LSS: CLOSE

Chapter 16

"Kaya naman natin kahit magkalayo tayo diba?" Alam niya sa sarili niyang kaya niya kahit malayo sila sa isa't isa. Marami namang paraan para magkita sila. But that question echoed in Jace's head a dozen times.

Kaya ba talaga nila? Kaya ba talaga niya? Long-distance relationship isn't as easy as he thought it would be. Gusto niyang laging nakikita at nakakasama ang mahal niya, gusto niya ay lagi niyang nahahawakan o nakakamusta.

Fear, he fears that her love ones might end up looking for someone better than him.

Doubt, sandali, why would she settle for someone na malalayo sakanya when she can find someone na araw-araw niyang pwedeng makasama? This made his thoughts mixed up.

No. He doesn't know the answer to the question. He wasn't prepared enough. He heard her say his name but he couldn't utter a word, he wanted to say something, but he slowly turned himself away from her and walked out in silence.

Nagpatuloy ito sa paglalakad at pinipigilan ang sarili na lingunin ang dalaga. He could have just answered, 'Yes', kaya nila, kakayanin nila. But he chose to stay silent.

Why? Dahil ayaw niyang magsalita ng bagay na hindi niya kayang tuparin. He's scared, he is scared that he might hurt her.

He stopped for a second and looked at her, hindi na niya na pigilan ang sarili at liningon niya ang dalagang pinipilit maglakad palayo.

He wanted to hold her, he wanted to hug her tight, but a part of him says he should leave. Lalong nanghina ang binata ng makitang napa-upo ang dalaga, he stopped beside a car when a tear slid down his cheek. He wiped a tear from his face as he gazed through her and walked away from the scene with mixed thoughts and emotions.

After a minute, a loud noise and a siren was heard when a white car speeding down the road hit a young man who was crossing over a busy street.

"Gaano ka niya ka-mahal?" Paulit-ulit na tumatak sa isipan ng dalaga. Nasusukat ba ang pagmamahal? Paano ba? Sa haba ng pasensya? Sa pag-intindi o pag-unawa? Sa tiyaga o diskarte? Hanggang saan ba nasusukat ang pagmamahal ng isang tao?

She rolled on the right side of her bed while thinking of this question. Kahit gaano niya pigain ang utak niya ay wala siyang alam na sagot.

"Isang araw nalang and I need to go." Bulong nito sa sarili. Hindi padin kasi siya tinatawagan o text manlang ng binata. Maski ang mga kagrupo nito'y hindi siya sinasagot.

Wala itong nagawa kundi mag-impake ng gamit. Dahan-dahan niyang tinutupi ang kanyang mga damit at nilagay sa maleta.

It was two thirty in the afternoon when she received a call from someone, akala niya ay galing na ito kay Jace but she was dismayed when she heard a girls voice.

"Jazzy..." Malungkot na sabi ng kaibigan. Sinubsob nito ang mukha sa unan na parang batang naaasar.

"Oo, ako lang to. Hindi ang taong inaasahan mo." Pang-aasar niya. "How are you? Nakausap mo na ba siya?"

"No, ni wala nga siyang tawag, kahit magtext manlang sana kaso wala. Flight ko na pauwi bukas pero hindi padin kami nagkakaayos." Naiiyak nitong sagot. Nakaramdam naman ng awa ang isang dalaga. Kung andon lang sana siya ay madadamayan niya agad ito.

"E anong plano mo ngayon?" Her friend asked. Plan? She doesn't have any plans. But an idea came into her mind, naalala niya ang isang lugar na asa kanyang listahan. She really wanted to go to that beach, kaya naman agad itong nagpaalam sa kaibigan para makapag-iwan ng mensahe sa binata.

"I have something important to tell you, let's meet at Daechon beach, 9:30 tomorrow morning. " Pagkacompose ng text ay agad niyang sinend ito.

Naisip nitong daanan muna ang Daechon beach bago ang flight nito sa hapon, total ay halos isang oras lang naman ang layo ng Incheon airport sa beach kaya naisipan niyang umaga sila magkita.