Chapter Eight: Part Six

To temporarily breakaway from the stress caused by her work, Leni visited the university.

She toured the campus and visited the places that made her college life memorable. Her first stop was the pavilion in front of their building; it was the place where she first met Adam and Faith. Then, she went to the fifth floor of the library; it was her favorite hideout until the librarian once caught her munching snacks while reviewing. Afterwards, she walked further and reaches the grandstand. That was where she accidentally bumped to Red during a concert. Then, the rest was history.

After an hour of walking, she decided to grab a mocha frappe at La Prinsesa, the café that became her favorite place that she shared with Adam and Faith.

As she was ordering, the crew recognized her.

“Ma’am, ang tagal nyong nawala ah.”

“Bakit? Namumukaan mo ba ako?”

“Oo naman, noon kasi palagi namin kayo nakikita ditong tumatambay ng mga kasama mo, kung hindi ako nagkaka-mali, yung dalawang mataba. Kayo ata yung gustong makilala yung isa sa may-ari nito di ba?”

“Oo, kami yun. Kami yung lagi nag-aavail nung promo niyo. Gusto kasi namin nun, maka-hingi ng discount. Kuya, pwede pa ba?”

“Sayang, wala yung isang boss namin dito.Pero, pagbibigyan ka namin, libre na to. Kaka-alis lang niya, babalik siya sa probinsya.”

“Ahh, ganun ba? Sana nag-abot man lang kami.Ngayon lang ulit ako napasyal dito, kinuha ko lang kasi yung yearbook ko.”

Leni got her coffee, sat on one corner and listened to some songs in her Ipod. While leafing through the pages of the year book, someone patted her at the back. When she turned around, it was Red. Right then and there,her resentment towards him went back.

She stood up, picked up her coffee and walked towards the door. Then, Red followed and grabbed her hand.

“Leni, please don’t do this. Wag ka naman mag walk-out. Pwede ba tayo mag-usap?”

She rolled her eyes and said,

“Sure, but I needed my hand first.”

Then, they sat on one corner, as Leni’s temper flared.

“Hanggang ngayon pa ba, ‘bitter ‘ka pa rin sa akin?”

“Obvious ba? Paano bang hindi ako magagalit sa’yo eh, hiniwalayan mo ako nung birthday ko. Tapos, ang pinakilala mo sa parents mo, si Val, imbis na ako. Red,parang balewala yung two years na pinagsamahan natin”

“Hindi naman sa ganun. Pero may mga bagay ka na hindi naiitindihan.”

“Ano pa bang dapat kong malaman? Alam mo, nung nasa probinsya ako, halos okay na ang lahat. Dumating na ako sa punto na nakaka-limutan na kita. Pero, nung nagkita tayo ngayon, bumalik yung inis ko sa ginawa mo! Red, ang hirap nung pakiramdam na iwanan ka ng taong mahal mo. Sana maintindihan mo na binago ko ang sarili ko para lang maging deserving ako sa’yo. Pero ngayon, hindi ko na yun gagawin kasi nandiyan naman yung mga kaibigan ko. Hindi ko na kailangan baguhin ang sarili ko para sa kanila. Sana lang, hindi mo maranasan yung nangyari sa akin kasi. Hindi ko alam kung kakayanin mong masaktan.”

Red said nothing because this was his first time to hear these from Leni. Whenever they have their occasional fights, Leni would just give him a cold treatment.

“You know what, I don’t want to hate you but, I really hate you right now.”

“Leni, I’m so sorry, nagsi-sisi na talaga ako.”

“Yeah right, maghanap ka nang ibang bobolahin mo. Alis na ako.”

He shook his head as he realized that the crews witnessed what happened.