MINJEONG

“mj, bilis. Ang kupad”

“You never told me na pupunta ka kasi. Why are you even here in the first place, jm?”

“Bilisan mo nalang, pwede?”

“Tsk”

“May reklamo?”

“Wala”

This girl really

Sumakay nalang ako sa car niya because I don’t have a choice.

She’s always right

“Really now?”

“What?”

“You barged in my room, disturb my sleep just to bring me here?”

“At bakit? Ang ganda ganda dito, I always want to go here eh”

“And dapat I’m with you? Nandamay talaga”

“Enough with your reklamos, mj. Flowers are great”

“Yeah, whatever”

I just followed her everywhere she goes. She’s like a kid. Parang bata, cute but makulit

Right, she loves flowers nga pala.

That’s why she brought me here, in a flower field. Pero sana not early as this, she knows I hate it when someone interrupts my sleep

But she knows too that she’s always an exception and I hate it

I looked at her, what a beautiful sight

Be thankful, you’re so malakas sakin

“Thank you, mj!”

“Thank you for what?”

“Sa pagsama”

“As if I have a choice”

“Sabagay, ako na ‘to. Tatanggi ka pa ba?”

“Hangin mo”

“Pero thank you talaga kahit inabala ko tulog mo sumama ka pa rin”

“You think it’s free?”

“Ay, hindi ba?”

“I’m hungry, it’s already lunch time. Ilibre mo ko”

“Sige, ano bang gusto ng bebe na yan?” I just rolled my eyes at her and pumasok na sa car

Yes, it’s her car but it’s never new na samin that I’ll drive her car and she’ll drive mine so I drive papunta sa resto that I know. My favorite resto

“Dito gusto mo?”

“Yes”

“Lagi nalang dito”

“Do you have any complains ba?”

“I don’t have any, Miss”

“Good”

I don’t know exactly why it’s my favorite resto, all I know is

Here, this is where we first met 13 years ago.

FLASHBACK

“Mom, I wanna go home na po”

“Come on, baby. Kahit daan lang tayo cause my friend is expecting me to come”

“But mom, I want to go home na talaga”

“It will be quick lang, I promise” I nod, I don’t have any authority to argue with my mom

We went in a resto

“Mars!” says my mom to someone na I think kaedad niya lang

“Mars! Omg, I’m so happy na nakarating ka. It’s been how many years since we last saw each other”

“Tama ka dyan, mars”

And it went on

I’m just on my mom’s side not knowing what to do but this kid got my attention. I think she’s with my mom’s so-called ‘mars’

I was busy looking at her when she looked back and smiled at me

I don’t think I saw someone this beautiful, she’s ethereal

“Hi” she talked, to me?

“Uh, eh, hello?”

“Cute”

“Ha?”

“You’re cute”

“Oh, ah, yeah. Thanks?”

And swear, my heartbeat throbs so fast like a running McQueen. The feeling I never experienced in my 8 years of existence

END OF FLASHBACK

I smiled at the memories of it

“Why are you smiling, ang creepy mo”

“I just remembered something”

“Hoy ano yan, may jowa ka na ba?”

“What? No! Wala!”

“Aysus, dapat ako una makakaalam kapag nagkajowa ka na ha”

“Sige nalang”

After we ate

“Uwi na tayo, salamat ulit sa pagsama. The best ka talaga, mj!”

“Accompany me first before we go home”

“Ay, hindi pa ba sapat yung libre makabawi man lang sa panggigising sayo?”

“No, I just want you to accompany me”

“Saan ba?”

“Mall”

“Anong gagawin mo sa mall?”

“Bibili?”

“Ng?”

“Kahit ano”

“Weh, aminin mo nalang na gusto mo pa ako makasama”

“Nyenyenye”

“Nahiya pa”

“Whatever that can make you sleep at night”

Mall

“Ano na, minjeong?”

“Let’s buy clothes”

“Sige”

“Do you want anything ba?”

“Libre ba?”

“You always want libre ‘no?”

“Sinong tatanggi sa libre?”

“Parang hindi mayaman”

“Matipid nga kasi ako kaya ako yumaman”

“You mean by tipid is laging magpalibre”

“Yes, tama ka”

“Tsk, just pick whatever you want”

“Ayon! Salamat, my sugar mommy”

“Sira” I was about na batukan siya kaso nagtitingin na siya ng damit

She loves clothes too, she’s a fashionista.

She’s so conscious sa mga sinusuot niya di niya alam na

Lahat naman babagay sa kanya

“You’re staring”

“I’m not”

“Sige, sabi mo eh”

“What’s up? Are you done choosing na ba?”

“I should ask you that, pumili ka na ng sayo”

“No na, I don’t want na”

“Ha? Ang daya”

“Faster, choose everything you want”

“Pero…”

“No buts, will libre you na nga ayaw pa”

“Pero nakakahiya, pano ikaw? Bumili ka din ng sayo, idea mo ‘to”

“No, I didn’t say that I’ll buy clothes for me. I said let’s buy clothes”

“Ha? Gulo mo”

“Basta, just choose whatever you want and I’ll buy it for you”

“Sige na nga, if you insist how could I resist”

“Tsk”

She did roam around the store para pumili and I just watched her after how many hours natapos din siya

“There” binigay niya sakin lahat

“What?”

“Ikaw magbabayad, diba?”

“Ang dami”

“Luh sinabi mo kaya wag akong mahiya duh”

“I never said that”

“Sinabi ko pala, bayaran mo na!”

“Demanding”

“Ano?”

“Babayaran na”

I did pay for it

She’s the boss, of course

“Thank you, mj!”

“Always welcome” with matching rolling eyes

“Pagabi na pala, bat ang bilis”

“Let’s go”

“Saan nanaman?”

“Somewhere”

Ako ulit nagdrive, of course. Seaside

“Bakit dito?”

“I just wanna watch the sunset with you”

“Sweet naman niyang childhood bestfriend ko na yan”

Right, childhood best friend.

“Do you know?”

“Malamang hindi” I laughed instead of rolling my eyes

“This is my safe place. My escape in the reality. This is where I think things through”

“In short, dito ka lang pumupunta kapag di kita makita”

“Yes”

It was quiet

“It’s so peaceful here.” she said

“True”

We just sat peacefully here at the seaside

“Ayan na yung sunset!” excited niyang sabi

So adorable

“It’s beautiful, right?” I told you

“Right.”

I’m just looking at you, you’re beautiful too

Silence as we both watch the sunset

“I told my mom before when I was 10 that I’ll watch the sunrise and sunset with the person I love, exactly here.” me breaking the silence

“Weh? Grabe ka naman, ang romantic mo pala?”

“Yeah”

“Ay, may tatawagan lang ako.” you said and opened your phone

As you type something on your phone, I secretly captured the sunset with you

You smiled and put your phone in the side of your ear

I’m just in your side, watching you as you call someone and everything just hit me hard

How you are hard to handle sometimes, how you’re always right, how you love flowers, how you are aware that you’re always an exception, how you are so malakas sakin, how and where we first met 13 years ago, how you love clothes and how you’re a fashionista, how you can pull everything off, how you’re the boss, how adorable you are, and how beautiful you are. It always bumabalik sa dahilan kung bakit I’m always here in the seaside thinking. Thinking kung mahal na ba kita and this day just made me realize and accept it, mahal kita. Everything about you is the one I love. But this day made me realize too that I’m just your childhood best friend, your closest best friend. And today as I accept the truth that I have always loved you, I’m now letting you go.

“Aeri, are you watching the sunset too?” you said on the phone

“I’m glad we’re both watching it, love.” you said all smiley

“Yes, let’s meet when you get back from your trip po. We’ll go to the flower field you recommend, together.” at least nauna ako to be with you in that flower field but it hurts that she recommended it

“Yes, nagpunta na ako kanina. I’m that excited to see it, you know naman how I love flowers. Pero don’t worry babalik ako na kasama na kita.” I will never be enough because I’m not her

“Opo, love. Bye na po, enjoy the sunset! I love you” you said as you end the call

Mahal din kita pero hindi ko naman narinig yan na nanggaling sayo. Mahal din kita pero ang magagawa nalang ay bitawan ka. Mahal din naman kita pero pinapaubaya na kita sa kung saan ka masaya at siguro nga, hindi na magagawa pang panuorin ang sunrise kasama ka, mahal. Sapat nang sunset nalang dahil hanggang dito nalang talaga.

“The sunset is beautiful, isn’t it?” I told you

“It is.”