Wally escorts Maine back to her hotel room and advices she take a rest, "Hija, don't be too saddened na hindi mo nakita si Tisoy ngayon. Sigurado ako na magkikita kayo bukas."
"How come you're so sure, Kuya Wally?"
"Maniwala ka na lang sakin, Miss Maine. Malapit na ang tamang panahon niyo ni Tisoy."
The moment Maine closed the door, he dashed back to the elevator and pressed the button impatiently. The elevator doors ding open and he presses P for the penthouse.
He taps his feet impatiently as he waits for the elevator to reach the penthouse. The moment the elevators opened, he waddled as quickly as he could towards the far end of the hallway, reaching the Chairman's office.
He swings the door open and his eyes scanned the room, spotting Jose arranging folders near the receiving area. Richard was nowhere in sight.
"Jose!!" Wally whispers as he walked towards Jose.
"Susmaryosep!" Jose jumps, dropping several folders on the carpeted floors. "Walter naman! Bakit ka naman nangugulat!"
"Asan si Sir Rj!" Wally asks him, bending over to help Jose pick up the fallen folders.
"Ah...eh.. ano, may ginagawa lang." Jose sneered, turning his back against Wally. He can't know that the Chairman was off to meet his childhood friend, Menggay.
"May imemeet ba syang tao dapat?"
"Ha? Ano bang pinagsasabi mo Wally! Di naman malayong mangyari yun, busy si Sir Rj with all the client meetings."
"Hindi client meeting ang ibig sabihin ko."
Jose swallowed the imaginary lump on his throat and wiped off the beads of sweat forming on his forehead, but he kept his mouth shut.
"Nakita ko si Sir Rj kanina, mga lampas alas tres, pabalik ng veranda. Nakablue sya na polo tapos medyo putikan ung sapatos niya." Wally started, sitting down in front of panicking Jose, "Pero sa pagkakasabi mo sakin, ayaw na ayaw niang madumi sapatos niya. OC din yang batang yan, hindi ba? Kaso hindi man lang iritable ung mukha niya nun. Sobrang laki ng ngiti ni Sir Rj kanina, akala mo mapupunit ung mukha eh."
Jose sits down the next plush chair, facing Wally directly. He couldn't help but smile thinking how his alaga finally met his Menggay again--Sir Rj must have been so happy. "May kasama ba sya nung nakita mo syang pabalik ng veranda?
"Pare yun na nga eh. Wala. Bakit hindi nia sinipot si Miss Nicomaine sa green house!?"
Jose's eyes widen, almost dropping those folders he set on his lap as he sat down. "Hindi si Miss Nicomaine ang pinuntahan ni Sir Rj!!!"
"Ay nako, my dear friend, hindi mo pa rin ba gets?" Walter shakes his head at Jose disapprovingly.
Jose furrows his brows and looked straight at Wally, "So you're telling me na si Miss Maine ang nasa green house kanina?"
"Tama."
"Tapos sinabi nia na hindi sya sinupot ng hihintay niya?"
"Parang ganon na nga."
"Sir Rj was going to meet his childhood friend at the green house this afternoon. Tapos ung friend niya na yun hindi pa ulit niya nakikita simula ng naghiwalay sila. Tapos sinasabi mo ngayon na si Miss Maine ang nasa green house kanina naghihintay na dumating si..."
"Tisoy!" Walter and Jose finished at the same time.
"Teka nga lang, Wally." Jose stood up, his right hand over his chest, the left covering his mouth, "Si Miss Maine si Menggay!!!"
"Hay salamat juskopo, nakuha din niya!" Walter said followed by an exasperated sigh, "Natumpak mo din!"
Jose displays an ear-splitting grin, and giggled a little, "Destined talaga si Sir Rj and Miss Maine! I knew it!! Akalain mo yun Pare, ang tagal ng hinahanap ni Sir si Menggay niya! Yun pala dito rin sila ulit magkikita! Who would have thought that the person he has been looking for turned out to be the woman he has fallen in love with?"
"Teka! In-love na si Sir Rj kay Miss Maine?!"
"Hindi man niya aminin, halatang hulog na hulog na ang alaga ko kay Miss Maine." Jose says proudly.
"Kaso Pare, may problema pa rin tayo."
"Problema? Ano pang pwedeng maging problema?" Jose takes his cup of coffee from the side table and starts to sip.
Wally rolled his eyes at Jose and scratched his head in frustration, "Oo nga. Eh kasi nga di ba, hindi sumipot kanina si Sir Rj sa tagpuan nila ni Miss Maine!"
"Ano?!" Jose almost but spit his coffee out in surprise.
*****
At half passed five, Richard drags himself back towards his suite at the penthouse. He had spent hours on the phone, calling in favor after favor. He was tired for sure, with more preparations to commence later that night--but he was more excited than tired, to be honest.
He opens the door, yawning slightly when both Jose jumps out in front of him. "Sir!!!"
"Susmaryosep! Bakit mo naman ako ginugulat ng ganyan Kuya Jose! May balak ka bang patayin ako?"
"Hay nako kang bata ka! I might as well!" Jose shakes his head disapprovingly. "Ano na naman ang ginawa mo! Or rather, ano ung hindi mo nagawa! Anak naman, yun na yun eh! Akala ko ba pupuntahan mo na si Menggay eh bakit naman hindi..." Jose blabs on and on.
"Kuya Jose!!!" Richard's eyes widen, lifts his finger to his mouth as if asking the older man to keep quiet, and points discreetly at Wally standing in the corner.
"Hi Sir Richard, good afternoon po."
Jose saunters over to Wally and points at him, "Shh shh ka dian Sir. Eh ito ngang si Wally ang nagsabi sakin na hindi mo sinipot si Miss Maine sa green house eh!"
"Alam niyo na?!"
"Alam mo na rin?!" Jose asks back, "Sir naman, alam mo naman pala na si Miss Maine si Menggay bakit hindi ka pa nagpakita! Jusko naman!?" Jose slightly ruffles his hair in frustration.
Richard sighed audibly, walked over to his office, motioning the two old men to follow him. "Oh mga Kuya upo muna kayo. Relax lang, pwede? I have an explanation for that."
The two men sat in front of him, Jose itching for an explanation. "Ganito po kasi yun, opo, nakita ko si Menggay kanina, at nakita ko na si Maine pala sya. Kung alam niyo lang, yung tibok ng puso ko, sobrang bilis." He smiled as he continued, "I didn't think I could fall in love with Maine more than I already did--but boy was I wrong."
Both Jose and Wally's stances visibly relax, a small smiles creeping upon their faces.
"Iba ho eh, nung nakita ko sya dun sa green house, slowly turning to the left, revealing her beautiful face to me--I knew na hindi pwedeng ganon ganon na lang. This morning, all I thought was I was just reconnecting with my best friend, but when I saw Maine there, in her yellow dress at the greenhouse, it was suddenly so much more than that."
"Maine, my Menggay, she deserves something more than a rainy day and mud on our shoes. She deserves that magical moment, and I hope to give her exactly that."
A/N: Again.. wait for iiiiit....
YOU ARE READING
Letters from Spring Street
Fanfiction"To that clumsy boy I met when I was seven" She knew it was futile and quite superfluous, but for the past thirteen years or so, Nicomaine has been writing letters to the clumsy boy she met at Le Chateau. What are the chances that years later, he fi...
