Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin

Chapter Seven: Ash and Matt

"Hindi ko alam kung bakit lahat na lang ng relasyon na pasukan ko, lagi na lang ganito? Kay Rayver, kay Lloydie, kay Gerald... Hindi talaga ata meant para sa akin ang magkaroon ng lovelife..."

"Sarah," Matteo squeezed her shoulder. "Of course not. Alam mo, time will decide what's best for you. Kung hindi mo man mahahanap ngayon ang lalaking para sa'yo, baka soon pa darating sa'yo yun."

"Kung kelan na ako binigyan ng freedom, dun na komplikado ang sitwasyon."

"Sarah, baka naman di para sa'yo si Gerald. Or kung para sa'yo man sya, God is just preparing yourself to be deserving for him."

She smiled. "Naman." She sat down. "Kelan ka pa naging poetic, ha?" 

They giggled.

"At least I saw you smile now."

She smiled wider. "Salamat, Matteo, ha. Ganyan ka din ba dati kay Ate Maj?"

He stopped and bit his lips. Then he smiled. 

She laughed. "At least alam ko na hindi ako dapat panghinaan ng loob. Salamat dahil nandito ka."

"My pleasure, Sarah."

"By the way, bakit ka nga pala nandito?"

"Pinapatawag ka na kasi ni Teacher G para sa rehearsals natin. Let's go?"

She nodded. 

"You wipe your tears first." Kinuha ni Matteo ang panyo at pinunasan ang mga luha nya.

"Let's go." She stood up. Inassist sya ni Matteo. Matteo held the knob and twisted it.

But it won't open.

"Matt, nilock mo ba?"

"Hindi. I just shut it close." He continued twisting it, pero ayaw nya bumukas.

Sarah tried to open it. Pero ayaw pa rin.

"We're locked!," Matteo said to Sarah. "Go call your mom."

Nagpapanic na si Sarah. "Wala si Mommy dito eh. Si Sir Gerrome na lang kaya."

"Go. While I try to arrange this."

She did call Sir Gerrome. But to her surprise, Sir Gerrome's phone was on her drawer.

"Pa'no na 'to?" Sarah still panicking.

"Sarah, sit down. Don't panic." He shouted and hit the door. "TULONG! TULONG!"

Sarah did the same. "Tulong po! Tulong!" She walked around the room, still panicking.

"Sarah, keep calm." He got his cellphone on his pocket. "I'll call Teacher Georcelle."

"Eh, di nya dala eh. Di daw sya magdadala at baka mawala." Aligaga pa rin si Sarah. "Anong gagawin natin?" She sat down.

Lumapit si Matteo kay Sarah at umupo sa tabi nya. "Sarah," hinawakan nya ang kamay ni Sarah. "Keep calm, okay? Wag kang matataranda."

She just bowed her head. Nangangamba talaga sya. Hindi nya alam ang gagawin nya. She imagines kung paano kung hindi sila makakaalis ni Matteo sa dressing room na iyon dahil wala silang matawagan upang pagbuksan sila. 

"Are you annoyed dahil tayong dalawa lang ang nandito?"

She raised her head. Na-misinterpret ata ni Matteo ang pagyuko nya. "Hindi! Napag-isip-isip ko lang kung paano kung di maayos yang pinto? Eh di dito tayo forever?"

Tumawa si Matteo. "Hindi naman forever. Grabe naman. May pagkain naman dyan pag nagutom ka."

She wondered. Pagkain? Eh, wala nga akong dala kanina. "Pagkain?"

"Yup." Matteo opened a cabinet beside Sarah's mirror and took out a paper bag. Inabot nya ito kay Sarah. "Dumaan ako sa Max's kanina for my lunch, at naisip ko na dalhan ka ng kung ano-ano."

Sarah held it and opened it. Naglabas sya ng isang Caramel Bar. "Wow." Sumilip sya sa bag na iyon, and was shocked.

"Yup, bumili ako. Bawat isa sa menu meron."

She smiled. "Wow, salamat ha. Anong meron?"

"Wala lang. Feel ko lang na dapat kitang bigyan nyan. Maliban sa sinabi ni Sir Gerrome na matagal ka nang hindi kumakain ng sweets kahit paonti-onti. Well, hindi naman masyado matamis lahat. And I just want to make sure that you eat well your merienda. Sabi ni Teacher Georcelle, di ka daw nagbe-break eh."

"Wow ha. Ang dami mong sources."

They laughed.

"At some point, medyo nagiging chismoso din ako."

She smiled. "Thank you ha."

He smiled back. "My pleasure." Umupo sya sa tabi ni Sarah. "And so I think, habang naghihintay sa 'rescue'," they laughed. "Maybe, pwede mo nang iopen sa akin ang tungkol sa inyo ni Gerald Anderson."

"Yes or no" mingled on her mind. Sasabihin nya ba o hindi? Kung oo, nakakagaan sa pakiramdam. At least mawawaa ang mga hinanakit nya sa mundo, in a way. Pag hindi, at least the secret is safe. She wanted to maintain her image as a private and silent person. Pagdating sa pag-ibig, lahat kasi ay nililihim nya. Well, hindi naman lahat. But the hurts she feel, gusto nyang isarili yon upang hindi na masaktan ang mga taong nagmamahal sa kanya.

In one glimpse, one word popped on her head.

"Magsimula tayo sa pinakaunang pangyayari... sa pagiging strikto ng mommy ko."

Then since then, nagsimula nang magbulalas si Sarah tungkol sa twist and turns ng 'lovelife' nya kay Gerald. Lahat, simula ng nanligaw sya, getting to know stage, less than lovers, more than friends stage, that July night na humantong sa ending stage ng panliligaw ni Gerald, hanggang sa mga nangyari kanina, noong nalaman nya na girlfriend na ni Gerald si Marlet Beltran, a girl who destroyed her heart.

At sa every story na sinasalaysay nya, lagi syang may segway- na nakakarelate daw sya sa kanya.  Mayroong time na pareho sila ng nararamdaman, naging pareho sila ng sitwasyon, at pareho nilang hindi natanggap. At that way, gumaan lalo ang loob ni Sarah di lang dahil may napagsabihan sya, kundi dahil may nakakarelate sa kanya.

"Sarah?" someone spoke from the outside. 

They cheered up and came close to the door. "Tulong po!" They twisted the knob.

"Why won't the door open?" the voice on the other side asked.

"Nalock po kami.," Sarah said.

"Kayo? Sino kasama mo?"

"Ako po.," Matteo screamed. 

"Matteo? Okay. Wait for me Sarah, okay? Tatawagin ko kung sino ang pwedeng makagawa nito, okay?"

"Opo, Teacher G.," sagot agad ni Sarah.

Nakahinga na sia ng maluwag.

"We're gonna go out of here safe.," Matteo said.

"Salamat at nakasama kita dito even for..." Sarah looked at her watch. "An hour."

Tumawa sya. "Wow, I never imagine na naka-isang oras tayo dito. It's also nice to be locked with you. Always remember not to be sad because of him, okay?"

"Salamat ulit."

He smiled. "You're welcome."

And after a glimpse, the door was opened and they went out from that dressing room. Agad na pinaayos ang door knob ni Sarah para di na maulit ang mga pangyayaring ganoon. Pero because of that incident, she felt enlightened, to know someone like Matteo understands her.