Fixing You

Fateful Meeting

Chapter One

DRIFT

"Mawalang-galang na po. Ikaw po ba si Yano ? Anak nina Mr. and Mrs. Santiago?

Yano. I shook my head in amusement. I haven't heard that name in four years. Nandito na nga talaga ako sa 'Pinas. I looked up and saw a man in his mid-forties, wearing a loose shirt and faded jeans.

"Mang Caloy?" I couldn't hide the excitement from my voice. Hell, this was the man who took care of me until I was 15!

"Aba, Yano, ikaw nga! Naku, kalaki-laki mo nang bata! Mamang-mama ka na!" He exclaimed, pride evident in his voice.

"Ikaw din naman ho, Mang Caloy? And tandang-tanda niyo na--- Aray!" Sambit ko habang hinihimas-himas ang ulo.

"Ikaw talagang bata ka! Singkuwenta'y sais pa lamang ako! Hindi pa ako matanda. O siya, kukunin ko muna ang mga bagahe mo. Dumiretso ka na lang muna sa sasakyan. 'Wag mo na akong tulungan, hindi pa naman ako matanda!"

Napangisi ako. Wala pa ring nagbago. Ako pa rin si Yano na binabatukan ni Mang Caloy kapag tinutukso siya sa kanyang katandaan. I drew a deep breath and headed for our family car. I just hope my stay here in Philippines would make me forget about what happened back in the States.

***

"Naku! Kung makikita ka lamang ni Elena ngayon, siguradong matutuwa iyon! Kaso nandoon siya ngayon sa lupa ninyo sa probinsya, pinapatsek kasi ng ama mo. Okay lang kaya doon si Elena ko?"

I smiled at Mang Caloy's musings. Nay Elena is his wife and she also took care of me when I was little. I could even say that the two of them were much more of a parent material than my actual parents were to me.

Tinanaw ko ang mahabang linya ng mga sasakyan sa unahan namin. Pati ba naman dito sa Davao, ma-traffic pa rin? We were stuck in the highway for more than ten minutes already and all I can say is that I'm getting bored of waiting. Tsk. Hindi ko pa naman na-charge ang cellphone ko, wala akong mapagkakaabalahan.

I looked at the window to pass the time. Wala namang masyadong nagbago. Davao is still Davao although many establishments that I haven't seen before stood now. I was about to look away when I saw something that caught my eyes. Or someone.

I angled my head so that I could watch her and when that wasn't enough, I pressed my face at the window. I might have looked weird to Mang Caloy but at that moment I didn't care.

All I can say is that she's very beautiful. At maamo ang mukha niyang mamula-mula. Hindi nakakasawang tingnan. And she has that look in her na parang gugustuhin mo siyang protektahan; na hindi mo siya gustong makitang umiyak. As wholesome as I wanted to be, I couldn't stop my eyes from trailing down her legs. She was in her jeans, but that did not stop me from noting the way the tight-fitted jeans clung to her perfectly. I almost wished I was that pair of jeans. I shook my head. I'm starting to become a creep. I turned my head away only to find myself, a few seconds later, to stare at her again. Napabuga ako ng hangin. What's wrong with me? I'm acting like a 14-year old.

Nagulat na lamang ako when the cars started running again. And so did ours. Green light na pala! I wasn't sure whether I'd be happy or not. And the fact that I'm thinking of this too hard makes me want to bang my head against the car door. Kung hindi lamang aakalain ni Mang Caloy na nababaliw na ako.

MHEAGAN

"Ate, okay lang po ba talaga?"

"Oo nga po, ate, parang ang sosyal pa naman po dito."