and looked closely at the picture.
The girl was wearing a black top, faded jeans, and her hair down. I stared at it for a long time. Then I looked at the car in the picture. It was a red Volvo S40 and it looked really familiar to me. Could it be? No. It can’t kasi hindi lang naman siya ang may kotse na ganyan. But still, my heart started beating fast. As if I ran 20 laps around the oval.
“Bakit dude? Do you know her?” he asked.
“Di eh. Uhm… Labas muna ko, Quen ha?”
“Ha? Okay bro.” he said. I walked out of the studio and went to the balcony of the building.
“It can’t be… No hindi pwede.” I said to myself as I paced back and forth. “Hindi talaga!” I criedd and even ruffled my hair. “Pero…” I just couldn’t believe it. Could it really be her? Pero imposible! Pero, posible din.
“Si Julie?”
