Scripted Relationship

ERIK

"Hindi kita kayang saktan. Pero ikaw, nakakaya mo."

After saying those words, Rose walked out of my unit slowly while crying. At that moment, I wanted to catch her before she entered the elevator. I wanted to hug her tight from behind to tell her how sorry I was for breaking her heart. But instead, I closed my door while a tear rolled on my cheek. I need to do this for your own good, Rose, I thought.

I went to the kitchen cabinet and took out a bottle of Jack Daniels. I also took a small glass, went to the fridge to get two cubes of ice and pour the glass with Jack Daniels. I drank it. It somehow felt good for a while. I sat on my lazy boy chair with Jack Daniels by my side. I poured another of Jack Daniels in my glass and looked up the ceiling as if I was looking a thousand miles away. If only Rose knew the truth behind my decision to break up with her.

Suddenly, all the events that transpired during my stay in New York came back in a flash.

After taking a picture in the Empire State Building, I went to the house of Lola Lucing. Actually, I was a bit nervous to meet her because I didn't know what to tell her about my life. We were accustomed to share stories everytime we meet. So, I started thinking what to tell her which included the story of Rose and I.

I reached Lola's house a little over 45 minutes. I knocked on the door and I was greeted by her secretary.

"Hi, Erik," Lily, Lola's American secretary, greeted me. "Maganda umaga." She said with an American accent. Her effort made me smile.

"Hi, Lily Potter," I said in reply. Don't be surprised though. Potter is her real surname. "Where's grandmom?" I asked after.

"Oh, she'll be here in fifteen minutes," Lily explained to me. "You actually came in early."

"Better early than late," I said to her. "Grandmom has been always clear about that."

"Totally," she smilingly said to me while rolling her eyes. "You can wait in her study."

I came in and walked directly to the study room. Lily closed the door and followed behind me.

"You want something to drink?" Lily asked.

"Water will do," I answered and she left to get one.

I walked inside Lola's study room. I've been here a lot of times but our family photos still amused me. There was a graduation photo of myself on the wall, while a lot of our family pictures were inside a glass cabinet. Happy faces of Lola, Dad, Mom and I gleamed in all of it. There was also an old photo of Lolo Enrico and Lola underneath the classic tree in our resthouse in Pangasinan. Just days ago, Rose and I were also there. It was where I professed my love for her. The mere thought of it just made me grin. Then, I heard a familiar voice.

"Those pictures never fail to entertain you, Enrico."

I turned around and saw Lola standing by the door. I went to her to give her a hug.

"It's nice to see you, Lola," I said to her as I let go of the hug.

"It's nice to see you too, apo," Lola said to me. "I missed you. I'm glad you came here safe and early. Anyway, you better go to the dining room. We'll need to talk a lot of things... And we will be having a visitor."

Visitor? Am I not the visitor she was expecting? Maybe, it was a colleague of her who will teach me more about my position. After all, it was the purpose of my visit.

Lola's American maid was already finished preparing the meals in the table when I arrived in the dining room. There were only two viands in the table: adobong baboy and tinolang manok. Surely, Lola knew that adobo was my favorite dish so she got it prepared for me. But to my surprise, the maid went out again and put on the other side of the table a vegetable dish good for one person. I got curious so I asked the maid.