Second Chance

ATHENA 10

That day, I went back in my condo and I started to finish unpacking my things. Hindi kasi ako nakapagayos agad gawa ng nakatulog ako agad at maaga yung meeting the day after.

I left Rachel a message that I got the condo her friend offered to me and a photo of the room. Syempre di ko sinabi na apparently, magkapitbahay pala kami ni Theo. I’m pretty sure she will freak out.

After tidying up everything, I went back to my laptop to work on my presentation again. Nireview ko yung binigay na documents ni Mr. Kim and reread them again in case I missed something. I have to work this out. Di ko pwedeng pabayaan na lang na iclose down ang St. Dominique.
I remembered what Theo said in the meeting.

“Sabihin mo nga, Ms. Kim. Did you even like St. Dominique back then? If I’m not mistaken, their students gave you a hard time before. Why bother saving it??”

Truthfully, I never had any soft spot for St. Dominique. I never understood their obsession with the boys in WAR.

Napakababaw nila to think of me as trash ng dahil lang I got in the school before. I should have agreed to let the school close down, if I were to base on my own experience.

But the students are not the only thing that matters. It was the years of sacrifice Mr. Kim put into that school. He may be just a minor shareholder but the ideas and principles are from him and his mother. They started the school themselves. It’s just unfortunate that they had to sell most of the shares because they were starting to go out of business. The Ramisses saved them. Pero wala silang karapatan ngayon na ibaon sa limot ang naging foundation ng school.
Siguro mag-30 minutes na kong nakatingin sa screen, wala akong maidagdag pa. Ughh, isip Soyi isip. Don’t let them down.

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Eh ano ba kasing alam ko sa pagpapatakbo ng school??? Lalo pa All-girls??? Naghighschool nga ako ng karamihan sa kaklase ko, lalaki eh. Ughhh!!!

Just then, may isang tao akong naisip na makakatulong sakin.

The same person who got me through in an All-boys school.

“Sino ba pwede kong icontact….”

Bwisit. Wala pala akonng contact na kahit na sino!!! I just gave my number to Kian and Clyde. Ugh.

Wala din naman akong Facebook, sure ako na dun ako makakahanap ng old friends ko. Bawal samin yon sa agency. Pano ba to 😑😑😑

Just then may kumalabog sa kabilang unit.

Andyan na si Theo?

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Hinde. Soyi ano ka ba! Hihingi ka ng tulong dun???
Hindi pwede!!!
Teka, bat nga ba hindi pwede??
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Hello! Ex mo yon at trigger point ka niya remember???
Uggghhhh bat ba kasi ang hopeless case ko!!!

Ah tama. Babalik ako sa Ruby hotel baka andun pa si Kian! Nagbihis nga ako at kumuha din ako ng cap at mask since this is a personal matter. Baka may makakilala sakin eh. Buti na lang din iniwan na ni Sir Karl yung kotse dito sa condo so that I can start using it.

I drove straight to the hotel at lumapit ako sa restaurant staff. Wala na ang banda nila Kian.

“Hi, can you tell me where did the band go???”
“Ma’am?”
“I was the woman earlier? The vocalist is a friend of mine. Do you have their contact number???”
“Ahh, yes. Please wait, ma’am.”

May kinalikot siya dun sa booklet sa bar. Then she gave me a business card.

“Catharsis?”, pagbabasa ko dun sa card.
“Yes, ma’am. It’s the band’s name.”
“Okay, thank you!!!”

Lumabas na muna ako ng hotel saka ako nagdial nung number na nasa card.
Nagring!
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“Hello?”
“Kian??? Si So—si Athena to!”
“Athena?”

Huh? Bakit babaeng boses?

Narinig ko naman na parang may umagaw ng telepono.

“ATHENA???”
“Kian! Uhh, busy ka ba?”
“No, no. I was about to contact you!”
“Nasa Ruby hotel ako. Akala ko kasi nandito pa kayo. May gusto sana akong itanong eh.”
“Huh? Sige, wait for me there!”

I waited for Kian in my car. Nasa tapat lang din naman ako ng hotel nagaantay kaya makikita ko agad kung dumating na sya.
Just then, a red Vios stopped by. Bumaba ng kotse yung driver and yes, it was Kian.
Binusinahan ko sya and I opened my car window.

“Kian!”, pagtatawag ko dito.

He jogged towards me.

“Can we just talk in a café? Meron malapit dito. I’ll guide the way.”
“Sige.”

We both parked in front of this café just around the corner of the hotel. He ordered drinks for us at kumuha na ko ng upuan.
I looked at him carefully.  He too was wearing a black cap at nakasweater siya na black. I almost blushed ng nahuli niya akong nakatingin sa kanya.

“Here.”, pagaabot niya ng frappe.
“Thanks.”

Umupo siya ng nakangiti sakin.

“So bakit mo ko tinititigan??”

Muntik na kong mabilaukan.

“Ah, wala. I was wondering if you changed too.”
“Hmm, hindi? I’m still me.”, pagngiti nito sakin.
“I can see that.”

Sa totoo lang, I was relieved to see him na siya pa din. Although may pagbabago sa buhok at medyo nagtone yung katawan niya kesa sa noon, he was still the same person I knew. At least in my changing world, there’s someone who stayed constant.

He smiled at me.

“Ah, Kian. Sino nga pala yung sumagot ng phone kanina? Babae kasi yung boses?”, tanong ko dito.
“Ahh. Band manager namin. She handles our schedules.”
“So, are you doing that for a living? Pano yung business ng parents mo?”

Napabuntong hininga naman siya.

“Well…they were disappointed. For now, I’m trying to be independent. Ito kasi talaga ang gusto ko gawin Athena eh.”
“I understand. As long as happy ka naman sa ginagawa mo diba?”, pagccomfort ko dito.

He looked at me now.

“Eh ikaw? Are you happy?”

Nagulat naman ako sa tanong nya.
Di tuloy ako nakasagot agad.

“Athena, I won’t ask you anymore kung bakit bigla kang nawala….I know people are already pestering you with that question.”, sabi pa niya na parang nahihiya.
“Ahh…actually, no one asked me yet…which is a relief.”
“Talaga?? So...can I ask you then?”

I looked at him and I know na hindi naman sa he’s being nosy over what happened. I knew that those eyes meant concern.

“It was a long story.”, sabi ko na lang.
“I have time to spare.”

Mukang gusto talaga niya malaman….ano ba? Pano ko ba sisimulan?
Handa na ba talaga kong sabihin ang dahilan?

“Kian…I’m sorry. But I think, he must know first…of all people.”
“Hmm, you already bumped into him several times, hindi ba?”

Kinwento ko sa kanya yung unang pagkikita namin na halos di na nga matuloy ang project ko with the Harrison malls. And to why I’m here again at kinailangan naming magtrabahong magkasama ulit.

“His reaction is just natural, Athena. I  would’ve done the same thing. Hmm, but to work with each other again? How is he coping? And…you? Are you okay?”, tanong nito.

I played with the straw of my drink. This was the first person, who I wanted to tell everything. To let it all out. Kay Rachel kase, pili lang ang pwede kong i-open up. I’m sure she will kill me pag nalaman niyang what I’ve actually been feeling lately.

“Di…di ko alam. He keeps ignoring me…our last encounter bago ako umuwi ng Pilipinas noon, galit na galit siya. But now, he’s more composed.”
“Hmmm, I would think that he’s finally letting go.”
“Letting…go?”
“Oo, moving on. Us guys, well, di kami magaling magtago ng nararamdaman. I mean, if I were him, if I still had lingering feelings for you after you left me, I would still be bitter.”

Siguro noon, may bitterness pa kong nararamdaman from him. But now?
Masyado na syang casual, to be honest. Has he really moved on?

“Hmmm, pagsisisi ba yang nakikita ko sa mga mo Athena???”, pag-aasar naman nito sakin

Binato ko nga siya ng tissue.

“Grabe to! Ikaw nga si Athena. Sadista ka pa din.”, pagtatawa ni Kian.
“Hay nako ewan ko sayo. Anyway, there’s something I need your help with. Alam mo ba kung pano ko macocontact si Ms. Graciel??”
“Ms. Graciel? Hmmm, it’s been a long time Athena. I honestly don’t know where to find her.”
“Ganun ba…may kilala ka bang baka sakaling alam kung nasan siya??”
“Well, after we graduated…she stayed in WAR alam ko eh. Hmm, baka you can ask someone from WAR?”

Ugh. Why do I have a feeling na kay Theo din ang uwi nitong paghahanap ko ng tulong.

“Sige, I’ll try asking pag bumalik ako sa WAR. Thanks, Kian.”
“Ay wait. Eto oh.”

May inabot siya saking ticket.

“Kasama kami sa line-up ng summer festival. Can you come?? It’s a Saturday night!”
“Hmm, sige mukang free naman ako nito.”
“Really?? Sige asahan kita dun ha.”

We bid each other goodbye then we parted ways.
Pagbalik ko ng condo, sakto namang naabutan ko si Theo na palabas ng unit niya.

Nagkatitigan muna kami but he looked away first. Papunta na siyang elevator.
I was still walking towards my unit ng narinig kong dumating na yung elevator sa floor namin.

He was about to go pero nilakasan ko na ang loob ko.

“Theo, wait.”

Napalingon naman siya sakin.
Di siya mukang interesado sa ano mang dahilan na tinawag ko siya.

“I…I uhm, I was wondering if you have Ms. Graciel’s contact? I need to consult something to her.”
“Ms. Graciel?”

Umoo naman ako.

“She’s not here anymore. She got married and migrated to Canada a few years back.”

Ha??? Bakit di sinabi sakin ni Kian yon??
Paalis na sana siya ulit pero di pa ko nagpaawat.

“Wait. Baka alam mo how do I---”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Kim but I have somewhere to go to.”
“Ah….of course. Sige thank you.”

Bago pa ko tuluyang mapahiya, bumalik na lang ako sa unit ko.

Well, it’s worth a try.