Rj or Maine did not go to the park for about a week. The weather was rainy or cloudy during that period so they were both forced to stay indoors. And because Rj wanted to keep his identity from Maine, he did not make contact with her during the "absence". However, he got in touch with Maine's Nanay and had a meeting with her.
"....Ma'am....I just want to let you know what progress we've achieved so far in the three months I've been hanging out at the park to get to know Maine more. Honestly, I don't want to be her therapist anymore..."
"Bakit naman?"
".....kasi po....I think I'm falling in love with her and I don't want to make money out of your family for my personal gain...."
".....thank you for being honest with me....actually, matagal ko na rin naisip na ang dami na nang therapies na dinaanan ni Maine pero wala pa ring nakakapagbigay sa kanya ng 'boses' nya...."
"Andun naman po talaga yung boses nya....yung anxiety nya lang ang pumipigil sa kanya na ilabas yun..." Rj explained. "..Mrs. Mendoza..."
"Tita MaryAnn..."
"Tita....napanood ko po sa videos na pinadala nyo sa center na nakikipag-usap naman si Maine sa inyo....she connects with you and the people close to her...."
".....and sana pati rin sa ibang tao....yung lolo at lola nya nga di nya rin kinakausap..."
".....sino po ba ang hindi pamilya na kinakausap din nin Maine?"
".....si Pepe lang....yung yaya nila simula nung bata silang magkakapatid...."
"...para kay Maine, "safe" na kausap si Pepe...." Rj said.
"....and, yung teacher nya nung grade three sya.....well, di nya kinakausap tulad ng pagkkwento nya sa amin pero sumasagot ng pabulong kay Ms. Myra noon....pero pagkalipat nya sa sunod na mga grade, di na ulit sya nagsalita sa kahit kanino...." Tita MaryAnn continued.
"....hmmm....I noticed something po the other week nung huling punta ko sa park..."
"Ano yun?"
"Maine was staring at me for a while.....when I first met her and approached her, lagi syang nakayuko or di tumitingin.....pero that day, nung Thursday, July 16, tumingin sya sa akin......"
"Wow!"
"....shempre, di ako nagpahalata....I tried to confirm it by asking her questions and using her name when I spoke....tumingin sya sa akin ng mga 3 or 4 times pa ulit....tapos, nung may tinanong ako that would have a negative answer, I saw her move her fingers slightly.....she signed, 'no'...."
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"Mr. Lopez....may I request to be relieved from my position as therapist to Maine Mendoza?"
"Bakit naman? You have the best working schedule with her....others would envy your work schedule and environment..."
"....well, aside from our being neighbors, I don't think it's fair to the Mendozas if I continue being Maine's therapist....I'm.....I'm becoming too emotionally invested....."
"....you're falling in love with her....." Mr. Lopez shook his head. "....I knew it! Don't worry, MaryAnn and Teddy told me about it already....their concern now is you..."
"Me?"
".....she hasn't spoken to anyone outside her family for 10 years....how will you know if she feels the same way?"
"....I don't....I want to help her overcome this condition....if I gain her trust like she trusts her family, then I would have succeeded already.....the falling in love part will happen if it's meant to be...."
"..then.....I wish you luck, J...."
"Thanks!"
"Hi Maine!" Rj waved as he approached her. The weather was better and they resumed their 'park days'. Maine didn't look up from her phone. She also had her headset connected to it. Slowly, she removed her headset when Rj sat down.
Rj sat down and started telling her about his day. He told her that he was studying to be a speech and language pathologist and that he worked for a small therapy center for his practicum. He had a favorite student, a little girl named "Amanda".
"..she's 4 but she has apraxia of speech....basically that means that her brain is struggling to tell her lips, jaw, tongue, etc. how to say the words.....when she first came to me, she called herself, 'Mana..'
"...that's what my nephew, Matti, called himself before....he was only about a year then..."
"....now, she says, 'Am...da!'" he chuckles and shakes his head. "....a little progress considering we've just been working for 3 months now...."
"....hmm...interesting...."
"...I had apraxia of speech when I was a kid....I couldn't say my "R's"....I'd call myself, Awjay....I think I had another way of saying my full name, Richard....I don't remember anymore...."
"...awww....cute!"
"....my parents enrolled me in speech therapy as soon as as I was diagnosed....I think they regretted it though....I was already noisy and 'talkative' as a preschooler with the apraxia.....and I don't think I've stopped talking eversince...." Rj shook his head, chuckling.
"....madaldal ka nga....but.....okay lang...."
After a long pause, Rj asked. "Maine, do you think you'll talk again?"
***Maine looked at Rj..... then she shrugged her shoulders.
***a 'connection' she made unconsciously.....remember, up to this point, she did not make eye contact with people outside her family...
