Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin

Chapter Nine: Choice

"Pare," Fred uttered infront of Ge sa tent nya. Dumiretso agad si Ge doon para makapagpahinga. He was sitting infront of Fred, matapos nyang ikwento lahat sa kaibigan at humihingi ng advice. He continued. "Wala kang karapatang magselos dahil una, hindi kayo. Pangalawa, may Marlet ka na. Pangatlo, sabi mo ayaw mo na sa kanya noon dahil sinaktan ka nya!"

"Fred," Gerald responded. "Sinaktan ko rin naman sya eh."

"Kaya quits na kayo? Ganun ba 'yon? Kaya dahil do'n pwede ka nang magselos sa 'special relationship' nila ni Matteo?"

Natahimik lang si Gerald.

"Ge. In the first lace, hindi natin alam kung special ba talaga ang pagtitinginan nila. And pangalawa, bro! Wala pa kayong 3 months ni Marlet ngayon nagseselos ka kay Sarah? E di sana hindi ka na muna pumasok sa isang relasyon kung sasaktan mo rin pala si Marlet."

Gerald bowed his head and started to think. Tama si Fred. Well, he actually moved on simula nang magkalabuan na ang relasyon nila ni Sarah. He found a companion in Marlet, at soon alam nya sa sarili nyang mas worth fighting for sya kaysa kay Sarah. Pero ng dumating ang first day ng shoot ng third movie nila ay tila nanumbalik ang masasayang panahon ng ligawan nila the past years and months... He started to wonder, ala Andrew Escalona ng Won't Last A Day Without You. Gusto ko lang ba si Marlet noon, o mahal ko na? Mahal ko na ba talaga, o sadyang ayaw ko lang noon kay Sarah? Frustrations come up in his mind.

"Alam mo na ba kung anong mga sagot sa tanong mo?," Fred, looking at him, said. He seemed to read his mind.

"Pare..." He titled his head. Tinitigan nya si Fred, tila humihingi ng tulong.

"Aba, pare. Wag mo kong tignan ng ganyan. Wag mo nang pahabain ang mga problema mo dahil mas bibigat yan.," Fred said meaningfully.

Narealize na nya ang tunay na nilalaman ng puso nya. Pero hindi nya alam kung magiging tama ba ito....

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Meanwhile, matapos ang eksena nilang dalawa, agad pumunta si Sarah sa kanyang tent. She was so tired kahit kalahating araw pa lang, dahil lately parang madali syang mapagod at sakitin na rin sya.

She stretched her sofa bed and lay down. She needed to rest kahit ilang moments lang, basta makapagpahinga lang okay na sa kanya. She raised her feet above a chair and closed her eyes.

At the instance, mabilis na nagflashback ang nangyari this morning sa kanya. The newspaper article, the interview, Gerald... Nakakapanghina ito sa kanya. Buti na lang ay nandyan si Matteo para pasayahin at pakiligin sya kahit papaano.

"Alam mo Sarah," Matteo said over the phone. "Kahit parang full of energy yung tawa mo, parang matamlay ka. You need rest."

"Ano ka ba? Kaya ko 'to 'noh? Ako pa!"

"Magpahinga, I think drinking water or lying down will make you feel better."

"Naks! Doktor ka na pala!"

"Hahaha! Syempre concern ako sa'yo. I'm just returning the favor."

"Hahaha! Ikaw talaga, Matty!"

♫I want you to know... That I'm Happy for you. I wish nothing but the best for you both...♫ Her daydream was interrupted by her ringing tone. It was a call from Sir Gerrome. She answered it.

"Hello po, Sir Gerrome?"

"Sarah!"

"Yes po?"

"Uhm, Sarah? May tatanong lang kasi ako para mamaya diretso practice ka na. Ano bang statement song mo this week? Para magawan na raw ni Sir Loui ng arrangement tapos magawan na namin ng statement at script..."

Tuwing tinatanong sya ng kung ano ang statement song nya, laging its either naghahanap sya sa iPad nya or naghahanap lang sya sa listahan nya ng favorite songs nya. But this time is totally different, dahil at that moment, iisang kanta lang ang pumasok sa utak nya.

"Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin po, Sir Gerrome."

"Bakit yung kantang 'yon?"

"Sir Gerrome," Sarah said "Uhm... Parang maganda po kasi yung kanta..."

"Sarah, alam mo first time ka lang na mabilis sumagot nung tinanong kita. May problema ba sa lovelife mo?"

"Hala, Sir Gerrome! Wala po! Lalong wala akong lovelife, ha!"

"Asus! Talaga lang ha?"

"Sir Gerrome..."

"O sige na pala, bebe Sarah. Mamaya pagdating mo ready na for practice, okay?"

"Okay po."

"Bye! Ingat ha?"

The call dropped. She placed her phone beside her and closed her eyes. She was close to sleeping, pero naisipan nyang imulat ang kanyang mga mata at sumulat ng kanta ayon sa nararamdaman nya. 

She grows very different now. Narealize nya na simula nang bigyan sya ng freedom ng Mommy nya, she's goes for different things, tulad na lang ng songwriting. She heard na ganun si Taylor Swift kaya naging hit ang lahat ng kanyang mga kanta.

She wondered what to write. She knows she's not a very public person to broadcast her feelings, lalo na't habulin sya ng press dahil sa pagiging tahimik nya. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead on the foam. Wag ko na lang kaya ituloy? 

But words came out on her head. Pakawalan. Sorry. Goodbye. No more. Chance. Sakit. Pakawalan. She wrote it down. "Sige na nga," she said to herself. "Gagawa na 'ko."

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"Gerald," Fred said to him. "Ano na?"

"Bro," sabi nya habang nakahawak sa ulo nya na parang may nararamdamang pagkahilo dahil sa sitwasyon. "Kung piliin ko man ang isa sa kanila, may masasaktan."

"Ge, natural lang na may masasaktan. Pag may pagpipilian ka, natural lang 'yon! No choice ka."

His mind showed a picture of Sarah and Marlet. In the next one his mind showed good memories of him and Sarah. Mas marami silang pinagsamahan nito dahil almost a year ang kanilang friendship. Naalala nya lalo ang ligawan days, lalo na ang Sasa Gege Live noong July 22, 2012, dahil iyon ang pinakamagandang bagay na nangyari sa buhay nya.

Fred destroyed the beautiful flashback. "Ge, advice ko lang ha. Kung sino yung pangalawa, sya yung piliin mo."

"Pero paano kung iba yung sitwasyon? May pangalawa ako, pero hindi ko sya minahal talaga?"

"Which means..."

A sweet voice was heard. "Ge?"

Fred and Ge looked back at the door. Ge stood, shocked.

"Ge, totoo ba?"