So December came, cramming lahat ng students. Exams, Org events, then Christmas Party. Hindi naman ako killjoy na tao, pero tamad na tamad talaga ako mag attend ng mga party or even org events. Ate Ren was already graduating that time, so lahat ng responsibilities niya were being endorsed sa mga magiging successors. After the cramming week, we were invited sa isang party organized nila Ate Ren and the others. It was a Friday, at sa Anonas ginanap ang party, they rented the whole place, party na din ito sa mga graduating students that time.
Late na din ako dumating that time, at kailangan ko pang i-justify sa bahay noon ang pag alis ko. Pagkadating ko doon, I was greeted by ate Lyka at hinila niya na ako sa bar area at nag order ng drinks. Maya maya lang ay may humila sa kanya kaya naiwan ako doon. I looked around, hindi naman madami yung tao, hindi rin kaunti. Hindi ko kilala halos lahat ng tao doon, pero aliw na aliw ako sa mga mag partner na nagsasayaw sa dance floor. Maya maya lang, I heard na may mga nagtatawanan sa likuran ko, at paglingon ko, I was surprised to see Lanz among the group. Tinanguan ko siya and waved hi, ganun din ang ginawa niya, at umalis na din sila.
Hindi ko na alam kung gano na katagal ang lumipas when I decided to step out and take some smoke, nag bitbit na din ako ng drinks ko that time. I have to walk sa gilid ng kanto at doon tumambay. If you know 70s Bistro, then you know how it looks like sa labas. Medyo madilim sa part na nalakaran ko when I heard na may nag uusap or nag aaway. Gusto ko sanang makiusisa, kaso magmumukha naman akong tsismoso. Pero, from what I am hearing, babae at lalaki yun, and somehow, parang familiar yung boses ng babae. Just as I am about to finish my second stick of Marlboro lights, palakas ng palakas yung pag aaway nung dalawa until the girl passed me, and it was Lanz. Napatingin siya sa akin, and to my shock, bigla niya akong hinila at napalingon ako sa pinanggalingan niya. Madilim talaga kaya di ko naaninagan yung guy habang kinakaladkad naman ako ni Lanz.
“H-hey, what’s going on?” ang tanong ko sa kanya.
“Just follow me. Do you know how to drive?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Shut up. Here, take the keys. Let’s go, bring me somewhere.”
Feeling ko that time, kinikidnap ako. Pero kung kamukha naman ni Pia Guanio, why not. So I hopped in her car, which was a silver Mazda 3. She was storming the passenger side and shouted to me to get inside. Damn. I really don’t know kung saan kami pupunta, I asked her very quickly where she wanted to go, and she just answered me na just drive. When I was about to start my driving, that’s the only time I realized dala dala ko yung bote ng beer from the club. We ended up driving sa Cloud9 Antipolo. Ang sabi niya, yung guy na kausap niya, persistent suitor niya from their home province, which happened na nag aaral din sa Ateneo. I asked her bakit di niya pa sagutin, ayaw niya daw, boring na, bobo pa. I just laughed at her remark, tawang tawa talaga ako which made her pout that time. Ako naman ang medyo natahimik, she looks cute and adorable sa pag pout niya.
Marami kaming napag kwentuhan that night. At napag alaman namin na somehow, we were connected through common friends, and kilala ko ang pinsan niya kasi barkada namin when I studied and lived in province. We do have the same province in the north din pala. We have almost met din pala sa mga events sa province before, in highschool. The connection between us was so relevant, aside from the fact na okay siya kausap, and I could sense that she is an alpha female not ready to submit any time soon.
We continued to meet after that Christmas party. Mahilig siya mag party sa mga club, at ako naman ay napapasama though invites lang. We would also meet during org summits, or anything related to school paper or journo. Until we scheduled a meetups na kaming dalawa lang. You may say in a way we were already seeing each other for personal reasons. We would dine, watch movies, tumambay sa mga bookstore, mag travel and what not. Summer came, tapos na ang school year nanaman, we would hang out na kaming dalawa lang. Although that time, we haven’t invited each other sa mga bahay bahay namin.
There were times na hindi rin siya magpaparamdam, but I don’t look for her. I won’t send messages or emails. Until I realized na, I am starting to miss her. Before my birthday, my family decided to go north. Pagdating doon, I was invited by my friends there to hang out with them. I was surprised to see Lanz na andoon din pala siya, she never mentioned about it, those were the times na hindi siya magpaparamdam. I was getting my drink when a guy came to me.
“Hey, I know you.” yun lang ang bungad niya sa akin. At dahil mas matangkad ako sa kanya, literally, I was looking down on him.
“You know me? Do I know you?”
“Ikaw yung guy sa bar, last December. What’s your relationship with Lanz?”
Sasagot pa sana ako when Lanz pulled him out. Surprisingly, hindi niya ako pinansin. It was as if I don’t exist or hindi niya ako kilala. The whole time during that get together, hindi kami nagpansinan. Medyo nairita ako that time the way she treated me. We were introduced to each other, gusto ko sanang sabihin sa kanila na magkakilala na kami, pero sinakyan ko nalang din. Natapos na lahat ang get together, hindi parin kami nag iimikan or nag papansinan. There were instances when I tried to talk to her, but it seemed like na iniiwasan niya ako. Pauwi na ako, when I received an SMS from her.
“Wer r u?”
luminga linga muna ako sa area to check where is she.
“Outside, w8ng 4 Froy, abt 2 go home”
ang sagot ko sa kanya.
Maya maya lang ay may bumangga sa akin from behind, at nung makalampas sa akin, si Lanz. I was about to call her, when I saw the guy again walking side by side with her. Ni hindi ako nilingon ni Lanz.
“Nananadya ka ba?” ang sabi sakin nung guy. It was as if on queue, gusto kong sa kanya ibuhos yung pagka inis ko that day.
“Oo, bakit? It seems that your girl wasn’t hurt at all.” ang sagot ko sa kanya na pa sarcastic.
“Tanginamo ah! Fuck you gago.” ang sagot nito sa akin at nginitian ko lang.
“Ano, tara square, dito na.” ang hamon nito sa akin. Ang mga kasama naman namin ay umawat na. Pero mukhang di naman papaawat si gago, so I accepted his challenge that time.
“Sige!”
“Liam!” ang tawag ni Lanz. She was fuming in anger at hindi ko alam kung bakit saka niya muli hinila yung guy. Most of the time, hindi ko naman ito papatulan, but at that moment, lalo akong nagalit sa ginawa ni Lanz, and I don’t know why. I think I was jealous at that time.
Saktong birthday ko nang makabalik kami ng Manila. Hindi ko na masyadong inintindi ang nangyari sa Ilocos, hindi rin kami nagkausap ni Lanz. I received an SMS kinagabihan, and it was Lanz.
“Bk8 d mo cnab, 2day is ur bday.”
I just ignored her message at bumalik sa pc ko to play RO. I don’t know how long was it, pero nag ring ang phone ko, at siya ang tumatawag. I ignored it again, thinking, baka miscall lang ang gagawin niya, but I was wrong.
“Hello.”
“That was cold hello, Liam…”
“Uh, yeah, why, what’s up?”
“Happy birthday Liam.”
“Thank you.”
“Galit ka ba sa akin?”
“What do you think?”
Hindi siya agad sumagot, and I heard she drew a deep breath. The nerve of this woman, ang sa isip isip ko. Then she asked me if we can meet that night, nasa labasan daw siya and she can pick me up kung san ako malapit. She was not my girlfriend, so in normal circumstances, idedecline ko lang siya. I saw myself standing sa waiting shed and patiently waiting for her. Nung dumating siya, nag park siya then turned on her car’s hazard lights. She was so pretty that night, wearing pink polo shirt na medyo hapit sa kanya, at white short shorts at doll shoes. Sa suot niya, sobrang highlighted how sexy she was. Samantalang ako, I was just wearing cargo shorts and polo shirt din tapos slides, parang pupunta lang sa tindahan. She told me immediately that I should drive at punta kaming Cloud9.
Cloud9 has been our go to place, and up to this day, memorable sakin ang place na yun. Pagdating namin doon ay pinauna niya na akong bumaba. Maya maya pa bumaba na siya at may dala dala itong cake at nakangiti sa akin.
“Wag ka ng magalit sa akin, please.” ang paawa effect niya sa akin. Ako naman ay napabuntong hininga nalang.
“Happy birthday Liam! Make a wish.” tinitigan ko muna yung cake, made my wish at saka ko hinipan. Para naman siyang bata na tuwang tuwa.
Nilapag niya yung cake sa hood ng kotse niya at kumuha ng paper plates at drinks mula sa trunk ng kotse niya. Di na din namin namalayan ang oras, sa dami nang napagkuwentuhan namin. Di na rin ako nakatiis, I asked her about the guy at nagkuwento naman siya.
“So ano ang palabas mo these past few weeks at sa Ilocos?” ang tanong ko sa kanya. Nakayuko lang to at nilalaro laro ng paa niya yung damo.
“Naiinis ako sayo.” ang sagot nito.
“Why? May nagawa ba ako sayo na ikinainis mo or ikinagalit mo?”
“Nanliligaw ka ba kay ate Lyka?” ang diretsong tanong nito sa akin. Napatingin naman ako sa kanya, and she was already staring at me, waiting for my answer. Nangiti nalang ako that time.
“Nope. Di ko siya type. Besides, I like someone else. Lately ko lang na realize.” ang sagot ko sa kanya. Medyo na inrigue siya sa sagot ko.
“Do I know this person?”
“Yeah, you know this person.”
“Alright, ikaw yun. Ikaw ang gusto ko. I realized this nung nasa Ilocos tayo. Sobrang inis ko nun, lalo dun sa suitor mo. And I was jealous. I have grown missing you pag di tayo magkausap. Masaya ako na kasama ka. That’s when I realized, gusto kitang maging girlfriend.” ang sagot ko sa kanya. Siya naman ang natahimik.
“I was planning to ask you kung pwede kitang ligawan. But since andito naman na tayo, eh itatanong ko na.”
“No. You can’t” ang biglang sagot niya sa akin. Di pa man, basted na ako. Tumahimik nalang ako, Damn, sabi ko sa sarili ko.
Medyo matagal tagal yung katahimikan. Medyo awkward na sa akin. Di naman bago sa akin ang magka girlfriend o manligaw, I had two previous relationships naman na din. Di ako sanay na mabasted. Or rather, I am not used to this situation. Di ko talaga alam kung anong next na sasabihin ko.
“O-okay lang naman. Di kita pipilitin, but this was a good time din for me, at nasabi ko sayo to.”
“Anyway, thank you for the birthday treat.” ang nasabi ko nalang sa kanya. Damn, ang awkward talaga.
“You know what, I was waiting for you to tell me that. I like you too. Ikaw palang yung nakasabay sa akin talaga. I mean we have the same wavelength at hindi ka lang looks, but you are so smart.” ang sagot niya sa akin.
“O-okay. Pero bakit mo ako binasted?” ang takang tanong ko sa kanya.
“Huh? Hindi kita binabasted.”
“Eh bakit ayaw mo na ligawan kita?”
“. . .coz..you don’t have to..” ang nakayuko nitong sagot sa akin.
“..meaning to say….girlfriend na kita?” ang gulat na tanong ko sa kanya.
“Kaya wag mo akong sasaktan, kundi malalagot ka talga.”
I hugged her tight, at ganun din ang ginawa niya. We kissed. That was the very first kiss that we shared. It was already morning when we decided to go home. That was the first time as well na maihatid ko siya sa bahay nila.
It was during our six months when we both decided to take our relationship to the next level, and yes that was the time na na virgin ko siya. It was not something to remember…