Behind The Scenes And In Betweens

One

MAYMAY'S POV

One year na tayo. Next time two years. Soon I'll start ligaw...

Pause. Rewind. Play.

Soon I'll start ligaw...

Napalakas ang pag-"bushak" ko dun sa condo unit namin ni Patricia. Lumabas siya sandali para kunin yung pina-laundry naming mga damit at bedsheets. I was supposed to be resting na dahil ilang araw ding sunud-sunod yung shooting, shows and other events namin ni Edward. Kagagaling din namin ng Singapore sa first out-of-the-country show namin. Kaya di na ako pinasama ni Pat sa pagkuha ng laundry. Dapat ngayon tulo-laway na ako at mahimbing na natutulog. And again, for the record, hindi ako humihilik! Buang na Edward yun...

Kaya lang, how can I sleep after this?

Soon I'll start ligaw...

For the nth time, isang "Bushak" na naman ang pinakawalan ko. This time mas napalakas at bigla akong kinabahan na baka narinig yun ni Edward sa unit niya.

Imposible naman yan May. Ano siya, may superpowers para makarinig siya through walls and floors? Or may mental telepathy between us? Well, the latter could explain bakit sobrang swak kami sa isa't isa to the point na we consider each other twinnies. It's not just because of our foreheads, you know.

Naka-speaker ako at nilakasan ko pa yun. Nire-replay ko pa rin ang video nang ilang beses hanggang sa may bumukas ng pinto ng unit, sabay ang pagtawag sa akin ni Patricia.

"Maaaaay! Andito si Edward!"

At lumitaw sa aking harapan ang kanina ko pang pinapanood sa video na si Edwardo.

"Hoy! Kumatok ka naman!" habang pilit kong pinapalapad ang aking katawan just to hide the laptop sa aking likuran. Buti na lang nai-pause ko na.

"Bukas ang pinto ng kwarto. And I've been in your room before so what's the fuss?"

Aba naman talaga... For the record na naman, pumasok lang siya dati para tulungan sina Patricia na mag-set up ng pa-surprise para sa birthday ko nung May! Wag utak green!

"Kahit na. You shouldn't enter the dragon just like that you know. What if I am sleeping and I'm..." nauutal ako kasi nga may sikreto ako sa likuran.

"I know you weren't sleeping coz I can hear you talking and shouting. Kanina pa kaya ako sa labas, kumakatok. Ano ba kasi ang ginagawa mo at di mo ako narinig?" he asks, craning his neck to look behind me.

"Buang! Wala uy, wala..." taranta kong sagot. "Alis ka muna, mag-aayos lang ako sandali. Sa living room na tayo mag-usap."

"Okay." He gives me a bedimpled smile and starts to go out. But then he suddenly turns around and rushes toward the thing that I've been hiding. Sa taranta ko, na-press ko ang spacebar at biglang nag-play ang vid that I paused kanina:

Soon I'll start ligaw...

BUUSHAAAAAKKK!!!

_____

EDWARD'S POV

I couldn't help it - napapangiti talaga ako habang pinagmamasdan ko si Maymay eating in front of me. Usually she sits beside me but sabi niya ayaw daw niyang maging kriminal dahil sayang ang kanyang career na nagsisimula pa lang. I doubt that she could actually kill me with her punches and death glares, but her embarrassed face right now might be the death of me; she's just too cute, squirming in her seat and trying to regain the upper hand that she lost a while ago.

"Edwardo, pag hindi ka tumigil sa kakangiti, ililibing kita dyan sa dimples mong sobrang lalim."

I didn't even notice I was smiling that widely. Eh sa kinikilig din ako pag kinikilig siya.

"Why are you like that? I brought sinigang na nga that Mom cooked coz I wanted you to taste it. Tapos ikaw pa ngayon ang galit? Unsa man ning bataa uy!" using one of the few Bisaya expressions that I learned from her.

"Why you do that? You want to show me that I can't cook? Syempre naman mas masarap magluto si Tita, unfair naman kung ilalaban mo ako sa kanya!" she mumbles in between bites of gulay and baboy. I can see she likes mom's sinigang kasi kinakain niya pati ang gulay. But...

"No, I wanted you to taste it and tell me what she needs to change in her recipe to make it taste like YOUR sinigang."

Pieces of gulay were suddenly flying at me and I am once again covered in something that came from Maymay's person. I'm used to it already - utot, laway, sipon, balakubak - lahat na. This time it's half-masticated ingredients of my mom's sinigang. Nothing new.

"Dahan-dahan kasi, chew it well and swallow before sumubo ulit," I chide her as she chokes on what remained in her mouth. I look at her and she's getting abnormally blue. She's choking for real. Natataranta na ako but I try to be calm. I got behind her and position myself to do the Heimlich maneuver, pero si Maymay nagpupumiglas!

"Arte! I'm not going to do anything bastos noh! I'm trying to help you, don't move!"

I wrap my arms around her from the back, position my hand and fist as I was taught before, and pull her inward and upward toward me. Dinatnan kami ni Patricia in that compromising position.

"Hoy, Edward!" she shouted. I was about to defend myself when she continued. "Wait lang." She put her bag of chichiria and softdrinks down and calmly took our pic. Buang din 'to si Patricia eh, mana ky Maymay.

"Alam ko naman ang hitsura ng isang Heimlich maneuver kasi itinuro yan sa amin nung high school." She picked something from the table, a ball of barely chewed meat. "Pwde mo na siyang bitawan, ok na yan siya."

"Bushak ka! Hindi na ako makahinga, ang higpit mong makayakap!" and she knuckle-punched me several times. She's now abnormally red as a beet so I thought she's still not fine. But if she can punch me that hard, then I guess okay na nga siya.

"Alis ka na nga! Pahamak ka rin eh. Perfect na ang sinigang ni Tita, walang kailangang baguhin. Yung dapat baguhin yang pagiging mapang-asar mo! Bawas-bawasan mo brad!" bulyaw ni Maymay as she pushes me outside then closing the door behind me.

"I need my mom's pot back, right now." I text her from just outside her door.

Several minutes of waiting and her door opens, Maymay thrusting the pot at me. "Sabihin mo kay Tita salamat sa sinigang, sobrang sarap." She said softly.

Before I get to change my mind, I hug her tight between the slightly open door. "Happy anniversary, babe."

I can feel her stiffen in my arms and I can't keep myself from smiling. I hold her back at arms length and look her in the eye - her doe-like eyes have become as big as saucers, I wanna poke them. Lol. Sorry May, I just couldn't help it:

"Ano? Pause, rewind at play ko rin ba?"