XII. The Dinner Treat

Nag-undertime si Trisha dahil kailangan pa niyang mamalengke ng gulay para sa lulutuing kare-kare.  Nakapaggrocery na siya kahapon kaya naman gulay na lang ang dapat niyang bilihin para fresh.  When she got home from the market, agad siyang naligo at nagsimula ng magluto.  She already baked a chocolate cake last night and also marinated the chicken in her special sauce.  She wanted to make it special that’s why she searched the internet for additional tips. 

After two hours, she was almost done and just preparing the salad dressing when a knock came at the door.  She took her apron but remembering how she looked, agad niyang inayos ang kanyang loose ponytail.  When she opened the door, she was stunned for a moment.  May artista ata sa bahay ko!  Kinurap niya ang mga mata.

“Hey!” she said smiling at Marsden.

“Hi!” Ngumiti ito at itinaas ang dalang malapad na golden box na may pulang ribbon na nakatali dito.  It looks familiar.

“Oh my God! Chocolates?” Kinuha niya ito agad.   “Pasok ka, welcome to my humble abode!” she smiled and ushered him inside.

Pixies Deligths sell the best milk chocolate in town kaso nga lang mahal ito and when she had enough spare to buy such luxury nauubusan naman siya.  Kaya naman her eyes were glimmering at the handsome man in front of her. Does he have a third eye or what, how could he know I like milk chocolates?

Nang tanggalin ni Marsden ang kanyang sapatos at the treshhold, nagmamadaling kinuha ni Trisha ang panloob na tsinelas na binili niya kahapon specially kay Marsden lang.  Half shoes ito, cottony and feathery at kulay blue. 

“Here, regalo ko sa’yo.  That just means you’re always welcome sa bahay ko anytime.”

Sinuot ni Marsden ang tsinelas under his socks.  He liked that his name was embroidered on it.  Really just for him.   “Wow!  I felt so welcomed and nice place by the way.” 

“Thanks.  Chloe helped me brighten the place with all her creative ideas.”

“She’s good, she’s an interior designer?”

She smiled.  “More like a frustrated interior designer.”   They both laughed.  “She loves crafts at dito niya nilalagay sa bahay halos lahat ng kanyang creations and I love it all.”

Sa living room niya ito iniwan upang tapusin ang paghahanda ng pagkain.  He moved around looking  at the pictures placed over the shelves of books at the far corner of the living room.  Mga framed pictures nila ni Chloe, sa kanyang parents at sa kanila ng kuya niya.  When she glanced at him checking the framed quotes on the wall, she can’t help to admire his appearance.   If his handsome in formal clothes, his stunning in casual ones…his wearing a black denim and a light gray sweatshirt.  It all fit him perfectly.  Trisha get back on preparing the foods in the table, biting her lower lip to ease the rapid beat of her heart.  Whats wrong with me?

“What can I do to help?”

She was startled a bit nang magsalita si Marsden.  Hindi niya napansin na nasa tabi na pala niya ito.

“Y-you can prepare glasses for us both and the wine is in the refrigerator.”  She actually stammered and she hated it.  Ayaw niyang haluan ng kung ano ang friendship nila.  It must be strictly friendship.  

Marsden do her bidding and they both worked together in setting place like they’re doing it everyday.  He was actually happy to see her smiling.  Based on experience it was quiet hard to even just smile and maintain optimism. Five years, he had wasted five years of his life just because of a woman.  He drank for days, for months, live in cynism for years but then he was betrayed by not just his fiancè but his bestfriend and above all by the friends who kept things from him…It’s the most painful of all.

“I’m so full,” turan ni Marsden habang hawak-hawak ang kanyang tiyan.

“Me too.  God, by the end of this month I will resemble a pig.” They both laughed.

Nasa sala sila at magkatabing nakaupo sa mahabang sopa.  Marsden contentedly laid his head over the headrest.  Ang sarap ng mga pagkaing niluto ni Trisha, but when he saw the apple tart he can’t help the jab of pain upon his heart.  It was his mother’s favorite too.  For a moment gusto niyang umalis bago pa man mahalata ni Trisha what the past reminded him of.  Pero bago pa siya makaisip ng excuse, he felt Trisha’s hand in his arm.  Hawak-hawak pa pala niya ang wine.  Nang makita niya ang ngiti nito, he saw the face of a young girl who always made him smile whenever he’s sad because his mom had a business trip again.  He doesn’t want to ruin this reunion so he tried to return her smile and continued to help.  He never expected that Trisha will remember his favorite dessert.  He ate with gusto, he love the foods and he  very much like the company.    They talked while eating, remembering the past and laughed with abundance from the memories.  She actually needed to remind him of the others for he can’t remember all.    Sometimes along with the memories with Trisha and Marco,  he would remember those moments he doesn’t want to revisit, hidden deeper in his mind and protected by his heart.   When she called him the other day, he was reluctant to accept.  The day Marsden brought Trisha at the park hill, he dreamed.  He was visited again by the nightmare of him being left alone as a kid in a big house, he was calling his mother’s name, but she never came. 

When he woke up, he was decided to never let their paths crossed again.  Napostpone ang welcome party na plinano nila Max dahil may kailangan siyang eclosed na deal sa kanyang construction company.  The client demanded to have a picnic together with his family in their farm and there they talked about the contract.  Nang pauwi na si Marsden ay nakatanggap siya ng tawag from Trisha.  Hindi niya ito sinagot agad.  How could he told her not to contact him again?  He doesn’t want to hurt her.  Trisha texted her:

Hey! If you have time, I wanted to treat u for dinner.  I know it is not enuf for all the things you’ve done for me but please let me make it up to u.

He disregarded it and continue driving for home but when he passed at Saint Avenue he saw the different pasalubong centers, nakita niya ang Pixies Delights with a bunch of chocolates as logo.  Bumalik sa kanyang ala-ala ang nangyari sa bar nang humingi si Trisha sa kanya ng milk chocolate when she was drunk.  He can’t seemed to stop the smile creeping over his face and with a decision brought by sympathy and maybe friendship she had renewed last week Marsden parked his car in the parking lot and went over to Pixies, ordered one of its special milk chocolates and called Trisha.

Heto nga sila ngayon comfortably louging in the living room.  He glanced at her.

“How are you feeling?”

Huminga ito ng malalim.  “Surprisingly, I’m fine.” She smiled at him. A genuine smile, he believed.

“At the office?”

“Well, I can’t control anyone’s opinion, may mga kasamahan ako na nag-iba ang tingin sa akin. For a week, hindi kami nagpapansinan ni Drake, as if we don’t know each other.  I think its for the best, It felt so awkward seeing him at the company, I don’t wanna talk to him.  I can’t forget the fact na hindi niya kailan man itinama ang impression ng mga taong nakakita ng picture.”

“He won’t, he is a conceited bastard, he won’t let his name be smudge by cheating.           “  bastard indeed, letting her cheated girlfriend took all the censure, nasabi ni Marsden sa sarili.

Trisha saw a flicker of anger in his eyes.  “Well, it is all over.  I may have thought his the right one for me but God has given me  a way out, I should thank Him for it.” Trisha’s eyes glimmered and she looked up, whispering the word ‘thank you’ to the Father.

Marsden chuckled.  Hindi niya mapigilang matawa.  “You’re optimistic.”

“I actually cried for three days.  Instead of watching happy movies so that I could forget, Chlo convinced me to watch drama especially those primary themes are betrayal.  I cried, I think the whole night and until the day after.”

“I like your friend, is she by chance a psychologist?” he jokingly said, her bestfriend was surely a wise woman.

Trisha smiled.  “No, but she’s wise.  I promised her I’ll cry for three days and then moved on.  She always told me Drake doesn’t deserved me.  That it is okay to cry but I should not dwell on it.  Sa tatlong araw I’ve realized, I was sad, naiinis ako kasi I already thought of the future with him.  I’m not getting any younger, I’m already 25 and I wanted to have a family of my own.  I wanted to have my own children to dote on.”

“25 is still young and with your looks, you have a lot of men to choose from.” He winked.

She laughed.   “I’ve learned my lesson, but I don’t wanna end hating  love.” She laughed more when she saw his reaction.  Marsden looked like he swallowed something bitter.  ”What?”

“Nothing, iba lang tayo ng pananaw.”

“Well, iba-iba naman talaga tayo ng pananaw in regards to love.  Mostly men don’t want to admit they let love ruled their lives but women in general, we’re not ashamed, no matter how painful, we won’t stop.   So  I am making my life’s goal to not give up on love.   Sabi nga ni Chloe its actually romantic when you had your heart broken because someone will come along to patch it up.”

“I’ll just wish you luck then, I don’t have anything to say on the matter.”  Trisha hit home.  He already gave up on love, he doesn’t want to believe in it anymore.  

Trisha laughed.  “Oh my!  You’re a typical man Mr. Hernandez.”

“I’m just being practical Ms. Fuentes.  Why will I settle when I can still enjoy many fishes in the sea…I’m still at my prime, I must enjoy it first,” he playfully said while giving her a one sided smile.

“Playboy much!   Someday you’ll find that one shark that will eat you alive,”  Trisha said and she bit her lower lip to stop the fluttering in her stomach.  It sounded like they’re flirting.

“We’ll see!” He knew it won’t happen and if he will someday marry to provide an heir, he will choose someone timid, someone he can control, someone whom he’s not in danger of falling.

They fell silent and both enjoyed the solemnity of the moment.   Relaxing their bodies and minds.

“By the way, do you know someone named Joel Ocampo?”  Marsden asked after a while.

Napakunot ang noo ni Trisha.  Wala siyang kilala na Joel pero may kakilala siyang Ocampo.  “I don’t know him but Jade’s surename is Ocampo.  Kaibigan siya ni Chelsea.  She was the one who showed me the picture.  Why did you asked?”

“The IP Address leads to Joel.  He’s the one who posted the picture.”

Sandaling natigilan si Trisha.  Talaga ngang plinano nila ang lahat.  Chelsea with her friends at hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit ito ginagawa ng kanyang pinsan.

“Are you okay?” pag-aalalang tanong ni Marsden ng mapansing tahimik lamang ito at tila ba napakalayo ng tanaw.

She faced him, still a little weary.  “They planned it all.  I was wondering why would Chelsea helped Drake in his mom’s chemo.  They don’t even know each other before.  Chelsea is not the generous kind.” 

“Why would your cousin staged such plan agaist you?  She must have hated you, even asked someone to take pictures and posted in the internet.”

“Kailangan ko siyang makausap.  I will call her tomorrow,” determinadong tugon ni Trisha and sit up straight.

“Be carefull.  You don’t know what she’s capable of.”  May hinala siyang malaki ang galit nito.  Nang sabihin sa kanya ng kaibigang private investigator kung sino ang nagpost ng picture sa internet, agad niyang pinaimbestigahan ang lalaki at nalaman niyang isa lamang itong college student.  Kahit ilang beses nilang tanungin ang binata ay hindi ito nagsasalita kaya inakala nilang binayaran lamang ito ni Chelsea.   Kinausap din niya ito sa phone habang hawak ng kaibigang imbestigador. Binalaan niya itong huwag ng uulitin ang ginawa dahil kung hindi ay siya mismo ang mag-aapila ng kaso dito.

Kung kanina ay determinado, biglang napabuntong-hininga si Trisha at bumalik sa paghilata sa sopa.  “Maybe I’ll talk to her some other time.  Kailangan ko munang kumalma.”

Napangiti si Marsden nang marinig ang sinabi ni Trisha.  “Afraid of her?” panunukso niya dito para marelax ito.

She laughed.  “Hindi ah!” kinurot siya nito sa tagiliran.  “Well, ayaw ko lang na komprontahin siya while I still feels like this.  I wanted to pull her hair and slap her hard.”  Nakakuyom ang mga palad nito at halatang galit na galit sa pinsan.

“If you need my help you can always count on me.  Pwede kitang sabayan when you confront her.”

“Really? Ayyyyy, sarap naman ng may kaibigan,” malambing nitong turan habang ikinabit ang mga braso sa kanyang braso at inilapat ang ulo sa kanyang balikat.

Napangiti si Marsden sa ginawa nito.  Napagtanto niya na malambing ito and he liked it. 

“Gusto ko lang na kapag nagharap kami, I already calmed down.  I want to be rational and open minded when I talk to her so we can resolve things and not to widen the animosity.”

Marsden saw  for the first time the strength she had within.  Hindi siya mahina, she cried yet she was determined to move on and always looked at the bright side.

“You’re one good woman,”  bulong niya dito. 

“No I’m not.  Ayaw ko lang mastress, so I always think positive.  Masisira ang beauty ko, I need it to find my new boyfriend,” nangingiting saad nito.

They both laughed and Marsden realized if only she met Trisha five years ago, he might have faced his pain differently.