Chapter 3
1453 Words
"I envy them, even when they're old, they're still together. Hay!" Nhia was having her lunch break at the mall where she worked, and because Jeremy has a gig, she had to eat alone.
She had been looking at the elderly couple that was feeding each other some fries.
It still amazed her to see old couples that were still in love. Sometimes, she thought about how they managed to make the relationship last. Was there a time that they were bored with each other? Did they fight? If so...who among them was brave enough to take someone back? For her, retreating and apologizing was not a weakness even if it is not their fault.
Also, saying sorry and admitting the mistake doesn’t always mean that you’re wrong and the other is right. It only means that you love a person that much that you're willing to swallow your pride.
That was something that never happened to her and Toby. They never really had the chance to talk about what happened in their relationship. Maybe she was to blame for what happened, maybe she never had the courage to talk and ask about it, to explain. But it wasn't entirely Nhia's fault. He was also to blame.
If things weren't the same..If... If they were able to talk back then, would they still be together? If they were still together... Will there be hardships in their relationship? If there were people to come between them, those who try... would they continue to be strong?
There were just so many questions that had been running inside her head. Funny how all of a sudden, she suddenly remembered him.
"You're staring at an empty space again, Klareng!" Dion sat across from her breaking her maudlin thoughts. Dion is the son of the owner of the mall she worked for, which, technically made him her boss.
They were high school friends until college. Nhia wondered why Dion chose to study in Sta. Catalina, however, can study anywhere he wanted.
'Just like howToby left me.'
She shook her head.
'Hay, Klareng, stop torturing yourself!'
"Sir Dion! That's my lunch!" He took the fries she was eating and put everything in his mouth.
"Are fries considered as lunch food?! Here is what I call lunch!" He called a service crew at the fast-food chain where she was eating. Self-service was the policy of that fast-food chain but since the boss ordered it, who are they to not follow? "You remember, right? I told you, just call me, Dion? Why are you so stubborn!"
Nhia just smiled at him. She doesn't want to follow what he wanted because she doesn't want others to think that he was treating her in a special way.
Dion's food order quickly arrived and Nhia was surprised at how much food was in front of her.
"My gosh! I won't be able to stand up with the amount of food you are feeding me! I'm a person, Sir Dion…not a pig that needed to be fattening!" she laughingly said.
How could she describe her relationships with Dion?
When Toby left her heartbroken, it was then Dion entered the picture. He was had wooed Nhia several times, but all his advances were rejected. But in spite of their past, they still remained friends because that was all she could give to him.
Although, she still feels that Dion had always treated her differently, compared to other employees.
"Even if you ate some extra rice...You're still Klareng in my eyes." He pinched her cheek.
"Stop calling me Klaren, Sir Dion!"
"Stop calling me Sir, and I'll stop with the Klareng," he said as he smiled. Two young people approached their table and shyly asked if they could take a picture with Dion. And because Nhia was kind, she offered to take a picture of them.
Dion is well known, aside from being rich, he is a vocalist and frontman of a famous band.
"Don't you have a new gig?" She asked him while chewing her burger.
"Provincial tour will start next week. After that, Asian Tour." Nhia's jaw dropped at what he said.
"Going big time, Sir, I mean Dion! You're going on tours now!" The man smiled at her.
"You should be with us on these tours. You are the reason why we became famous."
She shyly bowed her head. Wasn't she the one to join Jeremy in modeling? One of his projects was a music video of the song that Dion's band became famous for.
"You have a beautiful voice, and the song is beautiful so it became famous. What does it have to do with my slow walk and smiling in front of the camera?"
"Hahaha! A lot Nhia...I was inspired to make a song because of your smiles." He was smiling while he said those words. It also made Nhia confused.
"Ah, Dion, I've been on lunch break for an hour, my boss is going to scold me!" She hurriedly stood up and took a to-go-to bag.
"Klairinhia..." Dion stopped her. He held her hand but she did not turn to look at him. She just waited for him to speak.
"After our tour, I'll be back...I'll be back for you...I hope...I just hope that 'Yes' is your answer to my question." Her knees immediately softened because of what he said.
Nhia was in a daze the whole remaining of the day because of what Dion had said. It looked like she can't take him for granted anymore. Sooner or later he'll need her answer.
After all, she cannot ask anything more from Dion. He was a kind man, rich, and most of all, he love her.
Nhia was the one who was having problems with how things were. She still hasn't moved on from her past. That feeling that no matter what she did, or whoever she was with, they will end up leaving her because she was a boring person.
Just like how things with him ended.
Anyway, she won't be seeing Dion again. Today was her last day as a saleslady because, on Monday, she will start working for the Pedrozas.
She bought some balut her way home. After all, Jeremy was not at home and she is too lazy to eat, anyway. So, she was surprised when the lights in the house were turned on.
"Hey, Girl! What are you doing here ?!" She caught Jeremy dancing in front of the mirror. He even has a hairband on his forehead while wearing a pink fitted blouse.
"The shooting ended early. I was not in the mood to go anywhere, too. I feel like I'm going to have a period, Mami!" He even touched his lower abdomen.
Nhia sat on the long sofa while removing her high-heeled shoes. She forgot to bring slippers, so here she was, 'Beauty over comfort.'
"I filed a resignation earlier this morning." Jeremy's eyes widened at what he heard. He stopped dancing and immediately sat down next to her.
"Really, Klareng?! So you don't have to ask people what they are looking for?" He clapped while he teased her. "But, wait, what was Fafa Dion's reaction when you told him that you are leaving?"
She leaned back on the sofa. "Nothing. I didn't say goodbye to him. Besides, he won't be missing me, they have a tour next week and then he won't be in Sta. Catalina tomorrow so they can prepare." She suddenly sat up when she remembered what they had talked about earlier that day.
"Girl! Dion told me something. He said he would come back after their tour! He said he would come back to me, and I hope my answer would be 'Yes'! Girl! what should I do ?!"
"Klaren, what is one plus one ?!" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course, it's two!"
"Since you are not that foolish, why don't you know what you should do?" he said with a snobbish tone.
"You do know, that a question is not the answer to another question, right? I have always said, 'no'. I don't want to hurt Dion so I can't directly tell him my answer."
"Gir! The heck! Don't him lead on!"
"I'm not leading him on!" she defended herself.
"Not leading him on? What do you call what you're doing? Playing hard to get? Well, that's one and the same." Jeremy sighed."I know what you're going through. But Klairinhia, it's been a long time since your heart got broken. Why not try to love someone else. You are getting old, why not use this chance to love once more. Why not give Dion a chance? He has been waiting for so long, why not him?"
- Writer
