Girl Trouble

CHAPTER 3: It's Not Me Talking, It's You Not Listening

ORTIGAS

08:45:01

Bhert: How was your 1-week vacation?

Robin: Like Charlie Sheen in the closing sequence of the Platoon. Or George Clooney after doing Batman. I took a break believing that I had a lot lined up for me to do. I imagined myself drinking for hours and hours with my friends. I imagined myself traveling all over the place, on buses and cabs and jeeps and the train. I imagined 4 days of uninhibited laughter and clever repartees with long lost colleagues. I imagined a lot flirting and running around and hiding and swimming in old memories. All I did was oversleep and smoke pot and read every on every page on every piece of literature in my room. I did tell everyone I was on leave and that I wanted to go out with them. But they were busy with something or I couldn't contact them. Maybe because I took a leave on a Monday and Tuesday. But there has to be one of my friends out there, having nothing to do and is ok for a few drinks. But there was no one. The rain falls on Ayala. On Buendia. On Taft. On me. Only when I stepped back I realized I didn't have much of a life outside the office. I've run out of reasons to actually live. I worked for the sake of working. Chasing a dream. Realizing potentials! Being worth everything I'm paid for and more! So! Rest from work! I demanded from myself. Empty my head of all the deadlines and revisions and requirements. It was emptied all right. And there was nothing else but the emptiness and the nothingness and the eternal silence of my head that kept bugging me.

Bhert: So. Seems you had a blast.

Robin: Since nandito ka na rin, may kuwento ako sa iyo.

Bhert: Wait. Balikan kit‒

Robin: Parang crush ko si Cate.

Bhert: Brake. Crush as in, "Uy Cute Niya, Ah Well It's Just A Thought Crush." Or "Shit, Sisipsipin Ko Ang Sukang Natapon Sa Binti Niya Crush."

Robin: Bandang gitna.

Bhert: Game.

Robin: Binigyan ko siya ng Chocnut. Tapos in-email ko siya ng "Like the chocnut?" Tapos nag-reply siya ng "YUP". The best diba?

Bhert: Alam mo kung ano na lang ang wala?

Robin: Ano.

Bhert: Wala akong pakialam. Ha!

Robin: It's just a harmless crush man. Tiray will never-

Bhert: Ehehhh? Never what? Find out? Gago!

Robin: Tiray will never know. You know why?

Bhert: Because you have a plan? A plan that goes like:

1. You'll wait for her at lunchtime, and stand beside her at the food court, then you'll ask her "uy ditto ka rin pala nagla-lunch" as if you never saw her before, then you'll crack a joke and you won't sit at the table with her and her colleagues. Then you'll buy chocnut everyday and leave it at her table. And then she'll say thanks everyday and you'll have an excuse to make small talk with her in the elevator, on the escalator, sa waiting shed. And you've got jokes about the chocnut ready in your head, waiting to be unleashed upon her whenever she's sad or down or nearly stressed.

2. Then you'll watch her work and see how she moves and try to mimic her arms' movements when she's explaining something or how she folds her lower lip into her mouth when she's not impressed by an idea or trying to sound pleasant on the phone. Then, when you get the chance to be together at the vending machine, you'll chat with her and tell her and demonstrate how she does it and she will laugh and feel shy and she'll get the idea that you've been watching her and she'll keep that in mind.

3. Then you'll be having lunch together, taking pictures with each other's camera phones, which is great excuse to get her number because she'll send the photo from her phone to yours. Then you'll unleash your corny jokes and your midnight HI's and HELLO's and you'll be the go-to guy when she needs someone to listen to her rant, someone to just be with her, someone to be her friend. And you know fucking well they love that listening shit.