"Kumusta?"sabi niya.
"Uy. Charlie."sabi ko sa kanya. I realized na since that night na tinanong niya ako, hindi pa kami nakapagusap ulit. "I'm good. Ikaw?"
"Better, I guess. Uh.. Pat, I actually wanted to talk to you. Available ka ba for coffee today?"
"Ano kasi eh, medyo coffee run lang talaga."
"I see. Okay lang naman. Well, I don't want to keep you long din."sabi niya nung umusog na yung pila. Naalala ko tuloy yung panaginip ko and how scared I was that I ended up with her.
"Uh Charlie."
"Yes?"
"I actually dreamt about you the other night."
"Talaga? What was it about?"
"Ano... we got together daw."sabi ko sa kanya.
"Well, was it good?"sabi niya. Bakit ko ba inopen yung topic tungkol sa panaginip ko? How do I explain to her na mas natakot ako dun?
"Ouch. Well, judging by the look on your face, I can tell it wasn't."sabi niya.
"I'm sorry."sabi ko. "I don't know why I even told you that."
"Okay lang yun Pat. I understand. I guess we never even talked about what happened after that night."sabi niya. I nodded.
"Charlie, I... I mean... sabi ko naman sa'yo, if you've asked me maybe a few years back, I would have said yes. Pero kasi iba na --"
"Hey, it's okay. I know you got tired of waiting. And you don't need to be sorry for being tired."sabi niya. I just smiled at her and she returned it. "And you don't even have to explain why you got tired."
"Si Agnes 'no?"sabi niya all of a sudden.
"Ha?"
"Si Agnes yung reason."sabi niya sa 'kin. "I can tell how she makes you happy. I've seen you around her and you're face just lights up. Gaya ngayon, even her name made your face light up."dagdag niya. I didn't know how to respond.
"I actually wanted to talk kasi, I want to let you know that I'm still here for you. Maybe this wasn't the ending we both expected, pero pwede pa rin naman tayong maging friends di ba? And I know that no means no. But I just wanted to give you this as a way of saying I remembered you today."sabi niya sabay inabot niya sa 'kin yung rose na hawak niya.
"Charlotte! Kumusta?"sabi ni Nicole habang lumalapit siya sa 'min.
"Uy Nics. Okay naman."
"May pa-rose ka ah."sabi niya. Nakita ko na namula si Charlie at napakamot na lang sa ulo.
"Naalala ko lang kasi si Pat on the way to work, and since Valentines, ayun."sabi niya. "Anyway, happy Valentines. Medyo overbreak na ako eh. Dadaan sana ako sa floor niyo after ko dito but since andito naman na si Pat, okay na."dagdag niya. "Bye."
Pinanuod lang namin habang palabas si Charlie ng coffee shop. Nagulat ako nung kinuha ni Nicole yung rose mula sa kamay ko.
"Di ba ayaw mo na may bitbit na bulaklak? Valentines is just a social construct?"sabi ni Nicole. I rolled my eyes pero nagulat ako nung hinampas sa ulo ko ni Nicole yung rose.
"Aray naman bakla! Bakit nanaman?"
"Tinitingnan ko lang sino mas marupok sa inyo nitong rose na 'to."
"Grabe ka naman bakla. Excuse me, hindi ako marupok 'no."
"Tanga lang. Naku Patricia, sinasabi ko sa'yo pag naisipan mo nanamang gustuhin yang si Char--"
"Si Agnes na ang gusto ko baks."
