I Don't Want to Fall in Love</3

Chappie 48: He Found Her.

--->MAI<---
The stupid bastard. I frowned at Gino as led me to sit down at one of the booths.
“You have got to be kidding me!” I glared at him.
“Mabilis lang naman to, jan ka muna. At wag kang magtangkang umalis, kundi patay ka saken.” I rolled my eyes at him as he jogged to his friends. Nasa Game Gizmo kami ngayon, isang gameshop sa bayan. Ang daming tao, puro mga students and gamers, si Gino at yung mga kabarkada niyang ulopong nadun sa isang game console, may nilalaro. Tinetest daw nila kung maganda yung quality. Whatever, mayaman naman sila diba, edi bilhin na nila agad, may pagtetesting pang nalalaman. 

Hindi naman kasi dapat ako kasama dito e, kaso si Yabang, bigla nalang akong isinama, kinuha pa yung susi ng apartment ko, kaya kung umuwi man ako ngayon, useless din. Kung bakit kailangan pa niya kong isama dito, hindi ko din alam. Gago talaga to, nakakabadtrip ng mga tao dito, puro kasi mga lalaki and yung iba patingin tingin pa, halo-halo pang amoy. Kadiri! How can they stand this place?

Tapos ako lang yung babae at nakaupo dito sa booth na to na mukha ding ang dumi dumi! Out of place talagang peg ko dito! Tapos after 45 years, sa wakas natapos na din sila, sa tinagal tagal nila sa paglalaro, hindi din nila binili. Tss. Waste of time talaga.

“Well?” I asked him.
“Nag-aaya sina George kumain, tara?”
“Ano? Hoy Yoon, sabi mo dito lang tayo pupunta tas iuuwi mo na ko!”
“Oo nga, pwede namang pagkakain, saka kita iuuwi a.” I frowned at him.
“Sige na Mai, tara na! Promise, pagkakain natin, pwede na kayong magdate ni Gino.” Teased Jimbo. Shut up jerk, I glared at him, kung akala nila nakalimutan ko ng ginawa nila saken, well think again, bastards!      

At ayun, dahil nga masamang ugali nila naglakad na sila kahit hindi pa ko pumapayag kaya kesa maiwan pa ko dito sa sumunod na lang ako. Hindi ko sila sinasabayan so I was behind them and dahil insensitive talaga tong mga lalaking to, hindi man lang naalala na may kasama silang babae dahil ang bilis nilang maglakad.

Tapos next thing I know, naiwan na nila ako and hindi ko na sila makita. Nasa may community hospital na kami, dito kasi nagpark ng kotse tong mga to, wala daw kasing bayad pag dito at masikip daw sun sa Game Gizmo. Tinry kong alalahanin kung san kami nagpark and nung kumaliwa ako, imbis na makita ko yung kotse, may nakita akong familiar na mukha.

My eyes widened and I blinked a couple of times, even rubbing my eyes just to make sure that I wasn’t imagining but it was really her. It was really mom.

“Mom!” I called out to her, but she didn’t hear me. She was walking with a woman I don’t recognize and mejo malayo sila but I’m sure it was her.

Pumasok sila sa CGH and nagdirediretso. I ran after them, but apparently I was making too much noise so the guard called my attention and told me to be quiet, pagbalik ng tingin ko kina Mama, wala na sila, I lost them in the crowd, kung bakit sila pumasok ng ospital hindi ko alam and kung bakit ang bilis nilang lumakad, hindi ko rin alam.

Badtrip, she was right there! Nadun na siya bigla pang nawala. Naiiyak na ko sa inis, I’m sure it was her, but I was so stupid to have lost her. Ang lapit na e, makikita ko na ulit siya, but I lost her.

Dun ako lumabas sa kabilang daan, still hoping to find her when my phone started ringing. I took it out and answered the call.
“What?!” I asked in an irritated tone.
“Asan ka ba?” Gino asked on the other line.
“Hindi ko alam!” I kept on looking from left to right. I was still hoping to find her.
“Asan ka ba!?” inis kong tanong sa kanya.
“Ikaw ang nasaan! Bigla ka na lang nawala pag lingon namin e!” He yelled.
“Ulol ka pala e! Ang bilis niyo kayang maglakad! Maglalakwatsa lang naman pala kayo edi sana hindi mo na lang ako sinama! Dadalhin dalhin mo ko dito tapos iiwanan mo lang pala ako! E gago ka pala talaga e!” Alam kong mali, at lalo lang kaming mag-aaway, but I was so frustrated and dahil naiiyak na din ako.
“Bakit nagagalit ka sakin? Hindi ko naman kasalanan na nawala ka a!”
“Sa susunod kasi wag mo na ako isama kung iiwan mo lang din naman pala ko!” Inis na sigaw ko sa kanya but this time, my stupid voice betrayed me as it cracked from the strain of preventing my tears to fall, I bit my lip.

“Oii, anong nangyare sayo?” tanong niya sakin. I sniffed.
“Wala! Uuwi na ko, bahala ka sa buhay mo!” I yelled and turned the phone off, I then quickly dialled Jasper and told him what happened, he told me to stay put since he knows where I am coz of the tracker on my phone and that he’ll pick me up. Maybe with their help we can find mom. I’ll get to see her, I’ll be able to talk to her.

--->GINO<---
I shook my head, nakakairita na tong babaing to a! Ang taray taray. Kasalanan ko bang mawala siya? Bata ba siya para mawala na lang ng ganun kapag hindi nababantayan? Pinagbabaan pa ko ng telepono.
"Shit!”
“Pare? Ano? Tara na?” sabi sakin ni Miggy.
“Mauna na kayo.” Sabi ko sa kanila as I started running. Nasan ba yung babaeng yun? Kung san-san na lang lage pumupunta, fuck! Tumatakbo ako kaya hindi ko sinasadya, may nabangga akong babae.
“Sorry po, hindi ko po sinasadya. Okay lang po ba kayo?” Sabi ko dun sa babae. Ngumiti sakin yung babae.
“Okay lang ako.” She smiled, napanganga ako, she nodded at me tapos dumiretso na siya sa paglalakad. Teka, kamukha niya si Taray a, save for the eyes and attitude.
“Sorry po ulit.” Tapos nagtatakbo na ulit ako. Tinatawagan ko yung cellphone ni Taray kaso hindi niya sinasagot, shit!
“This time I swear I’ll find you!”

--->MAI<---
Naglalakad lang ako, not really knowing where to go, iniintay na dumating sina Jasper when someone suddenly hugged me from behind. I clenched my fist and was about to give him a punch when he talked.
“Found you! I told you I’ll find you wherever you are.” He was panting.

I could feel his heart throbbing really fast. Tapos hindi ko alam, siguro dahil sa pagod? Sa frustrations ko? Dahil sa hindi ko nakausap si Mama kahit nakita ko na siya? And maybe because he finally found me, after he didn’t the last time. I tried telling myself not to cry but after years of practice, I just cant control it.

Anu ba kasing meron sa Pilipinas at nagiging iyakin na ko? I didn’t know why, but it just kept on falling. Bakit ganito? I was always able to stop them, to resist them. So bakit ngayon hindi ko na mapigilian? Tinakpan ko yung bibig ko ng kamay ko, so as to stop my sobbing, I was shaking now so Gino turned me around and hugged me, my face buried in his chest. Then I heard the familiar honk of Jasper’s car as it zoomed by, so I guess I’m stuck with Gino.
 

--->GINO<---
After running around for a few minutes nakita ko na siya sa kabilang parking lot ng ospital, I quickly hugged her from behind.
“Found you! I told you I’ll find you wherever you are.” I whispered between pants.

I was sweaty from running around but she didn’t push me away, instead she started shaking, tinakpan niya ng kamay niya yung bibig niya and she started sobbing. Kaya iniharap ko siya sakin at niyakap. Hindi ko ininda na nababasa niya ng luha yung uniform ko, hindi ko rin pinansin na nasa labas kami ng ospital at may mga nakakakita samin. Iyak lang siya ng iyak, and dahil first time ko lang naman magconsole ng naiyak, hindi ko alam kung anong dapat kong gawin, basta hinigpitan ko lang yung yakap ko sa kanya at hinilot hilot ko yung likod niya.  

“Okay ka lang?” Tanong ko sa kanya.
“Ewan ko sayo, gago ka!” she sniffed, maiinis sana ko sa kanya kung hindi lang talaga siya mukhang kawawa, tinanggal na niya yung salamin niya kaya kitang kita mong pugtong pugto yung mata niya, ang pula ng pisngi at ng ilong niya, yung buhok niya inipit niya pero sobrang gulo, mukha siyang haggard na haggard but I don’t know why I still found her attractive.
“Tss, sorry ha, malay ko bang iiyak ka kapag nawala ka.”
“Kapal ng mukha mo, hindi ako umiiyak dahil nawala ako!” she punched me.
“Gago ka!”
“Tss, sorry na nga diba, tara, Greenwhich tayo, libre kita.” Yaya ko sa kanya. Hindi siya tumayo, kaya hinigit ko yung kamay niya tas naglakad na kaming dalawa.
“Bitawan mo ngang kamay ko.”
“Wag ka ngang maarte, baka mawala ka na naman, mag-iiyak ka na naman jan.”
“Kapal ng mukha mo!” irap niya sakin, but nonetheless hinayaan niya ko, malambot yung kamay niya, kaso maliit compared to mine, but I still find it odd, ano nga kayang problema nito, kasi if it was just an ordinary day, hindi niya ko papabayaang hawakan siya.

Tumingin ako sa kanya, nakasimangot siya as usual pero hindi yung simangot niya pag-galit siya, iba e, parang ang lungkot niya talagang tingnan. Ano ba talagang nangyari sa kanya?