LOVE-NAT, isang makulit na lovestory!

Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan

The water was warm and riveting. I let it tickled my skin for a little while. Sa totoo lang, I love taking showers, lalo na kapag ganito ba naman kagara ang banyo... Taking showers never failed to give me the soothing feeling I need. Pakiramdam ko kasi, kasama ng pag-agos ng tubig yung mga prublemang bumabagabag sa isip ko. These thoughts will go with the water at dire-diretsong mafa-flush.

Pero sana... sana ganun lang talaga kadali ang lahat... I let out one deep breath. I opened the sliding door and grabbed the towel and quickly get dressed. Papalabas na sana ko when I suddenly noticed my reflection against the bathroom mirror.

You’re not good enough for Josef. And, sweety... you NEVER will be.

I painfully looked away. Parang nate-tempt nga akong basagin yung salamin ee. Gusto ko ulit bumalik sa pagsha-shower para ma-flush na lang ulit lahat toh. Ano ka ba naman Ellie? Baka mamaya maging serena ka na sa kakaligo mo!!

GGGGRRRRrrrrr... Punyemas Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan!! Ano bang prublema mo?? Bakit ka ba sobrang apektado?? SO WHAT KUNG TOTOO? SO WHAT??

I angrily grabbed the door, kainis... UUWI NA NGA LANG AKO!!

I walked in the long empty hallway. Not a sign of Sef. Magpapaalam pa ba ko sa loko-lokong yun? And I thought, wag na lang... Mas okay ng galit siya sakin, mas okay ng... ganito ang ending.

---

Sometimes, life can really take us by surprise. Yung parang kapag nanonood ka ng TV, you thought you already know the ending... pero yun pala... the ending you’re anticipating wasn’t even close to what actually happened...

Parang ganito...

Eleonor Malicsi Dimaculangan glued her eyes outside the window, trying with all her might to ignore the presence of the handsome young man na siyang may hawak-hawak ng manibela. Oh, yes, ladies & gentlemen, hindi kayo nagkakamali... It was Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde who was driving Ellie home. Yeah, don’t worry... kahit si Ellie, akala driver maghahatid sakanya...

Well, generally speaking, yung driver naman talaga dapat ee... Pag-sakay ni Ellie sa kotse na naghihintay sakanya paglabas niya ng mansyon, sabi niya sa inaakala niyang driver. “Uh, Kuya pa-Maynila po--” Hindi pa man siya tapos magsalita, at hindi pa man din niya naisasara ng maayos ang pintuan, kumaripas na ng takbo yung sasakyan. At kabadong napakapit na lang sa kanyang upuan ang dalaga... until she noticed on the side mirror na merong mamang pilit silang hinahabol. Kumakaway ito as though desperately begging for them to stop. Pero wala na itong nagawa lalo na’t nakalabas na sila ng gate.

‘Ano toh, kidnapping?’

It was when she looked nervously at the guy driving next to her... she was prepared to jump off the vehicle...Kaso lang parang tumigil ang mundo ni Ellie... It was her heart that actually made a leap when she saw Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde... he still has a serious frown on his face at naka-focus lang ito sa kalsada.

‘Kaya pala mabango...’

Napa-upo na lang ng maayos si Ellie at tumingin na lang siya sa labas ng bintana, trying to ignore the strong presence of Sef...

There was an evident tension lingering in the air. Something unspoken yet familiar... something words could easily patch up... if only... yes, if only, one of them has the courage to speak...

Sef hates it when he’s being reminded of that feeling... yung feeling na iniiwanan. Yep, yung nangyari kay Ellie na pagkalunod kanina triggered that feeling... What? For someone like Sef who grew up alone... who grew up being used to people leaving him... it’s kind of a big deal. Pag-labas pa lang niya sa mundong ito, his mom left... sumunod dad niya... then his brother... tapos si Lianne... lahat ng taong... importante sakanya... they just... leave...

He knew he has gone too far nung sinigawan niya si Ellie kanina. He shouldn’t have acted that way... pero... kung iisipin natin... Sef was consistent... walang pinagkaiba yung reaction niya kanina dun sa pagkalunod ni Ellie nun sa Tagaytay. Do you guys remember? Pati yung hotel manager nadamay and cost his job for it. Kahit si Japo pinili na lang na hayaan si Sef nun coz he knew when Sef’s in such a foul mood, nagiging isang certified JERK ito.

Ellie, on the other hand, was feeling uneasy. She doesn’t want to go anywhere near him. Baka mamaya matetano pa si Sef, sisihin nanaman siya ng Tita nito. Para bang maling andito siya ngayon sa kotse at pinagmamaneho ni Sef, sabihin pa ng Tita niya inaapi niya ang pamangkin.

Deafening silence ensued...

Both are thinking different things, but all nonetheless the same... Ellie was preoccupied about things concerning him & him about her. But then again... they’re probably clueless as to what was really going on... I mean, really, really going on...

Oh, it must be Cupid!!



“ITIGIL MO NGA ‘TONG SASAKYAN!!” Ellie finally said, actually commanded was more like it. “BABABA AKO!!” She sounded serious.

“What?” Sef asked incredulously. Binabaybay pa nila ang lupaing pagmamay-ari pa din ng Tita niya. They were still half-way in reaching the main road kaya walang ibang pwedeng dumaan sa kalsadang ito unless they have the permission of Yolanda. Binuksan na ni Ellie yung pintuan kahit hindi pa man naka hinto ang kotse. “Ellie, will you just...” Naka-position na si Ellie na tila ba pababa na ng kotse. Wala ng choice si Sef but to hit on the breaks.

Agad bumaba ang dalaga at naglakad ito... Oo, tama, mas maigi pang maglakad kesa naka-kotse’t kasama si Sef. At least, she’s doing his aunt a favour... at pati na din si Sef for that matter.

Sef hurriedly went down as well.“Ellie!!” He called angrily, nakatayo pa din siya sa gilid ng pinto. “Get back here! Seriously, you’re going to walk all the way home?” He scoffed with sarcasm. Pero patuloy pa din si Ellie sa paglalakad na kala mo walang naririnig.

Silent treatment...

“Dammit!!” He cursed under his breath, slamming the car door. “Huh. At ikaw pa ngayon tong may balak magalit? The least thing you can do is to say THANK YOU after I saved your @ss back there!!”

Napatigil si Ellie sa paglalakad, she whirled around, yung muka niya hindi maipinta sa galit... “Uh, so IKAW lang ba ang may KARAPATANG magalit?? Alam mo, sa susunod na magpaka knight-in-a-shining-armor ka, siguraduhin mong hindi ka MAGSISISI matapos mong sagipin yung tao!!” With that she continued to walk again.

“Magsisisi?” Sef repeated, clueless. “Y-you think I was...” He gave a sigh of annoyance.[color="#0000FF"] “Ako nagsisisi sa pagsagip sayo? Is that what you think?”He shook his head, looking all pissed off. “You know what? Forget it!! Ang problema kasi sayo you just do whatever you feel like doing, think whatever you feel like thinking without considering the consequences... kaya pati pag-talon sa lawa, napag-tripan mo!!”

Ellie was turning red in fury. Her eyes narrowed when she turned to face him again. “Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde... sinasabi ko sayo MANYAKIN MO NA KO WAG MO LANG AKONG PAGBIBINTANGAN!!” She stopped in her tracks. “Hindi ako sinungaling. Kapag sinabi kong tinulak ako ni Chowy, tinulak ako ni Chowy!!”

“Fine. Now will you just get back in the car?”

Hindi na sumagot si Ellie as she stubbornly continued with her walking. Hindi siya pwedeng sumakay ulit... ngayon pa namumuo na yung luha sa mata niya?? Hindi niya pingarap na magpakita ng kahinaan sa kahit kanino... lalo na syempre kay Sef!! Naiinis na siya, nagagalit, naiimbyerna... lahat-lahat na!! Para siyang basong malapit ng umapaw ang laman... hindi na niya ma-contain... at hindi niya alam kung BAKIT SIYA NAGKAKAGANITO!! Ito pala mahirap sa lahat... yung di mo naiintindihan ang sarili mo...

“Okay. If that’s what you want!!” Sef shouted at sumakay na ito sa loob ng sasakyan. She heard him shut the car door at umandar na ito.

Ayan, tama... IWAN NIYA KO!!



Sef was determined to leave... pumapanik na sa ulo niya ang galit. He went in the car at pinaandar ito. Bahala nga siya... Dire-diretso lang siya and drove pass her, inover-take na niya ang dalaga... He was already a good distance away when he noticed Ellie on his rear mirror. How can she possibly think na nagsisisi ako sa pagsagip sakanya?? He slowed down his pace, his eyes still on the mirror watching her. Nakayukong naglalakad lang ang dalaga, like a small little girl helplessly defeated. “Darn. That does it...” Sef angrily muttered to himself...

Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde stepped out the car, umaandar pa nga yung makina ee... at dire-diretso lang siya sa paglalakad papunta sa dalaga.

Napatigil si Ellie when she noticed him walking towards her... she caught his gaze and made her heartbeat race wildly. His face was still serious... Sef looked like a man on a mission.

Ellie stood in place, unable to move... as if Sef’s eyes casted an intricate spell on her...

Their eyes were glued together...

And for some unexplainable reason... as if by some miracle the angels intervened... and there at that moment, Cupid was watching...

Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde kissed her right there and then.

To be continued.

Credits to the song Fall for You. It helped me in making this chapter.