CHAPTER 3
1863 Words
Every tear falls for a reason, every heart brakes for a reason, people leave...why? To make you stronger, not weaker.
* * * * * *
Lexie
OWNING a restaurant was both fulfilling and a pain in the ass at the same time. Aside from the fact that I had to figure out the payroll and new strategies to be competitive, iniintindi ko din ang minsang pagkukulang lang ng mga tao especially kapag maraming absent.
Simula nung libing ng papa ni Miranda, nagbago ang restaurant schedule namin, nahihirapan na din ako sa pag aasikaso sa Stix lalo na nung naging busy kami sa funeral ni Uncle Rick kaya napag pasyahan kong kumuha ng assistant manager. Kaya ko namang mag-afford ng isang manager kaso lang, mas gusto kong ako mismo ang nagpapalakad nito. At nakatulong naman ito ng malaki. Hiring Ella had been a smart choice, but a difficult one. Syempre may dagdag ako sa payroll list ko and her's was twice as an ordinary employee.
Hindi pa din kasi ako nakakahango mula sa nagastos ko nung last renovation ko ng restaurant. Christmas was just around the corner, though, which meant Stix would be busy as hell.
Maganda ang naging concept ko sa Stix. Isa itong contemporary and Mediterranean style na nag o-offer ng iba't-ibang dishes at a very reasonable price. Maluwang at maaliwalas ang lugar at malapit sa halos lahat ng establishment kaya easy access. Cozy din dito dahil nagpalagay ako ng isang grand piano at maaaring gumamit ang sino mang magnais tumugtog nito.
Sa tulong ni Jairus, naitayo ko ang dream restaurant ko.
I remember the day when I come back two years ago.
Excited akong makita siya. To explain my side, kung bakit ako biglang nawala. He came searching for me, interrogated each of my relatives.
I smiled wickedly. Starting today, I won't hold back on my feelings. Minsan lang ang mabuhay at binibigyan ako ng Diyos ng pagkakataon na maramdaman ang pakiramdam ng magmahal.
I called up Blake and he was surprised to hear my voice but not questioned me when I asked where Jairus was. Parang may alam siya tungkol sa amin, maybe it was when I left.
I went on to the said bar. There I saw him, drinking alone. I inhaled a couple of breathes para malunod ang kaba na nadarama ko as I walked towards his seat.
I smirked when I saw his brows furrowed. Parang iniisip kung saan niya ako nakita. When I was finally seated beside him, he made a slight gasp.
"Alexandra?" he whispered.
"Hi, Jai, It is good to see you." sabay kindat sa kanya and smiled seductively. Pero nagulat ako ng bigla niya akong hiklatin sa braso at kulungin ako sa kanyang katawan.
"Damn, Lexi, where the hell have you been?" he hoarsely said at mas hinigpitan pa niya ang yakap sa akin na halos ika-tunog na ng buto ko.
"Miss me that much, huh?" I muttered and hugged him also.
"You have no idea how much, Lex," sabi niya ng luwagan niya konti ang pag kakayakap sa akin para mamasdan niya ang mukha ko. "I just can't believe that you were here," he whispered as he caressed my face.
"I know, I-I'm sorry Jai, hindi ako nakapag paalam. Pero andito nako ngayon, I'm not leaving this time. I promised." I mumbled as I hold his hands' cupping my face.
* * * * * *
Jairus
Hindi ko ma-explained kung gaano ako kasaya ng makita ko siya. I hugged her so tight, I don't want to let her go.
"Miss me that much, huh?"
"I just can't believe that you were here," I whispered as I take a look at her.
She'd changed. She looked too skinny now. She wasn't the same curvy girl I remembered. She lost a lot of weight, but her weight never bothered me before.
"Anung nangyari sa'yo?" pagkasabi ko nun bigla siyang namutla ng di malaman ang dahilan. "Kumakain ka pa ba don? Sobrang payatot mo na!" pabiro ko lang yon sinabi para naman hindi siya ma-offend. Pero ang totoo niyan, there's something wrong about her.
And I will find it out sooner.
"Nice way to welcome me back." she laughed and shrugged past me into the bar.
I turned to watch her make her way to the table and ordered a drink. Pinapanuod ko lang ang bawat kilos niya. And I felt like an idiot. Namuhay si Lexie sa LA ng dalawang taon. And it seemed that she also adapted to the city environment, nightlife, bar-hopping, etc.
"Let's go somewhere, a place where we can talk." sigaw ko sa tenga niya. Masyadong ma-ingay dito sa bar and I don't think she can have 1 more drink. Malalasing na siya. After she straight-up, her shot glass. Hinatak niya ako palabas ng bar na yon.
"Why you leave without saying goodbye, Lex?" bungad kong tanong sa kanya.
After we left the bar. Dinala ko siya dito sa football stadium. Paborito kasi namin itong tambayan noon so that we can watch the stars. At kahit nung nawala siya, nag pupunta pa din ako dito, lalo na kapag nami-miss ko siya. Hoping one day, wishing, she will come back.
"I hate saying goodbye, Jairus. You know that. Lalo na when it comes to you." she said it without looking at me.
She took a couple of breaths.
"Alam mo naman ang pinag daanan ko at ng pamilya ko noon diba? Dad and mom separated, and I had to choose between them kung sino ang dapat kong samahan. Every decision that I made, may isang masasaktan. But then, I chose to be with my mom." she mumbled.
"You knew very well that me and my father had a gap at lalo pa itong lumala when I left. But we had to leave. Para mabuo ang nawasak naming mga sarili ng mommy ko. Dun sa LA natuto kaming mamuhay malayo sa kinagisnan naming karangyaan, but we were happy."
"Well at least you leave your address to me then, I am very much willing to help you, you know that!" I snapped. Maling mali ang naging decision niya, because I'm willing to help her in every way as possible.
She shook her head.
"Yun nga ang mali Jai, eh. Can't you see? Nagiging depended nako sa'yo. At hanggang kailan akong magiging ganon? You had also your own life. Hindi pang habang buhay na magkasama tayo. Sooner or later magkakaroon ka din ng sarili mong pamilya. At ako? Saan akong parte doon?" I was caught off guard.
"Bakit mo iniisip ang mga bagay na hindi pa nangyayari!" iritado kong sagot sa kanya.
She just chuckled.
"Bakit hindi? I'm just a friend, Jai." Dumilim ang mukha niya sa sinabing yon ni Lexie sa kanya.
"Don't say that Alexandra, you're way more than that," I warned her.
A friend. No. She's not just a friend.
My days without her was hell. Mula noon hanggang ngayon, hindi pa din nagbabago ang nararamdaman ko para sa kanya.
I like her.
No.
I love her.
At kung noon hindi ko nasabi dahil naunahan ako ng biglaang pag alis niya. This time, I will let her know how much I love her.
"Please Jairus, don't go there," she whispered.
"Why not, Alexandra?" Napatayo ako sa pag kakaupo. Nakita ko siyang napalunok.
"Hindi ba obvious, Lex? Andun ako sa lungkot at saya mo, kasama mo ako sa tagumpay mo, nakasuporta ako sa lahat ng mga pangarap mo." tumanghod ako sa harap niya. Nakita ko ang maamo niyang mukha sa liwanag ng buwan.
Mataman ko siyang tinitigan.
"Manhid ka ba o sadyang nag papatay-malisya ka lang?" habang unti-unti kong inilalapit ang mukha ko sa mukha niya.
I cupped her face very gently. Halos manginig ang mga palad ko sa kaba at dahil na din sa baka masaktan ko siya.
I sighed.
"Just, promise me that you're not gonna leave this time."
NADUWAG ako-for the second time to tell her how I feel. It pissed me off. But as long as I see her happy. Okay na sakin kahit ganito lang. I helped her built her dreamed restaurant. I become her night and shining armor from her dad na wala pa ding sawa na saktan siya.
Pero iba si Lexie. She took it with class and usually delivered a reply to her dad and to her other tormentors that cut them down in a way that led them to leave her alone. It was amazing to watch her in action. She never raised her voice or, either, got emotional. She kept a calm demeanor, which I think made her more frightening.
Which I think made me love her more.
She was a warrior princess.
Bigla na lang akong napangiti sa harap ng pasyente ko habang nira-rounds ko siya.
"Siguro Dok, iniisip mo yung girlfriend mo ano?" tukso nito sa akin.
"Wala pa akong girlfriend, sir." nahihiya kong sagot sa pasyente ko. May edad na ito at kasalukuyang nagre-recover from a head operation.
"Pero may nililigawan ka ba, Hijo?" tanong ng asawa nitong babae. It's unprofessional for me to talk about my private life to them pero sa estado ko ngayon. Kailangan ko ng mapag-hihingahan ng problema.
Namatay ang ama ni Miranda. Devastated ito maging si Dan na naging malapit nitong kaibigan. Plus, Alexandra left me-AGAIN-without me knowing. Naalala ko pa ng makapag usap kami ni Miranda way back a week ago.
"Mira, nagpaalam ba sa'yo si Alexandra?" his voice worried.
"Hindi,"
"I was trying to call her pero naka-off ang phone niya." frustration rose from my voice.
"Magkasama lang kami kagabi sa Stix. Baka nasa unit niya."
"Nag-punta na ako dun kanina, wala siya don."
"Baka naman may pinuntahan lang?"
"You don't understand Mira, do you?" I was irritated. Bakit ako lang ang nakakaisip mag alala kay Lexie?
"Jairus, give Lexie the benefit of the doubt. Baka may seminar lang? Or, baka naman nag-out of town lang,"
"Alexandra has been gone for two freaking years, Mira. Now she's repeating its history again!" sigaw ko sa galit.
Miranda met me after an hour.
"What's happening to lexie, Jairus?" she asked me.
"Akala mo ba ikaw lang ang nawala after your graduation?" I muttered as I sip my wine.
"W-what do you mean?" she asked me again. I take a couple of breaths.
"Even Lexie, she suddenly left after graduation. I thought she just accepted what was her father told her before, na hindi siya para sa cooking."
"I tried to communicate with her relatives, till I found out that she left from LA. Wala naman rason na binanggit yung nakausap ko na kamag-anak niya why suddenly she left without bugging to tell me. Nagalit ako non, because I think I have these special feelings for her." I sighed.
"The first time I laid eyes on her, pero natakot sa naramdaman ko. Ayoko siyang masaktan because I'm a bastard back then. Pero after two years of waiting she came back, in a new way. Until now, she left again, same feelings na naramdaman ko nung una siyang nawala."
"Ayaw ho ako nung gusto kong babae, eh." nahihiya kong sabi sa kanila.
"Aba'y bakit naman?! Mabait ka. muy' guwapo, at may pinag aralan. Siguro kung dalaga lang ako sasagutin na kita agad." pabiro nitong sabi na ikinamutla ng asawa nito.
"Mama! Nakakahiya kay, Dr. Saavedra." suway nito sa kanyang esposa.
"Ikaw naman Papa, di ka mabiro." lambing nito sa esposo.
Nakakatuwa silang panuorin. Na kahit may edad na sila, patuloy pa din na nag mamahalan.
Sana maging ganun din kami ni Lexie.
"Hayaan mo Hijo, pasasaan ba't mapapansin din niya ang inaalay mong pag-ibig sa kanya." sabi pa nung matandang babae.
Napangiti na lang ako.
"Sana nga po," as I gave her my genuine smile.
Sana.
- Writer
