Substitute Wife

#63: Without Him

Yellow Dianne Francine

Kakahatid lang namin kay Dave sa airport. Imbis na magprivate plane sya, nag business class nalang sya sa plane. Para maiba naman daw, at para hindi daw sya maging loner, pinagbigyan nalang namin sya.

Pabalik na akong Laguna dahil meron pang exam ang mga bata na kailangan isupervise yun, although walang grades naman yun kailangan ko paring pasukan.

Kotse ni Dave ang dala ko para daw safe. Hindi kilala nung nung mga nagpapadala ng threats sakin. Sobrang protective nya and I can't imagine na mas magiging hands-on husband sya while he is away.

Ang kulit ni Dave kagabi, para syang batang inaagawan ng kalaro. In-off nya yung phones namin para wala daw istorbo, akala naman nya tatantanan sya sa office nya to check if pupunta syang Singapore ngayon.

Sabi nya, as a sign of his rebellious act dahil sobrang labag daw yun sa kanya kaya hindi sya nag private plane. Yun talaga yung reason, he's wearing a board shorts and white v-neck shirt and slippers. Nung una ayaw pa sya paalisin ni Tito dahil ang improper daw ng suot nya. He insists, walang nagawa si Tito kahit na feeling ko anytime masusuntok nya si Dave.

Nagutom ako sa nag drive thru ako sa isang fast food para diretso na rin ako ng school. Konti nalang magbabakasyon na, namimiss ko w/o Dave. Mawawalan ako ng hatid at sundo, nasanay pa naman ako ng anjan sya palagi. My life depends on him simula ng naging asawa ko sya, I see to it na dapat alam ko ang mga whereabouts nya dahil super alala ko kapag no idea ako sa mga lakad nya. Nagpapakaasawa lang naman ako. Walang mali dun, promise!

Kakaalis lang ng tao pero gusto ko na sya makita ulit. Namimiss ko na syaaaa! Dala ko na yung gamit ko sa kotse bago kami pumuntang airport, baka daw kasi malate ako kapag umuwi pa daw ako ng condo eh.

As husband daw, sya na ang nag empake ng mga gamit na gagamitin ko, pati nga bag ko sya pa nag organize. Feeling ko sunod sunod yung pagkasamid nya kasi mula pag alis ko sa airport kanina ko pa sya iniisip.

"2 pc chicken with chicken burger. Coffee nalang yung drinks." Ngumiti naman yung cashier then nag abot Ali ng money.

"I received 1,000 pesos. Here's your change Ma'am."

Pagkakuha ko ng ko, dumaretso nako ng school, kailangan ko pang ibaba yung window dahil hindi kilala ng guard yung sasakyan ni Dave.

---

"Hi Miss D, you look sad. Bakit?" It's Miss Ayanne

"I'm not sad, may iniisip lang."

"As far as I know hindi ka naman masestress kasi hindi pa tayo nagkocompute ng grades. How come hindi maipinta face mo?" She looks so concerned.

"Alan ko na! May namimiss ka no?"

How did she knew?

"Miss D, kahit di mo sabihin sobrang obvious na si Dave ang dahilan." Kumunot naman noo ko

"How did you-" She cut me of2f

"It's obvious Miss D that you really  like him, like alot. Pero what's holding you up? Ano bang problema mo? I'm here kung kailangan mo ng kausap. You know what, sabi sakin ni Sir Julius he likes you, pero the way he sees it the feelings are mutual. Your holding up something."

"Can I share you something? Like a top secret, as in." I want to be honest with myself and my feelings.

"I'm in!" She said while raising her hand.

"The thing between me and Dave, its nothing. We're really close, best friend ko sya. We had this agreement, to sum it up we're married."

As what I expected, nanlaki mata nya kahit chinita sya. Kahit naman ata sino magugulat sa revelation ko. Gusto ko lang maging honest kahit sa isang tao lang.

"OHMYG! What is happening in the world? Yun naman pala eh? What's holding you from liking him? He's a good guy, that's what we all see. Ano bang nangyayari sayo?"

Ano nga bang nangyayari sakin? Sa totoo lang diko alam. Ano ba talagang nangyayari sakin?

"I know namimiss sya. Since sinabi mo na, I think I had to confess something. Finafollow ko sya sa social media, and sorry pero nakita ko na he's in Singapore. So that's the reason kung bakit ka Annan ngayon, kung bakit ka nakabusangot."

Hindi na ako nagulat, I mean social media is a public account na pwedeng makita ng kung sinu-sino.

"You know what bothers me?"

Bigla nya akong tinignan, feeling ko it's now or never. Tutal nagconfess na ako sa kanya ng totoong status namin ni Dave. I have to tell her the truth about what happened.

"What is it?"

"He did confess about his feelings. He told me that he loves me. What is happening to him? Is he using our situation para gawing advantage ang lahat? Nakakatakot!" Mukang naguluhan sya, so am I.

"Sabi nya mahal nya ako, pero I'm still confuse about him. Baka naman infatuation lang lahat at naguguluhan lang sya."

"Baka sinasabi nya lang yun para sabihing may progress, ang hirap. I really think hindi parin sya nakakamove on sa ex nya."

"Sino ba ang ex ng asawa mo?"

"Stacey."

Inaabangan nya yung sunod kong sasabihin..

"Stacey Wes-"

"OHMYG! Yung Miss Universe?" All I have to do is nod, oo wala akong panama sa kanya.

"Maganda nga yung ex, ikaw naman ang asawa wala na rin yon. Besides you two like each other, don't deny it."

"The thing is, I don't even know if I feel the same way towards him."

Nanlaki lalo eyes nya. Hindi ba sya naniniwala? I'm afraid I can't give whatever things that he wants from me. I mean, ready naba ako? Am I ready to fall in love?

Mahinang batok ang natanggap no from Miss Ayanne, I really think I deserved that batok.

"What I'm sure right now is that, I miss him so much." That's me being honest to myself.

Mejo kumalma na ata sya at pinagbigyan nya nako. At least namimiss ko sya kesa naman wala.

"Wag kana magpout, sort your feelings muna. While your sorting things out, let me remind you that there are alot alot of women waiting for him. Wag naman sana syang mapagod kakaintay sayo. Hindi ka si Rapunzel para intayin ng matagal."