Classes for the day were finally over.
Maine headed out, with the rest of the student body, straight to the gates. However, there was a crowd gathered by the entrance and it was causing everyone difficulty to pass through.
Ugh. Ano ba yan. Ano ba nangyayari? She complained silently. She just wanted to go home because her monthly cramps were getting worse by the minute.
She scanned the crowd for possible ways to get through, when she heard someone say, "Si Alden Richards? Nandito?"
"Oo, Girl! Ang gwapo pala!"
Maine scanned the crowd trying to find him, which was not too difficult because he towered over most anyway. He was standing by the gates, apologizing for the commotion he has caused. "May hinihintay lang po ako. Ate, wag po tayo diyan nakakaharang tayo sa mga estudyante."
At that moment, he turned and saw her. He waved and raised the brown paper bag he brought.
Just like the Red Sea did for Moses, the crowd parted leading Maine to him. The people slowly dispersed but none went too far from them; everyone seemed enamored with the two stars, who had supposedly broken up, but were still very much in their own little world at that moment.
"Hi! Why are you here?"
"Malapit lang dito yung location ng shoot, tapos I saw a ramen place so binilhan na kita. I had an inkling around this time na yung dinosaur natin?"
"Ha? Paano mo alam?"
He pulled out his phone. "When we were switched, hindi ko alam how long tayong ganun so I downloaded a Menstruation & Ovulation app to track. Para hindi naman ako magulat kapag nagising akong dinudugo na naman ako."
She laughed. "Hindi nga?!"
"Oo! So, tinatrack ko na. This also tells me kung kelan ka mas fertile para alam ko kung kelan ang pinakamagandang timing para buntisin ka."
Her eyes widened. "Huy baka may makarinig sayo!"
He walked her to her car when he noticed she already started clutching her mid-section. "Sabi naman ni Lola, kung hindi sayo, wag na lang akong magkaanak. Alam mo naman kung gaano ko ka-gusto magka-baby, di ba? Think of it as your public service to me kung papayag ka na magka-baby tayo."
"Alam mo, ikaw, wala ka ng ibang sinabi kundi puro harot since naghiwalay tayo. Yan lang ba talaga habol mo?"
"Hindi ha! Kaya lang ang hirap tanggalin sa isip kung gaano ka-sexy yung katawan mo - ko -"
"HOY! You said you didn't look!"
"I didn't! But I took a bath. And a shower. Sometimes multiple times a day -"
"RJ!"
"And I made sure that your body - I mean my body - was clean! No libag sa singit. Alam mo na."
"Wala naman talaga akong libag!"
"Wala nga, but I had to make sure and I had to keep it that way. So, I cleaned EVERYTHING."
"Gago ka."
"Bakit? Mas gusto mo na pagbalik mo sa katawan mo may hadhad ka na?"
"Rj," Maine said, while she settled in the backseat. "Bakit ba napunta na sa hadhad yung usapan natin?"
"Hahahahaha! Hindi ko alam - yung singit mo kasi - I mean, sorry! Ibibigay ko lang naman talaga yung ramen."
"Suskopo. Ang panget na follow up ng ramen sa hadhad."
Alden laughed. "Oo nga. Sorry! Sorry! O, Manong ingat sa pagdrive pauwi ha. Meng, text mo ko pag dating mo."
"Hindi mo ako sasamahan?"
"I have to go back sa shoot." He explained, looking truly remorseful.
"Sige. Ingat ka din ha? Thank you sa pag visit and sa food."
"Welcome. Next time ako naman dalawin mo ha."
"Bakit? Magkakaron ka ba?"
He laughed. "Sige na. See you!"
***
She was getting a headache.
Maine was brainstorming with her teammates about the story and the characters they were planning to write and they were at an impasse on the male lead.
She was pushing for a good guy - the type you would marry. "He doesn't have to be perfect, but won't it be nice to have a genuinely good guy through and through? Ang dami na diyan kwento na may dark side yung tao, baka yung sa atin pwedeng wala."
"Maine, that's one boring story. No one wants to see a good guy." Said one.
"Ano yun? Mabait sa simula, then all the trials, in the end mabait pa din?" Asks another.
"Yes!"
"Maine, for one, walang ganun. Two, hindi mabebenta yang ganyang movie. Ang boring!"
"They're right. Even in romcoms, you want the bad guy who turns good or the good guy but will break some rules to woo the girl! You should know, you left Alden, di ba? For being such a good guy?"
Maine frowned. "What?!"
"He's your 'good guy through and through'. Ikaw na din nagkwento, he wouldn't ditch meetings just to do something to sweep you off your feet. Good guys are not the most appealing, especially as a movie lead."
That thought nagged Maine the whole night. Were they right? That there was a disconnect in wanting a good, responsible guy to fall in love with, but wanting that same guy to stay by your side and forget work when you're sick? Or wanting that guy to take on and fight the world for you instead of just choosing to still be kind to people who may or may not deserve it?
And can you expect him to still be that good, responsible fellow after you've given him such a difficult time with it and left him instead of trying to work it out?
She reaized that she had that good man. One who beat all the odds, came out on top and remained humble. He was far from perfect but his sense of responsibility, humility and kindness cannot be questioned.
Maybe she compared Alden to all those other images of what a good partner should look like.
Maybe she should have focused more on what he offered instead of what he lacked.
Sure he had to be guided on some things but overall, was it really so bad to be with someone like him?
Maybe she should've talked to him properly instead of nagging him.
Maybe she should've listened more.
Maybe she made a mistake.
Maybe she has to get him back.
