“Red?”
I asked. I moved towards them.
“Red…red…”
“He’s not coming back,
come on, sit here. Good girl. That’s my girl.” I helped Bridget calm down her
sister.
“Why does she keep on
saying that?”
“He is the guy who
broke my sister’s heart after breaking mine.”
---------------------------------------------
Who is this Red guy?
Siya kaya si Red na
minahal ako pero sinaktan ko lang? Siya ba si Red na nagligtas sa akin? Siya ba
si Red na nangulit at nagpatawa sa akin? Siya ba iyong Red na pinaiyak ko at
iniwan na lang basta basta? Siya ba iyong Red na hanggang ngayon ay mahal ko
pa?
“Do you mind telling me
the complete name of Red?”
“Sure.”
“He is Red Hiro Zaavedra.”
Is fate kidding me? Why
does it have to be him this time? Red, what did you do with this woman? these
women? Red, what happened to you?
“Doc, do you know him?”
“…..no.”
I lied. I chose to lie.
“ I bet you will never
want to meet him, Doc. He’s the worst man anyone could ever meet.”
After our session, it
felt like my soul was sucked.
Sa tatlong taon na
nakalipas, marami na ring palang nangyari sa buhay niya. Iyong hotel and
restaurant niya sa Batangas ay nabankrupt daw dahil nagtanggal ng shares ang
ibang stockholders. Dahil doon, napilitan siyang isara iyon. At the same time,
naghiwalay ang parents niya na kapwa mga doctor. His mother found a new husband
and went abroad to live anew. His father was left in their home still fixing
his broken heart with bottles of liquor. Dahil na rin si Red lang ang walang
trabaho sa kanilang limang magkakapatid, umuwi siya sa bahay nila para alagaan
ang ama. His stay there was like hell because his father saw him as a failure. As
the only son, his father always wanted him to be a surgeon like him. However,
Red took the road less taken and pursued his dreams to be a businessman. He
succeeded but with the recent turn of events, his father had never been so
disappointed and mad. He regretted having a weak and stupid son.
When it rains, it
pours. And one day, Red found his father swimming in blood. What’s worse? His own
family blamed him for their father’s death. His mother did not come for the
funeral and after that, his siblings went on to their own separate lives.
Red had nothing to
lose. He had no friends, and drugs and women became his routine. And when he
was about to jump off to a moving train, it was then that Kathe saved him.
Kathe healed him. Kathe nursed him back to life. She then brought him abroad and
when they came back, Red has become a new person. But nobody knows what
happened to Kathe and their relationship. It’s just that when he came back, he was
carrying the title ‘Most Eligible Bachelor’ and the owner of Memento Vivere, an empire of
5-star hotel restaurants in the country. He got his dreams back but along with
these, women became his past time and Cheska and Bridget were just two of his
many pleasures. Unfortunately, Cheska was not able to get through the heartbreak
and now, she has to undergo psychotherapy sessions with me.
After our first
meeting, I could no longer handle the revelations. I decided to drive to Nasugbu,
Batangas where my memories with him are still pure and pristine.
-------------RED’S
POV-------------
“I Miss you.”
Tuwing may nasasaktan
akong babae, lagi na lang akong dinadala ng mg paa ko dito. It’s been three
years pero bakit hindi ko pa rin siya kayang kalimutan? Lagi ko siyang
sinusubaybayan sa mga appearances niya sa TV and I must say, she looks
stunning. Napakaprofessional niya, too formal na para bang hindi na siya iyong
nakilala kong baliw noon. Iyong babaeng kumakain ng dinuguan, mahilig maggym
pero kain naman ng kain ng ice cream and cholesterol-rich foods. Siya iyong
babaeng maganda pero walang arte, siya iyong kayang magsurvive ng mag-isa dahil
napakaindependent at free-spirited. She’s the woman I wanted to marry.
I want to see her
personally but I am too afraid. And what will we talk about? The past?
Nakakahiya ang mga nangyari sa akin. Ayaw kong makita sa mga mata niya ang
pagkamuhi at pagkarindi.
In the near distance, I
saw a women walking along the shore. She’s walking against the backdrop of the
sea being darkened by dusk, running her fingers through her wind-tossed hair .
Could it be her?
I walked toward the
sea, careful timid steps.
------------------ --------------
Naupo si Ata sa
dalampasigan habang inaantay ang paglubog ng araw. Nagkulay pula ang langit
habang namaalam ang Haring Araw. Abang nagmumuni-muni siya tungkol sa mga
kwento ni Red nang may nanggambala sa kanyang katahimikan.
“Hello.”
Napatingin si Ata sa
isang nakangiting binata na nakatayo sa tabi niya. May katangkaran ito at
nakasuot ng blue shirt at cargo shorts. Medyo gwapo ang binata pero imbes na
ngumiti ay pagkainis ang naramdaman ni Ata. Ayaw kasi niyang may istorbo pag
nag-isp siya. Mas lalo siyang nainis nang walang pasabing umupo ang binata sa
tabi niya.
“Alone?”
“Who told you to sit
beside me?” pagkairita ni Ata.
“Suplada. Sa iyo ba?”
“Close ba tayo?”
“Ah hindi,” mahinang
sagot ng lalaki. “Naghahanap kasi ako ng makakausap at napansin kita.”
“You approached the
wrong person.” Agad na tumayo si Ata at lalakad nang palayo sa lalaki.
“Wait, teka lang.!”
She turned around. “I don’t wanna talk with you.”
“Eto naman kahit
samahan mo lang ako saglit. Kahit di tayo mag-usap basta panoorin na lang natin
ang sunset,” hiling nito.
“No.”
“Please, mag-isa lang
din kasi ako ditto. Kadarating ko lang”
“I have to go.”
“Please? I will shut
up. Just watch the sunset with me.”
Ito naman talaga ang
hinhintay ni Ata, ang mapanood ang sunset.
“You promise to shut
up?”
“Yes boss!” the man answered
and grinned like a kid.
Matagal silang namalagi
sa may dalampasigan hanggang sa unti-unting nang nagdilim at nagpakita ang mga
tala sa kalangitan. Ramdam ni Ata na paminsan-minsang nakatitig sa kanya ang
kasama niyang binata pero hindi lang siya nagpahalata ditto. Sa katagalan ay
nawalan na ng kaunti ang kanyang pagkainis sa binata. Nang ibaling niya ang
tingin sa likod, parang may nagmamasid sa kanila.
“May problema ba?”
tanong ng binata.
“Ah wala.Tayo na.”
Muling tiningnan ulit
ito ni Ata pero ang nakita niya na lang ay ang anino ng isang lalaking laglag
ang mga balikat.
