Twisted and Turned. { NashLene }

TAT. [ 9 ]

Location

Khalid was blaring in the background as I drove aimlessly. Binigyan kami ni Direk Mac ng dalawang araw na pahinga bago kami muling sumalang sa pagshoshooting, which I sincerely thank him for. A smile escaped my lips as the wind blew my hair away from my face. 

Might as well blow my problems away...

I decided to go on a road trip alone. Isa ito sa mga paraang naisip ko upang mag-soul searching. This week has been so stressful and exhausting. I concluded that I should give myself a break and time to relax. Naubos na ata ang youthful glow ko dahil sa trabaho at stress... pati na rin sa sakit sa ulo at puso na dulot ni Nash at Alexa.

I shook my head after realizing my train of thoughts.

Bagaman mahirap ay pinagbawalan ko ang aking sariling isipin si Nash. This day should only be about me. No Nash, no Alexa, no shooting, no stress. Purely Sharlene. Though he does still cross my mind from time to time, but I try hard not to dwell on the thought of him. It's hard but it will pay off. This is for my sanity.

I caught a glimpse of a beautiful café along the road and decided to stop over for lunch. The place was filled with luscious plants and flowers. Ferns were draping from its ceilings, paintings also adorned its walls. To match their theme, they serve flower and herb infused drinks and food. Ugh, if this place is just near the city I would be a regular customer.

After feasting on their beautiful interior, I went to the cashier to order. Since it was a weekday, they only have a couple of customers. The cashier and their staff politely asked for a picture upon realizing it was me. I willingly obliged to their request.

"Day off niyo po?" the cashier asked while punching my order.

I smiled before bobbing my head, "Something like that." I turned to their manager, "Your place is beautiful."

"Thank you po."

I chatted with them for a moment before proceeding to a table. Habang kumakain ay hindi ko maiwasang mamangha sa alindog ng lugar. That's when a thought came to mind.

"Why not?" I said to myself.

Tinawag ko ang kanilang manager sa aking mesa at kinausap ito tungkol sa ideyang pumasok sa aking isip. She agreed and even thought it was a flattering idea.

"Kakausapin ko po yung may-ari, but I'm sure he will like the idea too." Aniya.

"Thank you. I'll give you my number so we can talk."

Nang makaalis ito ay bumalik ako sa pagmumuni-muni. Owning a café like this might work as my escape from the harsh realities of this world. Hindi ko na kailangan pang lumayo upang makapagpahinga at magdestress.

I was peacefully sipping my rose infused tea when I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. Nasapo ko ang aking noo. Hindi naman sa ayaw ko siyang makita ngunit ang araw na ito sana ay nakalaan para lamang sa aking sarili. This is my alone time. Kaya nga nagpakalayo-layo ako para hindi magkrus ang aming mga landas tapos makikita ko siya rito? It's as if all of my efforts were in vain.

"Oh, shar!" bati niya nang mamataan ako.

He caught the eyes of everybody, blowing off my solace. Ngumiwi ako. Bagaman dismayado ay tumayo ako upang batiin siya.

"What a coincidence!" his voice was a pitch higher.

Coincidence nga ba? Why do I have a feeling this isn't coincidental?

"You sound defensive." I accused, narrowing my eyes at him.

He nervously chuckled, "I do?" he scratched the back of his neck, "I shouldn't beat around the bush then."