They didn't talk to each other for a long time. They seemed to avoid each other. Rj would leave the house when Maine arrived and came home just before dinner when Maine had already left. Rj would still be heard complaining about every little thing, he screamed less. The household helpers and his parents found this a little odd but welcomed the "change."
About almost after a month, Pining came into the home-office with a box.
"Good morning Miss Maine..."
"Good morning, Pining....kukuha ako ng coffee mamaya, okay?"
"Okay po...juice, gusto mo? Gumawa si Ate Lani ng fresh dalandan...."
"Ah sige....punta nalang ako sa kitchen mamaya...."
"Okay...ahh nga pala....pinapabigay ni Rj...." Pining said as she handed Maine a box. Rj was still upstairs when Maine arrived that morning. Maine saw his car in the garage when she arrived.
She noticed that his car was always gone when she arrived so she was a bit surprised to see it still in the garage that morning.
Since they argued, they barely spoke to each other when they were near each other. Maine would routinely come and go and work quietly in the home-office. She would sometimes join Mommy Chat at the veranda to discuss the papers she was working on, but spent most of her time in the home-office. Once in a while, she would hang out in the kitchen and chat with the helpers. When she joined them for lunch, they would eat quietly and she would converse more with Mommy Chat or Daddy Ricky.
"Ano to?" Maine said as she looked at suspiciously at the box.
"Di ko alam....sabi nya, ibigay daw sa yo pagkadating mo...." Pining said and stood next to Maine, waiting.
Maine carefully pulled the ribbon on the box. She was a bit hesitant to pry the lid open because the last time she opened something that was given by Rj, he put a plastic cockroach inside that made her jump and scream.
Maine took her ruler from her pen pot and used it to open the box. She stepped back as soon as the lid fell to the table. When nothing moved, she asked Pining to peek into the box. Pining didn't react so Maine leaned forward to see what was inside the box. Inside was the exact Ferragamo bag he had destroyed. On it was a card....
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Maine closed the box and put it away.
Despite being annoyed by Rj's acerbic speech and conceitedness, she found his gesture sweet. She smiled to herself and got back to work.
At 5 o'clock, Rj stood at the doorway of the home-office. "Are you ready?"
"......" Maine nodded and took her things with her. Rj immediately took most of the things she was holding and carried them for her.
Yaya Caring and the other helpers were peering from the kitchen, nudging each other.
"Wag kayo maingay!" Yaya Caring said in a loud whisper.
"Eh...Manang....mukhang tinamaan na yung manok natin e...." Lani said.
"....bumabait na nga ata e....."
"....medyo magalang na nga nung nagsabi na linisin ko daw yung kotse nya..." Mang Jose said behind the girls.
"Talaga?"
"Oo....nagulat ako kasi di naman sya nag-uutos sa akin madalas....."
"Hmm....mukhang nag-iiba na nga ang ugali ni Jay...." Yaya Caring said, hopeful.
