“So how was the party, Uncle Dada?” Gaile asked Gerald when he got home.
“It was okay. Nothing much happened.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s more than okay kasi you have that huge grin on your face,” she teased.
“What grin?”
“Hay naku Uncle Dada, hindi ka na po pwedeng magsinungaling sa akin. I can clearly see that something good happened. Hindi naman kasi ganyan ang itsura mo these past weeks eh.”
“How come you know so much?” Ngiti lang isinagot sa kanya ng kanyang pamangkin. “Well, if you really must know… Sarah and I had talk. I asked her out for coffee after the gathering, she said yes and then we talked.”
“Yeeeey!”
“What are you so happy about?”
“Masaya ako kasi hindi ka na bad mood palagi.”
“Ah ganon?”
“Opo. Kasi naman po palagi na lang mainit ang ulo mo. Hindi tuloy ako makapagpaalam to go out,” ang nagbibirong sabi ni Gaile. “But seriously Uncle Dada, I am happy that you are talking again. Hindi ko kasi alam how to cheer you up. Alam ko naman po na si Ms. Sarah lang ang makakagawa nun. May times na gusto ko na po s’ya kausapin but I don’t wanna meddle. Baka mas makasama pa.”
“Thanks Love for respecting my space. But now I need your help.”
“With what?”
“I have a lot of making up to do and you are the perfect person to help me with it.”
“Sige Uncle Dada. Anything to save your love life. Ha… ha… ha!”
********
Monday
Pagdating ni Sarah sa kanyang office after lunch may isang pack ng Choc-Nut na naghihintay sa kanyang mesa. Wala itong card or note na kasama kaya nagtaka s’ya kung saan nanggaling ito. Tinanong n’ya sa mga kasamahan n’ya kung may nakita silang pumasok sa kanyang opisina pero wala ang sagot nilang lahat. Up until the dismissal bell, the identity of the giver was still a mystery.
