In Time With You

TEN: PRIMERA

"Don't you have work today, Piper?" Nagtatakang tanong ni Ria kay Piper. He's currently in the driver's seat, giving her a lift to the airport. Her sister was not able to drive her dahil napataon na mayroong mahalagang conference sa school nito.

"Absent, syempre para maka-ba-bye ako sa'yo." Pagrarason nito na sinamahan ng ngisi.

"Praning ka talaga, pero para namang ang tagal kong mawawala eh babalik din naman ako after two weeks." Pag-iimporma niya rito. And Piper laughed.

"Anong nakakatawa?" Nagtataka niyang tanong.

Hindi pa rin nito mapigilan ang malawak na ngisi, "Akala ko naman hindi ka na babalik dito."

"Pwede naman, pero hello?! Hindi naman ganun kalayo ang Iloilo, isang sakay lang sa eroplano." Natawa na rin siya.

"Oo nga naman, basta libre mong pamasahe, dalawin kita every week."

"Ulul — — o, papa-gas ka?" Piper maneuvered to a gasoline station.

"Wait here, magsi-CR lang ako." Pagpapaalam nito and he went down the car.

She kept herself busy with her phone habang inaantay si Piper, pero wala pang dalawang minuto ay bumukas na muli ang pinto ng driver's seat. "Ang bilis mo naman!" She remarked and her eyes were still on her phone. Hindi sumagot si Piper, naramdaman na lamang niya na umaabante na ang sasakyan kaya naman nag-angat siya ng tingin.

"Ria," the guy beside her said in a low voice. And it was not Piper's.

"Anong ginagawa mo, Del? Nasan si Piper? And where are you taking me?" Bahagyang pagpa-panic niya. But if she would be completely honest, there was a part of her that longed to see Del and talk to him to finally clear out things.

"I'm still taking you to the airport, Ria. But before you leave, kausapin mo naman muna ako, please?" Del pleaded.

Humarap siya rito, "Del, tama na. Hayaan mo na ko mag-move on please?" She breathed and he saw how Del's hands got tensed and clenched the steering wheel.

Saglit itong sumulyap sa kanya, maya-maya ay pinindot ang on button ng stereo ng kotse. Pumailanlang ang pamilyar na tono ng kantang Burnout ng Sugarfree.

O, wag kang tumingin
Nang ganyan sa 'kin
Wag mo akong kulitin
Wag mo akong tanungin
Dahil katulad mo
Ako rin ay nagbago
Di na tayo katulad ng dati
Kay bilis ng sandali

O, kay tagal din kitang minahal
O, kay tagal din kitang minahal

Kung iisipin mo, 'Di naman dati ganito
Teka muna teka lang, Kailan tayo nailang
Kung iisipin mo, 'Di naman dati ganito
Kay bilis kasi ng buhay, Pati tayo natangay

"Del, ano ba — " and before the song proceeded with the vocals napalitan iyon ng tinig niya....

"Pero okay lang talaga kahit hindi mo ako gusto, matagal ko na yung tanggap. And promise, this time, I'll move on for---"

And she was cut-off, kung tama ang naalala niya ay natumba na sya sa antok kaya hindi na niya naituloy ang dapat ay sasabihin niya. Maririning mula sa recording ang pagtayo ni Del. There was about two minutes of pause bago pumailanlang naman ang tinig ni Del.

"Hi, Ria, you'll probably hear this recording tomorrow and although maybe I can repeat the words to you personally, I just want you and everyone to know the truth of what I feel about you.

But first, I want to say sorry for every heartache I must have caused you when we were younger. I don't want to be presumptious pero since sinabi mo na rin, for the heartaches i've also caused you now.... For the things I said, and the things I was not able to tell you; For everything I did, and the things I missed.. Sangria, alam ko baka huli na pero gusto ko malaman mo na gusto din kita. At hindi ito dahil gusto mo ako o dahil inuudyukan tayo noon pa ng mga kaibigan natin...

I like you sincerely. Ikaw mismo. And if you don't know or appreciate what's good about you, I'll be adamant in showing and telling you, in any way I can.

Palagi mong sinasabi na fifteen years is a long time and that you wanted to move on already, gusto kong sagutin ka na wag muna. Bigyan mo ulit ako ng tsansa. And..... I'm glad you procrastinated. I might sound conceited or pushy but nothing beats the thought na may pag-asa pa ako sa'yo sa pag-amin mo. Pasensya na din at nagpatulong pa ako sa mga kaibigan natin para masolo at makausap kita.

Ayun, a-ah. Okay ba english ko? Pagpasensyahan mo na Engineer eh, mas gamay ko ang Math. Pero ang gusto ko lang ding sabihin ay..... puwede ba kitang ayaing lumabas minsan? Iyong tunay na date na, ha?

Ria was too wonderstruck to react kahit ilang minuto na ang lumipas mula nang matapos ang recording na iyon ni Del mula sa Zambales trip, seemingly recorded after she fell asleep from drunkness.

Which means.....

Hindi niya napigilang mapahalakhak habang pinupunasan ang mga mata niyang hindi niya napansin ay hilam na sa luha. Nakatingin sa kanya si Del, "Ria? Are you okay?" akmang pupunasan nito ang pisngi niya but she stopped him.

"Shet, para tayong tanga." Iyon lang nai-react niyang unang-una at itinuloy ang parang baliw na pagtawa.

"Right, para nga tayong tanga." Del agreed and he smiled as well. Siguro kung nasa pelikula sila o di kaya in a sappy romance novel, there will be cheesier declarations of love and what-not confessions. But c'mon guys, it's 2018 at nagsayang na sila ng labinlimang taon at dahil sa kaartehan niya, mga dalawang linggo pa.

"I'm sorry if I acted childish, Del. Umatake na naman ang pagka-nega at overthinker ko. I should also say sorry to Anj, Chit, and the others... Sorry if i thought you and Raq were still mad at me for doing what I did before." She admitted.

"What? Why would Raq and I even be mad about something that happened when we were barely adults. Also, it's never your fault, Ria." He assured her.

Nakaharap lang sya kay Del kaya naman hindi nya namalayan na nakatigil na pala sila malapit sa airport. "We're here, Ria. Ihahatid na kita hanggang terminal gate." Sabi nito at akmang bababa sa kotse. Pinigilan niya ang braso nito.

"So..... gusto mo ko?" she grinned at him imbes na bumaba.

And then he gave her that look, a crooked smile and tamed eyes which will surely make her sixteen year-old heart melt. Del grabbed her hand from his arm and enveloped it in his hands, "Yes, Ria. Gustong gusto. Tiyope nga lang ako na aminin agad. Mali din siguro na pa-timing timing pa ako kasi tignan mo, aalis ka na naman. Pero kung yung nasa ibang bansa ka nga nahintay ko, ito pa kaya? Nasa Visayas ka lang. Willing naman akong puntahan ka linggo-linggo-- "

"Del, it's the perfect time." She cut him off. "And can you calm down? Isang linggo lang ako sa UPV for a training conference. The project transferred me in UPD so I'll be staying here."

"You're staying...... here? For good? For real?" Del absentmindledly said like a child, still holding her hand.

"Parang tanga 'to. Oo nga, okay? So, to answer your question, yes, Andre Deldoc, I will definitely go out on a date with you! Pero pagbalik ko na from the conference ha?" She grinned. "Fifteen years ko tong inantay kaya umayos ka ha? Susuntukin kita kapag sinaktan mo ko!" She warned him.

"Buong batch siguro natin susuntok sa'kin, but trust me Ria. I waited long for this perfect time too." Sagot ni Del, and then he reluctantly let go of her hand at bumaba ng sasakyan.

"She said yes, wooh!" nagsisigaw ito sa labas kaya lalo syang natawa. Akala mo naman, wedding proposal na! Bumaba sya ng sasakyan upang pigilan sana ito. "Gulo mo, huy!"

And then she saw them. Their highschool classmates with the goofiest and happiest smiles on their faces. "Hoy, anong ginagawa niyo dito?"

Del went to her and hugged her from the back, he said something that made her heart drum and lips curve into a dreamy smile. "Ljubim te, Sangria."

"Ano daw?!" One of their friends exclaimed. Natawa naman sila ni Del at sumagot ito, "I-google niyo!". He meant he loved her.

And she gently said back, "Ljubim te, Andre."

Their classmates collectively said, "Uyyy!!"And, just like old times they chanted, "DelRiaGrande! DelRiaGrande!"