breaking free (completed)

21. reason

"...how did you pull it off?" Maine asked while they were in the car on their way to the dinner. She was admiring her ring.

"....which one?"

"....how did you get my family and your family to be there when you proposed kanina?"

"....hahahaha! I had been talking to Coleen about this evening....I asked about what you were wearing so that I could find a suit that would match your dress' style....panget naman kasi kung di match, diba?"

"...hmm...." Maine nodded.

"....I had been talking to your Mom about proposing to you for the longest time...."

"...so, alam ni Nanay...."

"...yes....alam nilang lahat....even my Dad....."

".....ang galing!" Maine was amused.

"....sabi ko nga diba, I don't like keeping secrets...."

"...hmm.."

"...well....there's actually something I haven't told you yet...."

"....there is?" Maine shifted in her seat and looked at Rj.

"....how we met...."

"....I saw you at the park....you were playing basketball....lagi kang naglalaro ng basketball.....tapos nalaman ko nalang na neighbors pala tayo...." Maine recounted.

"....true....all true....pero matagal ka nagpupunta sa park sa hapon....even before I started playing...."

"....ows?"

"....I think I only started picking up the game when sina Iñaki and Luigi, bugged me to play kasi kulang sila...."

"Oh...."

"....so yun, naging regular na ako and nabuo namin yung liga sa village....but prior to that, I'd only go to the park if I needed something from the convenience store or a random trim dun sa barber shop...."

"....but you live so close to the park...."

"....I used to go the park and hang out sa playground when I was younger....but I grew tired of it after a while...."

"....ahh...."

"....Maine...."

"Hmm?"

"....your family was pretty influential in our meeting...."

"What do you mean?"

"....diba I work as a therapist...."

"Yes..."

"...well....they hired me to be a private therapist to you...."

"What?" Maine's eyes widened.

"....they hired me as a private therapist...."

"....so I became your 'experiment'?" Maine's voice rose.

"....don't get angry....I want to explain...."

"...you'd better...." Maine slumped back on her seat, facing forward, watching the heavy traffic in front of her.

"....I admit that I found your case very interesting....because I was just like you when I was young....diba, I told you that I also went through SM and I had apraxia of speech...."

"......"

"....but when I met you and sat down with you to get to know you more, I realized that I was falling in love with you....I didn't want you to be my patient...."

"......."

"....I was also thinking of how to help you....then your parents decided na wag ka na mag-therapy kasi parang walang nangyayari dun sa ibang sessions mo dati.....walang pinagbago.....I told them that what you needed was a whole lot of patience and understanding....they didn't need to spend money to have a therapist "work" with you on breaking your walls.....they understood and saw what I was doing and they agreed....you never became my patient....I didn't want it to be that way....in the process of patiently sitting near you, I was also able to discover a lot of ways to help the others with similar struggles such as you....I also helped myself....I needed the silence.....we all need that silence....."

Maine's tears were now flowing, Rj's too. He parked the car on the side of the road and turned to face Maine.

"....Maine....love....look at me...."

Maine slowly turned.

"....I'm sorry if I only told you about this now....."

".....it's okay....." Maine replied after a long while. "....if there was one person that I wanted to open up to after my years of silence, it would have been you.....for reasons I, myself, don't understand, I felt very comfortable with your presence.....there were many times when we first met that I wanted to verbally thank you for your presence.....for just sitting there and "listening" to me.....for sharing yourself with a 'stranger' like me.....I wanted to react and answer when you would make kwento about your day.....sigurado sina Ate and Coleen were already up to their ears kakaulit ko ng kwento mo sa akin.....I loved you from the day you tried to learn sign language from Coleen....alam kong marunong ka na.....pinahirapan mo lang si Coleen...." Maine giggled though tears were still streaming down her cheeks. ".....but I loved you because you really tried to communicate with me even if there was no assurance that I would reply or allow you in my space.....your words, your explanations, these I will cherish for the rest of my life.....you taught me how to be strong again....thank you, love.....thank you...."

Rj reached over and hugged Maine. After a while, he took her chin in his hand and kissed her on the lips.