Just Friends

8 - Forgiven

"Sir, we're about to land. Please put your seat back in an upright position and fasten your seatbelt."

So it was just a bad dream, a scene he dreaded all this time, of seeing Maine happy with another guy. That alone left him crying quietly. What happened in the past three weeks was a mystery. Their relationship was slowly disintegrating yet they never fought. Not even a single argument happened. Did they breakup? To him it wasn't like that.

Earlier that day, Maine woke up feeling lethargic that she skipped her morning meditation. She has been religiously doing that for a week now and it somehow helped empty her mind of negative thoughts. This morning however, she lacked the energy to catch the sunrise by the beach, a ritual she has been doing for the past two days. She's agitated thinking how the day will unfold with RJ arriving by late noon. But part of her is also excited to see him again. God knows how she missed her man like hell! But wait! Are they still together, after her public declaration that whatever relationship they have was nothing sort of serious? This she said verbatim in a random interview. It was impulsive and uncalled for, but the bombardment of fans and reporters about their current status after Alden jokingly said yes to being single has taken its toll on her. That blew out of proportion in social media, which she ended with a bang—a blog that talks about high expectations, failures, mismanagement, invaded privacy, and a silent cry for freedom. Her family insisted that she quit the industry or at least, file an indefinite leave.

Her siblings would now know when she starts to retreat to her old self again, like willing her mind to wander around the negative corners of her imagination. As if on cue, they 'rescued' her from that near state of self-isolation. Crazy as they are, Nikki and Dean played lousy songs far too loud and faked laughing over some nonsense YouTube videos to distract her. It worked, for she acknowledged them with a tight hug. This clingy side of her only surfaced after she started expressing herself intimately with people very close to her, which she always finds liberating. This, she mostly learned from RJ.

While they were discussing their morning agenda over breakfast, Rafa suddenly appeared in front of them and squatted down next to Maine. One by one, he showed fan signs with messages some written in Filipino. Patawarin po ako. Hindi ko sinasadya. Please kausapin mo ako kahit konti sandali. I'm heartily sorry for the mess I have done. It was not intentional. Pardonnez moi.

Nikki pulled Rafa up to sit on the chair she just emptied. "This is getting too much attention, please behave like a gentleman. I thought you are aware of Maine's situation? You don't have to resort to this." Nikki's trembling voice was quiet but anger spewed from her bulging eyes.

Maine, shaking and teary-eyed, broke the standstill. "Say what you want to say and then leave."

Rafa never felt so terrorized like this before, but he had to take this chance. He felt blood rushing to his skin, his face now turning to a ripe tomato. Looking straight into Maine's eyes he said, "I'm here to sincerely apologize and I take full responsibility of my deed. Tell me what I can do to clean this mess, just please forgive me." Why is he drowning deep inside her soulful eyes, he asked himself.

"Maine, I only have your best interests honestly, specially when I learned about you. Please believe when I say I'm sorry."

"My management will do a damage control if ever this escalates." All the while Maine knew this isn't the case. She has to fend for herself again.

"My publicist can help. Look, we're almost in the same profession so she knows the way out. Here's my card and her deets. Please just tell me what I ought to do."

"I haven't received a word back home so it should be okay by now."

"So am I forgiven?"

"Yes."

"Oh dear, thank you."

He offered for a handshake. Maine hesitantly took it, but not firmly.

Rafa left smiling, with a beam of hope filling his heart.