It's Always Been You | ✅

2: Waiting

"UY, NATULALA KA na." Marcus laughed at her.

"Huh? Hindi ah." She shook her head and ended her prayers with the sign of the cross. Is she subconciously praying for Marcus to come back? If oo, wow, ang bilis ng response ni Lord. Parang naisip niya kung pwede niya na bang irequest yung winning Lotto numbers? Real time ang responses ni Lord eh.

"It's been a while since I last saw you." He smiled then suddenly frowned. "I'm sorry I did not remain in touch with you."

"Okay lang," matipid na sagot niya. Her mind is spinning right now, trying to think of the possibilities that she's just hallucinating and making all of this up. Lord, yung puso ko po grabe yung tibok.

"You've changed a lot," komento nito.

"Nope," umiling siya. "Still the same old me with the same old fats."

"There you go again. Hindi ka naman mataba dati tapos you've lost a lot of weight now and you dress differently." Tinitingan nito ang suot niyang dress. Nahihiya tuloy siya kasi baka masagwa yung braso niya at legs and he was just politely pointing it out. "Bagay sayo. Babaeng-babae ka na ah."

"Uhm, thanks. Si Veronica ang nagbigay ng damit na to." Naalala niyang matagal na pala ito nawala and he has a bad memory especially when remembering names of people. Madalas ay tinatawanan niya ito because of it. "Siya yung—"

"Your model friend right?" Nagulat siya na naalala nito. Problema nito ang inability niya to retain names and information about people he doesn't know kaya naman she was almost always there to whisper to him the names of the people around them. Kaya madaming nag-iisip noon na suplado si Marcus dahil dun. He avoids contact with people para na din hindi ito mapahiya.

"Yes naman, ang galing ah! You remembered." She smiled.

"Of course, sinabi mo na sa akin yun dati eh." Ngumiti din ito. "So, late ka today? That's new."

"Oo eh, natraffic kami ni Papa noong hinatid niya ako." Kilala kasi siyang super early bird and she hates being late for anything. Malay ba naman niya na ang first time na malalate siya will show him the guy she's been waiting to go home for the longest time. Natigilan siya, so hinihintay pala talaga niya si Marcus. Bakit?

"Si Tito ang naghatid sayo? Di mo kasama ang boyfriend mo?" Natawa siya sa sinabi nito. Is he blind or something? Sino ang magkakagusto sa kanya ng ganito hitsura niya. "Bakit ka natawa?"

"Look at me, because of this ay 25 na ako at wala pa din akong nagiging boyfriend." She emphasized. She loves herself pero she just rarely gives herself credit.

"Bakit naman? You're gorgeous." Mababaw na kung mamabaw pero dahil sa mga compliments nito kaya siya nainlove sa lalaki. She made her feel good about herself. It was as though she was seeing herself in a new light too. He always looked genuine kapag sinasabi iyon.

"Baliw, bolero ka pa din talaga." She shrugged and just smiled.

"Ikaw talaga, ayaw maniwala. These are my eyes, I know what I see." Ngumiti ito.

"Hay nako, sana ganyan din mata ng iba para magkalove life ako." For some reason hindi siya matingnan ng diretso ang lalaki. Shet. Lord. Bakit po ang gwapo pa din niya? Nasaan po ang hustisya? Sana ako din po nag-improve.

"You deserve a good man." Pigil na pigil niyang tanungin kung bakit hindi na lang ito? Hindi na niya mabilang kung ilang beses siyang umiyak sa kwarto niya habang hinihiling na ibigay na lang ni Lord si Marcus sa kanya, baka nga narindi na ang Diyos sa kanya.

"Thanks." Tipid siyang ngumiti. Naiinis din siya sa sarili kasi si Marcus pa din pala ang hinihintay niya.

"Buti nga nakita kita eh. I wasn't supposed to go anymore since late na nga ako." He said. "When I saw you I knew I had to stay."