Scripted Relationship

Chapter 43

“Ano ginawa mo sa girlfriend ko?!” I angrily butt in the situation. I went to Rose and saw that she has a wound on her knee.

“Sorry po. Di ko po sinasadya.” The teenager was already kneeling.

“You have eyes, right? Sa susunod, tingnan mo yang dinadaanan mo.” I said to the teenager as I demand him to apologize again to Rose. Afterwards, the teenager left as if a ghost was chasing him.

“Ano ka ba, Erik? Okay lang ako.” Rose said to me as I helped her stand up.

“No, you don’t look okay to me.” I said to her.

“Ikaw naman kasi may kasalanan nito. Kung hindi ka nag-walk out, hindi sana kita hahabulin.”

“I’m sorry if I walked out. I was not acting right kanina when you asked me about my past.”

“Sorry din kung pinilit kita. I respect your privacy.”

“No need to apologize. It was my fault for acting rude.”

----- O -----

ROSE

Dahil tanghali na, pumunta ako sa Sinangag Express para kumain. After getting what I ordered, pumunta ako sa isang table kung saan kaharap ko ang isang couple na kumakain din. Hindi ko maintindihan ang pinag-uusapan nila pero ang napansin ko, pinagsisilbihan ng pagkain ng lalaki ang babae. Napangiti ako kasi tuwang-tuwa ang babae sa pagsisilbi ng lalaki.

Naalala ko bigla ang breakfast na inihanda sa akin noon ni Erik when I first went to his condo unit.

“Did you like your breakfast?” Tanong sa akin ni Erik.

“Yes. Salamat ha. Akala ko kasi gugutumin mo ako kaya ayaw mo akong mag-almusal,” sagot ko sa kanya.

“I won’t do that to my girlfriend.”

Tama ba ang narinig ko? For unknown reasons, uminit ang pakiramdam ko at napatalon ng tibok ang puso ko. Unti-unti, napangiti ako sa kanya. Nilulutuan niya ng breakfast ang kanyang girlfriend. Hinahandaan niya. Ayaw niyang nagugutom ang girlfriend niya. Ang swerte ko naman pala sa kanya, kung sakali.

“A boyfriend should at least prepare breakfast for her girlfriend kung magkikita sila sa umaga o magkasama sila hanggang umaga. A woman feels happy and important when their man prepares breakfast for them because it shows that a man can do a woman’s job. The caring job.”

----- O -----

ERIK

I tried to reach the intersection of Ortigas Avenue and C-5 as fast as I could. Unfortunately, I was not able to catch the green light that will make me turn left to C-5. While waiting, I looked around and there I saw a dirty ice cream vendor giving ice cream to street children.

It was then I recall the Thumbs Up Ice Cream moment of Rose and I during our Three-Wishes Date.

We were eating our Thumbs Up ice creams when Rose started to talk to me.

“Salamat, Sammy,” she said. “Tinupad mo ang aking mga mumunting hiling.”

I thought of telling her how it was my pleasure to grant her wishes because they were simple. But she continued talking.