Gerald was lost in his own little world…. She’s back!! She is back!! He was sitting in front of the bar inside their house…. Holding a beer…. He didn’t know where to go earlier when he left Kims’ house… Wala naman talaga siyang date….but Kim came up unexpectedly….nagulantang ang mundo niya… He wanted to lift his pride..kahit konti…

He look at himself in the mirror by the bar….. Yap… he looks like a crap… and worse…. Kim saw him like this….. He haven’t even change his clothes since this morning…. Nagpalakad-lakad siya kung saan-saan….and ended up here…in front of a beer….just like every other night….na kapag hindi na niya alam ang gagawin…lulunurin na lang niya ang sarili sa alak…hoping to forget….

Hinilamos nya ang mukha niya gamit ang kamay……he felt like a crap…. Pero…. Deep inside him…. Even how many times he tried to push it out in his system…….he was glad the she’s back….. And she look different…..differently beautiful….

“Damn!!”… he wanted to go back to her house and just crushed her against his body….hug her tightly and begged her to come back to him…. But every time he think about the day she left him…..parang mahihirapan siyang magtiwala ulit dito….. How can he even think of going back to her….knowing na she’d left him once….and for sure…she will do it again…. He can’t imagine himself being crushed all over again…. Even up to now….masakit pa rin…. Isn’t this why he was drinking….to forget everything…..

He look at the beer on his hand,….. Drink the last drop of it….and went on his room….nakasalubong niya ang Mommy niya,….but didn’t even bother to greet her….. What for…..para maalala na ang Mommy niya ay isang matapobre at mapanghusga….

“Gerald…”…bulong nito…habang nilagpasan niya papuntang kuwarto niya….

It hurts him to hear her pain….but it hurts more knowing that his own mom took away his happiness….

He went straight to his bed….after locking the door….. Gusto niyang matulog na lang…at Kalimutan ang mundong ginagalawan niya…… What’s the use of living it….kung puro sakit lang naman ang nararamdaman mo……he dozed off ……

Next morning….he woke up with a rays of sunlight coming from somewhere….. “What the hell….. Shut the stupid window!!”…he yelled…trying to cover his face with a pillow…..

“hoy lalaking amoy bulok na chico…. Maligo ka na nga….ang baho-baho mo… daig mo pa yung mga drug addict sa Quezon Ave.!!”…..

His eyes opened widely…. He knows that voice… That can’t be….diba nasa kwarto niya siya… He took out the pillow…para masilaw lang ulit…but this time…he tried to find the voice….. It’s her…. She’s here… in my room….. Natulala siya…. Pano ito nakapasok dun…

Kim look at him intently….. Diyos ko…. Ganito na ba kalaki ang kasalanan ko…at bakit ang gwapong Filam ko…..naging mukhang tambay sa ermita! Kagagawan ko ba ito………. Gaga!! OO no!!

“Hoy….maliligo ka ba….o baka gusto mong ako pa ang magpaligo sayo….”…she said… bahala na…. eh di magpaligo kung magpaligo… Humanda ka na….bataan……

Gerald didn’t bother to move….. He was caught between surprised to see her in his room and wanting to throw her out in his room... He’d been trying to avoid seeing her…. He didn’t want to feel the pain anymore….

“Matigas ka ha!!”… Kim went inside his private restroom….came back with a cup filled with water…….. “SIge…dare me…. ibubuhos ko ito sayo…kapag di ka pa tumayo diyan!!”

“You wouldn’t dare!”…he said in a low voice…..

Kim smiled…. “Akala ko putol na yang dila mo eh…..”….at binuhos kay Gerald ang tubig na dala……..

“Sh**!! What the f***!! it’s cold!!”…he yelled…getting up in bed….

“Malamig?” …she chuckled… “Never dare me!! “…she said….taking off the ice that was left in the cup….”Now maliligo ka ba….oh baka gusto mong magyelo dito?”….

“Damn it!!”…. He was mad….upset… kahit gusto niya itong sakalin…hindi niya kayang saktan ito… He have no choice but to pull his towel on the rack…and went inside the private shower room…ibinalibag niya ang pinto…..

Kim took a deep breath… Actually…kanina pa nanginginig ang tuhod niya…. Hindi niya sigurado kung ano ang magiging reaction ni Gerald sa gagawin niya…. Pero…it went well… She fix his bed as quickly as she can…. Dahil alam niya…any minute…lalabas na ito ng shower…..

She didn’t want to be in his room… pero when she arrive this morning….and was able to talk to his mom…. She decided to push him back on his feet…. If that’s the only way para makabawi siya dito…. And his mom was more than oblige to help her….after she said her apologies to her…. Napatawad niya ang Mommy nito…dahil naiintindihan niya ito…she was only protecting her son……and now…she need her help….

Gerald open the door…and found no one on his room… he didn’t expect Kim to stay…ayaw na niyang umasa….

He look around….his bed was fixed….clothes was ready on top of his bed….including his underwear… He couldn’t help to smile… Kim actually held his underwear…knowing how sweet and innocent she was….siguradong nag blush ito while touching it…. But he tried to erase his smile…. Gerald…Don’t forget…she left you before….. And she will leave you again!! Kaya…wag kang magpadala!!

He didn’t bother to wear the clothes that Kim made for him… ayaw niyang Makita nitong wine welcome niya ang pagbabalik nito…. He have to hurt her…para umalis na ito…so he can go back to his normal life……….. Normal?? Define normal Gerald? Is your life normal now??… if you called this normal… I guess nothing is abnormal in the world!!

He went downstairs…. Straight to the front door… kailangan niyang umalis….he need to get away from her……… but the damn door wouldn’t open…. He was surprise to find a new set of lock on their door…..”Manang!! Manang!!”…he called one of the maid…. But instead of “manang”…Kim came….

“Oh ano…para kang nagtatawag ng pasahero kung makasigaw ka!!”…she said…looking good on her blue spaghetti strap blouse and a jean skirt….

Gerald took a lot of guts…to look away… Damn this girl… he really need to go…..far away…the farthest the better away from her……. Pero ayaw niyang magsalita…ayaw niya itong kausapin….dahil natatakot siyang baka makita nito ang totoo……….na Masaya siyang makita ito ulit..……

“Hindi ka pwedeng umalis hanggat di ka kumakain….”…she said….showing him the key for the new lock….

He cleared his throat….”I’m not hungry..”…he said coldly…

“DI dumaan ka sa bubong kung gusto mong makaalis…. O kaya sa bintana…mataas-taas yon…para paglagpak mo….pilay ka na!! lalo kang maiistuck na kasama ko!! O ano…kakain ka ba o hindi?”…

He walk passing her… going in the back door…

“ooopss…. Wag ka ng makulit….”..she showed him another key…..

“Damn!!”…he said… He have no choice but so sit down on the dining table…. The food was quite yummy… it’s been a long time since he ate a real food….

Kim put a protein drink on front of him…..and smiled…. She fix his plate…. Three bacon…three hotdogs…one egg….and a lot of rice…..

“That’s enough…..masasayang ang pagkain!!” he said coldly…

Kim acted like she didn’t hear him….. At umupo sa harap niya… “Sabi ng Mommy mo…aalis daw muna siya kasi may appointment siya sa isa niyang cliyente… At kung papasok ka daw sa school…heto daw ang allowance mo….” She took out money from her pocket and put it on the table…..

Gerald look at her…”Nag….”…but he stop his sentence…. Ayaw niyang magumpisa ng usapan…. Ayaw niyang bigyan ito ng pagasa na magbabago siya ng ganon-ganon lang dahil dumating na ito…. Nagsimula siyang sumubo….

“Kung nagusap na kami….oo naman no!! Bait kayang kausap ni Tita….O inumin mo yang Protein shake…para di ka mukhang maputla..”…she said…

“Ayoko niyan!!”…he said….trying to avoid her look…

“Ayaw mo iyan?… o sige….ipagtitimpla kita ng kape…”…and she did…

Gerald was drinking the coffee….when he almost gag on it….. “Ano ba ito…..bakit ang tapang-tapang….walang asukal!!”..angal nito….

Kim gave her the sweetest smile…..”IInumin mo yung protein…. O yang kape?”…she asked…

Gerald frowned….. Iiling-iling…. “Kukuha na lang ako ng tubig!!”…

“Hep….kung may makukuha kang tubig….kahit sa faucet…!!”…she said…lifting a wrench on her side……

Gerald couldn’t believe it…. “I can’t believe this!!”…he said…

“You better believe it…..now be a good boy and drink the protein shake…. And I’ll give you water….”….she said…

“Magbebeer na lang ako!!”…he said sound annoyed….

“Kung may mahahanap ka!!”….

“You didn’t dare to touch my drinks!!” he yelled…. And run through the bar…. Walang laman ang bar….ni wine glass…. It was an empty bar……”What is wrong with you?”…

“Wrong with me?….look at the mirror Mr. Anderson…and ask that to yourself!!”….she said…

“Get lost!!”….he said….

“Too bad…. I’m here to stay! So deal with it!!”….she said…

“Stay? Huh!! Sinong ginagago mo!!”…he walk back in the dining room…and drink the protein shake…. “There….now can I go!!”….he said….

Kim smiled…pero hindi umabot sa mata niya….. She opened the door…and let him leave…. When she close the door…..she leaned on it…trying to gain some strength…. First day palang ito Kim…. First day pa lang…. be a tough girl…. For him…. For Gerald!!… her heart was hurting from his rudeness….pero hindi niya ipapakita na nasasaktan siya….she have to show him….na hindi siya basta-bastang maitataboy nito….

…just be tough…….. Pero…hanggang kailan?……….hangga’t kailangan ka niya……… kaya mo ba?….. Kim took a deep breath…. Kaya yan!! Bahala na!!