I hugged Agnes tightly and I burrowed my face on her chest habang umiiyak ako. Naramdaman kong yumakap din sa 'kin si Agnes. She wasn't talking. She was just there hugging me back and somehow, that was exactly what I just needed. Walang comforting words, walang sympathetic reaction, walang attempts to make me laugh.
I don't know how long we stood there and kung ilang tao na yung posibleng tumingin at nagjudge sa 'ming dalawa and I'm waiting for Agnes to say something, or to ask, or to even mention how stupid I look pero wala siyang sinabi. She just held on to me and when I'm finally feeling better, bumitaw na rin ako. Pinunasan ko yung mukha ko and I sniffed.
"Sorry, nabasa ko damit mo."sabi ko sa kanya. "Mukha akong tanga."dagdag ko. She just grinned.
"How did you get here so fast?"
"Malapit na talaga ako nung nagtext ka. I wanted to surprise you with lunch. Kasi I know how stressed you were over the past few days and I brought you a sunflower to cheer you up."sabi niya. Napansin ko na nakatitig pa rin siya sa 'kin.
"O ano? Alam ko na sasabihin mo. Sasabihin mo na ang pangit ko. Go na. Say it."sabi ko sa kanya. But she just gave me a toothless smile.
"What?"sabi ko sa kanya.
"Actually, sasabihin ko sana na maganda ka pa rin pala kahit na bagong iyak ka." I think I blushed.
"Pa-fall ka gago."sabi ko sa kanya tapos tumawa siya and hindi ko na rin mapigilan mapatawa sa reaction niya. At hindi ko alam kung anong nakakatawa, pero tawang-tawa siya at hindi kami makatigil sa kakatawa. We will both try to make a straight face pero matatawa lang kami ulit.
"Better?"sabi niya sa 'kin right after when we have finally stopped laughing. Tumango ako.
"Thank you Aji."
"Anytime."sabi niya tapos ngumiti lang siya.
"Huy. Bumalik ka na ng QC. Anong oras ka nanaman makakabalik sa meeting mo? Kailangan ka dun sa meeting na yun."sabi ko sa kanya.
"Hayaan mo na yun. Mas kailangan ako ng wifey ko." I blushed.
"Tigilan mo nga ako. Pero seryoso Agnes, thank you for all these. Pero seryoso rin akong lumayas ka na."sabi ko sa kanya. Tumango lang siya tapos nagpaalam na rin siya.
I watched as Agnes walk away. And siguro, ayaw ko man aminin sa sarili ko, pero...
She was exactly what I needed today.
