Pinag-isipan ko kung iinumin ko na lang ba yung shot o sasabihin ko kay Agnes yung totoo. O kung anong isasagot ko. Napatingin ako kay Agnes and she was looking at me. Alam kong nag-aantay sila ng sagot.
"Grabe Pat. Shot o sagot?"sabi nila.
"Ako na lang iinom nung shot. Wag niyo na itanong."sabi ni Agnes. "I don't want to know."
"Weh? You don't want to know eh halatang nag-aabang ka rin."sabi ni Jam kay Agnes.
"Akin na yung shot."sabi ni Agnes kaya kinukuha niya sa 'kin yung baso. Pero bago pa niya makuha sumagot na ako.
"Oo."sabi ko.
Biglang natigilan si Agnes at nakita ko sa mukha nila na nagulat sila sa sinagot ko. I drank my shot. Pero mas nagulat ako na inabot ni Agnes yung shot na para sa kanya.
"Double shot pag mali ang sagot."sabi niya sa 'kin.
"Luh ayoko na. Nahihilo na ako. Inumin mo na yan. Kanina nga kinukuha mo shot ko."sabi ko sa kanya kaya ininom na niya.
Kumanta na ulit si Pao and halos nagawa na namin lahat ng combinations except yung question for Agnes tungkol sa 'kin. Naubos na rin namin yung iniinom namin at medyo hilo na kaming lahat, and since yun na yung last combination, nagdecide kami na last question na yun.
"O Agnes, question related to Pat. Teka lang wala na akong maisip eh. Para maubos na lang. Ayan. No lies ah. Under oath tayo dito ah. Kelan mo unang nameet si Pat?"
"Ano ba namang tanong yan, hirapan niyo nam--"
Natigilan ako kasi biglang ininom ni Agnes yung shot.
Bakit hindi niya sinagot yung tanong? It was a very simple question. Siguro ayaw niya na lang ako painumin. Napatingin ako kay Agnes, pero walang reaction yung mukha niya. She just gave me a toothless smile.
Feeling ko nahihilo na ako. At halos hilo na rin kaming lahat. Tiningnan ko si Agnes, parang okay pa naman siya pero sobrang namumula na siya. Isa-isa na rin silang bumalik sa kwarto pero naiwan pa kami ni Agnes.
"Why didn't you answer the question? Sobrang dali lang naman."tanong ko sa kanya.
"Sabi nila no lies eh. I don't think I'm ready to disclose the truth."sabi niya.
"Arte mo. As if naman hindi nila alam na engaged na tayo. Ang sabihin mo, hindi mo kasi naaalala."natatawa kong sagot sa kanya.
"Do you even know when we first met?"tanong niya.
"Oo naman. The same day they told us we're getting married."sagot ko sa kanya. How would I even forget that day? Umiling si Agnes.
"See. You don't know."sabi niya.
Anong sinasabi niya? I'm pretty sure that was when we met.
"Goodnight wifey."sabi ni Agnes sabay tumayo na siya pero hinawakan ko siya sa braso para tumigil siya.
"Wait. What do you mean?"sabi ko sa kanya. "I want to know."
"Seven years ago."
"Huh?"
"We met seven years ago. I met you even before I met Raisa."
"Wait, saan?"
"We were at the same college. Classmate kita sa karamihan ng major subjects but you would only talk to Nicole. Sa harap kayo lagi nakaupo with Alex before."
Pilit kong inaalala kung totoo ba yung sinasabi ni Agnes but I don't remember her from my class. Totoo namang I don't interact with other people. Pero if classmate ko siya, I'm bound to remember her right?
"I even played for you during your recital. I subbed para dun sa isa sa gitarista."dagdag niya.
Bakit hindi ko maalala? Bakit hindi ko alam? I know that one of my guitar players at that time wasn't able to make it kasi nagkasakit siya and I remember na yung isa sa mga kasama ko ang nagsabi sa 'kin na may kilala sila to sub. Pero bakit sila Nicole hindi rin nila kilala si Agnes? But I do remember Alex knowing her agad. Pero bakit hindi nila sinabi sa 'kin na classmate namin siya?
"And I know about your coffee order kasi limang beses na akong pumila sa likod mo on that same coffee shop. Palagi mo pa ngang kasama si Bea. There used to be an old band studio dun sa area and that's where we used to practice. Kaya kami laging andun."dagdag ni Agnes. "I just stopped going there nung naging kami ni Raisa cause I had to watch her gigs and kami naman sa Runway Hits, we found a different studio."
I remember those nights with Bea. Kasi madalas tinutulungan ko siya sa projects niya and dun kami nag-aaral sa café. But how come I don't remember Agnes?
"Do you remember my apartment sa Laguna?" Tumango ako.
"Everyday, for almost seven months, kasabay kita sa jeep pauwi. Until eventually di na kita nakakasabay and I noticed na may sasakyan ka na by then."sabi niya. She sighed.
"I've seen you for seven years. But never in those seven years did I know who you are. So yeah, valid naman to say that we only met when they told us we were getting married."
"I didn't want to tell you kasi it didn't matter anyway. Well, now you know. Babalik na ako sa kwarto wifey. Matulog na tayo. Nahihilo na rin ako."sabi niya tapos naglakad na siya. Tumayo ako para sundan si Agnes.
"So yun pala yun."sabi ko. Lumingon siya.
"Alin?"
"Your eyes. They looked familiar because I've seen you before." I said out of frustration. Kaya pala. Kaya naman pala. I don't know why I am even frustrated. I don't know why I'm disappointed. I guess dahil akala ko siya na nga.
"And? Why does it bother you?"tanong niya. I shook my head. She wouldn't even understand.
"Forget it."sagot ko sa kanya. Pero paderecho na sana ako nung biglang humarang sa harap ko si Agnes and suddenly she was just a few inches away from me. I can smell the alcohol reeking from her. O baka sarili ko na lang din naaamoy ko.
"Nagbago ba?"tanong niya.
"Ang alin?"
"Your feelings. Did it change?"
"Ano bang sinasabi mo?"
"Did it change when you found out na I am someone you already know?"
"Hindi ko alam kung anong --"
"Mahal mo ba ako?"tanong ni Agnes.
I gazed into her eyes and I am starting to regret it. I lost all train of thought. Familiar or not, isa lang ang sigurado ako, her eyes are taking me in.
"Ano bang tanong yan, Agnes. Alam mo, lasing ka na. You've been drinking simula pa kaninang hapon. Matulog na tayo."sabi ko sa kanya then I went pass her pero she held on to my hand kaya lumingon ako sa kanya.
"Kasi ako nahulog na ako sa'yo Pat."
