Just Because You Are

Chapter 20 - The Music Box

Love is what makes two people sit in the middle of a bench when there is plenty of room at both ends.

Two weeks later…

“Ma’am Raffie, saan ko po ilalagay ang mga ito?” Jun, one of the janitors in the school, asked as he entered Raffie’s office in Forte, holding two vases of fresh, beautiful flowers.

“Mang Jun, pakidala nyo na lang po sa office sa baba,” Raffie instructed courteously. “Eh…andami na po kasing flowers dito…baka po maya-maya magsipuntahan na dito yung mga paru-paro at bubuyog nyan.” She smiled affably at the middle-aged man who quickly smiled back, nodded his head and left her office at once.

She looked around her office.
Every nook, every table, every topmost shelf is filled with all sorts of flowers: anthuriums, orchids, roses, tulips, sunflowers, and even lilies…

‘Akala ko nagkakaintindihan na kami…’ she thought, closing her eyes and resting her back on her chair.

She had been receiving lavish bouquets every day for two weeks already. A large bunch of flowers would welcome her whenever she arrives in her office in the music school. And everytime she goes home, she would find another bouquet of flowers atop her bed.
All from Robert.

She noticed that the professor became more open about showing her his undivided attention ever since he went back from Australia.

To top it all, she also observed that most of the faculty and staff of Forte seemed to be quite interested with the way he was treating her.

Obviously, he wanted everyone to know that he likes her. 

He would always go to her table in the university’s faculty room whenever she was there and then invite her over for snack or lunch. But she would always decline.

When she’s in Forte he would usually spend time in her office while waiting for his guitar classes. And everyday he would call or text her to greet good morning or good night. She was flattered of his efforts, of course.

But she wanted to make things clear to him as early as possible.
And so the other day when Robert tried to ask her out again for dinner, Raffie finally agreed to go with him. He picked her up in her house and took her to a very fancy and romantic French restaurant.

(Flashback)

“Raffie, you look really beautiful in that dress,” Robert drawled admiringly as they were waiting for their orders. He looked straight in her eyes with obvious wonder.
She smiled at his compliment but avoided his stare. “Thank you, Robert,” she said.

“Thank you rin…salamat dahil finally pumayag ka na mag-date tayo.”

Raffie was about to sip a bit from her glass of le jus de pomme when she was instantly caught off guard at Robert’s statement. ‘Date?’ she thought as she looked around her.

Most tables were occupied by intimate-looking couples and the ambiance of the place was indeed quite romantic for people who are dating. Well, it was a date, no doubt. But as far as she was concerned it was a very different kind of date...far different from the rest of the couples around them.

Robert seemed to get the wrong impression about Raffie’s silence because he continued to tell her, “Raffie, ilang buwan na rin tayong magkakilala…pero kahit na pareho tayong nagtuturo sa university at sa Forte hindi pa rin tayo nagkakaroon ng sapat na oras para mas makilala ang isa’t isa. I want to get to know you better…kaya sana…kung okay lang sa’yo na maging mas madalas yung paglabas natin. I like you so much, Raffie…and I hope you’ll give me a chance to show that I really mean that. Pwede ba, Raffie?”

Although Raffie already decided to be frank to him even before she agreed to go out on that dinner, she found herself speechless during that time. Instead of answering right away, she merely smiled at him with a rather uneasy feeling.

‘Seryoso ba talaga sya?’ she thought, not believing that he was actually more frank to her than she thought. Well, she really didn’t know him that much, it seems. ‘Paano ko nga ba tatapatan ang frankness nya?’

“Excuse me, ma’am, sir…” a waiter suddenly arrived, and then started to serve the soup and appetizer.
Robert was quick to get the soup ladle and immediately served Raffie a portion of the Bouillabaisse. “Kumain muna tayo…” he said, now seeming to sense that Raffie was having difficulty in responding to his abrupt declaration.

While they were having dinner Raffie observed that he tried very hard to initiate the conversation about other matters and carefully steered away from bringing up the topic that he mentioned earlier.

However, he still implied about his intentions when he told her that he wanted her to enjoy that dinner and of course, their time together.

And when he finally brought her home he repeated his question. “Next time ulit, Raffie?” He was walking with her towards their gate.

“Sige…pag available sina Louie para mas masaya,” she replied as she pressed the doorbell.

Robert’s face lit up. “Talaga? So pumapayag ka na to go out with me?”

This time, she was ready with a frank but tactful answer. “Robert, I would be happy to mingle with anybody as long as walang expectations. Hindi naman siguro kaila sa’yo na may pinagdaanan ako recently…at hindi maganda yung mga naranasan ko. Pero alam kong hindi yun dapat maging dahilan para tanggihan ko yung invitation mo kaya nga lumabas din ako kasama ka. Pero sana hanggang ganun lang…we’re friends and let’s just stay that way.”

The bright expression on Robert’s face faded immediately. “I understand you, Raffie. Sorry kung nabigla kita…”

“Robert, we can always go out kasama sila Louie at Harvey…at sana magkaayos na rin kayo ni Quino para sama-sama tayo lahat…kagaya dati.”

Robert didn’t seem to hear Raffie’s statements, though. “I like you so much, Raffie. And I will not lose hope because I believe darating din yung time na ire-reconsider mo yung intentions ko for you. Hihintayin ko yung araw na yun. Goodnight.”