"Pitiful Comeback"
My head automatically turn when I heard a familiar name uttered by my former classmate.
I sighed as I watched him walking towards our table. "Thank God", I whisper to myself dahil finally may makakausap na rin ako.
It's funny to say that since I arrived, I only once open my mouth to greet, and after that, I feel na may mali sakin cause they never try to talk to me again.
Is it because I just returned from our home town after...hmm...oh almost 8 years? Do they think I've change a lot and I'm not the same girl anymore they knew?
Then what's the use of this reunion if they just treat me as a stranger na parang di nila naging kaibigan at naging kaklase. Parang hindi sila tumulad sa akin tuwing may exams ah.
I once again surveyed him and he look really nice in his outfit. So pinaghandaan niya talaga 'tong event na ito. Sana all diba?
Anyway he's the only person who I had a contact with, all these years. And if it's not because of him, I wouldn't know this kind of event will bound to happen.
The truth is, we are really not that close when we were in highschool. It's just that we coincidentally met in States as I studied there and he stayed there for 2 years for their business.
When he came back home here in the Philippines, he still keep a contact with me. Dahil sa kakulitan at penipesti niya ako palagi ay hindi ako makahindi and I got use to it, moreover I used his silly acts as my stress reliver.
And that's not all, there's a flower in his hand--- 'a rose', to be specific. Tss..What a lover boy.
I follow his gaze as he look to the people who occupied the table near from us. Before I stop him from looking, he suddenly went in front of me and form a smile which I know that was fake. The moment he look to that direction, I know someone's emotion will change.
He handed me the flower he was holding and said, "I know you hate roses, but c-can you save me this time?" that was just in a low tone so nobody can hear us. I sincerely feel the sadness in his voice.
But before I could speak, somebody talk behind me,
"Is this a reunion or a VALENTINE'S DAY?"
Gosh, does he really need to emphasize and say loud the last two words? Shame slowly eating me as I scan and saw all my former classmates looking at our direction especially in our table.
"Hey, kamusta na kayo? Long time no see." I feel relief as he spoke and change the topic. Geez, I wouldn't thought that ito pa ang naging dahilan why I get the attention of everyone.
He joined the others on their table to greet and when he realized that the only and last table na hindi niya pa napupuntahan is the table near from us, I clearly saw his hesitation cause I know him and the reason behind it.
He force again a smile to greet them and small part of me adore him because he still can manage to be fine in front of the girl he love who seems happy and contented with the arms of other man.
"You okay?", I worriedly ask him when he sit beside me.
"Of course, why wouldn't I?"
"Why? In two of us, you know much more the reason and answer to that. So
bakit nga ba?"
"I'm okay, okay? Even though I'm not and I will never be, I will still choose to say that I'm okay, that it's alright, and I am fine, again and again!"
"W-Why?", I don't know why I'm nervous to hear the next word from him.
"Because if I'm not okay, ano pa yung nararamdaman mo?" My tears began to fall from my eyes.
"If I'm not okay dahil nakikita ko na may ibang kasama ang babaeng crush ko, ung babaeng gustong-gusto ko at lihim ko lang minamahal, what more will you feel?", now, I can't even open my mouth as my tears continue to do its function.
I just want to cut my ears... only to not hear from other people the fact that I'm not really a successful woman but a pitiful one.
"I can't even look at them for so long, s-so I can't imagine what you are feeling right now... to see the girl I love b-being in the arms of your m-man."
You heard it right, the man who he was talking about, the man on the other table near from us and the man who makes his girl happy and contented is my ex--who I thought can wait for me until my success in my career.
The one and probably only reason why I really came back and attend this reunion is because I expected that he will fulfill his promise-- that he will wait for my comeback.
But I guess the reason why I destined to comeback is to live my life way back to the days before he came to my life.
I wiped my tears and tried to force a laugh and said to him,
"You know what do you call this comeback?...My comeback?"
He also force a smile trying to cover up the pity for me which I can clearly see in his face.
"W-What?"
"A Pitiful Comeback"
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Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, songs, places, events and incidents are either product of the author's imagination or used in fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual person, living or dead or actual events are purely coincidental.
