"Are you sure you packed everything?" RJ asked Maine after he walked in on her zipping up her bags. She looked at him and nodded.
"Good. Um, by the way, here's your salary. I added a bonus ... you know, kasi inalagaan mo si Kirby." He said and she smiled.
"Grabe ka ah, may pa-bonus pa yun? Eh trabaho ko naman talaga yun." She replied.
"Well, you did great." Richard uttered before giving her a wide smile.
"Halaaa ... Weg ke ngeng meg smeyl neng genyen. Beke de eke emeles. Ehe." Maine said, making him laugh.
"God, I'm going to miss you so bad. This house will be VERY quiet without you." He told her and the smile on Maine's face turned upside down.
"Grabe ka, parang ang ingay-ingay ko naman."
"Hindi wari?" Richard asked.
"Um, I don't feel any pressure right now."
The two then heard the sound of a jeepney pulling up outside the gate. Knowing that it was her father, RJ pulled Maine in for a quick hug.
"I'm serious, I'm really going to miss you." He whispered into her ears.
"Ako din naman eh."
"Mami-miss mo din ako?" Richard asked.
"Ah si Baby Kirbs, siya lang yung mamimiss ko." Maine replied before pulling away from him. He smiled when they looked into each other's eyes.
"Sus. So ... see you soon?"
"Uy, piyesta sa amin bukas. Punta kayo."
"I'll try," Richard responded before lifting her bag over his shoulder. "Shall we? Naghihintay na si tatay mo sa baba."
"Okay, thank you." Maine told him. And together, they left the room to meet her father outside.
--
"May bonus pa siyang binigay? Ang bait naman pala niya."
"Yes, oh di ba? At least may pang dagdag handa na tayo bukas." Maine replied before she sat on the chair next to her aunt.
"Pupunta ba yung mga manliligaw mo bukas?"
"Sabi nila."
"Oh edi dapat nakaayos ka. Mag-ahit ka na."
"HOMAYGAHD ... ahit talaga??? Jeske, ano bang gagawin nila? Kakainin yung handa sa kili-kili ko?" Maine answered and her aunt laughed.
"Biro lang yun ... ikaw talaga . basta ang manok ko sa kanila eh si RJ. Yung tipong tingin pa lang eh boom! buntis ka na."
"Ay grabe siya, matagal na sana akong buntis kung ganon."
"So lagi ka niyang tinitingnan? Eh siya? Nakatingin ka rin ba sa kaniya lagi?"
"Eh siyempre ... ehe."
"So may pagtitinginan na kayo?"
"HOY TITA!" Maine yelled because she almost said yes. Her aunt continued laughing and Maine just looked away to hide her reddened face.
"Hoy, pumili-pili ka na niyan ah. Hindi naman maganda yung masyadong pinapatagal." Maine then heard her aunt say.
"Sa tingin ko naman malapit na akong makapili."
"Si RJ ba yan?"
" Oo ... ay este wala pa! WALA PA! Tita naman eh binibigla mo ako!"
--
"Just go, kami na ni Loleng ang bahala kay Kirby." RJ heard Lala say a few minutes after he told them he was going to Maine's house for the fiesta.
"You sure you're not coming with me?" he asked his grandmother.
"Hindi na. Moment niyo yun ni Maine. Enjoy niyo yun." Lala said. RJ smiled and started walking towards the front door. He was about to exit the house when Lala suddenly called him back.
"What?" he questioned her.
"Yung saging mo dalhin mo."
"Lala, lagi ko namang dala yung saging ko. Kapag di ko 'to dinala mamatay ako." RJ replied and Lala rolled her eyes away.
"Susmaryosep kang bata kata. Yung saging na pinabili mo! Hindi yung saging mong malikot!"
--
"Meng, dadating ba mga manliligaw mo ngayon?"
"Yup, Kuya. Wag mo silang tatakutin ah? Baka mamaya tumanda akong dalaga niyan." Maine responded in a worried tone.
"Aba, may tinakot nab a akong manliligaw mo?" her brother asked.
"Wala pa ... loko ka ... wala pa naman kasing ibang nanliligaw sa akin eh!" Maine answered and her brother laughed out loud.
"Wag kang mag-alala Maine ... mamaya malalaman natin kung sino yung mas may gusto sa'yo."
Maine just rolled her eyes at her brother and walked away. She then went straight to her mother to ask if all the meals were already cooked.
"Oo, puntahan mo na muna yung tatay mo sa likod. Tanungin mo kung amy alak na siyang nabili." Her mother answered.
"Alak? Bakit may alak?" she asked again.
"Kasi may balak. Jusko Meng."
"Ay, ang sungit." Maine said before hearing her name being called from the front of the house.
Maine!!! Meng!!! Menggay!!!
"Andyan na!" she yelled and ran towards the direction of the voice. And when Maine got there, she saw both Ivan and RJ standing by the gate. The eyes of her relatives were glued on them; it was like they saw two popular movie stars standing in front of them.
"Sabay pa talaga kayong dumating ah. Pasok dito." She said and so they did.
"Maine, I brought five tubs of ice cream for dessert. Is that okay?" Ivan asked.
"Bakit ka pa nagdala? Pero sige, thank you." Maine replied and Ivan gave her a wide smile.
"Maine, saging ko lang ang dala ko ah?" RJ then said and her eyes widened.
"Emeghed."
--
RJ spent the next hour being introduced to Maine's relatives and eating one served meal after the other. When he couldn't take it anymore, he and Ivan stepped at the back of the house to breathe some fresh air. That was when they were both called by Maine's older brother.
Amboy one! Amboy two!
RJ looked at his side and saw Maine's brother walking towards them. Wanting to impress everyone in her family, RJ quickly smiled even though he didn't feel like it.
"You two ... are you two done eating na?"
"Tapos na po." Ivan and RJ said at the same time.
"Susmaryosep, marunong nga pala mag-tagalog. Sundan niyo ako." He ordered and so they did. RJ and Ivan were led towards a table full of men drinking various types of alcoholic beverages.
"Mga Tito at pinsan ni Meng lahat 'to. Kung gusto niyong mag-oo siya sa isa sa inyo eh samahan niyo kaming uminom. Kasa ba kayo?" Maine's brother asked them. He looked at Ivan before he scanned the faces in front of them.
"I'm in." Ivan then said and the guys cheered. All of the attention then went to RJ. He gulped and said the same thing.
"I'm in as well."
The guys cheered once more and he took the empty seat in front of him. Ivan was given a chair on the other side of the table. Maine's brother then sat next to his uncles and raised the pitcher full of beer.
Inuman na!!
--
may malalasing kaya? stay tuned. x
