Melissa called Kim and invited her for a sleep-over.  In need of a sounding board, Kim immediately obliged and was at Melissa’s place in less than an hour.

“Hey, girl, what’s up?”  Melissa noticed how sad Kim looked.

“This and that… What’s up with you?  Why the sudden invitation?”  Kim asked her friend as she puts down her overnight bag and unceremoniously dropped herself in a huge beanbag beside the loveseat Mel occupied.

“Well, there’s something I need to tell you and I can’t do it over the phone or through text so I thought we might as well have a sleep-over.  We haven’t done this in a while and I really miss you, friend.”

“I’m sorry, things have been really busy for the last couple of months.  With the PNK and KTM tapings, plus the covershoots…  In a way, it was good because it helped me pass the time.  I really miss Gerald.”

“He’s coming home tomorrow, right?”

“Oo, pero he’ll be going straight to Gensan.”

“Bakit daw?”

“I think he misses Mommy Vangie.  Di ba kasi nga, they didn’t spend Christmas together?  Babawi siguro sa mommy nya.”

“Sana nga,”  and Mel dramatically heaved a sigh loud enough for Kim to hear and take notice.

“Why the long face?  May alam ka ba na hindi ko alam?”  Kim was suddenly suspicious.  She knew her friend very well.  Next to Gerald, she considers her to be her best girlfriend.

“Uhm…teka, I prepared dinner pala.  Why don’t we eat first?  Then you freshen up as I clean up so we won’t have to interrupt our chikahan later.  What do you think?”

Obviously, her friend is buying herself some time so she obliged.  They ate the re-heated macaroni and cheese and pizza that Melissa ordered earlier.  As they ate, Kim noticed that Melissa kept glancing at her cellphone.

“Mel, may problema ba?  Nag-away ba kayo ni Matt?  Kanina ka pa kasi tingin ng tingin sa cellphone mo eh.”

“Ha?  Ah, eh, wala naman.  Miss ko lang din si Matt.  Di na kasi sya nagpunta dito at maaga pa daw ang flight nila ni Rayver bukas.”

“Flight going where?”

“Di ko ba na-mention sa’yo na susunod sila kay Ge sa Gensan?  That was the original plan.  Tapos susunod dapat tayo the following day then sabay-sabay na tayong babalik in time for the New Year.  Kaso nga, biglang nag-about face ang plano when Ge had to leave for the US.”

“Ah, oo, na-mention na ni Ge yun, di ko lang alam na susunod pala dapat tayo.  Ang alam kasi ni Ge, uuwi ako ng Cebu, then just like last year, pupunta sya sa bahay sa Christmas eve tapos sabay na kami babalik ng Manila ng Dec. 26”

“Bakit nga ba talaga sya umalis?  Nag-away ba kayo?”

“Well, it’s like this…”  and Kim narrated everything that happened.  She was crying buckets by the time she finished with her story.

“Friend, parang ayoko nang sabihin yung reason ko why I invited you tonight.  Di ko kasi alam na ganyan kabigat ang dala mo ngayon sa dibdib mo eh.  Next time na lang kaya.”

“Bakit, Mel, ano ba ‘yon?  If it’s really important, then I guess I have to insist.  Otherwise, iisipin ko pa rin yan.  Sige na, please tell me.”

“Kasi during the dinner party at Le Souffle, I overheard Matt and Rayver talking about a girl in the US who’s allegedly super-inlove with Gerald.  He’s the daughter daw of a family friend.  At first daw, it was only an infatuation, pero after Tayong Dalawa, she requested her politician father to allow her to come here just to see Ge again.  But when she learned that Gerald was spending Christmas in Missouri, she postponed her trip to Manila and booked a flight to Springfield instead.”

“Ganon?”  Kim was at a loss for words.  She didn’t know how to take this piece of news, considering she hasn’t talked with Gerald yet.  “Ano daw name?”

“Parang Zo-ra, Zo-la, ah, Zo-wee pala.”

“”Zo-wee ano?”

“Ano’ng Zo-wee ano?”

“Lukring, ano’ng surname?”

“Ah, di ko alam eh.  Sorry ha.  Yun lang ang narinig ko.”

“Sus, wala yun.  Si Ge pa.  Love na love ako nun, sure ako na di man lang nya mapapansin ang girl na ‘yun.”

“Uh, Kimmy, susundan nya si Ge sa Gensan.  How did she know he’d be heading there kung hindi sinabi ni Ge?  Di naman nabalita sa dyaryo yun di ba?"

“Oo nga.  Tapos di pa nya sinasagot ang mga tawag ko pati messages ko.  Naku, ano na naman kayang milagro ang ginagawa nitong si Geraldo!  Grrr….Lagot sya sa’kin!”

“O, teka, wala pa naman tayong nako-confirm eh.  Check muna natin ang details kung totoo then saka ka mag-ala-Gabriela Silang dyan, ok?”

“Ah, basta!  Wag na wag syang pahuhuli saken!”

“Hay naku, eto na naman po kami.  Kaya ayokong magsabi sa’yo eh.”

“It’s ok, I’ll handle this myself.”  With that, Kim placed a call to Philippine Airlines and booked a flight to Gensan the following day.  The earliest flight was at 11 am.

“Susugurin mo si Ge?”

“Hindi, I’ll just pay Mommy Vangie a visit.”  Kim smiled mischievously as she turned her back to her friend and headed for the bedroom.  “Goodnight, Mel.”

The following day, Kim woke up a little bit later than the usual.  She freshened up and called Ate Tata to ask her to send her a new set of clothes good for at least 2 days.

While she waited for her things to be brought by Kuya Fredo, Kim tried to call Gerald, but his cellphone was still unavailable.  She dialed his home number instead.

It was Mommy Vangie, who’s been briefed by Matt about their plans already, who answered the phone.  “Hi Kimmy.  How are you, anak?”

“Hi mommy.  Ok naman po.  Dumating na po ba si Ge?”

“Hindi pa eh.  But he’s due to be here in about an hour.  Why?  May problema ba, iha? ”

“Naku, wala po.  I was just thinking if I would go there later para naman po magkita kami.  Miss ko na po kasi sya eh.”

“Ganun ba?  O, sige.  If you can join us, all the better.  Makikilala mo rin yung isang anak ng family friend namin.  Darating din sya today.  I’m not sure kung kasabay ni RJ pero siguradong darating.”

“Uhm, ganon po ba?  Sige po, tatawag na lang po ako pag may nakuha akong ticket.  Mommy, please don’t tell Ge na tumawag  po ako.  Thanks po.”

“O sige, iha.  Call me as soon as you get here, ok?”

“Sige po.  Thanks, mommy.”

After talking with Mommy Vangie, Kim felt depressed as ever.  Looks like Melissa’s right.  This girl is really hell-bent on getting her hands on her baby, and she can’t let that happen.

An hour later, Kim tried Gerald’s cellphone and he answered on the third ring.  “Hi baby.  San ka?”

“Dito kina Melissa.  I slept here last night.  Medyo matagal na kasi kaming di nagkaka-kwentuhan eh.  Ikaw, kakadating mo lang ba?”

“Yup.  Dito pa sa airport.  Just waiting for somebody --- oooops, so-wee!”  Gerald bumped into someone and his hand-carried paper bags dropped to the floor.  “Baby, can I call you back?  My bags are all over the floor.”

“Ok, bye!”  Kim pushed the END button a little harder than was necessary.  “!  That girl’s with him!  Pinagpalit na nya ko?  Grabe ha…just because of an interview!  Hay naku, Geraldo, bahala ka sa buhay mo!  Manigas ka sa kaka-dial, uhm!”  And with that, she turned off her cellphone and marched back into the bedroom she shared with Melissa.

“Mel, I’m going to the airport now.  Please don’t tell anybody I’m going to Gensan, ok?”

“Sure, ingat ka, friend…”

“Nga pala, kasama nga ni Geraldo yung babaing sinasabi mo!”  Kim turned her back at her friend without looking back and picking up her bag, she headed straight for the door.

Melissa stared at Kim’s back, still trying to absorb what she just said.  When it finally sinked in,  she hurriedly called Matt.  “, Matt, I think something just went terribly wrong!”

“Ano?  Bakit?  Ano’ng nangyari?”

“Si Gerald daw, may kasama ngang babae.  Napaniwala ko si Kim sa pinag-usapan natin, kaya lang, after nya tawagan si Ge, parang na-confirm nya na may kasama talagang girl.  Pano nangyari yun?”

“Ha?  Aba ewan ko.  Magkausap lang kami kanina eh.  Wala naman syang kasabay.  Dito na kami sa airport, boarding na.  I’ll be turning off my phone in a while.”

“K.  Kim’s on her way.  Nakakuha sya ng tiket going to Gensan.  11 am ang flight nya.  That gives you ample time to prepare everything before she arrives, ok?  By the way, I told her the girl’s name is Zo-wee.  Uncommon kasi, pero madaling tandaan.”

“Ok.  Boarding na kami.  Hon, ingat ka dyan.  I’ll see you day after tomorrow, ok?  Love you, bye.”

“K.  Ikaw din.  Bye.  Love you too.”

Matt’s and Rayver’s plane has already departed by the time Kim arrived at the Centennial Airport.  She checked-in.  Having only a hand-carried baggage, she was inside in no time.  Trying hard not to be noticed, Kim tied her hair and hid the pile under a beret which she lowered a bit to hide her face.  The big sunglasses also helped.  It seemed effective since nobody approached her.  She sat on the bench at the last row of the waiting lounge.  Unfortunately, she didn’t count on seeing no less than Tito Boy Abunda just a few chairs away.  He was looking intently at her.  Finally, he probably decided it was really Kim, he inched his way towards her seat and sat beside her.

“Huli ka.  At saan pupunta ang aking prinsesa?”  Tito Boy, in a hushed tone, asked her accusingly.  “Byaheng Gensan ito ah.  Pupunta ka sa bahay ng iyong prinsipe?”  He was obviously teasing her.

“Hi Tito Boy!  Invited po kasi ako ng mommy nya.  Wala pa naman po sya dun eh.  Di ba nasa States pa sya?”  Kim defended herself, lame as her excuse maybe.

“Yeah, right.  O, sige, kunwari, hindi na lang kita nakita dito ha?  Pero, tell me, kayo na ba talaga?”

“Naku, hindi po talaga.  We’re just the best of friends.”  (To herself:  Uh-oh, here I go again, sorry, Ge.  No choice.)

“Sige, hindi na kita pipilitin, just make sure you do the right thing before it’s too late, ok?”  Tito Boy’s reminder sounded more like a warning to Kim.  She felt uneasy and nervous at the same time.

“Sige po.  Salamat po sa paalala.  I’ll keep that in mind.  Tara na po, boarding na tayo.”

“O, sige, halika na.”