Maraming salamat sa pag-confirm ng request.
`Musta ka na, Willie?
Ayos naman. `Kaw?
Nasa airport ako ngayon. Pauwi sa Pilipinas.
Nasa’n ka ba?
Las Vegas. Dito na ako nakatira. Musta ka na?
Ayos lang. Kelan ka pa nand’yan?
Mahabang istorya. Pero mag-aanim na taon na rin.
Asenso ka na.
Hindi, ah. How are you?
I’m fine. Getting by. Paano mo nalaman ang FB ko?
OMG, I don’t know. Just saw your pictures on my feed. I wanted to read Filipiniana books so I could catch up on my reading with what’s happening there. I checked some publishers there and befriended them on FB. Are you in publishing now?
Yes.
Great! Plano kong humabol doon sa book fair para makabili ng mga local books. `Musta ka?
Pang-ilang tanong mo na `yan. Sabi ko, I’m fine.
Haven’t seen you for, God knows how long.
Oo nga. Tagal na. `Musta?
`Kala ko, sa haba na ng napag-usapan natin, `di mo ’ko kukumustahin. Mabuting-mabuti.
Mukha nga.
I’ve been looking for you. Nobody seems to know where you are. Funny because, pagbukas ko ng FB, picture mo agad ang gumulat sa `kin.
Mga co-workers ko sa trabaho ang nag-post. Pinag-host ako ng book launch namin.
You’ve always been good at doing that.
Tagal ko nang `di ginagawa `yon.
You’re still good nonetheless.
Are you patronizing me?
Sa’n galing `yon? I’m just being a good Christian here.
Ok.
So what’s with the name Will Holy Cross?
Why?
I find it cute.
I don’t want to use my real name. Facebook can be a real big monster.
It’s still your name, English nga lang.
And Reneé Ballet Stories? Can you be more creative than this?
Mine’s a different story.
How different?
Mahabang kuwento. Next time na lang.
You’re still as evasive as ever. `Di mo ba pwedeng ikuwento ngayon?
Nasa airport ako ngayon, naghihintay ng flight. Saka na. Will I see you when I get there?
Maybe.
Maybe what?
Don’t know if I’m ready.
To see me?
Yes.
What’s to be ready for?
You always make it so casual.
Willie, it’s been years. Seven long years. `Di mo pa ba nakakalimutan `yon?
I’m not a casual person. Lahat ng nangyayari sa buhay ko, seryoso kong tinatanggap. `Di ko nakakalimutan.
Look where it’s all brought you.
Why, where am I now?
This is not how I imagine our conversation would go. I just wanna see you.
Ok.
Ok what?
I said ok.
Are you gonna see me ok or are you not gonna see me ok?
I said ok, Renan. Pag-iisipan ko.
Don’t call me by that name.
Oh, it’s Reneé now, right?
Are you making fun of my new name?
Hindi, curious lang. So, what’s with it?
People change. All the time. So do their names.
Yes, but why that name?
Nagpalit ka rin naman ng pangalan.
Will is not exactly different from Willie.
And that name to Reneé isn’t?
Pangalan ng babae ang napili mo.
People can choose things for themselves. No matter what the judgments of others are.
I’m not judging you.
Yes, you are. Kahit dito sa. Messenger, you are condescending.
I’m not. Super sensitive ka lang. Just like you were.
Nagbago na `ko. Believe it or not. A lot.
I believe you.
So how are you? How has it been?
Like I said, I’m slowly getting on. Almost five years na ako sa Sinag as a copy editor. Tahimik ang buhay.
`Di ka na babalik sa pagtuturo?
Bakit pa?
It’s your passion, right? To teach. To educate. To make a difference.
I did make a difference. Once. Look where it’s gotten me.
Tapos na `yon. Lahat ng bagay, natatapos at nauumpisahan uli.
That’s my problem.
What?
I’m caught up with the past. Couldn’t see my future.
But you did change.
How so?
Well, from teaching to copy editing. That’s a big change. From Angeles City to Manila, that’s a big change, too.
Yes, pero iba `yon. `Di ko ginustong umalis n’un.
Walang may gusto n’un.
Bilib ako sa `yo.
Bakit?
Ang layo ng itinakbo mo. Nasa Amerika ka na ngayon. Pa’no nangyari `yon?
After graduation, nag-apply ako agad for abroad. Ayoko sa Pilipinas magtrabaho. Lahat, in-applyan ko. Pinili ko `yong kompanya na kumukuha ng foreign employees. Sinuwerte naman.
Magaling ka naman talaga.
Mana sa teacher, haha!
Ows?
Yeah, I really learned a lot. From you. You couldn’t imagine the power you had over me then.
And then you betrayed me.
I’m sorry.
My life turned upside down because of you.
Please, let me see you. I will explain everything.
It’s no use. No longer important. We’ve moved on. You said so.
But the past haunts. Sabi mo nga, `di mo makita ang future.
Wala naman talagang nakakaalam kung ano ang future.
Ako, alam ko.
Ang alin?
Ang future.
Pa’no mo nalaman?
Malakas ang feeling ko.
Malakas ang feeling mo na malalaman mo ang future?
Malakas ang feeling ko na magkikita tayo.
Lakas nga ng feeling mo.
Haha. Seriously, I need to see you.
Bakit?
Dahil ako ang past mo. `Di mo makikita ang future kung ` di ka makikipagkita sa past mo.
Past na ba talaga `to?
Bakit, gusto mo pa rin ba sa present?
Palabiro ka pa rin.
Nothing can be solved without a good sense of humor.
May present ka na ba?
Ano’ng present?
I mean… you know what I mean.
You mean, kung meron akong present ngayon?
Yes.
Meron.
Pinoy?
Hindi. `Kano. Nakilala ko dito. Doktor. `Kaw, may present na rin?
Wala.
You don’t say.
Totoo. Wala akong present, if that’s what you’re asking.
How come?
Walang dumating. Walang nagkamali.
Ayaw mo lang.
Wala talaga.
Palaging meron. `Kaw lang ang huling nakakaalam na meron.
Ha?
Gaya ko. Kung hindi pa ako naglakas-loob, `di tayo magkakaroon ng past.
That’s not fair.
I was your student. You can’t imagine the courage I had to muster because you were my teacher.
Yes, you had guts then. Then you betrayed me.
Balik na naman tayo sa betrayal issue.
Dahil `yon naman ang talagang nangyari, `di ba?
May kuwento `yon. That’s why I need to see you.
Para ano pa?
Para ma-realize mo na may kuwento pa rin sa likod ng bawat kuwento. Hindi lahat ng kuwento ay gaya ng iniisip mo lang.
At sino ang condescending ngayon?
Ikaw.
Ikaw ang nagle-lecture ngayon, `di ako.
Condescending rin ang taong sarado ang isip.
`Di lang ako pumayag na magkita tayo, condescending na uli ako?
Papayag ka.
Pa’no ka nakasisiguro?
Dahil kailangan mong malaman ang lahat. Ang lahat-lahat.
Makakatulong ba sa `kin na malaman ko lahat-lahat?
Yes. Para na rin sa katiwasayan nating lahat.
Lalim mo pa ring mag-Tagalog. `Di ka nabago ng Amerika.
Don’t change the subject.
What’s the subject?
The subject is hindi lang tayong dalawa ang nasaktan sa nangyari.
Meron pang iba?
Si Chris. Still remember him?
The rival? Of course, I remember him. Very clearly. May contact ka pa rin sa kanya?
Meron. I never lost touch. When I got settled here, I made a point to get in touch with him as often as I could.
`Di mo pa rin pala siya nakakalimutan.
He’s my best friend, Willie. We were good friends long before we met you.
I know. At nang magkagulo-gulo, siya pa rin ang pinanigan mo.
You don’t know the whole story.
I know the story well enough to realize who the heroes and the villains are. It’s my story.
It’s my story, too. Alam mong himay-himayin ang mga kuwentong tinuturo sa klase namin no’n pero ito ang kuwentong malabo sa `yo.
Pa’no naging malabo?
Dahil umalis ka agad. `Di ka na nagpakita. Meron ka pang `di alam. That’s why I want to see you.
Nakukumbinsi na yata ako.
Na ano?
Na makipagkita sa `yo. Para luminaw na ang malabong kuwentong `to.
Makumbinsi ka na.
Konti pa.
Please, I’ll be good. I’ll play innocent. The way you’ve always liked.
Excuse me! Innocent? Who’s innocent?
Please? When we meet, you could still play that condescending arrogant prick that you are on me. I’ll let you have your day.
I beg your pardon?
Truth hurts, doesn’t it?
Funny, I was just looking at your picture on my laptop. The only one I kept all these years.
Why do you keep it?
`La lang. Reminder ng mga pinakamasaya at pinakamalungkot na nangyari sa buhay ko.
Drama!
Do you wanna see it?
`Wag na, baka maiyak lang ako.
I’ll send it to you.
Sige na nga.
Oh, dear, this was eons ago.
I took this picture, remember?
Yes, we were just outside the campus.
You were beautiful.
I look different now.
How different?
Very. Well, I have already aged. I’m no longer the innocent boy that you corrupted.
Aw!
Sorry. I didn’t mean that.
You can’t hurt me anymore.
I’m not planning to. God knows, I never wanted to. Even before.
Wala ka bang naitagong litrato ko?
Wala.
Ganoon?
`Di ako mahilig mangolekta ng mga abubot ng nakaraan.
Abubot ako ng nakaraan?
I don’t mean that. I mean, I’m always forward-looking. Besides, I know how you look like now. Saw your pictures on FB, remember?
Oo nga.
You didn’t age a bit. Still the dashing, debonair dapper.
Chos!
Really! I’ve never forgotten your face. `Di ko kelangang makita ang litrato mo kung palagi ka namang nasa isip ko.
Chos! Chos!
So now, are you gonna see me?
Still don’t know. And still don’t care.
Look, I’ll be boarding the plane real soon. I wanna see you. For old time’s sake?
Ok.
Ok what?
You’re gonna ask me again if it’s an ok ok or a not ok ok?
That’s right. Be specific. You’re like a riddle. Until now, I still couldn’t read you.
Ok ok.
Great! I’ll get in touch with you once I touch down in Manila.
Yes, I`ll write my phone number. Call me as soon as you get here.
Thanks. Willie?
Yes?
I’m with him.
Who?
The doctor. He’s attending an international conference in Manila this weekend. Thought it best that I give you the heads up.
Thanks for telling me.
Told him everything about you. And Chris. About my past. Everything.
You’re lucky.
He’s lucky too. He has me. Boarding has started. Willie, thanks for doing this. You don’t have to, but for my sake, you are. Maraming salamat.
Renan?
Who’s that?
Oh, sorry. Reneé, can you send me a picture of yourself now? It’s not fair that you’ve seen my recent photos and I haven’t seen yours. Wala kang pictures sa FB mo.
Bakit pa? Magkikita naman tayo, `di ba?
You know how sentimental I get sometimes. `Di ko pa matanggal ang mga abubot ng nakaraan.
Ok, let me see. Just have to quickly do this. I’ll send it to you now. Willie, maraming salamat. I’ll see you very soon.
Salamat din.
Ok, here it is. Don’t be shocked.