John
Oo, ako ulit.
Ito pala yung feeling na parang tinali yung intestines. At the same time, parang puro hangin yun tiyan mo na masisira, masusuka ka at mahihimatay.
Pero hindi pwede.
"Sofia?" I said, while she was preparing herself in her living room.
"Hmm?"
"May problema ako."
"Ano? What's wrong?"
"I'm worried your family won't approve of me."
She smiled and sat beside me. "They never approve in the beginning. But they come around and respect my decision."
"Okay. Good. Kasi ano eh..."
"Ano?" She asked frowning.
"In love na kasi ako."
We shared a giddy smile.
But as she was about to say something,
PROOOOOOOOOOOOOT.
Amp. Kumawala yung utot ko.
I pushed her to her bedroom, took out my cologne and sprayed the blasted thing around the room.
Nung clear na yung hangin at sure akong hindi siya mamamatay sa toxic fumes, I knocked.
She could barely open the door because she was literally rolling on the floor laughing.
*
On the ride to her family home, I was quiet.
Kasi hiyang hiya ako.
Hindi pa ako sinasagot, naamoy na niya yun! Bwiset naman o.
"Huy! What's happening to you?" Sofia asked poking my side.
I stayed silent.
"It's natural!"
"I know! Pero nakakahiya."
"Kasi????"
"Gusto ko sana perfect yung image ko sayo, tapos... palpak."
She was pensive. Then, "Perfect? Why? You think you need to be perfect for me to fall in love with you?"
"Di ba dapat ganun sa ligawan?"
She shrugged. "I know you're not perfect. We had a past remember? I don't expect you to be. I'M not perfect. I'm pretty fantastic, but not perfect."
"But, baka kasi umayaw ka -"
Sofia cut me off. "I'm still here, aren't I?"
'Nyeta. Maiihi naman yata ako.
*
Thankfully, my bodily functions behaved enough and meeting her family went without a hitch.
That night, she handed me an envelope and told me, "Open it later na lang ha? Nahihiya ako eh."
I agreed. "Thank you for introducing me to your family."
Just then my phone rang. It was my office. They booked a flight for me the following day because there was an important meeting I had to be in.
"Ganun ba?" Sofia said sadly. "Sige, ingat ka ha?"
"I'll fly back basta may free schedule ako."
She nodded, saw me out and kissed my cheek.
I cherished that kiss as I boarded my flight. I planned to subscribe to the wifi again but seeing that it was too early in Manila and Sofia would probably be asleep, I decided to get my book and read.
The envelope she gave fell out.
Oo nga pala. I didn't get to read this na.
Opening it, I found the concept paper I gave her last Christmas. In bold red letters, she marked it CONCEPT APPROVED with a heart at the end.
And on the space at the end, she added:
Sofia Morales says yes to the partnership with John Rivera.
