the decade of longing [ jedean / gawong ]

two.

Deanna: Since when did you come back from States?

Nakaupo na si Deanna at Jema sa table nila at kumakain. After nila magyakap ay agad na nagorder ang family niya para masimulan ang dinner dahil kumpleto na nga raw sila.

Magkatabi si Deanna at Jema sa table. Kanina pa inaasikaso ni Deanna si Jema, like putting food sa plate niya, unfolding her table napkin for her, pouring her juice- paminsan minsan nga sinusubuan niya pa.

Nasusubaybayan naman ng family niya ang lahat but they don't mind. In fact, they actually like seeing Deanna like this.

Never have they seen Deanna 'this' caring to someone. Not even kay Ponggay na bestfriend niya. Usually kasi she's the distant type. A bit introvert.

Jema: Technically, my flight was yesterday pa and I just arrived literally minutes ago. 18 hours flight. Straight from the airport, I came here.

Napangiti naman si Deanna. She appreciated na lumipad talaga ito all the way from States to here for her.

Deanna: Who told you na laban ko today?

Natawa naman si Jema sa tanong niya. Naalala niya kasi how lahat ng kapatid ni Deanna pati parents niya chinat siya sa messenger last week to come home for Deanna's championship.

She didn't hesitate to book sa first flight na makita niya back to the Philippines. It's been a decade since she last saw them naman na.

Jema: Everyone in this table except you. Ang daya mo nga, kung hindi pa sinabi sakin nila Dean na laban mo na pala, hindi ko malalaman.

Nahihiyang ngumiti si Deanna. She didn't tell Jema kasi she didn't want to disturb her sa work niya. She knows she's busy and baka maka-abala lang siya.

Deanna: I know you're busy kasi eh. I learned to accept na busy ka after the first 3 years of convincing you to come home.

Nagkatinginan yung family niya. Somehow they felt the tension rising and as much as possible they wanted to keep the aura nostalgic lang... not 'that' emotional.

Jema sighed. Not because she didn't like what Deanna said, but because she felt guilty for what she did. Umalis siya ng bansa for better education opportunity and left Deanna here all alone. 

Ilang years nagmakaawa sakanya si Deanna sa messenger, dms sa instagram and twitter, viber, email- all sorts of ways for communication just to make her come home. Three years, three years of constant begging for her to come home but she ignored Deanna's request. Hanggang sa isang araw, tumigil na lang si Deanna and told her na she understood and she's going to wait for her to come home.

Ever since then, their communication became inconsistent. Not because of her absence, but because of Deanna's. Minsan na lang magmessage si Deanna or minsan matagal magreply. Minsan nagtetweet pero hindi siya nirereplyan. 

At first, nainis siya but then she couldn't blame Deanna either. 

Jema: Sorry.

Tinignan siya ni Deanna and sincerely smiled.

Deanna: It's okay, Jema. I understand, really. And ano ka ba, that was in the past. You're here na oh! Thank you for coming.

Jema: I honestly wouldn't miss it for the world.

They kept their stare at each other. Nakangiti lang pareho.

Umubo naman ang dad ni Deanna kaya naputol ang titigan nila.

Dad: Until when ka magstay dito sa Pinas, Jessica?