***

“Excuse me. Can I join you?”

Nilingon ni Lily ang nagsalita. It was a woman in her late twenties. Hindi niya ito kilala but her face is so familiar. Nagdalawang isip siya kung pauupuin ito o hindi. Kasalukuyan siyang nasa isang café sa Seoul.

“Sure.” Okay lang naman siguro kung makikisalo ito sa mesa niya.

“Thanks.” The lady gave her a genuine smile. “I’m Victoria Eusebio,” she introduced herself as she extends her hand to her. “And you are Maria Joanna Lilibeth Bautista, right?”

She coughed. How come this woman knows her? At buong pangalan pa niya ang alam nito!

“Of course I know you. I’m Anthony’s daughter.” She smiled again.

“Nice meeting you Ms. Victoria.” At saka lamang niya tinanggap ang pakikipagkamay nito.

“Cut the formality. Just call me unnie. Vicky unnie.”

“Alright, u-unnie.”

“Better. You know what? I’ve been dying to see you. At last, I finally met my soon-to-be-sister-in-law,” she said excitedly.

Napigil ang pag-inom niya ng kape. Muntik nang mawaglit sa isip niya ang bagay na iyon. Oh, yes. She was about to marry his faceless groom. Until now she hasn’t meet him yet. It is so ridiculous na mas nauna pa niyang nakilala ang buong pamilya nito kaysa rito.

“About the marriage thing—“

Don’t worry about it,” putol nito sa sasabihin niya. “Everything is settled. My father had managed every detail of your wedding.” She smiled and held her hand. “I’m sure you and my brother will be a very good couple.”

Lily cannot look straightly at Victoria. How can she tell her that she is not going to marry his brother? Parang napakahirap na biguin nito. This lady is really expecting that the wedding is going to happen.

“I guess you haven’t met him. But I hope you understand. You know, my brother is a busy man. But I assure you, he is very responsible person.” She was so proud of his brother.

Maging si Uncle A at Auntie Chungmi ay ganoon din ang deskripsyon sa fiancé niya. Pero aanhin naman niya ang mga katangiang iyon kung hindi naman ito ang nagmamay-ari ng puso niya? Her heart belongs to only one. At walang sino man ang makapagbabago niyon.

“I have an idea,” she said afterwards. “Since this is our first meeting, let’s have a bonding time so we can know each more. What should we do?” Nag-isip ito. “Ah! How about shopping? Do you like that?,” she asked.

“I actually don’t shop a lot,” she confessed.

“But girls love to shop. C’mon, I’ll treat you,” she said.

Hindi naman sa ayaw niya itong makasama. It’s just that she felt awkward every time she mentions that ‘marriage thing’.

“Please…” Her eyes were pleading.

Parang nakita niya na ang mga mata na iyon. It was like Xander’s.

She mocked herself. Nababaliw na yata siya. Kahit kaninong tao ay nakikita na niya si Alexander. She shook her head.

“Please, Lily-ah,” she pleaded again.

And she finally nodded.

Hay, sino ba ang makakatanggi dito? She was caught by her charming eyes.

***

Lily doesn’t have an elder sister. Kaya siguro nagging malapit agad ang loob niya kay Victoria. She is really charming. At madali silang nagkasundo dahil pero sila ng pananaw sa mga bagay-bagay. Feeling niya ay ate niya ito sa past life niya. They really bonded well. Maging sa fashion sense ay hindi sila nagkakalayo. Well, birds with the same feather flock together.

“It was nice being with you,” Victoria said before they departed. “I just wish you are really my sister. But that would happen soon, right?” Then she became teary eyed.

Lily was a bit shocked with her mood swing.

“Please take care of my brother. I love him so much.” Lily thought Victoria was about to cry. Parang nadadala tuloy siya sa pagiging emosyonal nito kaya napatango siya sa paki-usap nito.

“Thank you.” She hugged her tight. “I know you’ll be a good wife to him. You take care, okay? Then she waved good bye.

Parang sa ginawa niyang pagtango, ay senyales rin iyon ng pagpayag niya sa kasalan.

“Things are more complicated now,” she sighed.

Her deep thoughts were disturbed by her phone’s ring. She immediately picked it up and look at the screen.

Unknown number.

“Hello?”

“Lily,” said the person on the other line.

“`Pa?”

“Ako nga ito, anak. Magpapasundo sana kami sayo. Nandito kami ngayon sa Incheon Airport,” pag-imporma nito sa kanya.

“Ano ho? Paano nangyari? Bakit po kayo nandito sa Korea?” nagulat siya sa pahayag nito.

“Hay, tinatanong pa ba yan? Siyempre malapit na ang kasal mo. Hindi ba’t dito gaganapin iyon?”

She was stunned. Ni hindi man lamang niya nalaman ang mga bagay na iyon. Bakit napakabilis ng mga pangyayari? Parang gusto niyang mawalan ng ulirat ngayon din.

“Hello, Lily? Nariyan ka pa ba?”

“O-opo `Pa. hintayin niyo ko diyan. Susunduin ko kayo.”

Then she immediately rushed to the airport.

***

“Mamamanhikan?” Gulat na tanong ni Lily sa ina. Kasalukuyan silang nasa kanyang apartment matapos niya itong sunduin sa airport. Maging ang dalawa niyang kapatid na sina Maribeth at Isaiah ay kasama ng mga ito.

“Dito gaganapin ang kasal kaya sinuhestiyon ko na dito na rin nila gawin iyon para hindi na sila pa pumunta ng Pilipinas. Tutal naman eh nandito ka,” saad ng kanyang ina.

“Pero ayoko pong magpakasal,” sabi niya.

Nilapitan siya ng kanyang ina.

“Alam ko mahirap para sa iyo ito. Pero sana maintindihan mo. Napakaraming tulong na din ang naibigay sa atin ng mga Eusebio at—“

“Pero hindi po sapat na dahilan iyon para pakasalan ko ang anak nila,” putol niya sa sinasabi ng ina.

“I know,” she sighed. “Kahit ako ay hindi rin pabor noong una. Pero nakita ko kung gaano kabuting tao ang mga Eusebio at isa pa…” May bahid ng pag-aalala ang mukha ng kanyang ina.

“Ano po ‘yun `ma?”

“Ang papa mo…”

“Anong hong meron kay papa?”

“May sakit siya… sa puso.”

She was shaken. Hindi niya alam ang tungkol doon.

“Noong minsan kasi na sinabi kong tutol ako sa kasal mo, medyo nagkasagutan kami. Hayun, sumakit ang dibdib niya kaya isinugod agad naming sa ospital. Ang sabi ng doctor, bawal sa Papa mo ang nabibigla. Kaya kahit kailan, hindi ko na uli siya kinontra pa.

She was speechless. Nakaramdam siya ng pag-aalala para sa ama. Importante ito sa kanya. She would not want to risk his life for anything. Baka kapag sinabi niya ritong tutol siya sa pagpapakasal ay atakihin muli ito. Hindi niya kakayanin iyon. She loves her family and she would do anything for them. Even if her happiness would be at stake.

Pero paano na si Xander? Makakaya ba niyang isuko ito?

“Alam kong mahirap sa una. Pero malay mo, matutunan mo ring mahalin ang mapapangasawa mo,” maya-maya ay turan ng kanyang ina.

Paano kung hindi mangyari iyon? Paano kung dumating ang araw na pagsisihan niya ang pagpapakasal niya sa hindi niya mahal?

***

“Sigurado ka na ba sa desisyon mo?,” tanong ni Eimi nang sabihin niya ang napipinto niyang pagpapakasal.

“Hindi ko alam.” Sagot niya habang nakapangalumbaba.

“`Yun naman pala eh di huwag kang magpakasal!”

“Hindi kasi ganon kadali yun Eimi. Paano si Papa? Ayokong atakihin siya sa sama ng loob.”

“Yun naman pala eh di magpakasal ka na!,” sagot nitong muli.

Ngali-ngali niyang batukan ang kaibigan. Magulo talaga itong kausap. Tumayo siya at akmang iiwan ito.

“`Oh, san ka pupunta?” Habol nito sa kanya.

“Maghahanap ng matinong kausap.”

“Ito naman hindi na mabiro. Alam mo kasi, ang pagpapakasal ay hindi parang mainit na NOODLES na isusubo at  `pag napaso ay iluluwa,” litanya nito.

“Anong noodles?” Kunot noong tanong niya. “Baka naman kanin.”

“Sa Pilipinas lang `yun. Noodles ang uso dito sa Korea,” sagot nito

She rolled her eyes. “Ewan ko sayo.”

Tumawa ito. “But seriously, kung ako ang nasa kalagayan mo, siguro ay magpapakasal ako sa kanya. Pero may mga kondisyon.”

“Anong kondisyon?”

“Makikipagkasundo ako sa kanya na susubukan naming maging normal na mag-asawa, pero kapag hindi nag-work out, maghihiwalay kami.”

Napaisip siya. Mukhang hindi iyon madaling gawin. Pero hindi naman siguro masama kung susubukan niya. May isa lamang siyang problema. Hindi niya pa nakikilala ang magiging groom niya. Paano kung hindi ito pumayag?

“Ang mabuti pa, kalimutan mo muna yang problema mo. Tara, sama ka sa akin.” Hinila nito ang kamay niya.

“Teka, saan naman tayo pupunta?”

“Saan pa, eh di sa isa mo pang problema.” Pumara ito ng taxi at sumakay roon. Sumunod siya rito.

“Anong problema?” She frowned.

“Hindi ano. Kundi, sino.”

Tinitigan niya ito.

“Si Alexander Lee Eusebio.”

Her biggest problem. How can she tell him she’s getting married? Makakaya ba niyang i-give up ito?

“But what’s the big deal?” She thought. “What am I to him in the first place?” Hindi naman siya girlfriend nito. Isa lamang siyang hamak na fan nito.

She sighed. Parang nakakasanayan na niya ang pagbuntong hininga.

Maybe it’s the right time to give him up. Wala naman talaga siyang dapat asahan dito. For him, she’s just Lily-ah, his biggest fan.

The taxi stopped in front of SBS building.

“Anong gagawin natin dito?, tanong niya sa kaibigan.

“Kakain tayo sa loob,” tipid nitong sagot.

“May kainan ba diyan?”

“Wala! Siyempre manonood tayo ng Inkigayo, obvious ba? Halika na nga.”

Her phone rang before they reached the main entrance. She saw Alexander’s name appeared on the screen. Nagtaka siya. She couldn’t remember she saved his number on her phone.

“Hello?”

“Lily-ah!,” he said enthusiastically.

Oh, god. How she would miss the way he calls her name.

“Where are you?,” he asked.

“I’m with my friend.” Nilingon niya ang kaibigan na naghihintay sa kanya.

“Really? Are you busy?” His tone suddenly changed.

And she didn’t answer his query.

“I guess you are. But of you have time, please come and watch us perform on Inkigayo.”

Lily doesn’t want to talk. She just wanted to hear him. His voice is one of the things that she would miss.

“Lily-ah? Are you still there? Guess I’m disturbing you. Maybe I’ll talk to you some other time. Bye.”

Then he hanged up.

“Oppa, wait—“ Hindi na niya nasabing makakapanood siya ng performance nito.

“Lily, ang tagal mo naman. Ayokong maubusan ng upuan! Sino ba kasi yung tumawag?

“Si—“

Another phone ring interrupted her. Now it was Eimi’s.

“Hello Jenna?”

Jenna is one of their friends. And she missed her so badly. It’s been almost a year since they last saw each other.

“Are you planning to go here in Korea?” She heard Eimi ask the question to their friend.

It seemed like Eimi got a negative answer.

“But why?,” her little friend frowned.

Lily got curious on what they’re talking about. Of course, she wanted her friend to go to Korea too so they could have a bonding time again just like the old times.

Their conversation lasted for a few minutes.

“Ano kayang problema ng babaeng iyon?” Ibinalik ni Eimi ang cellphone sa bag.

“Bakit? Ano bang sabi niya?,” tanong niya. Sa wakas ay nasa loob na sila ng studio.

“Ewan ko dun. Hindi ko siya maintindihan. She just called me that she doesn’t want to go to Korea or anywhere that’s related to KPOP. May palagay ako na member na rin siya ng Anti-KPOP katulad ni Shyanne. Si Shyanne ay isa rin sa mga kaibigan nila na walang hilig sa KPOP. May pagkamakabayan kasi ito. At may allergy sa mga dayuhan.

“Paano naman mangyayari yun? She loves Kpop. For all we know, specially Kibum.”

Her little firend just shrugged.

Then Inkigayo started. At nawala na sa isip niya ang tungkol kay Jenna. She just wanted to enjoy the performance of her favorite KPOP group.

****