My Greatest What If - Moira Gokongwei (Published)

Chapter 2

"Yes, I am biologically a female..." Gio said.

I realized that my jaw had dropped and I closed my mouth with a snap. "Ahhh..." I smiled widely at her.

Potek, paano ko ba i-re-refer ito, him, her, or...susko, kaloka!

"Ahhh, what?"

"Ah...ha...ha...ha..." I awkwardly laughed. I knew that I shouldn't have. I found it weird and rude that I did. I wasn't even certain what I was laughing about. But it came out that way and I sounded like a dying hyena even to my own ears. I immediately stopped and cleared my throat.

"Nagulat ka ba?" she asked.

I nodded. "Pero, bakit malalim boses mo?"

"I was born with this voice."

I'm beautiful in my way, 'cause God makes no mistake, I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way—lintek, Lady Gaga, tumahimik ka! I silently chastised myself as I continued to smile at her.

"You can leave if you're not comfortable," she remarked.

She was smiling. But, something in the way her jaw clenched and her eyes turned a darker shade of brown made me realize that she somehow expected the rejection – that she was used to the rejection. The thought broke my heart.

"Gan'un? Alis na ako kaagad, hindi man lang ako kakain?" I asked lightly.

She blinked at me before she laughed softly. "Oo nga naman, how rude of me. Okay lang ba sa'yo 'yung in-order ko because if not, pwede naman tayong mag-order ng iba."

"Keri na 'yun. Kahit ano kakainin ko kasi gutom na gutom na talaga ako. Kung may ibinibenta nga silang isang buong baka rito, baka 'yun ang in-order ko at mapapasubo ka pa," I said.

She chuckled. "Kung meron lang silang buong baka rito ay 'yun ang kukunin ko para sa'yo. But, anyway, enjoy your food. Ayaw kong abalahin 'yung meal mo kaya aalis na ako. Didiretso rin kasi ako sa office. Tumawag si Daddy, may kailangan daw akong asikasuhin. Pasensya na because I kept you waiting."

She gracefully rose to her feet and I did the same. "O, bakit ka tumayo?" she asked.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out. "I'm sorry because I was rude earlier, nagulat lang talaga ako. Wala ka man lang kasing pasabi, medyo na-tongue-tied ako sa kagandahan, I mean, kagwapuhan mo. Pasensya naman, tao lang, nagkakamali. Please, don't leave. Magkuwentuhan tayo tulad ng pagdadaldalan natin araw-araw sa telepono. O, kung ayaw mong makipag-usap, samahan mo na lang akong kumain. Please? Gio naman, eh. Sorry na nga."

"Sigurado ka, okay lang sa'yong kumain na nandito ako?"

"Bakit, may balak ka bang mang-agaw ng plato?" I asked.

She laughed before she motioned for me to sit down. "Mas baliw ka pala sa personal," she said before taking a seat, too.

She nodded curtly at the waiter standing near our table and he bowed his head then left.

"So..." she started to say. "Kumusta ka na?"

"Sosyal, kukumustahin mo ako na para bang hindi tayo nag-uusap gabi-gabi, ano?"

"Hindi ko alam kung ano ang sasabihin. Actually, I memorized last night what I was going to tell you, how our conversation was going to flow, how it was going to end but...nakalimutan ko na lahat ng kinabisado ko kagabi."

"Gan'un ako kaganda?"

"Bumabanat ka, ah."

"Ganda nga lang meron ako, eh, pagbigyan mo na," I kidded and she laughed again. "Sige, simulan natin sa kumustahan. Heto ako gutom, tumakas lang kasi ako sa bahay. Alam mo naman, modern Cinderella ang datingan ng aking buhay."