4.2 Kanji's Past II

TWO WEEKS AFTER

Dalawang linggo na ng lumipas noong huli kong nakausap si Shine. Tatlong araw mula noon ay namatay si grandpa kaya mas lalo akong hindi nakauwi.

I mourned. I was in terrible agony of rejection and grief. Siguro, mas magaan sana ng kaunti ang aking mararamdaman ngayon kung nandiyan si Shine kahit sa phone man lang. Pero wala.

PRESENT TIME

Lumapag ang private plane sakto alas dose ng gabi. Pagkalabas ko ng plane, sumalubong agad saakin ang simoy ng hangin. Malayong malayo man ang klima dito kumpara sa Japan, gustong gusto ko parin ang Pilipinas.

Hindi ako umalis ng Japan pagkatapos ilibing ang mga labi ni grandpa. Para saakin, wala ng rason para umuwi pa ako rito.

Pero, kagaya ng ibang bagay sa mundo, ang lahat ay nagbabago.Parang pinipilit ng panahon na bumalik ako sa lugar na'to. I came here for business, Fujisawa Group of companies were expanding. Mataas ang improvement namin dito sa loob lamang ng apat na taon. Nung una,iyan lang ang rason ng pag-uwi ko, but boarding a plane to the Philippines was a real blast from the past. Bumabalik saaking isipan ang mga nakaraan na noon ko paman gustong kalimutan. Si Shine.

Susundin ko na ang noon pama'y gustong gawin ng isipan ko, ang makita si Shine. Gusto ko siyang pagpaliwanagin, bakit ganoon nalang kadali para sa kanya ang e reject ako? Alam ko,may karapatan akong malaman kun ano ang malaki niyang rason.

AFTER THREE MONTHS

Tatlong buwan na ang nakalipas nang dumating ako dito sa Pilipinas. Gaya ng aking inaasahan, maraming trabaho ang nakaabang. Malapit ko ng ma-organize lahat. Mga isang buwan pa, at maluluwag luwagan na ang schedule ko. Mauumpisahan ko ng hanapin ang babaing yon.

It's midnight. My penthouse is on the top floor of Fuji condominium. I can see the buildings beneath and the lights from there that illuminates the dark.

I'm on the opposite side of the ceiling to floor glass window. The wine glass is in my left hand. I want to warm my body going to bed.

Looking outside, I thought of the bar where Shine used to work, the Chill Bar. I will find a perfect time go there soon.

"Janessa's Coffee Shop. "

Binasa ko ang pangalan ng gusali na nasa harapan ko. Did I lose my bearings?

I'm sure not. This is the exact spot of the bar Shine used to work back then.

Im just wearing a white T-shirt as a top. I put on my black leather jacket and cap before getting out of the car.

Pumasok ako sa Janessa's Coffe Shop na Chill Bar noon. Narinig ko pang binati ako ng babaing nasa counter pero dinedma ko siya.

I sat on the table. Reminishing what happened years ago sa lugar na ito. This was supposed to te a noisy place. Well, malaki ang ipinagbago nito dahil coffee shop na ito ngayon.

Sa gitna ng aking pag-iisip ay nilapitan ako ng barista. Alam kong may sinasabi siya pero hindi ko muna iyon sinagot dahil hinubad ko muna ang jacket at cap.

"Gusto kong gawing exclusive ang lugar na'to," sabi ko pero parang hindi sya nakikinig.Nakatunganga bang'isang to?

"Nakikinig kaba? "

This lady with an angelic gray eyes stood in front of me motionless like a statue.

"Ngayon ka palang ba nakakita ng isang Filipino-Japanese na may asul na mata ? o should I say guwapong lalaki? "

My paternal grandmother was German-Japanese with blue eyes, I inherited it from her. I don't bother telling this lady about that.

For once, I asked to make this place exclusive just for me. Now, she's talking to someone over the phone. Mean while, she name the price and I just nod.

Thinking of Shine nagsimulang magbalik ang ala-ala ko sa nakaraan. Ace and I ordered beer when we first met.

"What would you like to drink sir?"

"Beer," I answer without paying a glance.

"S-sorry po sir, we don't serve beer here. Coffee shop po itong pinasukan ninyo, hindi po bar."

"Whatever. Just give me what I want."

" Sir, I'm sorry pero wala po talaga kaming beer dito. Again, this is a coffee shop and we don't serve beer," the lady insisted.

At this point, I gave her a stern look. "You asked me what I would like to drink, I said beer, so what's your problem?"

"Did you hear me? I said this is not a bar, this is a coffee shop! Where on earth can you find a coffee shop that sells beer? Wag mo nga akong tanungin kung anong problema ko, baka yang utak mo meron. "

"Pag-"

"Hep! Sir, bukas po ang pinto para sainyo,maari napo kayong lumabas. Tingin ko naliligaw kayo.Bar po ng hanap nyo, kape po ang meron kami dito. "

She's pointing the door.

Wala akong nagawa at tumayo nalang sa harapan niya. I caught her staring my chest. This lady with gray eyes named Reyna.I saw it on her name plate that she's wearing.

" Really,Reyna? Kung kanina sa mukha ko ngayun naman sa katawan ko?" I smirked.

"How did you know my name?"

I chuckle. Alam ba niyang may name plate siya?

"Nakakatawa ka,bat'ka naman mabibiglang malaman ko ang pangalan mo kung naka naka name plate ka?"

Now she's conscious of her name plate.

"Aalis kaba o tatawag ako ng pulis? "

I step towards her, bend down a little and speak in front of her face.

"Reyna, remember this-"

" Ang dami ko nang kailangang tandaan magdadagdag kapa? "

She interrupted for the second time! What the!

"Always remember this face," I continued.

She smirked while raising her brows.

" Yes sir,matatandaan ko talaga ang mukhang yan.Ang mukhang naghahanap ng beer sa isang coffee shop," she's pointing the door, "now leave."

Isiniksik ko ang aking mga palad sa'king bulsa, saka naglakad palabas ng coffee shop. The right corner of my lips lifts.

Well, sorry miss gray eyes. I'm too focus of what happened on this place long ago. I'm being unreasonable, I admit. I need a coffee, but a cold coffee.