Never an Us

Three: You have a son???

Derreck

Finally, nakauwi na siya. 

I can finally see her.

Six long years. No phone, emails, facebook, twitter or any means of contacting her. As if she intentionally shut her world out to me. 

After my wedding, bigla na lang silang nawala ni Dave sa reception. I never got a chance to talk to her after the ceremony. Akala ko lang na may urgent business siya na kailangang puntahan. 

I assumed that she will call. 

Next thing I heard when I went to her mother's house after I came back from my honeymoon was that she left. Tanging mga househelp lang ang nakausap ko and her whole family went abroad and that they didn't know when will they come back.

Even si Dave hindi ko ma-contact for a month. And when I finally got in touch with him, he said nothing also. I believed him dahil sa nature ng business ni Dave lagi siyang out of the country. 

But I feel something is off. I don't know what, pero something is.

Just a few weeks ago, I had a new business client who's friend with Ally. We became friends in social media and there I see in his twitter account that he's followig Ally. Kaya pala hindi ko masearch ang pangalan niya sa kahit anong social media is because she's using a pen name. 

Without her knowing, I secretly follows her. Tipid lang ang mga tweets nya. Mostly about her schoolings and nothing much about her family.

Parang she's so careful in posting. Not until last night na there's something about her tweets that made my heart jump and beats faster.

"Finally, you're home!"

Napakaikli lang ng post niya na iyon and it hits me like a lightning. By instinct, alam ko agad kung sino ang pinatutungkulan niya.

Cici.

Kaya dali-dali ay tinawagan ko ang secretary ko at ipina-cancel ko lahat ng appointments ko for the next two days. 

Di ko palalampasin ang chance na ito.

I need to see her.

I want to see her.

And, I miss her terribly.

My best friend.... Cecilly Grace Adriano Palma.

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Dali akong bumaba ng sasakyan ko pagkadating ko sa lugar nila. Maaga talaga akong umalis ng Manila para maagang makarating sa bahay nila sa Zambales.

Medyo kabado pa ako habang naglalakad papasok ng bahay nila. Nang makapasok ako ng bahay ay naririnig ko ang malakas na tawanan at biruan ng mga boses na nagmumula sa dining area. 

Doon na ako dumeretso. 

And for the first time in six years, I am now seeing her again.

Her eyes... nose... lips... her face.

Hindi nila napapansin na nakatayo na ako sa may pinto. Masyado silang busy sa kwentuhan.

Then after staring at her, napansin ko na katabi niya sa kanan si Dave and sa left naman ay isang batang lalaki na parang pamilyar ang itsura sa akin. 

Ang mga baon kong tanong ay mas lalo pang nadagdagan ngayon.

Why Dave is here?

Who is that kid?

Sa dami ng tanong ko sa isip ko, I decided na bumati na sa kanila. Mukhang hindi talaga nila napapansin ang presensya ko.

"Hello everyone!" ang bati ko sa kanila.