“May ipapakilala ako sa yo. Friend ko from Austria. Nurse. Malay mo, magkagustuhan kayo.”
“Sus, ayan ka na naman hon. Tapos galit-galit ka na naman.”
“Hindi ako nagagalit Niel pag alam kong naghahanap ka ng iba. Kasi maniwala ka o hindi, alam kong yun ang dapat.
Kaya lang ang hinihingi ko sayo, don’t do it behind my back. Para naman puede akong bumitaw at hindi masosorpresa na lang.”
“Bahala ka. Hindi ako naghahanap.”
“Pero umaasa kang may dumating.”
“Ewan sayo. Pagkatapos ano?”
“Pagkatapos eh di tapos. Hehe. Basta, please let me know what’s going on. Teka gawa ako ng GC sa Wattsapp.”
Si Neil at si Yumz.
They met online. Nothing extra ordinary. In a world full of deceipts, lies, masks, they carved a space for them. They made the lies even sweeter than the truth. They justified the deceipts by using love as the reason. And they kept their identities hidden from the people who may know them by wearing layers after layers of mask.
In that own world, they stayed. Happily together. For seven years. Six months.
“Niyaya mo na si Tina mag-date?”
“Tinanong ko lang kung mahilig siya sa movies. Sabi niya kung aayain ko siya, coffee na lang daw. Kaya sabi ko sige. Saan ba kako. Sabi niya sa Glorietta na lang kasi sa Makati siya.”
“Akala ko ba, you won’t ask her out without letting me know first?
Tapos sabi mo pa you didn’t chat anymore. Pero sabi niya since pinakilala ko kayo, non stop na ang usap nio. Why all the secrecy Neil?”
“Eh hindi nga tayo nagkakausap. Tuwing magka-chat tayo sasabihin mo kasama mo ang asawa mo. Pano kong sasabihin sayo.”
“Ang bottomline dito, you broke your word again. May usapan tayo, you won’t keep anything from me!”
“Anong gusto mo gawin ko???”
“Ang gusto ko tuparin mo ang usapan natin. That you won’t keep anything from me. Para alam ko. Para prepared ako. Hindi katulad nito.”
“Ang hirap sayo ang hilig mo mag-set up para may dahilan kang awayin ako!”
“Bakit lahat ng weaknesses mo Neil, you’re always making them my faults?
Oo, isinet up ko ang pagkikilala nio. Pero maliwanag ang usapan natin, you won’t do anything behind my back!
Tapos sasabihin mo pa sa kanya wag na magkwento sa akin about you and her. Why? Are you scared I would tell her what we really have?
Hindi ko gagawin yun Neil. Dahil pag sinabi ko sa kanya yun, ako din ang masisira. Sana lang you have given me some credit here. Hindi mo kailangang ilayo si Tina sa akin just so you can keep going.”
“Ayoko lang mag-away na naman tayo. Kaya sabi ko wag na mgkwento sayo. Ano ba talagang gusto mo? Aminin ko kay Tina???”
“No Neil. Ang gusto ko lang, maging honest ka. Kasi pakakawalan naman kita eh. You don’t have to give her the impression that you don’t like me just so you can make sure I won’t rat out on what we have. Anong klase ka?”
“Ay puta. Kung hindi mo ako sinet up walang away!”
“Kung hindi ka sumira sa usapan, walang away! Go on Neil. Alam ko hindi ka na masaya sa relasyon natin. I am giving up now.
Sana lang, yung 7 years nating pinagsamahan, binigyan mo kahit konting pagpapahalaga.
I spent seven years risking my family because I love you. Akala ko lang, hindi mo man maibalik yung pagmamahal ko, yung respeto man lang, batuhan mo ako. But even that, you didnt bother to give back.”
“Hindi kita niloko.”
“Kahit beh na ang tawagan nio?”
“Kaibigan.”
“Putangina! Sinong ginagago mo??? You kept everything from me kasi you thought you can have Tina and still fuck me. Sorry, my days being your whore are over.”
“Ano, makikipaghiwalay ka? Iiwanan mo ako?”
“No Neil, when you decided to go behind my back, ikaw ang nang-iwan. Sorry but I’m done. Today’s the 3rd of the month. Dapat 7 years, 6 months na tayo. I bet you don’t even remember. Sa sobrang pagkalulong mo kay Tina, you can’t remember anything anymore.
I hope your new relationship would be worthy enough for you to let go of those years Neil. Sobrang sakit pero tanggap ko na that this is the end of the line for us.”
Time check: 12:01am
“Seven years, six months together. 1 day without you. I’ll get by.”