Kakatapos lang nya sa ginagawa. Pagod. Pawisan. At malungkot.
It took him a couple of hours to do it-sorting his things...from 'her' things and then placing them into separate boxes. It was a pain. No, it was painful.
'Akin 'to, sa kanya 'to', he never imagined for everything to turn out this way. But here was reality standing taller than him, hidden inside those stacks of boxes right in front of his face. For a minute there, he hesitated and then took out a marker and began writing. Inuna ang mga boxes sa kanan.
Elmo Magalona
Natapos din. Ngayon naman tiningnan ang mga boxes sa kaliwa, napabuntong-hininga at nagsimulang mag-marka.
Lauren Young
He looked at the boxes one last time. Sa loob ng mga ito ay ang mga gamit ng kasintahang kasama nya noon. Na hindi na ngayon. Na may bago nang buhay ngayon. Na sya pa ring buhay nya hanggang ngayon. Na mahal pa rin nya hanggang ngayon.
Naalimpungatan sya nang marinig ang pagdating ng isang truck sa harapan ng bahay nya. Dalawang lalake ang lumabas mula dito.
Sir, saan po dito ang kakargahin namin? Tanong nung isa habang tiningnan ang maraming boxes.
Yung lahat na nasa kaliwa. Matamlay nyang sagot sabay punta sa kusina. Ayaw nyang manood.
.....
O nagyoyosi ka ata. Back in the game? Pagpupuna ni Rocco. Ang huling alam kasi nito ay nag-quit na sya.
My last puff. Tipid nyang sagot.
Talaga? Haha. You said that before. Sandali itong tumahimik na tila nakitramdam.
So, Moe...Tumingin sa kanya ang kaibigan. You did it, huh? Wala na yung mga gamit nya. Finally.
Tumango lang sya.
Tumingin sa kanya nga kaibigan. Bakas sa mukha nito ang pag-aalala.
Feeling any better now? I hope you are.
I feel like hell. Pag-amin nya. It's...it's like she's really...gone. Gone. He trailed off habang nakatingin ulit sa kawalan.
Narinig nya ang malalim na paghinga ng kaibigan.
Moe, it's about time. Matagal na syang wala. Matagal na kayong wala.
A moment of silence ensued.
He heaved a deep sigh bago magsalita ulit.
Roc?
Yes, Moe.
Sayang. Sayang talaga. He said as he shook his head in defeat.
Hindi sumagot ang kaibigan na tila nag-iisip pa kung ano ang susunod na sasabihin.
Moe, please, bro. Tama na ang emote. It's not good anymore.
He had been holding back from his best friend for so long. Alam nyang nyang handa itong makinig sa kanya but he never had the courage to pour out his feelings completely. Hindi rin nya maiintindihan ang sarili. Ganun na sya noon pa man. He doesn't want to be anybody's business lalo na kung personal issues na ang pinag-uusapan. Masasabing secretive talaga sya.
Everything has changed now, Moe. Mag move on ka na. Dagdag pa kaibigan.
Everything has changed and yet everything's the same. Yan ang sinasabi ng boses nya sa loob...Bigla nyang naisip how funny it is that the more he tried to forget, the more he remembered. Nagbago na ang lahat pero wala pa ring nagbago. Siya pa rin si Elmo. And he's still in love despite the fact that he lost.
Yumuko sya, nagbabakasakaling maikubli ang unti-unting pagpatak ng mga luha nya.
Narinig nya ang hingang-malalim ng kaibigan.
Tama na yan, Moe. Stop being stupid. It was said in a low yet firm voice.
Napaangat sya ng tingin, nagulat sa katagang pinakawalan nito. It was a blunt statement that he was not used to hearing from his best friend. Naiintindihan nya. Rocco was sending him a message-to move on and man up. Bigla nyang naalala ang mga panahong sinasamahan sya nito na umiinom, in unbearable silence. Naalala nyang palagi nya itong binabara tuwing sinusubukan nitong buksan ang usapang emosyon. He knew he had been difficult to his friend and was sorry about it.
Kumawala sya ng mahinang tawa...tawang nangungutya sa sarili dahil sa katangahan nya. And now, he hungered for redemption. Gusto nyang makabawi.
Sorry, bro. This will be the last. From now on, I will never let anybody get the best of me ever again.
