Hinawakan niya yung kamay ko and she led me down the car. Sinasabihan niya lang din ako kung aakyat ako. Charlie's hands were cold and for some reason, kinakabahan din ako. Maya maya inalis na ni Charlie yung blindfold and I was surprised to see na we were in a restaurant and bigla na lang may tumugtog na live band. Hinatid kami nung waitress dun sa table namin.
Ang ganda nung lugar and ang ganda nung music. Sa totoo lang, matagal ko na pinangarap na sana mangyari to. I've waited so long for this moment. Yung kulay nung ilaw, it was a warm yellow and the decors had complimented the place well. Hinila ni Charlie yung upuan ko and I sat down.
And I looked at her as she was smiling so brightly at me. I smiled back in return. She was busy rambling on about so many things. And I can tell na kinakabahan siya. And I can see her being clumsy. I just smiled. Bihira ko makita na ganyan si Charlie.
But now she lost her cool and even though she's smiling, I can also tell that she was sweating. Bakit ba siya natataranta? Nagulat ako when she gave me flowers. I looked at the roses na binigay niya. This was my favorite flower. They were big red roses and they smelled really nice. Simula palang 'ata high school, roses na talaga yung favorite flower ko.
"Bakit may paganito?"tanong ko sa kanya.
She stopped moving and she just held my hand. She was looking at me.
"Pat, I know I've put this off for too long." Bigla akong nakaramdam ng kaba sa mga sinabi ni Charlie. I think I know where this is going.
"Pat, I... we were friends since college and it was a bit stupid of me na iwasan ka na lang bigla. I shouldn't have disappeared on you like that. You deserve better..."
I deserve better. Those words lingered in the air longer than I expected them to.
"Pero, I think now is the time to tell you..."
"I like you. Pat, will you be my girlfriend?"
Natigilan ako sa tanong ni Charlie. I didn't know how to tell her how I feel right now.
"Charlie, alam mo I've liked you since first year college palang tayo." She smiled.
"I've been waiting for you for five years already and nagagalit na nga sa 'kin si Nicole for waiting on you this long. Sabi niya, I'm making myself available for you. And siguro nga."sabi ko sa kanya. Charlie smiled as she stared into my eyes.
I know I should be surprised. I should swoon right now. Alam kong dapat kinikilig ako sa lahat ng nangyayari. But I'm not. I looked at how empty her eyes were. Or how empty mine was while looking at hers. Ito yung sinasabi ni Agnes before, there is that spark, but not the familiarity.
"Yes Charlie, I want to be your girlfriend,"
Charlie smiled and she held my hand but I pulled mine back. She looked at me with surprised eyes.
"But that was before. I'm sorry. If you have asked me a few years back, maybe I would say yes. Pero kasi ngayon... I don't know. I can't."
Then I realized, the very one thing that is happening right before my eyes. I looked at Charlie's eyes. They used to look nice. They used to make me feel very weak in the knees. They used to be so vibrant and bright, but now, I feel like her eyes changed. Maybe it was mine. And now I suddenly understand, that though I'm not even sure why and for no reason at all pero I just realized na everything in front of me right now, they were all...
Dead stars.
