Pinagmasdan ko sila nang mabuti. Blaine's wearing an asymmetrical dress while Alondra's halter. They both look like grown-up women now.
Seryoso lang silang nakatingin sa'kin. I can't say if they are mad or not but I would be happier if they are mad at me because it means that they still care.
But a minute passed and they are still not saying anything. And that hurts me. Wala na ba? Wala na ba silang pakialam sa'kin? Do they not consider me as a friend anymore because of leaving without saying goodbye? And not even reaching out to them?
Yumuko ako. I felt my tears. Nagtuloy-tuloy iyon. I missed them. I missed my friends. Gusto kong lumapit at yakapin silang dalawa pero magmu-mukha akong feeling close kung gano'n.
Naramdaman kong naglakad sila papunta sa'kin kaya nag-angat ako ng tingin. Nagulat ako nu'ng niyakap nila ako.
"Welcome back home, Zeph."
"Na-miss ka namin."
Natigilan ako. Nang pumasok sa akin ang mga sinabi nila ay nagsimula akong humikbi.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Blaine, A."
Patuloy lang ako sa pag-iyak. I don't care if it ruins my make-up. Gano'n din ang mga kaibigan. They are tearing up but not sobbing.
We stayed like that for a minutes. At nang kumalma ay naupo kami doon sa may duyan sa labas.
"Are you mad at me, guys?"
Umiling si A habang lumuluha pa rin. Si Blaine naman ay ngumiti sa'kin.
"We were, Zeph. Nu'ng umalis ka bigla nang hindi man lang kami kinakausap, nagalit kami. Because... we felt like we are not that important to you."
Umiling ako sa kanila. That's not true. They are one of the most important people to me. They are my family.
Alondra wiped her tears. "Pero naintindihan ka rin naman. You were completely hurt at that time. Naiintindihan namin kung gusto mo agad lumayo sa mga taong nakasakit sa'yo."
"I'm still sorry. Sa kagustuhan kong lumayo sa kanila, iniwan ko rin kayo. You've been there for me for years and then I suddenly left without even saying goodbye."
Ngumiti si Blaine. "Why would you say goodbye to us? Ibig sabihin no'n, hindi na tayo magkikita. Hindi ka na babalik sa amin."
"Stop crying, Zeph! You're also making me tear up!" natatawang sabi ni A. Ngumiti ako sa kanya habang patuloy pa ring lumuluha.
"A-am I still a friend to you, g-guys?"
Nagkatinginan ang dalawa. It's like they are talking through their eyes. And I missed that. Ganyan kami dati. Kahit walang sabihin, sa tinginan lang naming tatlo ay nagkakaintindihan na agad kami.
"In one condition."
Pinunasan ko ang mga luha ko. I look determined at them, willing to do anything they would say.
"Come with us in a sleepover."
"Just like the old times," si A.
Umirap ako at ngumiti. I thought they would make me do something hard just to be in our friendship again.
"Of course! I would even ask that myself."
At gano'n nga ang ginawa namin. I invited them to my hotel room
Indeed, just like the old times, we spent our nights catching up with each others' lives. We laughed and cried with each others' stories.
Blaine's in law school now. Mahirap man daw, kinakaya pa rin niya. While A is now a licensed psychometrician. But she's still studying to take the bigger step, to become a psychologist.
While listening to them, I couldn't help but to feel proud of them. Well, I'm always proud of them. Kahit nasa malayo'y at nakikibalita lang sa mga nangyayari sa kanila, proud ako sa mga ginagawa nila.
At gano'n din naman sila sa'kin. I felt their happines when they learned that I became a journalist in Australia and just got accepted here. And when I mentioned about the scholarship that was offered to me in the US, walang pag-aatubili nila akong sinabihan na kunin na iyon.
"But I just got home here. Iiwan ko ulit kayo?"
Tinignan ko si Blaine. Hinampas ko siya ng unan dahil sa itsura niya. She looked cringe with I've said.
Tumawa ako. "Anong mukha 'yan?!"
"Anong akala mo sa amin? Clingy boyfriend? Lumayas ka kung ayon ang mas makakatulong sa career mo."
Tumawa rin si A. "Oo nga, Zeph. Parang hindi ka naman na babalik dito. Go get that scholarship!"
Mas lumawak ang ngiti ko.
The sad part of this night with them is learning how their relationship with the Acostas ended. Noon pa lang ay may hinala na akong wala na nga sila. I just confirmed it now and knew the reasons behind that.
Pare-pareho kaming natahimik doon. I also shared mine. Alam nilang si Berlin ang dahilan ng pag-alis ko noon. Pero ngayon, nu'ng sinabi ko ang buong kwento, mas naintindihan na nila ako.
Tumayo ako at pumunta sa kitchen. I brought a liquor with them.
"Stop that, Zeph. May pasok pa ako bukas," Blaine warned me. I chuckled.
"Kami na lang ni A ang iinom."
"Bakit iinom? Hindi pa ba tayo nakaka move on? Hindi ka pa nakaka move on, Zeph?"
Sinamaan ko ng tingin si A at nag-iwas ng tingin. "Naka move on na ako. Masama bang uminom?"
Blaine smirked. Gano'n din si A. Pero kumuha na siya ng baso niya at sinabayan na ako.
Sa sumunod na linggo, kagaya ng mga sinabi ng kaibigan ay kinuha ko na ang scholarship na offer sa'kin. Kaya ngayon, nandito kaming tatlo sa airport. Hinatid nila ako.
"A and I will try to visit you there," sabi ni Blaine.
"Ako na lang bibisita! Ang mahal ng pamasahe."
"Don't worry, Zeph. My sasagot naman yata ng plane ticket namin," si A at humalakhak. Nanliit ang mata ko sa kanila lalo na nu'ng sinamaan siya ng tingin ni Blaine.
"Tayo ang bibili ng plane ticket natin, Alondra."
Ngumisi lang si A sa kanya.
I waved at them when they already announced my flight. Hindi kagaya dati na umiiyak ako habang nakatingin sa mga kaibigang lumuluha rin, malawak ang ngiti ko ngayon. Magaan ang loob kong aalis dahil maayos na ulit kami.
Nu'ng mag-holiday, pumunta nga sila US. Ngayon ko lang nakuha ang sinasabi nila sa airport nu'ng dumating sila dito na kasama si Dylan. Dylan smirked with my reaction. While Blaine is sulking.
"Are you still pissed?" tanong niya sa kaibigan ko. "Anong magagawa ko, nakabili na ako ng plane ticket."
"Bakit ka kasi bumili nang hindi sinasabi namin? You know, we can pay for our own."
Dumiretso naman sa'kin si A at niyakap ako. Then she whispered something to me. My eyes widened on that.
Blaine and Dylan?!
"How dare you, Dy! Pinopormahan mo ang kaibigan ko?!"
Tinawanan lang ni Dylan ang tanong ko. Si Blaine naman ay umirap.
"O my ghad! I can't believe it!"
Sabi niya noon, nagagandahan lang siya sa kaibigan pero ngayon pinopormahan niya na?
Ayaw magkwento ni Blaine kaya si A na lang ang nagsabi sa'kin. She said that the two got close because of me. Blaine is getting news from me through Dylan. And I really couldn't believe that. All this time, my friends are also secretly asking about me. Like what I did all the past years! At hindi man lang sinabi sa'kin ni Dylan!
Tatlong araw lang dito ang dalawa kaya naman sinulit na namin iyon. Kung saan-saan kami gumagalang tatlo. Dylan would also like to join us but since he has also a business meeting here, he couldn't.
Masaya ako sa nangyaring holiday. Pero nu'ng umalis na agad ang mga kaibigan ko, wala pa man din ay na-miss ko na agad sila. That's why I immediately browsed my phone to look at the photos we took these past few days.
I spent years here in theUS working as a news anchor while studying. To my surprised, hindi ako nahirapan. There's still a challenge with my work but since I love what I'm doing, I always get through that. And I know, habang tumatagal, nakikita ko ang improvement sa'kin. I'm growing with my passion.
"Sa wakas, makakauwi ka na ulit ng Pilipinas!" A shouted.
They came here at my graduation. Together with my mother. I looked at her and she's tearing up. And I know, she's proud of me.
Nang maka-graduate ay agad na nga akong pinabalik ng network sa Pilipinas para doon na magtrabaho. Our SVP welcomed me. She said when watching my coverage abroad, she knew that I improved a lot. Binigyan nila ako ng one week para makapag-adjust muna at bago talaga simulang sumalang ulit sa field.
Sa 1 week na iyon, I bought a unit in the Grove. Dito din ang mga unit ni A at Blaine kaya siyempre ay dito na lang din ako kumuha. Nothing could be more exciting if you are closer with your friends.
"You'll be in the opening of Dr. Zion Acosta's hospital in the Ortigas East."
Natigilan ako sa pag-aayos ng gamit ng marinig ang sinabi sa'kin.
"Dr. Acosta?"
"Yes." My senior confirmed while she's still busy reading some papers.
Napalunok ako. Sa lahat ba naman ng maa-assign sa'kin, doon pa talaga? What a warm-up after I got back from the US.
Tinanggap ko na lang iyon. Wala naman akong choice. At hindi pwedeng namimili ng ico-cover sa industriyang ito.
Kinabukasan, maaga pa lang ay pumunta na kami ng team ko roon. For years, Dr. Acosta was known more because of his continuous achievements in the medical field. Kaya ang pagtatayo niya ng sariling hospital ay hindi na nakagugulat na dumugin ng journalists ngayon para maibalita sa publiko.
Last night, I was worried because I might see him here. But I remember the medical mission abroad that we wrote 3 days ago. Isa si Berlin sa kasama roon kaya mukhang wala siya ngayon doon dito.
Yeah. He's a doctor now. At kahit bata pa ay kagaya ng Papa niya, he managed to build his own name already. The first time I learned that, I didn't know I was genuinely smiling. Of course, despite of what happened, I'm still... proud of him.
Nakapwesto na ang mga camera namin. Pero ako ay kailangan pang mas lumapit mamaya sa unahan para makuha ang sasabihin ni Dr. Acosta.
Nagsimula na ang ceremony. Maraming mga naglalakihang pangalan ang dumalo. I was in awed when I finally saw Dr. Acosta. It looks like he didn't age that much. Magkamukhang-magkamukha pa rin sila ni... Lalo naman si Ma'am Carlize sa gilid niya. She even got prettier when she aged.
I smiled bitterly. I remember how she once accepted me.
Nang matapos na ang ribbon cutting ay lumapit na kaming mga journalist sa harap para magtanong kay Dr. Acosta. We take turns asking him questions. Nu'ng ako na ang magtatanong ay napansin ko ang taong nasa likod niya.
I almost drop my mic when I met his serious brown eyes. In front of me is Berlin. He's wearing a white coat with a black long sleeve underneath. He changed a lot. Well, I don't know if he really did. It just made me think that because his long brown hair was in a clean-cut now. Mas tumangkad din siya. Halos kasing tangkad niya na ang Papa niya. He even got a nicer body!
Holy cow! I thought he's on a medical mission abroad?!
Nag-iwas ako ng tingin. It's like he's looking into my soul, judging the grave mistake that I did even if there's none.
"Zeph? Is that you?"
Napatingin ako kay Dr. Acosta nang makilala ako. Sa gilid niya ay si Ma'am Carlize na gulat din nang makita ako.
"G-Good afternoon, Dr. Acosta!"
Ngumiti siya sa'kin. "You're a journalist now?"
"Yes po."
Nilingon na ako ng ibang reporters. Wondering why Dr. Acosta knows me. Pero nagpatuloy na ulit sila sa pagtatanong samantalang ako ay hindi na mahagilap sa utak ko ang dapat na itatanong kanina.
Bumalik na ako sa team namin. Nagsialisan na ang mga dumalo at iilan na lang kaming journalists ang naiwan dito. Berlin is still here. He's talking to some doctors who are left, judging by the coats they're wearing.
Paminsan-minsan ay sumusulyap siya sa'kin. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero sa tuwing tumitingin siya sa gawi ko ay kumakabog ang dibdib ko.
We're clearing now our things when I saw in my peripheral vision that he's walking towards our place now. Nag-panic ako.
Ire-ready ko pa lang sana ang sarili ko nang maramdaman ko na siya sa gilid ko.
"Where's your sister? She said she would come here but she didn't."
When he asked that, unti-unti ko siyang hinarap. Hearing his voice and his question, I felt like an arrow struck me.
I smiled sadly at him. Umiling ako.
"I-I don't know."