Mahal Kita, Pero Book 2: ALL MY LOVE IS FOR YOU / รักหมดทั้งใจให้คุณ

Chapter 19: Just Like You Were Meant To Be

Chapter 19: Just Like You Were Meant To Be

San Francisco, Day 2 of Jam and Pero's American Adventures

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M HERE."

It was one of my dream-come-true, actually, to visit San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. There was this subject in my Fine Arts course na fineature ng professor namin ang museong ito. Right away, I fell in love with it.

Ang dami-daming iba't ibang uri ng media sa lugar na ito. Ang dami ring magagaling na artist ang may mga exhibition dito. Someday, who knows, makapag-feature rin ako ng sarili kong exhibition.

Pagdating namin ni Pero kahapon (around 7:00 p.m. ng oras dito sa San Francisco) ay nag-dinner lang kami sa isang restaurant sa baba ng aming hotel, kung saan tanaw na tanaw namin ang ganda ng Embarcadero Center. After having dinner, nag-stroll lang kami sandali at bumalik na rin sa aming hotel room at nagpahinga.

Iba ang jet lag dahil more than fifteen hours ang flight. Idagdag mo na ang matinding lakaran. Kaya pagod na pagod talaga kami sa aming trip.

Roughly 7:00 a.m. na kami nagising ni Pero. He wanted us to shower together, but I insisted not to. Hindi pa kasi ako ready talaga na magkaroon ng intimate moment kasama niya. Okay lang naman sa kanya iyon.

Anyway, we had our breakfast at Starbucks that morning. Sa Pilipinas, kapag nag-Starbucks ka, parang ang sosyal mo na. Dito, ang pakiramdam ay parang nasa fastfood chain ka lang. Ang daming taong parang halos makipagpatayan na para sa kape.

Then, we arrived her at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Ito talaga ang inuna ko sa aming itinerary dahil ito ang pinakamalapit na tourist spot mula sa hotel namin. Besides, the tickets we bought online were dated today.

"Happy ka ba, Mahal?" tanong sa akin ni Pero.

"Oo naman!" maganang sabi ko. "Kaso... Mahal... May sasabihin ako sa 'yo." Surprisingly, my energy went down.

"Ano 'yon?"

"I love to go to the museum with you, honestly. I mean, ang saya-saya ko na ikaw ang makakasama ko sa napaka-momentous na event sa buhay ko. Pero I have this stupid thought na gusto kong i-absorb ang moment na ito nang mag-isa," wika ko.

"Oh, so ayaw mo akong makasama?" Pero replied with a blank face.

I held his hand and caressed it. "Hindi naman sa ganoon, Mahal. I love to be with you. Topak lang talaga ng mga artist na gaya ko na gustong maging mapag-isa sa pag-a-appreciate o pagki-critique ng mga artwork. Sorry, ang hirap i-explain, eh."

I learnt to be alone doing this, actually. Ang dami-daming museum sa Metro Manila na pinupuntahan kong mag-isa. At doon ako mas nakakapag-create ng connection with the artwork.

I would say that Pero is a great distraction—although not a negative one. Baka kasi hindi ko lang ma-achieve ang ganda ng artwork kapag hindi ko na-focus ang sarili ko sa mga ito. Sayang naman ang pagkakataon.

"All right, Mahal," he said. "Ganito na lang. I'll meet you upstairs sa Sculpture Terrace, doon sa third floor. Hihintayin kita roon. Would that be okay?"

"I'm sorry, Mahal, ha," mahinang anas ko.

"Huwag kang mag-sorry. Naiintindihan ko. I'm sure mas mapapasaya ka nito," nakangiting sabi ni Pero. He then kissed me on my forehead.

Pumasok na kami sa San Francisco Museum of Modern Art mula sa Third Street kung saan binulaga agad kami ng Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Atrium kung saan napa-Wow na agad kami. Before we part ways, he kissed me on the cheek and walked away. Tumungo siya sa daan papunta sa Sculpture Terrace at ako naman ay natirang tumulala lang sa harap ng Atrium.

"Sobrang ganda..." bulong ko. This was a very illuminating experience for me.

I walked at the other side of the bulding, doon sa kabilang entrance, sa side ng Howard Street. I went to the Roberts Family Gallery and got speechless in front of JR: Chronicles of San Francisco. It was a black-and-white digital mural, as if I were watching a Harry Potter portrait.

It was just one magnificent artwork and it already took me, like, fifteen minutes to stare at all the details. Amazed lang talaga ako sa galing ng pagkakagawa niya.

"Ang galing, ano?" I heard from behind me.

Napalingon ako. It was a guy. A tall one. Taller than Pero, I guess.

He's got keen eyes, which is a set that seemed familiar to me. Chiseled jaw line, pointed nose, and a thick pair of lips enclosed with a freshly-shaved stubble.

"Kabayan?" sabi sa akin ng lalaki.

"Paano mo nalamang Pinoy ako?"

"You just know, dear," sabi niya. "Trust me. Marami ka pang makikitang Pilipino rito. Magkakangitian na lang kayo unknowingly."

"Okay," tanging nasabi ko, saka lumakad palayo. I don't intend to make friends here, anyway.

"Have you ever met someone and felt like that person is the one?" I heard from behind me. It's him again.

"I'm sorry. I'm not here to make friends," sabi ko.

Ngumiti ito. And that set of teeth are surprisingly interesting to see. They're white and flossed. "Ang sungit mo naman, kabayan. Sige na, sagutin mo na ang tanong ko. May nakilala ka na bang gano'n? 'Yong feeling mo, hindi ka na makakakilala pa ng ibang higit sa kanya? 'Yong siya na talaga? Just like you were meant to be together, gano'n?"

I just stared at him.

"Uy, ano na ang sagot mo?"

Umiling lang ako. "Hindi kita kilala."

He offered his hand. "I'm Nazareth. You?"

I demonstrated every repelling action I can. "I'm... leaving."

Hinawakan niya ako sa aking kamay. "Hi, Leaving. Sorry kung naabala kita."

"Doesn't matter. Just don't follow me, please, or I'll call the cops," saad ko, saka bumitaw sa pagkakahawak niya.

"Kabayan!" tawag pa niya sa akin, pero lumayo na ako. But the further I walked, the weirder my heart beats. Baka dahil sa first-time jitters na nakakausap ako ng hindi ko kilala.

But it's a good kind of weird. I don't know why, but there was no fear at all.

At 'yon ang parang weird.

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