In Time With You

SEVEN: BRAKEFADE

Ehh di natameme ka ngayon.

Tudyo ng pilyang bahagi ng utak ni Ria. Del just said something that will probably make her teen-age self faint out of a heart attack or something. Pero dahil nga dinere-derecho niya ang pag-inom ay ang suminok lang siya nang suminok.

Natatawa na naiiling si Del. Tumayo ito at agad na kumuha ng tubig. Nang iabot nito iyon sa kanya ay tumungga siya agad. Hindi lang para mawala ang sinok niya pero para pakalmahin ulit ang dibdib niya.

"Kaya pa ba?" tanong nito.

Lumunok muna siya bago sumagot, "Ilang tanong pa ba?"

"Tig-isa na lang tayo."

"Maya na natin tapusin, inom na lang tayo!" pag-iwas niya. She was sure those deep questions could lead her to say something stupid that would give away her feelings and more. And the last thing she needed was to be vulnerable again. Quota na sya sa kilig sa first love niya. Tama na yun, bukas talaga sisimulan na niya ang mag-moveon.

She looked at the clock, two-fifty five AM na. Mayroon siyang four hours and five minutes para sulitin ang na kasama si Del at ibaul ang lahat pagkatapos.

"You're the boss!" Del then proceeded to pour liquor on their shotglasses.

"Ang taas naman ng tagay na yan!" reklamo niya.

"O akala ko ba lakasan ng loob? Paano tayo malalasing kung pa-unti unti?"

May point naman nga ito. Kaya hayun siya, hala sige, tagay!

Two bottles of Jose Cuervo, three bags of chips and a dozen of stupid questions,like how a car's engine could run with different sources of electricity, later.... lupaypay na si Sangria.

Her head felt so light, and she knew she was grinning like an idiot.

But it felt so nice na humilig sa balikat ni Del. And she has an excuse. Meron pa siyang ilang minuto..... ten minutes? Five minutes...?

"Hoooooyyy, Deldoc." she breathed in slurred speech.

"Hmmmm?" she heard him reply.

"Honest tayo dito? Di bah, di bah?"

"Oh, alam mo naman na ikaw fersh loveko, nooooh?" she started. Nahihilo na siya, but she really wanted to get this off her system to get the closure that's almost fifteen years late.

"Yup, you said on the way here."

"LOOOOL. But do you know...... that I still love you?" at sinundan niya iyon nang halakhak.

Tumayo siya mula sa pagkakasandal sa balikat nito at humarap dito. Del was about to speak but she stopped him.

"Wait lang, ako muna. Kasi bukas invalid na 'to, promish. Promise bukas, sisimulan ko na talaga mag-move on.

"Sorry, I lied a lot of times on our way here, Del. Even when I was in Slovenia I still think of you, may mga oras na naalala at nami-miss kita kahit yung mga pag-gagaguhan lang naten. And I know, wala naman papatunguhan ito. That you will never like meh and you will always think that I'm this crazy gurl who had the most stupid crushhhhh on you since hayshskul. But Del...." her voice broke and she felt tears sting her eyes and fall down her cheeks. Pero nagpatuloy siya.

"For all it's worth, gusto ko lang malaman mo that you made me happy still. And those times na you did those things para sumakay sa pangangantiyaw sa atin, I can't help my heart but to beat like batshit crazy. Potaaaah.Pero okay lang talaga kahit hindi mo ako gushto, matagal ko na yung tanggap. And promise,promish nga this time, I'll move on for......."

Hilam na ang mata niya ng luha at sisigok sigok na rin siya. Tila mas lalong tumindi ang tama ng alak kaya hanggang doon na lamang ang nasabi niya bago tuluyang dumilim ang paningin niya. She felt that she was about to fall to the floor, but in half haze and sleep she felt his arms wrap on her body for support.

She felt him carry her, and it was so familiar again. Like it was not the first time or the second time.

Few seconds later she was down on the bed. Del murmured something but she was too drunk to hear anything.

The last thing she remembered though, was a light kiss on her forehead.