Well, where did this all start? I guess it’s about time that you guys and gals get to know.
Around ten years ago, I met in FB an old friend whom I haven’t heard from for the last 20 years. Neighbors kami dati sa Pasig. I was close to her family; from time to time pinapaki-usapan ako ng nanay niya to do repairs of small appliances, and also to help on her homework. She was then a high school student, 14 years old, samantala 24 na ako and on my early stages of being a professional.
Then two years later I transferred residence from Pasig to Marikina and that basically ended our close relationship. She went to college and graduated. The last thing I heard was that she got married, and her parents migrated to the US, naiwan siya sa Pinas with her family. Ako naman also got married, had kids and moved to my current address.
So it was quite a big surprise when we met at FB.
“Al, ikaw ba talaga ito?”, she said.
“Yup, Maricar, isn’t it?” sagot ko.
Oh, it was such a happy moment, a reunion of sorts after 20 years. So 34 years old na siya, with 3 kids. They now live in Bicol where she works as a nurse in a government hospital. Her husband, an engineer, works in Clark, Pampanga. So we exchanged pictures, and lo and behold, the chubby 14 year old who never bothered to dress or comb her hair properly has already blossomed into a luscious woman, curvy, smart, and oozing with sex appeal. Natulala ako.
“You don’t look like you’re married,” sabi ko, “Sexy mo.”
“Sus bola,” she replied, “ikaw din, you don’t look like you’re 44. Do you still play basketball?”
“Not anymore. My knees can no longer stand the strain of jumping and running. I am more into jogging or brisk walking now.”
“Same with me. I work out regularly in the gym.”
So ganun, the days and weeks went by and we reminisced about the good old days when we were still neighbors and we almost were cheek to cheek when working on her assignments.
“Grabe kay Mariks,” sabi ko. “Ang pangit pangit mo noon. Kung alam ko lang na ganyan ka kaganda, niligawan na kita noon.”
“Ganun? Porke’t pangit ako di mo ako pinapansin?” she replied, “kaya pala kailangan ka pang pakiusapan ni Mama para tulungan mo lang ako sa assignments ko”. Then she started to sing that old Hotdog song “Behh Buti Nga.” We had a good laugh afterwards.
Then she turned serious. “Alam mo, nasaktan ako ng husto nang nabalitaan ko na ikinasal ka.”
“Bakit naman?” I asked.
“Kasi crush kita noon,” she confessed.
So that’s it. Biglang flashback sa akin what my barkadas around the neighborhood were telling me then. That Maricar had a crush on me, kaya lagi niya akong tinatawag na tulungan siya sa assignments niya, to the point of asking her mother to do it for her kasi di ko nga siya pinapansin.
But then naisip-isip ko din, that I had all the reasons to turn down her requests, but I never refused. Maybe it was because her parents were good to me. Maybe it was because I got a free merienda afterwards. Or was it because I had that strange feeling once we were cheek to cheek when doing her assignments? When my arms inadvertedly touched her budding breasts? Or when she would hug me when she got a perfect score on her assignments, which was what usually happened? But I had to control myself. Syempre, she was 14 at that time, and all hell would break loose if her parents discovered that I took advantage of our closeness.
“Yun nga, bata ka pa kasi noon,” I said.
“Pero kung tatanungin mo ako ngayon,” I added, “crush na kita.”
“Really?” nagulat ako sa reaction niya. Para siyang naging bata uli. “So gusto mo bang ituloy natin?”
“Hala,” I said, “di na pwede. We’re both married.”
She fell silent for a few moments. Then she replied, “Baka pwede naman.”
I was shocked. Was this true? Papasok ako sa isang situation that could lead to dire consequences if ever. And not just me, pati siya.