When Day 32 Starts...

Chapter 22 - Take It or Leave It

Pag-uwi ko ng apartment isang araw, nagulat ako nang may mga paper bags na nakalagay sa ibabaw ng kama ko. It's as good as dollars laid on the bed. May mga tatak ng mamahaling pangalan ang paper bags.

"Kent? Kanino 'to?"

Pumasok si Kent sa kwarto. He was cooking dinner when I called him.

"Alin?" Sinundan nya ng tingin ang nakaturo kong daliri. "Those are yours."

"Mine?"

"Yeah."

Lalabas na sana sya ulit nang magsalita ulit ako. "Binili mo?"

"Meron pa bang ibang bibili?" ang sagot nya.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you buy me these?" I opened one. May lamang trenchcoat na kulay beige. May tag price pa. Nalula ako sa presyo. The Sangdingram Long Heritage trenchcoat from Burberry costs $1,695.00. Marahan ko iyong inilapag sa kama. Natakot akong baka madumihan ko. Leche, ang mahal!

"It's your last day at the project tomorrow. I figured that if you will take the job, you will need more clothes. Ayoko namang paulit-ulit na lang ang isusuot mo sa trabaho."

"Kent, sobrang mahal naman ng mga 'to. Maraming thrift shops na nagkalat dyan. Doon na lang ako mamimili."

"Jazz, it's New York," he said in as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

"That doesn't mean na kailangan mong gumastos ng sobrang mahal para lang sa damit. And besides, like you said so yourself, last day ko na bukas. Uuwi na ako next week. What would I need these for?"

Pagkatapos ng project, I have two months para asikasuhin na lahat ng dapat asikasuhin bago bumalik sa dito New York para permanenteng magtrabaho. Twice a year lang ako pwedeng umuwi after that. That is, if I will accept the offer. I will tell them my answer tomorrow.

Kent's also going home tomorrow. Ewan ko ba kung bakit hindi na lang nya ako antayin. Isang linggo na lang naman bago ako umuwi.

"Tanggapin mo na lang, okay?" His voice was strained.

Lumabas na sya ng kwarto. Ako naman ay napatingin ulit doon sa mga ipinabili nya. Burberry. Marc Jacobs. Chanel. Prada. Kahit ano pa man ang tatak ng mga ipinamili nya, isa lang ang sigurado ako. Mahal lahat 'yon. I don't know why he'd splurge for clothes that I could wear for my work. Akala ko ba ayaw nyang tanggapin ko yung job offer?

Nitong huling buwan, wala na syang ginawa kundi asikasuhin ako. Plano nya na pala talagang magbakasyon dito para samahan ako. Although I found it sweet of him, it also left me confused.

Para syang si Barney Stinson. He plays around most of the time but when he's into someone, he suddenly changes. It's one of the reasons why I don't want to take the job. Bukod sa pakiramdam ko ay hindi ko makakayanang mag-isa at malayo sa pamilya, ayaw ko ring masayang ang lahat ng oras na ginugol ko para mapatino si Kent.

Sure, he became like this by choice but who knows what he'd do kapag napahiwalay ako sa kanya?

I don't want him to go back to the way he was before he met me. And most of all, I don't want him to be alone. He has abandonment issues. Although he has a perfect family and great career, sa lovelife naman sya sumablay... ng dalawang beses.

Dapat may asawa at anak na sya ngayon kung hindi lang sya iniwan ni Kiele. And though I really want to hate Kiele for what she did to him, hindi ko rin naman ito masisi. Bakit ka nga naman magtatagal sa piling ng taong hindi mo naman mahal?

Kasal na yun e. As long as you live, till death do you part. It's not like some contract na makakalaya ka na matapos ng ilang buwan o taon. Para syang permanent glue, stuck na kayo with each other for forever.