Forgetting Samuel

Kabanata 46

Kabanata 46
Drive

“You know what? Let's ditch the reservation.” Samuel said.

That’s when Ady extended her arm to immediately tug the door of his car, to open it. They were already at the parking lot of Parisia Infinite Hotel and Restaurant, pero hindi pa sila nakakalabas ng kotse.

Napalingon agad ang expressive na mga mata ni Ady kay Samuel. Somehow, his comment made her guts churn in anger.

It was the inside joke she's been finding since the moment she saw Samuel outside her studio. This night was just too perfect to come true.

Him, waiting on the parking lot of her studio.

Him, looking so Samuel, that he even turned back his old hairstyle for her to remember.

His whole godly existence.

Sabi na nga ba't sasaktan siya ng lalaki sa huli. Bakit pa ba siya pumili ng napaka gandang damit para sa wala?

Ady pushed all the thoughts away to keep her from hurting. She forced a smile at the man on the shotgun seat and tugged the car door close. Such a shame na hindi manlang niya naibaba ang paa niya kahit sa parking lot lang ng Parisia.

"Okay, let's head back." Ady firmly said.

She tried her best to give it out like she's not hurt at all—like it was also nothing for her. At least, makaka-save pa siya ng pera from this thank-you dinner.

Parisia Infinite's dishes are expensive, gold prices. Isa pa’t, it was all Samuel’s idea. Hindi naman siya ang nag-initiate na kumain sila sa labas. Walang mawawala sa kaniya. Nagpatangay lang naman siya. Hindi siya magpapaapekto sa ginagawa ni Samuel sa kaniya. Gano’n siya noon pa man kay Samuel, nagpapatangay lang sa gusto nito. Nag-go-go with the flow.

Samuel didn't utter a word. Ady leaned back on the head board of the passenger's seat. Her wavy hair getting unruly from getting tucked between the backrest and her actual back. Mukhang magulo na rin ang buhok niya at wala na sa ayos, hindi pa man sila nakakapunta sa dapat na destinasyon nila.

Ady forced her eyes to shut, trying her best to just sleep this miserable evening off. Didilat na lamang siya kapag nasa tapat na siya ng Doll House.

Once again, Samuel crushed her dreams. It's millions to zero now. Kailan ba magtatanda si Ady? Kailan ba siya mananalo sa laro nila ni Samuel Dalton?

"This drive was just like the old times, driving you to Sitio Malabon... Driving to Serpentine Drive." she heard Samuel's soft voice spoke.

Napaikot na lamang ni Ady ang kaniyang mga mata. It was Samuel's failed attempt to soothe her hurt pride. He's trying to be nice after he stood her up once again. Huli na ang lahat, nasaktan na niya. Somehow, Ady got the accurateness of the saying, ‘prevention is better than cure.’

She should have prevented this situation to happen. Hindi na lamang sana siya humiling ng ganito dahil sa huli ay masasaktan lamang niya si Ady. Hindi na lamang sana rin siya pumayag sa ‘thank you’ na ganitong paraan. The only cure? It’s for her to avoid speaking to him as much as possible, again dahil sa sakit na ipinararanas niya sa kaniya.

Martyr nang talaga si Adelaide. Martyr kay Samuel. Bakit ba hindi niya magawang tanggalin sa kaniyang sistema si Samuel at kalimutan na lamang ng buong walang pag-aalinlangan?

"It wasn't." Ady snapped and immediately turned to look at the window, trying to lose herself on the cloudy night, also avoiding Samuel’s version of small talk. “It wasn’t like that. We were in love...”

Ipinihit ni Ady ang tingin kay Samuel at binigyan ito ng disppointed na tingin at saka dinagdagan ang kaniyang sinabi, “We aren’t now.”

Samuel coughed. He didn’t bother glancing sideways at Ady. Nagmaneho na lamang siya.