ch. 38 - getting serious

CHAPTER 38
GETTING SERIOUS


Narrator: Back out in the Town Center…

Maja: Ahm Jay… (as I turn to her) Uunahan na kami.

Jay: Uuwi na ba kayo?

Sarah: Oo, saka may pasok pa siya bukas.

Jay: O sige. Sarah, tatawagin kita mamiya, ah?

Sarah: Oo.

Denise: (approaching us three) Maj! (as she and Maja hug) Ingat kayo mabuti, ah?

Maja: Kayo rin. Sige, aalis na kami.

Nina: Bye.

Jamilla: Nice meeting you guys.

Sarah: You too.

Denise: Bye. (as she also hugs Sarah)

Sarah: (gives a light pat on my arm) Ingat ka, ha? (as she and Maja were about to leave)

Jay: Kaw rin. (eyes now facing Maja) Maj… (as she and Sarah stop, turning back at me) You too.

Narrator: As Maja smiled lightly, she came up to me, putting her hand on my right shoulder.

Maja: Wag ka maalala, Jay. Malakas yan si Erich. Basta, lagi sia na abangan kay Lord kahit ano mangyari sa kanya. Lagi nan dun si Lord. Di mawawala yan si Erich, I promise.

Narrator: As she released her hand off my shoulder, I instantly grabbed onto both of her hands.

Jay: Ako rin, Maj. Gagawin ko lahat para mag ligtas si Erich, at hindi ako tatakot sa mga hayop ang salvahe nayan! (frowning) Kung saan man yun lugar, basta hahanapin ko siya.

Denise: Jay, wag! (as I let go of Maja and turn to Denise) Baka kung ano naman mangyari sa yo katulad sa nangyari kay Erich saka yun kasama niya.

Brenda: We don’t want you go get hurt.

Jay: Bogbog ako, dugo ako, o kaya putulin yun kamay ko, sanay ako dyan. Guys, kaya ko ‘to. I promise.

Sarah: Jay, anong pinagsasabi mo? Baliw kaba? Paano kung na dala silang cuchillo, o kaya may baril? Jay, please…

Jay: Edi hahanap ko rin ang baril so I can get even.

Denise: (approaching me) Jay, please don’t!

Jay: (stopped her) Guys! Seriously, I can handle this! Don’t even worry about me! Just lemme do my thing!

Narrator: Everyone remained silent momentarily. Afterwards…

Koji: Jay… I’m comin’ witchu.

Jay: Koji… hayaan mo na ako. Bahala na ako dito.

Koji: Dude, you need a bodyguard with you. You can’t go against four or five gangsters all by yourself! Ya crazy?!

Jay: (holding his shoulders) I don’t want you getting hurt, dawg. I’ll be fine, I promise. I’ve battled bigger bad guys myself before, and despite the severe bruises I’ve encountered, I survived the challenge. I’m used to this. Can you learn to trust me on this?

Narrator: Then again, another long pause. After that, Koji nodded, looking like he was ready to admit. Then we hugged. Denise was next as she burst into tears again. Jamilla followed afterwards, then Nina, Brenda, Sarah, and finally Maja. I started leaving afterwards without trying to turn back on them.

Maja was watching me carefully as I was walking ten feet away from her gang. Then a flashback occurred…

Maja and her ex boyfriend Carlo Aquino were inside the LAX as he was about to make his departure through the gate going to the Pinas. He was in the same situation as mine where had to save someone, but in this case his beloved younger brother, who was kidnapped by a gang as well. Carlo was carrying a backpack and a luggage while Maja was carrying her purse.

As they approached the gate…

Carlo: (puts his hand gently on right side of her face) Ingat ka mabuti, ah? We’ll always KIT. Promise me… di mo ako nalimutan. Babalik ako dito.

Narrator: Tears were falling from her eyes as she was sobbing, and she was looking down as she was depressed)

Carlo: (lightly brings up her chin as she looks directly at him) Bakit? Akala mo ba mawawala ako?

Maja: (sobbing) Di ko talaga mawawalang isip yan eh.

Carlo: Maj… (puts his hands on her shoulders) Tinuro mo ako magi sip ang mabuti, kaya lalo ako masayang buhay ko dahil sa yo. Mahal na mahal kita, Maj. Pangako sa yo I’ll be okay. Maniwala ka sakin. I’ll be fine.

Maja: (continuously sobbing) Di ko alam kung ano pa sasabihin ko… alam ko kung gaano na importante sayong kapatid mo… mahirap talaga… kapag wala na siya (then puts her hands on sides of his face) Mahal pa rin kita, Carlo. Di mawala yan sa isip ko kahit kailan. (crying deeply now) Hawakan mo ako!

Narrator: They immediately hugged afterwards, Maja’s tears continuing to fall from her eyes. Carlo shed his tears as well. A minute later, they let go of each other, but his hand dragged down her arm as it touched her hand. After staring at each other momentarily, Carlo released her hand as he slowly turned away from her, heading into the departure station.

Maja watched him carefully making his every footstep into the gate, but she quickly ran over to him shouting out his name… for the last time. Carlo turned back, seeing his ex girlfriend approaching him at a quick pace, and they hugged once again. Maja was crying more, hoping she doesn’t lose him as soon as he hits his destination spot.

They let go for the very last time, and without saying another word, Carlo entered the gate, leaving Maja standing as she was covering her mouth, continuously shedding tears.

Suddenly, another flashback…

Maja and her family were at a cemetery visiting Carlo’s tombstone. They were each holding a rose, and Maja was in front of them as she threw hers first on the grave. Tears were falling from her eyes that time.

Flashback ended.

Maja was still watching me walking as I was already twenty feet away from her group and approaching my car. Then she heard a couple familiar phrases in her head from one of her earlier conversations with Sarah:

Sa tingin ko, ginusto mo rin siya dati. Lagi kayo ng ngiti, diba? … Kahit ibigan kayo, ibig sabihin na pwede siya tumatawag sa iyong “cutie?” Ganun ba?

Without hesitating, she hurried over to my direction, knowing she needed her last and more serious goodbye before the worst could happen to me.

Maja: Jay!!

Narrator: Before I even turned back, I already knew her voice from behind me. So I turned around anyway, seeing her approaching me. She hugged me desperately, eyes closed as they were filled with tears. I hugged her tightly as well. This hug lasted long enough for my dramatic leaving, and I knew I couldn’t leave her. We have been good friends ever since we met two years ago in the fall, but the one main aspect I couldn’t resist in our friendship was for a fact that I still have feelings for her. But right now, it wasn’t the right time for me to reveal them.

After the hug…

Maja: Katulad sa nangyari sa ex ko, maging okay ka rin. (wiping away her tears)

Jay: (putting my hands on sides of her face) Maj, promise me. Just promise me I’ll be all right. Ayoko mag wala ka sa buhay ko. Ayaw kita mag saktan, ha? Kahit ano mangyari, ibigan pa rin tayo.

Narrator: Maja nodded, and as I let go of her lovely face, she put her hand on my arm, smiling even though depressed.

Maja: Just make sure na hindi na saktan si Erich, ha?

Narrator: I nodded, and without us saying another word, I turned away from her and hopped into my car, starting the engines. Maja, as well as the other girls, were watching me back up the vehicle. I then drove away from the parking lot, screeching as I slammed on the gas pedal. It was time.