Second Chance

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"When you love someone, don't hesitate. Don't hold back. Tell him. Make him feel it. Cause someone told me, 'the right time is always now'. You can't tell how long he'll stay. Act before it's too late. " -A

Justin's Point of View

It's been a week and I finally got home. Kinailangan kong lumuwas sa Manila para sa kaibigan ko. He needed me there so I came.

Pauwi na ako at napakalakas ng ulan. I remembered according to the weather system update, there's a low pressure area so I drive slowly. Malapit na ako sa tulay where I made a fool out of myself.

I chuckled. "If it's not her hmmm." Yeah. That girl named Samantha. I knew I owe her a lot for being an asshole. I kissed her many times and I didn't even bother to say sorry. Maski ako hindi ko alam kung anong pumasok sa kukote ko kung bakit ko ginawa yun pero isa lang ang alam ko. Tsk! It's a big mistake! I just hope she didn't mistaken it. I know how fragile woman's feelings are.

Mas binagalan ko ang pagmamaneho dahil madilim. Wala man lang bang pondo ang bayan na to para pailawan ang tulay? Tsk! Napailing na lang ako. When I was about to reach the spot where I became mad that night, i feel something's strange. That's when I get close, I saw a woman nearly standing on the edge of the bridge! It gives me chills when I realize I knew her from behind and the last thing I knew I grabbed her!

Nagsisigaw sya at nagpupumiglas kaya naman binitiwan ko na.
"What do you think you're doing?!" I suddenly lose out my control and shout at her. Nagsisi naman ako nang may ilang minuto na ay tahimik lang sya at nakatulala. Tila ba umiiyak sya but I don't know why.
I can clearly saw her face with the light coming from my car. That's when I notice a shopping bag she's carrying on both arms. "Hey, are you---

"Distance!" I don't know why she's acting so strange. As if I harmed her based in her expression, she seemed so scared at me.

"Relax, I just want to---

"I said distance!" Basang basa na kami pareho at nakikita kong nanginginig na sya sa lamig.

"What's wrong with you? Aren't you just thankful that I saved your soul from being thrown away in hell? Diba yun ang sabi mo nung gabing ako yung nasa posisyon mo? Come into your senses Samantha for pete's sake!" I talked like a friend. Did I? Yeah right! Let's just say this is my way of paying her back for saving my soul that night.

"I---- I wasn't going to--- jump----I just want to----

Di ko na sya pinatapos. I grabbed and pull her closer to me. "Sshh.Just cry. I know how it feels. I know how unbearable those pains were. In this kind of situation, you'll be needing a friend to listen to your stories. Just cry but don't you dare try taking your own life again. You once told me that God would never forgive me and my soul will be thrown away in hell. Ayokong mangyari sayo yun dahil minsan mo nang iniligtas ang buhay ko." I sincerely said. I meant it from the bottom of my heart.

"Huh?" Humiwalay sya at nagtataka ang mga matang tumingin sa akin. Kumunot ang noo ko lalo na nang sumilay ang ngiti sa kanyang labi hanggang sa tumawa sya. Tumawa ng tumawa! She even hold my arms cause she's falling on the ground. Dahil sa hindi nya mapigilang tawa. I think she's crazy.

"What's funny?" I asked. Tumigil naman sya at biglang sumeryoso. Damm! She's weird!

"Nothing. Can I ask you a favor?" Sabi naman nya.

Nagaalangan pa ako dahil hindi ko alam kung anong tumatakbo sa isip nya. She's like a phsyco! Napaatras ako nang lumapit sya sa akin.

"Hoy Mr.---- I mean Justin. Hindi kita gagahasain no! Makikisakay lang sana ako sa kotse mo." Walang preno nyang sabi. Now she's so straight! How can she even say that to a man? Gagahasain my foot! She's a lunatic!

Wala akong masabi dahil nasa state pa ako kung saan nakikita ko sya bilang isang malaking monster na anytime pwede akong kainin ng buong buo.

Muli itong humagalpak ng tawa. Hindi ko alam kung matatakot ba ako o matatawa din. Damm! She's driving me crazy!

"What's funny? You think it's funny? I think it's not funny!" Sigaw ko. Tsss she's mad!

"No." She said and stopped laughing then draw a serious face! Wtf?!

"Arghhh! You're crazy! Just get inside the car!" Sabi ko bago tumalikod at lumulan sa kotse. Ilang sandali pa ay pumasok na rin sya.

Damm she's shivering in cold!

"Here." Inabot ko ang jacket na sinuot ko kanina. Good thing hinubad ko yun bago ko isalba ang kaluluwa ng babaeng to sa tabi ko. One moment she drove me crazy and now she's making me-----argghhh what? Worried? Tss. Once this is over, I'll never show in front of her! Never again!

"Thanks." Sabi nya sa nanginginig na boses.

"Tss." I just chuckled.

"You know the book of Ethon? It's said there na mas masahol pa sa pagkuha ng sarili mong buhay ang hindi pagtanggap sa pasasalamat ng iba." She said while staring at the window.

"Never heard nor read of that." I said.

She smirked. "Of course. There's no such thing as Ethon."

"Knowing you." Napailing na lang ako. May problema yata talaga sa isip to. Tsss.

"Just drive as fast as you can. I need to go home."

Marami pa sana akong gustong itanong o sabihin sa kanya pero mukhang wala na syang gana pagusapan kung bakit sya napunta dun at bakit may mga dala pa syang supot. Tsss. Pake ko ba dun? Ang weird lang talaga.

Halos kalahating oras at sa wakas nakarating na kami sa kanila.

"Thanks." Sabi nya at lumabas ng kotse. Tss. How mean. Matapos nyang----jeez! Never mind!

"Come inside and have something to warm you up." Bahagya pa akong nagulat ng biglang bumukas ang pinto. Napailing na lang ako. Sometimes I keep on wondering why she talk like that. As if she's rich or a princess. A heiress? Hmmm possibly no. Humanap muna ako ng maayos na parking. Kung di lang sana ako nilalamig tatanggihan ko sya baka lasunin pa nya ako. And also I'm curious about what's inside the shopping bag! Hahahaha

"Oh! Si kuya na mabait!" Napangiti ako nang sa pagpasok ko ay ganon ang bumungad sa akin. I learned that the boy is Vincent. Samantha's brother.

"Vincent man!" I tapped his shoulder.

"Tsss aajsbhsnsksnjsns... " Bulong ni Samantha at sa malas ay di ko narinig.

"Anong sabi mo?" I asked her. Lumapit ako sa kanya at dun ko nalaman kung anong laman ng mga supot. Hmm. Bigla akong nagutom.

"Di pa yan luto hoy!" Mataray nyang sabi. "Vince asan nga pala si tatay?" Maya maya ay tanong nya sa kapatid.

"Nasa kwarto nya siguro ate. Natutulog." Sagot naman ng batang lalaki. Gutom na gutom na talaga ako at kumakalam na ang sikmura ko.

Nakita ko namang tumango lang si Samantha. Ilang minuto rin ang itinagal ng pagluluto at sa wakas ay luto na.

I work on preparing the dishes para naman wala syang masabi. But in my dismay, mukha namang hindi nya napapansin ang effort ko. Kanina pa syang walang imik.

"Vince gisingin mo na si tatay at kakain na." Sabi nito.

"Sige po ate."

"Pagpasensyahan mo na ang mga nakahain. Hindi yan kasing sarap at kasing mahal ng mga kinakain mo." Napasimangot ako sa katarayan nya. Imbes na sumagot ay naglagay na lang ako ng kanin at ulam sa pinggan.

Nagsisimula na akong kumain ng bigla na lamang sumigaw si Vincent.

"Ate! Ate si Tatay!!!" Sigaw nito habang si Samantha ay nabitawan ang hawak na pinggan.

He's freaked out! What happened?!