There Was You (Completed)

16 - #Paano?

♪♪May pumukol sa pipit sa sanga ng isang kahoy. At nahagip ng bato ang pakpak ng muting ibon. Dahil sa sakit di na nakaya pang lumipad.... ♪♪(Ang Pipit – A Filipino folk song as sung by Ms. Pilita Corales)

A/N: Filler update po. Siguradong alam n'yo na kung saan papunta 'to. Pero ssshhh muna tayo kay Tisoy at hindi pa niya alam. Ang tanong, paano? Kung kayo si Tisoy, ano mararamdaman n'yo? Alam n'yo iniisip ko yan kahapon pa. Kanta na lang tayo, "♪♪mamang kay lupit ang puso mo'y di na nahabag...♪♪"

Natanggap mo ba yung message ko? Bakit hindi ka sumagot?

Eto na naman siya, nagdadalawang-isip pa rin kung itetext ba niya ulit o maghihintay siya ng sagot. Wala naman siyang excuse para pumunta sa school.

Ano ba kasi dapat ginagawa pag ganito? Haaay, malala na yata 'to. Text lang, pinoproblema ko na. Tawagan ko na ba? Ano naman sasabihin ko? 

"Faulkerson? Huy, Tisoy! Ako nakakahalata na, madalas ka nang tulala ngayon. Tapos ka na ba sa review nung drawings. Can I start my review on the computations?" Nakatayo na pala si Eric sa harap ng workstation niya.

"Oo, bro, pero kailangan kita kausapin. Meron akong hindi nilagay sa review findings at kailangan kong sabihin sa 'yo. Puwede sa meeting room tayo? 15 minutes lang."

A/N: Ang galing mo Tisoy ! Nabasa ko bubble thought mo, hindi yan ang iniisip mo kanina.

"Mamaya na lang. You need to join the architect doon sa school. They will do a tour of the building to discuss the changes in the design. Ikaw na lang magpunta. The meeting is at 1PM."

"Naku, bro, hulog ka ng langit! Hindi ko tatanggihan yan."

A/N: Yan tayo eh, narinig lang yung school, nalimutan na yung findings. O siya larga na!

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At the school canteen, Maine carried her gloomy mood when she went to work that Monday. It was already lunchtime but she has lost her appetite, moving her pasta around the plate.

She recalled what happened. What started as just a wild wish on her part escalated into a full blown problem by the time they left the airport.

The look on Joon-mo's face on hearing that she's "going to get married" was something else. She was still debating with herself whether to own up and admit it's not true when Tita Terrie backed up her announcement.

"But I don't see a ring."

Tita Terrie was quick to the draw. "Oh you mean engagement ring? Because it's TOP SECRET. You know, NBI, FBI, CIA, MI5, Mission Impossible, James Bond, Secret agent, city hunter?"

"Oooh secret. But Ms. Maine, I know still no boyfriend. I don't believe she is getting married."

"Maine, iha, ayaw yata maniwala. Ikaw na magsabi. Panindigan mo, sinimulan mo yan."

Is there really no turning back?  Crossing her fingers behind her back, she looked at him straight in the eyes. "Joon-mo-ssi, I don't have boyfriend, I have a fiancé."

"Miahn-haeyo, soorry, but I watch deulama.. aahhm drama, you know. I want to see him."

"Aba, demanding! Ano bang trabaho nito sa Korea?"

"Auditor po."

"Ay, kaya naman pala, kailangan ng resibo."

A/N: Hahaha, auditor? Like, seriously? Ok, fine.

At least she earned a reprieve and he did not insist on them going to the hotel with him. What he issued is an invite for dinner for her and her 'fiance', which kept her awake the whole night. How in the world is she going to accomplish this, this, whatever you call this?

Maine did not notice that Ate Kai was already standing in front of her, holding her own lunch.

"AY TEH! Alam ko yang look na yan! Bibingka look! Hindi ako puwedeng magkamali. May I join us?"

"Huh?"

"Grabe! Pati pagkagulat mo sosyalin. 'Huh'. Puwede mo ba kong turuan no'n. Isa pa nga, yung 'huh?'"

"What do you mean by Bibingka look?"

"Pinagsakluban-ng-langit-at-lupa look, you know, bibingka, apoy sa ilalim at ibabaw? Bibingka, you like? Ano ba kasing problema, teh?"

"Nothing." She continued playing with her food.

"Huwag kang selfish teh, share-share tayo sa problema keme mo. Pag na-solve eh di share-share mo din ang blessings. Ganon lang yon!"

Maybe it's really high time that she widen her world and let others in. Maybe there's a reason why she met these people at this time in her life when she's learning to discover herself.

Maine narrated her dilemma and was amused at how Ate Kakai reacted.

"Dinner on Thursday with the 'fiance' and the foreigner suitor? Ay teh, mahirap yan, dapat hanggang mata ang actingan sa mga ganyan. Siyempre magkakaharap kayo, dapat mata pa lang nangungusap na. At siyempre dapat may pakilig kayo niyan para maniwala siya. Kailangan na natural na natural ang dating, parang hindi umaacting."

Maine, did not think of that. "Do we really need to do that?"

"O sige, eh di ipagsigawan mo na lang na fake yung fiancé mo! Kaloka to!"

"You will really help me Ate Kai?"

"Sureness yan! Pero teh, may tanong ako, kaya mo bang umacting ng inlove? Baka naman pang-OSCARS yung makukuha nating actor tapos ikaw para kang nag-aaudition sa unang round ng Starstruck? Ma-eeliminate tayo niyan."

"I'll cross the bridge when I get there."

"Push mo yan teh, ihahanap talaga kita ng tulay!"

She looked at her watch. It's almost 1PM "I have to go to Ate Kai, I have to cover the meeting with the architect."

"Uy, humohopia na dadating si Tisoy!"

"Tisoy?"

"Eh di si Mr. Richard! Kunwari ka pa, pero naghihintay naman sa bench nila. O nakita kita nung Friday, huwag magdeny! Echos ka teh! Humohopia kang dumating siya dahil di nakasama nung meeting."

Akala mo lang di ko nakita. Will he join the meeting today? She remembered the text he sent yesterday that she forgot to answer. She smiled as she recalls his message. Nothing personal but she found it sweet that he took it upon himself to remind her.

"Miss Maine, padagdag sa shopping list mo. Flashlight/emergency light, Reflective hazard triangle, basic tool kit for car emergency kit."

A/N: Seryoso, ito yung message mo Tisoy? Hindi 'good morning, I miss you!' or 'ingat ka?'. Anak ng...

"Teh, yung ngiti mo! MAY NANALO NA!"