The Player's Possession

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The least you expected

"So how's your stay here in California?" Ibinaba niya ang SB Coffee at tipid akong nginitian. 

"So far so good. At, kuya could you please stop asking me about how's my stay here in Cali? I mean I'm here for almost 2 and half years. " naiiling kong sabi sa kaniya.

Nagkibit-balikat lang ito at hinawakan ang kape niya na nasa lamesa pero hindi naman iyon iniangat para inumin.

"I know. I know." tumatawa siyang tumango. "Alam ko din na isa ka ng successful author who published 3 stories at ang tatlong kuwentong iyon naging best selling stories here in Cali and all over the world." he nodded and as if thinking something. 

"Who would thought that you'll end up being an author?" napapaisip na tanong ni Kuya. 

Matiim akong napatingin sa kaniya bago ibinaling ang tingin sa labas ng SB. 

Who would thought that I'll be like this? No one. It has 5 and half years since we never heard anything about him, sumuko na ang mga nagiimbestiga sa kaso niya, even his parents decided to let it go and move on. Everyone already move on except me. That in a past 5 and half years I still imagine the story that my mind created. Yes I'd imagined everything from that day that I saw him in our house telling me what happened to him while he was gone for 3 years pati na din ang operasyon niya lahat ng iyon.....

...it never happened. I undergo therapy pero hindi din iyon nagtagal. I moved in California to forget about him.  

Nagpanggap lang ako na sa lahat ng nangyari sa buhay ko kasama ko siya.  Illusion ko lang ang lahat, imahinasyon ko lang dahil sa hindi ko matanggap ang katotohanan na wala na siya.

Yes, grumaduate ako ng college ng wala siya, pumunta ako ng California ng wala siya. I am living alone and without him. Wala na siya, iyon ang pinakamasakit na bagay na nangyari sa buhay ko and I just can't accept it. I just can't move on knowing that I'm still hoping na kahit limang taon na ang nakakalipas ay buhay pa din siya at biglang magpapakita saakin. 
But until now that dream never became reality. 

Siguro kaya naging isa akong manunulat ay dahil sa kaniya, he is the one who discovered this talent. 

"Pero, Aqi iyong unang kuwento na pinublished mo ang pinaka pinagusapan at talagang sumikat." he sit straight. "And it has similarities in your real life...you and Calvin pero ang pinagkaiba lang that girl in your book get the chance to live happily ever after."

"Yes. That was based on my love story, kuya but unlike mine ayokong maging miserable ang tauhan sa kwento ko." sagot ko.

"But other than that I made that book for him to read that I was waiting for him to come back and to finally fulfill that last chapter in my book." Inubos ko na ang laman ng baso ko. Kinuha ko ang bag ko at isinabit iyon sa balikat ko.

"I have to go, kuya. I have a press con later. About my third book." paalam ko.

"Oh okay. Sumabay ka na saakin, madadaanan ko din naman iyon at isa pa hindi ba nasira ang kotse mo?"

Napatango ako. "Yeah. I was planning to buy a new car. Ilang beses ko na kasi iyong pinarepair pero palagi pa ding tumitirik kung kailan kailangan na kailangan ko."

Nang makalabas kami sa Starbucks ay agad na may humintong dalawang studyante na sa tingin ko ay nasa 11th grade palang. Halatang nahihiya ang mga ito dahil nagtutulakan pa kung sino ang magaapproach saakin. I took a deep breath sigh at nakangiting nilapitan sila.

"Hi! Is there anything I can help?" nakangiti kong tanong. I get used to this, smiling when I'm approaching anyone siguro dahil sa ganito ang trabaho ko. I couldn't act careless and wreck my career.