Tamed by Noah

34: Déjà Vu

They settled in a table near the monkeys, they finally got the foods that they ordered. Habang kumakain si Zaiden ay panay ang kaniyang pagtuturo sa mga unggoy. Melanie's knees are still shaking. Buong kalamnan niya ay nanginginig buti na lang at nakaupo na sya.

While Zaiden is busy and preoccupied, Paul initiated the conversation.

"Bakit di mo pinakilala si Cole sa tatay nya?" Paul asked kahit alam nyang mukhang ayaw ni Melanie na talakayin ang tungkol dito.

Tahimik muna si Melanie ng isang minuto tapos ay malalim ang buntong hininga na lumabas sa kaniyang sistema. Then she decided to say, "hindi deserve ni Noah na makilala si Zaiden. Mukha ngang hindi nya namukhaan yung sarili nyang anak eh. Ganon ba talaga ang mga lalaki? Ikaw, Paul? Kung may anak ka na, and then nakita mo. Hindi mo ba iisipin na sayo yung bata?"

Hindi alam ni Paul ang isasagot dahil hindi nya alam ang pakiramdam. Kaya naman mas pinili nya ang sabihing baka ganon din ang gawin nya kung sya si Noah.

Tumamlay bigla si Melanie. "At isa pa, ayokong sumira ng relasyon ng iba." She's talking about Noah and Arabel. "And it's my advantage din naman because I don't need to face court for my son's custody." Pinilit ni Melanie na maging masigla kahit na kapansin-pansin ang bigla nyang pagiging natamlay.

*            *             *

Lulan si Noah at Arabel ng sasakyan ng doktor. Noah's driving while Arabel is sitting next to him, sa front seat.

"She's really familiar..." Arabel said out of the blue. Noah glance at her with knotted forehead.

"She?"

"That woman. Is she Mellie?"

"It's Melanie, not Mellie." Noah corrected as he put his full attention back to the road.

"Yeah. Melanie. I got a feeling that we already mét."

"Impossible," he contradict.

"I'll prove you wrong, Noah." Arabel challenged. Kanina pa nya hinahalukay ang kaibuturan ng kaniyang utak para lang alalahanin ang mukha ni Melanie. Where she met her, and when. Parang nasa dulo na ng dila ni Arabel pero hindi nya talaga maalala. That feeling sucks!

"I'll bet half of my salary for this month, you haven't met her. She's miles and miles away your whole life. Meeting her before is like getting strike by lighting. Almost impossible. The probability is low."

"Don't cha worry, Doctoh'. As soon as I remembered where we mét, you will be the first one to know." Ani Arabel saka nya inirapan ang lalaki. Melanie opened her window and let the thick  air strike her face. "Philippines is such a lovely place." She commented.

"You got my agreement on that matter."

Tinanaw ni Arabel ang kalsada. There are people passing by, vendors, there are commuters, and all stereo type. Malinis ang kalsada ng Manila City, hindi din magulo ang linya ng kuryente. Ang mga establishment ay nagtataasan at nagpapagandahan. Then her attention was diverted to a family who are walking under the sun hand in hand. The mother's on the left, then their child on the center and the father's on the right.

Naalala nya bigla ang bata na kasama kanina ni Melanie. Unconsciously, Arabel said, "that kid looks like a carbon copy of Noah."

Hindi masyado narinig ni Noah iyon kaya tinanong nya kung anong sabi nito.

"I mean the kid, is he Melanie's?" Arabel asks as she titled her head to look at him.

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing really important. He's good looking just like his mother." Muling pag puri ni Arabel kay Melanie. "I haven't found any hotel where I can stay, do you have any recommendation? You knew this place better than me." Pagkuwan ay binago niya ang usapan.