Paolo
Alam na niya.
Yata.
Kaya?
Arrrghhh. Bakit ba naman kasi at this age pa kasi ako na-torpe?!
Yes, guys. Sobrang torpe ko kay Arra with a few moments of confidence lang.
When I picked her up on Sunday, I wore a crisp white shirt, slacks, leather belt and shoes. Tapos sobrang stiff ko even while driving.
Arra noticed my tension. "Bakit kabado ka? Ikaw ba priest today sa mass?"
"Sira. Hindi."
Yun lang. Hindi ko nahiritan. Wala.
After church, I asked her where she wanted to have lunch but she wanted to head back to my place. "I want to see Rocky. Dun na lang tayo sa house mo, please?"
I dropped her off and ordered our food. "They don't have the dessert you like. Bibili lang ako. I'll be back. Rocky, watch over Arra ha?"
When I arrived, Arra was already setting the table with the food plated and ready for us, Rocky was following her every move.
"Uy, ang bilis ng delivery. Naku, hindi ko na bayaran!"
"It's okay. I paid for it."
"No, no. Ako. Wait let me repay you."
"Your share is —"
"NO!"
Arra was taken aback and Rocky got mad so he barked at me. She cooed to calm him down and then asked me to sit down as well. "Ano ba nangyayari sa'yo?"
Ito na ba? Parang ang panget ng timing. Before I could say something, she continued, "Alam ko na."
"You do?"
"Yup. Ganyan ka din dati eh."
"Talaga?"
"Yup! Before you told me how serious you were with Jennifer and you think you want to marry her."
"Huh?" Bakit napunta sa ex ko yung usapan.
"Ano ba. You know I'd support you unless sobrang demonyita ng girlfriend mo. So, sino naman this time? From your office also?"
Natulala ako. Ang fail ko talaga... but naisip ko there was still a way to turn this around. "O... oo... I mean... oo meron nga akong gusto, hindi ko officemate and I'm serious. Pero hindi kami. Hindi ko nga masabi sa kanya eh."
"Ah! Dating pa lang? Pero serious ka na? How do you know?"
I looked at her. She was asking so innocently and I knew that she truly cared for me. No matter how this turns out, I was overjoyed about the fact that I will always have that. "Kasi kahit ano pa yung maging situation, siya yung nakikita ko na kasama ko at the end."
"WOW. Serious ka nga! So why don't you tell her yet?"
I laughed nervously. "I'm trying to, pero manhid pala siya eh."
"Ha? Eh baka naman ikaw ang malabo? Tell her straight kasi."
"Paano? Sample."
"Ano ba pangalan niya?"
"Use yours."
She rolled her eyes and thought of a possible line. MANHID TALAGA 'TO. "Okay like this... 'Arra, I like you and want to be with you.''"
"Arra, I like you and want to be with you."
She clapped like you would when a baby did something cute. "Ganyan! Go practice. Use the person's name na."
Taking a deep breath, I positioned myself so I could look directly in her eyes. "Arra, I like you and want to be with you."
"Kulit. Use the person's—"
"Manhid talaga amp—"
"What?"
"Hindi mo pa rin ba gets?!?"
Finally, FINALLY, she was stunned silent. Then, slowly asked, "Pakiulit nga?"
I cleared my throat and nervously repeated, "Arra, I like you and I want to be with you."
Her jaw dropped. How that was surprising on the third time is beyond me but here we were. "Me?"
I nodded, pretty sure I was blushing.
Ten seconds pass.
Twenty.
Thirty.
"Eeeeeeehhhhhhhhhh ang cute mo naman!!!!"
"Arra naman eh." I stood up and walked to the window.
She followed and pinched my cheeks. "Cute, cute naman ni Popong! Citizen of the world pero nahihiya manligaw."
"Arra, shut up."
But she didn't. She kept teasing me, "Yihee, si Popong manliligaw! Binata na talaga. Cute cute naman!" and then all of a sudden, "Tara let's eat."
"Wait. What?"
"Gutom na ako."
YUN NA YUN? Sayang yung pag-amin ko! "Teka muna. What about what I said?"
"Accepted. Let's eat."
"ANONG ACCEPTED?!"
"You can continue."
"Continue liking you? Bakit ka nakakainis????"
She started laughing. "Can you calm down? Okay na. I like what you said and I like you, too. Let's continue to date and see where this goes. Deal?"
"You... like me?"
"Akala ko ba ako yung manhid. Ikaw din eh!" She gave me a wide, toothy grin and I just fell back on the chair then laughed.
"You annoyed me on purpose?"
She nodded, unapologetically. "Pretty much! Sarap mo asarin eh."
"Geesh," I started putting food on both our plates. "Since you didn't guess my secret tapos ininis mo pa ako, forfeited yung gold coins mo. Akin na yun."
"Ha?! No! Sorry na."
I made a face. "No. Bahala ka." She pouted and it was too cute to resist. "I got us nga dessert. Yun na muna. No gold coins today."
She clapped her hands. "Yey!" She insisted that we pray before our meal and after the standard prayer, she added words that I would never forget and eternally be grateful for, "Thank you for the fantastic surprise today, Lord. Thank you for allowing me to share this meal with someone I like very much."
And when she opened her eyes to look back at me, the voice again said: HER.
I know. I know.
It's always been her.
