Chapter 4: A Miser in Missouri
I Want to Know What Love Is
“Hi Kimmy, I watched you at Wowowee earlier. You were great! Miss you…” Gerald pressed the SEND button and heaved a sigh.
He didn’t feel like going out so he stayed inside his old room which Gramma Anderson kept unchanged all these years. He was home. The only thing that probably changed was the fact that the wall next to his bed has now been covered with framed pictures of him and Kim. The pictures that he sent his grandparents over the years have been collated and framed in sequence, by date. The first frame on the leftmost side contains pictures of him and Kim when they were still housemates at the PBB house way back in 2006. The second one holds memorable still photos of their earliest stints at Aalog, Lovespell and even their first MMK appearance. The next frame has a collage of their SMM days. The fourth has an imposing promotional photo used in their first movie I’ve Fallen For You at the center with various images of the different memorable scenes framing it on the side. Then, at the bottom of the first frame was a myriad of images taken from their MOH scenes, the last scene more imposing than the rest. It was their farewell scene during Joaquin Jr.’s 1st birthday party. The last frame had the biggest picture. It was the scene where he proposed to Kim on top of a building with a helicopter on the background and the signature title of Tayong Dalawa on the foreground.
Looking at all their pictures, Ge smiled as tears fell. They’ve come so far, they’re closer than any couple could ever hope to be, yet he feels as if he still couldn’t reach her soul. As he got up to wash his face, his cellphone beeped signaling a new message coming in.
“I miss you so much, baby. Please come home.”
That wasn’t what he was expecting to be Kim’s reply to his earlier message. Somehow, it made him feel a bit better. He misses her more than ever. He glanced at the clock and seeing that it was almost 3am in Manila, he thought better not to reply anymore so Kim could rest. He knows she has another taping in just 6 hours.
As he went down the stairs, his cellphone rang. It was Matt.
“Hello? O, Matt, pare! What’s up? Ang aga mo ah! Di ba 3am lang dyan? What’s the rush?”
“Ge, Mel asked me to call. She’s worried about Kim already. Ate Tata told her that Kim’s not eating well at palagi daw napapagalitan sa set kasi laging tulala. I think you should go home.”
“Matt, you know how much I love her, right? And there’s no place in this world I’d rather be right now than beside her. But, I have to find myself first so that when I get back, I’m whole again. That way, I can love her even more without the doubts, without the hesitations, without easily getting hurt. Do you understand me? If I go home now, I cannot promise her that I won’t get hurt again while waiting for her. And the next time I get on a plane from Manila, I might not have the strength to go back anymore. Is that what you guys want?”
“I understand. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her the best way I can. So, the plans for the 24th are still on?”
“Yes, please. I’m sorry if I’m imposing on you, pare. There’s no one I can trust this with except for you.”
“Asus naman, what are friends for? But you owe me one, ok? Hahaha…sige, I’m going to catch some sleep so I can prepare your surprise for her. I only have 2 more days. Merry Christmas, bro! Say hello to Gramps and Gramma for me…”
“Thanks, Matt! And yeah, I owe you big time. Please tell her I love her very much. Merry Christmas to you too.”
He sadly sat on the steps of the stairs as he stared on his Blackberry, thinking of it’s twin’s owner. His poor baby…”I’m sorry, Kimmy. But I really have to do this.”
“RJ, what the hell happened to you?” Gramps came barging in from the kitchen wearing the apron he gave him when he was just 10 years old. It was an old project he did in school. On the front was written, “The Best Grandpa in the World”.
“Nothin’, Gramps, nothin’. I’m fine. I’m going out. Be back in half an hour, ok? Please tell Gramma I’m just taking a walk near the lake.”
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