XIX. The First Fight

Kinaumagahan nagmamadaling nag-ayos at naghanda ng gamit si Trisha dahil napatagal ang kanyang paggising.  Madaling araw na nang dalawin siya ng antok.  “Naku naman ba’t ba hindi mo ako ginising Mars, nakakahiya,” nasabi niya ng ayusin ang higaan.  Ngunit bigla siyang natigilan nang maalala ang narinig kagabi.  She decided to act normal right now and talk to him about it later kaya nang matapos ay dumiretso na siya sa kitchen kung saan narinig niya ang magiliw na kwentuhan ng mga kasama.

“Good morning Trish!” masayang bati sa kanya ni Suzette nang makita siyang nakatayo sa may pintoan. Naggood morning din ang iba nang lingunin siya.  Siyempre maliban kina Rheanne at Myrtelle.

“Good morning! Pasensya na napasarap ang tulog ko.”  Dumiretso siya sa bakanteng upuan sa tabi ni Marsden.

“Good morning!” bulong nito sa kanya while grinning.  “Don’t worry, kakagising lang din namin.”  He poured a hot coffee sa cup niya at nagpatuloy na sa pagkain.

“Good morning and thank you,” aniyang nagsimula na ring kumain. 

“Mauna na kami.  Masaya talaga akong makilala kayo,” saad ni Trisha nang yakapin sina Elise and Suzette.

“Me too darling.  Keep in touch,” saad naman ni Suzette.

“Girl time tayo minsan,” sabay hawak ni Elise sa dalawa niyang kamay.

“Okay, just call me if you’re free,” aniya sa mga ito.

Surprisingly lumapit din sina Rheanne at Myrtelle and hugged her.

“Bye Trisha,” nakangiting saad ni Rheanne.

“Bye…I’m really sorry kung anuman ang nasabi ko,” saad niya dito nang papalayo na ito.

“Don’t mind it,” nakangiti parin ito.

“Bye” sabay kaway kina Drazen, Dave and Max. 

“Hanggang sa susunod nating pagkikita Trisha,”  saad ni Drazen.

Natawa siya dahil nagsalute ito sa kanya.   Naglakad na sila ni Marsden papunta sa nakadaong na yateng naghatid sa kanila kahapon.

Tahimik lamang si Trisha nang pauwi na sila ng Makati.  Sakay sila ng sasakyan ni Marsden at busy ito sa pagkanta nang tumugtog ang paborito nitong  What I’ve Done ng Linkin Park.   Hindi niya alam kung papaano ang kanyang approach tungkol sa narinig kagabi.  Ang problema hindi rin niya alam kung ano ang gusto niya.  She wanted to continue what they have right now but she also wanted to give him peace.

“Penny for your thought?” nakangiting tanong nito sa kanya.

She love his smiles.  She bit her lower lip…hindi niya namalayan na nasa harapan na pala sila ng apartment niya.

“May problema ba?  You looked solemn,” anito.

“Mars…”  nagdadalawang-isip siyang itanong ito.  “What happened nang bigla nalang kayong lumipat noon?”

Nakita niyang nawala ang ngiti nito at itinuon ang atensyon sa harapan.  “It’s not important.  Doon kami tumira kina gram.  They were not getting any younger so they wanted…us…to stay with them,” mahinang saad nito.

“I heard you last night.  When you’re talking to Max. I…I didn’t mean to hear it but I heard my name so I got curious,” nahihiyang pag-amin niya dito.

He stared at her.  “Let’s not talk about it now.” His eyes were asking her to stop.  Pero alam ni Trisha na kung hindi nila ito pag-uusapan ngayon, Marsden will not tell him anything at all.  And the longer they ignore it, the longer he will suffer with the nightmare.

“No.  Let’s talk about it now,” giit ni Trisha. 

“It’s in the past.  Just let it go,”  mahinahon nitong turan.

Trisha looked at him.    Nakakunot ang noo nito.  Maybe he hated her now for acting so stubborn.

“Let it go?” She asked in annoyance.   “Meeting me brought back the nigthmare which was obviously troubling you until now.  And you wanted me to just let it go?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” naiinis na saad nito.  “I’m handling it well.”

“Really?  Then tell me all about it.”

Matagal din itong hindi nagsalita.   The atmosphere in the car was so tight but Trisha didn’t want to back down. 

Halos magulat pa siya nang tumunog ag kanyang cellphone.  Nang makitang si Drake ang tumatawag she cancelled it pero tumawag ito ulit.

“What?!” aniyang naiinis dahil napakabad trip ng timing nito.

“I’m sorry Trish.  I just needed to talk to you.”

“Ano pa bang dapat nating pag-usapan Drake?”

“I just really need to talk to you, just this once Trish. Please…”

Huminga siya ng malalim.  Drake doesn’t beg.  Whatever he wanted to talk to her about must be important.

“Okay, let’s talk tomorrow.”  Ibinaba na niya ang phone and when she looked at Marsden nakakunot ang noo nito.

“Just like that.  Okay, let’s talk tomorrow?” anitong galit.

“He begged.  He doesn’t beg.  Ever!  It must be something important and besides we will just talk,” depensa niya.

“Really?  Or maybe you just wanted to talk to him because you’re still pinning for him.”

“Teka nga sandali.”  She was getting angry.  “Don’t you dare change the issue here.  I’m not done with you yet.”

Tumahimik lamang ito. Minutes passed, napuno na si Trisha.

“Fine!  Kung ayaw mong sabihin ang tungkol sa bangungot mo… then okay I won’t forced you.  Let’s just…let it go and,” huminga siya ng malalim, “let’s don’t see each other again.”

“Com’on that’s unfair!” anitong galit na rin.

“Whatever happened to you back then, I don’t want to continue on bringing back the memories that had caused you pain.    The nightmare Max was talking about, no matter how I wanted to ignore it so we can still be friends, so we can still talk about anything… I can’t…because I know now na sa pag-uwi mo you will be troubled by it.  Alone!” naiiyak niyang saad dito.  “So it would be better if we stop now.  Forget that we met again.  Forget all the things we reminisced.  I don’t care.  Just sleep well.” 

They stared at each other as if daring one another to back down but the stares turned to something as if they were  memorizing every feature in each other’s face.  As if it will be the last.  Trisha looked away and opened the car door.  Mabibigat ang mga paang ipinagpatuloy niya ang paglalakad hanggang makapasok sa kanyang apartment.  The tears fell, in a short time he became his bestfriend and she was regretting the loss.  She was hoping for Marsden to call her back and tell her everything but he just stayed there holding the wheels tightly, maybe stopping himself.  Well, they were both stubborn.

★★★

At nighttime dumating si Chloe at kinikilig na tinanong si Trisha about the beach party. 

Umupo sila sa mahabang sopa.  “So, how’s your beach party?” tanong ni Chloe.

“Fine,”  saad niya habang nanonood ng food channel sa TV.

“Nag-enjoy ka na man ba?” magiliw pa rin nitong tanong.

“Yeah!”

Tumaas ang isang kilay nito.  “So…how was the kiss?”

Napakunot ang kanyang noo.  Nilingon niya ito.  “What?”

“What?” Ginaya nito ang expression niya.  “Ba’t ba ang haba haba ng mukha mo? May pamonosyllable ka pang nalalaman.”

Hindi niya maiwasang matawa nang marealized ang conversation nila kanina.

“Ano na?  Naglevel up na ba at wala ka sa sarili mo?”  panunukso nito.

“Ano bang pinagsasabi mo?”

Huminga ito ng malalim nang makita ang malungkot niyang mukha.  “Ano bang nangyari?”  seryoso nitong tanong.

“Well,  Marsden and I…“

“Oh my God!  Kayo na?”  excited na tanong nito sa kanya.

“What?  Pwede ba tumigil ka nga.”

“Kasi naman ang tagal eh.  So Marsden and you…ano?”  pangungulit nito.

“Marsden and I chose to stop seeing each other,” aniyang bumalik ang lungkot.

Napakunot ang noo nito.  “Anong ginawa ng lalaking ‘yon?” galit na turan ni Chloe.

“Pwede ba huwag ka ngang engot!”  aniyang natatawa.

“Share it na kasi like everything that happened...maldita ba ang mga kaibigan?  Minaliit ka? Have they insulted you? Or asked you to stop your friendhip?” sunud-sunod nitong tanong.   “Gosh!  Parang sa teleserye lang ‘yon nangyayari ah,” sabi nito sa sarili.

“Paano ko naman kasi matatapos eh assume ka ng assume d’yan.”

“Oh!” Nagzipper lock ito sa kanyang bibig.

Trisha breathe deeply and shared what happened except the time when Rheanne taunted her and most especially about what he heard at the terrace.  It’s not her secret to tell.

“Eh nag-enjoy naman pala kayo, mababait din ang mga kaibigan niya so why the face?” sabay tapik ng pointer finger nito sa chin niya.

“May gusto kasi akong malaman about Marsden’s past na ayaw niyang eshare sa akin.  I got angry and I…I told him if he won’t tell me then I won’t forced him but we should not see each other again.”

“You gave him an ultimatum,” saad nito.

“Yeah!”  She pouted her lips and her anger came back.  “And he just let me leave and stared at me as if it’s the last time.   Which means he doesn’t plan to tell me anything at all.   And…I was really hurt.” 

“Alam ko you won’t tell the details because you’re a loyal friend.  Kilala kita you never given me or anyone an ultimatum before.  You have your reasons.  Well, why don’t you give him time to think about it.  Maybe he just needed time?”

“Am I too harsh na pinilit ko siyang mag-open up?”  aniyang nagsisimula ng makonsensya.

“Medyo.”

Huminga siya ng malalim at humilata sa sopa.  “Chlo?  Normal lang naman na nasasaktan ako diba na pinutol ko ‘yong pagkakaibigan namin?”

“Siyempre naman.  Naging close friends kayo for two months.  It might be short but you’re so close na para bang walang 17 years gap sa pagkakaibigan ninyo.”

Pero naguguluhan si Trisha dahil alam niyang iba na ang kanyang nararamdaman.  Natatakot siya dahil kung ganito ang nararamdamang sakit ngayon pa’no na lang kapag tuluyan na siyang nahulog?  She was afraid her heart is not yet prepared to be hurt again.