After our "dance", we stayed in bed holding each other. Filling up for the days we were apart.
That morning when I finally talked with Jema she just told me what happened.
"Sabi niya may pinapabigay daw si Tita Miles. Ayoko naman talagang buksan kaso sabi niya iaabot lang daw niya at aalis na rin siya. Tinatawagan ko si tita kaso di sinasagot. Pagkabukas ko ng pinto bigla siya umupo. Dun mismo kaya di ko maisara. Wala naman siyang dala maliban sa candy. Skittles. Yun ang nabasa ko dun sa hawak niya.
Nagsorry siya kasi kinailangan niya magsinungaling para makausap ako. Hindi naman siya lasing kaya hinayaan ko muna habang nagiisip ako kung pano siya papaalisin.
Sabi ko sabihin niya na kung ano man yun para matapos na. Nakatayo lang ako dun malapit sa pinto para kung may mangyari makalabas ako agad.
Inalok niya ako nung hawak niyang candy. Tinanggihan ko. Tapos nagkuwento lang siya ng kung anu-ano.
Pinapakita ko sa kanya na naiinip na ko. Di ko na alam kung gaano katagal yun tapos inalok na naman niya ako nung candy niya. Tinanggihan ko pa rin. Tapos sabi niya kahit isa lang daw. Pinakita pa niya na kinakain niya yun. Wala naman daw lason.
Tapos sabi niya pati ba naman daw yung candy di ko kaya tanggapin. Sabi ko na lang may gagawin pa ko at late na.
Tapos sabi niya painom na lang ng tubig. Sabi ko dun na siya uminom kila Tita. Sabi niya dederetso raw siya sa bar pagkagaling niya dito.
Tumahimik na lang ako. Nagulat ako bigla siya tumayo at naglakad papunta sa kitchen.
Sa sobrang taranta ko, tumakbo ako papuntang kuwarto. Late ko na naisip na sana pala lumabas ako.
Kinokontak ko na sila Tito ulit nung bigla niya sinipa ng malakas yung pinto. Natakot ako kaya ikaw na yung tinatawagan ko. Di ako tumitigil, paulit-ulit ko dina-dial number mo kaso nalowbatt ka na eh.
Tinatawagan ko ulit sila Tita nung sinipa na naman niya yung pinto. Tapos kung anu-ano na sinasabi niya. Hindi siya sumisigaw, hindi rin madalas yung pagsipa niya kaya nung sinilip ko ang bintana walang tao na nakakapansin sa nangyayari.
Kaya ang naisip ko si Daddy. Siya ang tinawagan ko. Sinagot naman niya agad sinabi ko kung ano nangyayari at ayun nakikinig lang ako, sinunod ko yung mga utos niya.
Hinarang ko yung lamesa sa pinto sinama ko na rin yung bangko at lahat nung makita ko dito sa kuwarto hinarang ko na.
Tapos nalowbatt na rin ako. Naiwan ko naman yung charger sa kusina kaya di ko mairecharge yung cellphone. Nagdadasal na lang ako habang naghihintay ng tulong.
Di ko namalayan na nasira niya na yung door knob. Kaya pagsipa niya nakita ko nagsitalsikan yung nilagay ko sa lamesa.
Kinuha ko yung gunting sa drawer at tumakbo ako sa banyo. Hawak ko lang yun habang inaalala ko yung mga napapanood ko sa tv na mga self defense.
Tapos ayun na ang naabutan nila Tito at Tita."
The whole time na nagkukuwento siya? Umiiyak ako. Tinapat ko sa kisame yung camera at tinakpan ko ang bibig ko. I flinched every time I hear her saying 'sinipa niya yung pinto'.
I have to constantly remind myself na tapos na yun. Eto na yung asawa ko. Alive and well. Kinukuwento na lang niya yung nangyari.
After the incident, 2 nights pa siyang sinamahan ni Tita Miles sa pagtulog.
I contacted the whole squad before going to work that day. Ate Bea, Ponggay, Jeycel and the rest of the team na close ko pa rin.
I asked them for a drink that night. I told them what happened. We agreed na aabangan namin si Vince sa airport.
We didn't plan naman to murder him. We only want to give him his worst day ever. Yung to discreetly give him pranks lang. Actually gusto nga nila na patayin na yung gagong yun kaso talo naman kami bandang huli pag ginawa namin yun diba?
Though in my mind I thought of thousand ways to do that.
3 days yung seminar kaya di ako pwede umabsent during those days.
We took turns sa pagbantay sa airport. Five at a time. Lahat ng exit binantayan namin. I went there after work.
But we failed. No Vince Santos arrived. It was Jules who found out that Vince never left the confines of NAIA.
He took a connecting flight. We didn't found out where he was about to go.
She saw kasi Faith's arrival. Kaya nagawan niya ng paraan na malaman.
He found out siguro that a flock of eagles were surrounding the airport.
Even demons pala get scared sometimes.
Actually if ever we found him there? I don't know what could have happened. My sane side wants him to explain what he did or apologize.
But the part of me that wants revenge is greater. And my friends has other plans din. I saw ropes, baseball bats and duct tapes on Ate Bei's car. Kaya pala she did not park sa airport.
Kung nagkataon makakagawa talaga kami ng crime!
Oh well, my fury faded a bit na dahil mas galit pa mga kaibigan ko sa nangyari kesa sa akin.
It's my turn naman para pakalmahin sila.
We ended our 'manhunt operation' after reading Jules' message sa gc.
Mahirap hanapin yung taong ayaw magpakita.
Maybe this is not the right time. Basta, I owe him one.
I busied myself na lang sa work.
Lesson learned: Do not be complacent, and shit really happens talaga no matter how you try to avoid it.
The best thing to do is to stay vigilant.
I never had a decent sleep ever since that happened.
My anxiety is killing me kasi di ko pa kasama si Jema. But I have to be strong.
I maybe younger in age but I need to be the stronger one.
Years ago, Jema's father and I had a serious talk. I think that is when I asked for their blessing. That Christmas when I am about to surprise Jema and propose.
He told me that no matter what life brings, I have to be strong. That what will happen to our future depends on what we our doing today.
So better invest for the good.
From there, I took it as a life long duty to give my best shot. I did all I can sa career ko.
While supporting Jema sa gusto niyang gawin. She tried to teach, to practice what she finished in college.
But she realized it's not her cup of tea. She is now a part time singer sa restobar ni Ate Jia and Kuya Miguel. Twice a week siya kumakanta dun at coach din siya ng volleyball team ng junior high sa Adamson.
We supported each other's sole endeavors.
We grew individually but not apart from each other.
And I am thankful for that.
It also paved the way na rin para matanggap ng family ko yung taong pinakamamahal ko.
They weren't vocal about it but I feel it in my heart na okay na sila.
They saw that we complemented each other.
A lot has happened this past few years but we were never better.
We've been through a lot but I must say that this one is the hardest.
Magkalayo kasi kami. And I promised to myself that I wont let a shit like this happen again.
I am still thankful that no harm happened to Jema.
From this day on, we will face the challenges together.
Vince episode in our lives ends here.
