I love you, stupid!

Fico

Arkin

“Arkinnnnnnnnnnn!!!” 

I flinched and took the phone away from my ringing ear. I tried hard not to fall off the stairs as I made my way down to the lobby from my office.

“Saddie!!! Can I please not be deaf at least until your wedding?”

I chided my best friend and made my way out of the university compound and into the waiting shed where I told my best friend I would be as I waited for the ride she promised me.

“Oops! Sorry, my bad. I’m just really excited. Finally, we’ll be able to see each other again.”

I rolled my eyes.

If Saddie was not being dramatic.

“You were just here a week ago and you kidnapped me into helping you shop for your wedding give away.”

That familiar snicker echoed on the background.

“It’s different silly. I mean, yes, even though you are on the other part of the island we still do see each other from time to time. But this is different. For one, I’m getting married, I mean, can you believe it!?! Me!?! Married!?! Huh! Anyways, second, a lot of our old friends are coming and for the first time in like forever, you’re finally coming back to the land of your birth my friend. So yes, excuse me for trying to tear your ears off!”

I shook my head and snickered as I returned the greetings of the students passing by me  while I stood there with my duffel   bag still waiting for the ride Saddie promised me.

“Alright. Alright. Whatever, there is no way I will win over you anyway. So, where is my ride? I have been standing here by myself awkwardly for some time now the students might think I’m trying to smuggle a dead body inside my bag.”

I had a last-minute meeting at work so instead of going back to my apartment which is only a block away from the university where I teach English literature since graduating college, I decided to just bring my stuff so I could go straight to my one-week paid vacation leave right after the meeting.

It seemed to be a good idea at first until I felt the hot afternoon sun even with the shed over my head and there still was not the car I was supposed to be in for my travel to the province.

“Oh, yes! I was just texting him, he’s almost there.”

Saddie informed me.

“You told him to meet me in front of the university, right?  At the waiting shed?”

I asked as I scanned for my possible ride at the same time wiping sweat stains on my forehead.

I was alone under the shed but the afternoon was hotter than usual that I started to feel uncomfortable and impatient.

The time was three thirty two.

It will be about five to six  hour drive—depending on the traffic to the southern province where I once lived with my best friend and where the mighty Roberta Cassandra Armalin decided to finally tie the knot.

I fondly shook my head with the thought despite me starting to feel tackier by the minute.

Saddie and I are best friends since high school. And even after I moved to the city to be with my family and for university right after graduation, our bond never ceased and wavered.

If anything, I guess it has gotten stronger in time.

And now that she’s finally getting married, I cannot not be with her on her special day. That’s why she did not have to convince me to take a week off from work and join her one-week pre-marital activities.

I also thought it would be a good opportunity for me to go back and visit my roots.

It had been too long since I was back in the province. Since leaving, I might have only been there once or twice. And I did not even stay longer than a day.

If only not for Saddie and her family, I would not have even remember to come back.

Everyone in my family and close relatives are already living in the city so aside from Saddie and some friends, there’s really nothing much for me there—also, that place—it holds too many memories I wanted to forget.

“Arkin!?! Arkin!?! Hey!?! Are you listening!?!”

I cleared my throat.

I spaced out, right?

“Yeah. Yes. Yes. Uhm, I just, I just saw some students—yeah.”

I lied as I tried to compose myself.

Too much for reminiscing.

“Alright. Okay, so he’s in an silver Isuzu 2017 MUX with plate number TNPXXX. Anyway, don’t worry, he knows you and you know him so you won’t miss each other.”

I furrowed my brows with the giggle that escaped Saddie by the end of her statement. 

Why did it sound so ominous!?!

“This guy, I’ll be car pooling, you said I know him, right?”

My best friend hummed her response.

“Why won’t you just tell me who he is!?!”

My initial plan was to drive to the province tomorrow myself  so it would not be too much of a hassle driving today since it’s Friday and I know the traffic congestion is going to be heavy. But then Saddie suggested for me to leave after lunch and just ride along with an old friend from the capital who is also attending her wedding.

“I still really feel strongly that we should just bring my car.”

Saddie said her surprise guest is renting a car and had promised to drive us to the province.

I did not like the idea at first because I prefered traveling alone but Saddie guilt tripped me into agreeing by telling me how ‘our old friend’ wanted to drive but is not confident with the road since like me who had been away, he had also stayed in the Manila for years now.

“I have also been away from the province for years now. How sure are you that I know the way for you to ask me to guide him!?!”

I told her over FaceTime a few days ago.

“It’s not like you live in a different province you drama queen! Besides, you’ve been here twice since you left whereas this will be his first time in almost a decade can you be a little sympathetic!?!”

I rolled my eyes and groaned in defeat.

Trust Saddie to always have her way.

And so she did.

“Just tell me who he is so we would not really miss each other.  Students are already starting to pile up in here waiting for their ride so it would be difficult for your old friend to recognize me.”

I said all the while I returned all of the students’ courtesies by smiling and nodding at them and gave them space under the shed.

“Will you just tell me already?”

I’m not sure I would instantly remember an old friend of Saddie and I the moment I see that person since it had been years but it is worth a try.

“But where is the fun in that!?!”

I blew raspberry.

“The fun is I will be at ease knowing I know who I’m waiting for.”

I glared at my phone as if my best friend can see me.

“Can you be more trusting, huh, Arkin!?! I really don’t know what happened to you, you became more calloused as the days go by. Must be all the pent up s****l fantasies all these years, yes!?!”

I groaned.

Good thing I had the right mind to not put her on speaker phone despite me having a hard time hearing her with all the nose starting to build up as some students are already piling up.

Also.

I really did not want to talk about my non existent s*x life at the moment—or ever. And so I tried to change the subject. 

“Okay, is it Nate?”

I was referring to our high school batch president who once courted her and got turned down by Saddie back then.

“Are you for real!?! You think   he would come? He hates me!”

I figured.

“Jan!?!”

The batch’s soccer heartthrob.

“He’s injured. He just canceled. Besides, he’s in Singapore remember!?!”

I don’t know that.

Actually, there’s a lot of things and people— I could barely remember in high school, I’m just really throwing random names here.

“How about Jey!?! Yes! Last time I remember Jey has a business in the capital. So it’s him, right!?!”

I can’t even remember what or who  Jey is in our batch.

“He’s also getting married two days after me you think he’ll prioritize his attendance to my wedding!?! Arkin, are you even paying attention to all of our friends sns posts!?!”

I made a face and narrowed my eyes at an incoming car. It looked like the one Saddie described earlier.

“I only have my company email remember!?!”

I said as I saw the MUX took the runabout towards our university lane.

“Oh, right, sorry for always forgetting how boring you are you big troglodyte of a person!”

I chuckled and made the students who are with me under the shed turned towards me.

I smile at them before I made my way towards the opposite side near the guard post.

The sun was already mellowing and it was not as hot as it was earlier.

“Do not. Mock me!”

It’s not my fault that I’m too busy for those kind of stuff really.

“Is it Mackey?”

I guessed again I did not want to further my discussion with Saddie about my aversion towards Social Media Accounts.

And also because truth  be told, I’m kind of curious and a little excited of who this person I’ll be with on a joyride.

“Already here.”

She replied.

“Sam?”

Who is Sam again!?!

Oh, right, the secretary?

No.

I think it’s the batch muse.

Ugh.

Whatever.

“Yet till the day before the wedding.”

I nodded while still eyeing the car that is now slowing down.

“King?”

I said a little loudly as I saw the car approaching and my heart started to beat erratically.

What the hell!

I’m not sure who King is really, much more what is happening to my heart.

“Can you just wait till he finally arrives!?! It wouldn’t be too long now.”

I swallowed dryly as I looked at the car passed by me and my still erratic heart beat I didn’t know why I haven’t even had coffee today.

Right—Saddie said it’s a silver hi-lux that’s gonna come and get me. The one that just passed by me was black.

I was about to ask Saddie again about it when she spoke.

“Wait—Arkin, change of info. The car is black. I repeat, the car is black and the plate number is XXXXXXX.”

I looked to where the car headed earlier after I heard what Saddie said and just when I landed my eyes on the plate my best friend just recited, I saw the car reversed to where I was.

I gaped at the car as I heard it honked and stopped in front of me.

“Also, I’m finally telling you who’s gonna be traveling with you today...”

I faintly heard Saddie on the other line as I saw how the window to my side slowly rolled down and my heart getting crazier by the minute.

“It’s...”

I blinked at the person smiling at me.

Waving as if he didn’t tear my heart in pieces and crushed me ten years ago.

Damn! 

No wonder I was feeling this way.

“Arkin... you’ll be traveling with...”

This isn’t real.

I told myself before Saddie and I said in unison.

“Fico...”