Miss Danger Finder

24: Regret

"I FOLLOWED your advice, Manu," pagbabalita ni Geeq sa kaibigan niya habang nakahiga siya sa hood ng kotse niya at may hawak na bote ng beer. He was staring at the night sky because he wanted to be dramatic tonight. Hindi nga siya pumasok sa bahay ni Manu at nag-stay lang siya sa Montero Sport niya na naka-park sa bakuran. Ito pa ang lumabas para dalhan siya ng alak gaya ng request niya rito. "Iniwasan ko ang advances ni Rara sa'kin."

Hindi naman siya manhid para hindi maintindihan ang mga pagpaparamdam ni Rara kanina. He had enough experience to realize right away that she wanted to know if she stood a chance on him. Ayaw niya itong paasahin kaya sinagot agad niya ito.

"You went to my house at this hour just to talk about that child?" reklamo ni Manu na nakaupo naman sa tabi niya at meron ding hawak na bote ng alak. "Akala ko pa naman, may update ka na sa hinahanap niyong House of Rivera kaya sumugod ka ng ganitong oras."

"Rara went on a date with the younger Rivera," reklamo niya sa iritadong boses. "She asked me to go home. Bukas na lang daw siya mag-re-report sa'kin."

"Ah, that's why you're sulking."

"I'm not sulking," mariing kaila naman niya. "I'm just worried about her. Eun seems like a nice kid but we'll never know."

"They're both young so let them enjoy their youth," advice naman nito sa kanya. "When we were in our early twenties, we used to date around, too."

"Rara doesn't date around," giit niya. "She's just using Eun to enter the House of Rivera. Once she's done with her mission, she'd dump him."

"Yeah, it started like that, but how can you be so sure that their feelings for each other won't develop into something deeper?"

"Bakit mo ba pinipilit na may chance sina Rara at Eun na magkatuluyan?"

"Bakit ka ba kontra ng kontra?"

Hindi siya nakasagot. Alam niyang sinabi niya kay Rara na mas preferred niya ang mga babaeng kasing-edad niya at hindi siya magiging komportable kung makikipag-date siya sa mas bata ng ten years sa kanya. Totoo naman kasi 'yon.

Well, not until he met her.

"Manu, I think I like Rara."

"Gusto mo bang suntukin kita para matauhan ka?"

"But she's not a minor," katwiran niya. "Is it that wrong to have feelings for a woman ten years younger than me?"

"Not really."

Bumangon si Geeq para tingnan ng masama si Manu. "Hindi naman pala, eh. Bakit kontra ka ng kontra before? You even made me feel like a horrible person for seeing Rara as a woman."

"You can't see my point because of your feelings," depensa naman ni Manu sa sarili nito. "Look, Geeq. Rara isn't a minor, yes. Sabihin na nating dumating nga 'yong time na nag-date kayo. Hindi ka ba mahihirapan na umiikot ang problema mo sa career pero siya, umiikot pa lang ang mundo sa college life niya?"

"I don't want to hear that from you, Manu."

"I just don't want you to experience what I have gone through when I dated a girl seven years younger than me, Geeq."

Ah, I knew it: Rara and I really remind him of his past with Sica.

"Alam kong magkaiba naman ang ugali nina Sica at Rara," pagpapatuloy ni Manu. "Pero halos pareho lang ang sitwasyon natin. Heck, I was worse than you. Nineteen years old lang si Sica no'ng nag-date kami, remember?"

"She lied about her age, though," katwiran niya. "Sinabi niya sa'yo na twenty two na siya no'n kahit ang totoo eh nineteen pa lang siya that time."