Sta. Barbara

Kabanata 1: Ala-ala

  Papers, papers, papers. Araw-araw ganito nalang ang nakikita ni Ezikiel sa kanyang desk. Napaka workaholic nyang tipong lalaki. No time for games, no time for love and no time for useless things. Di naman nila masisisi ang binata he is only 24 years old and he is very ambitious. He was aiming for a higher position sa tina-trabaho nyang company at upang makamit yon he doesn't like distractions.

"Bro, why don't you take a rest muna? Have some coffee or how about a bar para maka unwind tayo?" Tanong ni ni Matt, na ka office mate at self-proclaimed nyang best friend

Di ito pinansin ni Ezikiel at patuloy parin sa pag babasa ng mga papel na nasa harapan neto. Na pa buntong hininga si Matt at ngumiti nalang sa kanyang kaibigan. Since day one ng kanilang pag sasama sa kompanya napapansin na nya that Ezikiel is very eager to be on the lead. Very competitive and always ahead at everything. Matt knows he was aiming for something big and in no time he will be promoted. With his black hair, dark brown eyes, medyo di kataasan ang ilong, '5'6" na height, brown complexion, dark and thick eye brows, and an ilonggo, this guy would reach heights someday.

"Di ako hangin para i-ignore mo nalang bro. Have a life. I won't take a no this time"

"You know I have to finish this"

"Ang dami pang oras para dyan. C'mon you're missing something here"

Napatingin si Ezikiel sa kanya.

"And what is that?"

"Life" sagot ni Matt

Ezikiel rolled his eyes at tumayo sa kanyang inuupuan. Lumaki ang ngiti ni Matt. For 2 years nyang pangungulit ay rarely umo o ang kaibigan neto. He wonders. Baka may mangyayari na kakaiba ngayon kasi unexpectedly, pumayag ito.

"20 minutes at the cafe dyan lang sa labas. No more no less" sumbat ni Ezikiel "And I'm not going because you said something inspiring I agreed because I'm hungry plus you're annoying" dugtong nito

Tumawa si Matt. He's sure is mean. Pagkalabas ng building ay tumawag ng taxi si Matt. He knew na di ito magugustuhan ni Ezikiel pero he had no choice. He mildly force Ezikiel na pumasok sa taxi.

"Wag kanang rumeklamo. Pupunta tayo sa bagong cafe malapit lang dito. Kaka-open lang nila last week at madami na ang nag sasabi na masarap daw yung mga desserts"

Walang na isagot si Ezikiel

Dumating na sila sa cafe. As expected madaming tao sa loob, luckily naka kita pa sila ng mauupuan. Ezikiel is clearly irritated ngiti ngiti lang si Matt. He decided na di nya muna kikibuin ang isang ito for a whole week or month. Matt is different from him, 5'9", maputi, brown hair, light brown eyes, mataas na ilong, lean at has this smile that makes every girl swoon. A well bred Manila boy. He is clearly a happy-go-lucky guy. He doesn't work hard at doing this "pa chill-chill lang". Ezikiel believes that he has a shallow dream and desires.

"See I told you bro. Daming tao ang pumupunta dito"

"Madami because this establishment is new or maybe because it is trendy kaya madaming tao ang pumupunta. The number of people does not determine the quality of this establishment. It will wear off eventually. Just a common cafe after a month. Because most people don't stay at the same thing for long. Sooner or later they'll eventually be tired of it"

"Woaw woaw easy lang Ezi, we are here to unwind. Mukhang may pinag huhugutan a" sabi ni matt sabay suntok sa baga ni Ezikiel

Ezikiel ignored him at nag taas ng kamay para umorder. Walang nagawa si Matt kundi ang umorder narin.

"Are you really going to be like this? All throughout your career? Cmon you're better than that"

"I want to be more than this Matt you know that"

Dumating na ang mga orders nila. For a short while Ezikiel looked at his chocolate cake and mocha coffee. He wonders. He always wants to be on top. Not because to really aim something but because something is always missing. He believes na if he'll reach the top, by then, the hole would be filled. Looking sa kanyang kaibigan medyo na iingit pa nga sya kay Matt dahil his friend is contented. He does the things he wanted to do. Is being on top really what he wanted? Kasi kahit gustuhin nyang maging care-free, something is holding him at di nya alam kung ano yon. While those thoughts is running through his mind minabuti na nyang kumain para di na masayang ang oras he has a lot of things to do in his office. When Ezikiel got to taste the dessert, he was surprised. It was a really good chocolate cake. It seems a common dessert pero may kakaiba talaga itong taste. Mukhang maganda din pala ang taste ni Matt pag dating sa pag kain.

"What's the name of this cafe?"

"Seriously bro? Di mo talaga tinignan nong pangalan ng cafe nato sa labas? It was unique actually"

"Do you think I'll be asking if nakita ko?"

It was sudden. It was like in the movies where in for a split second tumigil ang oras. The moment Matt said the name of the cafe everything just came back to him. It's as if nag change ang setting. It was in a place he was familiar with and then suddenly he saw her. Tumitingin ito sa kanya. Those familiar eyes looking straight through him. Now he realized why he has been so empty for so long. There was silence. The background seemed as if nag mute ito. Di nya na gugustuhan ang nangyayari. Kumakabog ang kanyang dibdib na para bang sasabog ito. Mistulang kinakabahan at di mapakali. Then, he heard her voice.

"Ezikiel"