The Proposal (JiBea - Completed)

Two Weeks Before (Part 1)

-BEA'S POV-

"Good morning, hon!" masiglang bati saken ni Jia sa phone.

"Morning, honey," sagot ko. I close my eyes again. Gusto ko pa matulog.

"Awwww, bangon na hon," malambing na sabi ni Jia. "Hinahanap ka na saken ni Jana eh."

Nag-pout ako. Tinatamad akong sumama kina Jana pero nung isang araw pa ako pinipilit ni Jia. Matagal ko na raw silang hindi nakikita. Miss na miss na daw nila ako for sure.

"Sayang, kung andyan ako iki-kiss kita para mawala 'yung pag-pout mo," narinig kong sabi ni Jia. I can't help but smile. She knows me too well. "Tapos iki-kiss kita sa neck, pababa sa..."

"Jiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa," I complain. Her words... the way she say it... grabe 'yung effect saken. Not to mention the fact that we haven't seen and touched each other for days. "Not helping."

"Oh, you don't want my kisses... down there?" pang-aasar pa niya.

I sigh in defeat. I feel hot all of a sudden, kahit na naka-full blast naman 'yung aircon ko. But she's not the only one good at this.

I sit up and lean on my bed walls. With a smirk, I start saying in a sensual way, "Of course I'd want your kisses. Lalo na while you're on top of me. I'd like your hands roaming all over my body. But I love it more when you push yourself towards me... hard."

"Fuck," Jia breathlessly mutter.

"Sure, honey. When?" I chuckle.

"Tse! Ewan ko sayo!" pagalit na sabi ni Jia. "Maligo ka na nga! Jana will pick you up in an hour daw."

"Yes, boss! Are you sure ayaw mo talaga sumama—"

"Hindi na hon, lakad niyo 'yun eh..."

"—sa paliligo ko sa banyo?"

Jia laughs. I like it when I make her laugh. Always music to my ears. "Ikaaaaaaaaaaw. Ingat kayo today ah. Have fun! I love you."

"I love you, too, hon. See you tomorrow?"

"Of course. Can't wait."

They warn about not making your favorite song your alarm tone because you'd hate it eventually. But for the past three years, her voice is the first thing I hear every morning. Instead of hating it, I think I'm just falling inlove more and more. Jia is a good reason to wake up every morning.

***

It was a fun day. I never realized how much I missed Jana and the gang until today.

Pero ang weird lang talaga nitong si Jana. First, antagal niya bago ako ihatid pauwi. Nung finally hinatid na niya ako, sobrang bagal niyang mag-drive. Mas malala pa sa traffic sa C5. After 48 years, nakarating rin kami sa subdivision. Pagkapasok namin though, tinigil niya 'yung kotse sa may club house tapos biglang sabi, "Bey, kwentuhan muna tayo."

Mga 2 minutes palang kaming nagkekwentuhan nung biglang may nagtext sakanya. Then bigla na siyang nag-drive ulit. "Oh, akala ko usap pa tayo?"

"Hindi, okay na. Yoko na sayo. Sawa na ako sa pagmumukha mo today," asar ni Jana saken.

"Weh, kala mo ikaw lang. Mas sawa na ako sa mukha mo," ganti ko sakanya.

When we're at an intersection, a familiar car passes by. Kay Papu 'yun, diba? Same 'yung stickers eh. Same din 'yung yupi sa may gilid when they got into an accident a few weeks ko. 'Di ko rin sure... pero parang si Jobok nasa passenger's seat?

Pero baka kahawig lang.

Kasi ano namang gagawin nina Papu dito, right? Eh 'di sana nabanggit saken ni Jia. 'Di ko nalang pinansin.

Nagpapaalam na ako kay Jana nung bigla niya akong niyakap. Nung naghiwalay kami, she says, "I am so proud of what you've become, Bei!"

Huh? Weird talaga nito today. "Bakit nagda-drama ka? Naka-isang bottle lang naman tayo ah!" sabi ko. "But thanks, Jana. I'm so happy for you too. Grabe no, parang kelan lang kaka-graduate lang natin sa Poveda. Tapos sobrang bano pa natin sa Ateneo. Tapos andami mo pang iniyakang lalaki nun!"

"Oo nga eh. Tapos two weeks from now..." Jana winks, and she smiles na parang kinikilig.

"Ha? Two weeks from now ano?" nagtataka kong tanong.

"Wala! Baba na! Shoo! Go away!"

***

I enter our house pero walang tao sa sala or sa dining room. Nakaalis na siguro 'yung bisita nina Dad. Aakyat na sana ako sa kwarto when I heard some sound in the kitchen. I go there and see Manang, our househelp for almost 30 years, na nililigpit 'yung mga pagkain.

"Boom!" gulat kong sigaw kay Manang while hugging her from the back.

"Ay dyaske kang bata ka!" she slaps my arms softly.

"Bakit andaming food? Saka wow ha, may pa-paella si Mommmy," sabi ko. Minsan lang kasi nagluluto ng specialty niya si Mommy. Usually kapag special family gathering lang. "Sinong bisita? Akala ko business partners lang ni Dad?"

Tiningnan ko pa ang ibang pagkain and I have a familiarity with some of them. Hmmm. Parang ganito 'yung mga food kapag may special occassion kina Jia ah. Parang luto ni Mamu? Weird. And then the cake... it looks really really similar to Jia's.

Hindi pinansin ni Manang 'yung mga tanong ko. Instead, she asks, "Gusto mong kumain Neng?"

I get a fork and get a small bite of a cake. Weird lang talaga, kasi I know this is Jia's! That perfect combination of sweet and salty. Can't explain why, pero basta, alam ko.

And then I remember, 'yung car na nakita ko kaninang umaga, kay Papu nga kaya 'yun? Itatanong ko sana kay Manang kung sina Jia ba pumunta dito pero I see her staring at me. Tapos wait, naiiyak ba si Manang?

"Manang! Hala, why are you crying?" Lumapit ako sakanya to hug her. "Anong problema?"

"Ikaw kasi eh. Ang laki-laki mo na! Parang kelan lang, pinapagalitan pa tayo ng Mommy mo kapag nagpipilit kang maligo sa ulan sa labas!" I chuckle. What's with people reminiscing about the past today?

I am still hugging Manang when I feel two more sets of arms around us.

Mom and Dad.

I let them hug me for a few minutes. Then when I look at them, si Mom halatang umiiyak na rin. And si Dad, pigil 'yung luha niya. Ano bang nangyayari?

Mom grabs my face and kisses me in the forehead. "You'll always be our baby, anak."

Dad hugs me again and kisses me in the temple. "And yes, you've grown into a fine independent woman, but we also cannot wait to see you with—" nakita kong pinandilatan ng mata ni Mommy si Daddy kaya he stops talking.

"Ha? See me with what?"

No one answers my question. Mom just starts deviating the topic. She starts telling me about something. Even Dad and Manang seem to try to engage me in the conversation.

But I can't concentrate on them anymore. Kasi it's all dawning on me.

How Jia forced me to spend the day with Jana para itaboy sa bahay today.
How Jana seemed to delay us going home and only did so at the same time I saw Papu's car leaving.
Mamu's food and Jia's cake.
Manang, Mom, and Dad being too emotional.

Namanhikan na ba si Jia sa pamilya ko?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!??