ch. 61 - she's back!

CHAPTER 61
SHE’S BACK!


Narrator: We were on our way back to the Cerritos Town Center, where Denise, Koji, Maja, Sarah, and Erich’s other friends were waiting. They were all still standing outside Marie Calendar’s where they ate their dinner.

As soon as Koji saw us walking toward them…

Koji: Guys! Look!

Narrator: Once they all turned their heads to us…

Brenda: Erich?

Narrator: Once we approached them…

Denise: Oh my God! (running toward us)

Erich: (doing the same to Dense) Heeyyy!!

Narrator: They hugged each other desperately, and I stood there watching the rest of Erich’s friends, including Maja and Sarah, approaching Erich as well.

Brenda: (hugging her) Hay naku. Buti na lang nan dito kapa. Dyos ko!

Koji: Jay!!

Narrator: He and I approached each other and hugged, laughing.

Koji: Mayn ya shoulda let me watch your ultimate crime fighting skills out there! (joked)

Jay: It’s never too late for me to do more of those, ya know.

Maja: (hugging Erich) Hay salamat talaga ang Dyos.

Erich: (putting hand on her shoulder) Wag ka maalala. Lagi nan dun diya para sa lahat ang problema ang mga tao.

Jamilla: Siempre. Lagi siya lumigtas sa mga araw natin. Gusto siya lagi tayo masaya. (as Erich smiles)

Denise: (hugging Erich from behind) Na miss ko talaga yun isang idol ko.

Erich: (laughing) Denise naman. Siempre hindi ako mawawala.

Narrator: Sarah then came up to me.

Sarah: Ang tapang mo talaga, Jay. Buti na lang hindi ka nadala sa hospital.

Jay: Hindi na kailangan. Basta, a man has a soldier’s way of surviving the deadly flames.

Sarah: Asus, ang lakas mo pa, ah?

Jay: Naku wag mo iintindian yun. Para sa lalaki lang ‘to, o?

Sarah: (lightly pushing my arm) Kaw naman.

Jay: O bakit? Siguro… Na miss mo ako, noh?

Sarah: Ha? Aba, sinagot ka pa.

Jay: Oo. So, na miss mo ba ako?

Sarah: (smiling shyly) Jaay… ewan ko ba kung ano talaga kailangan mo pag tunayan sakin. Parang may sasabihin ka.

Jay: Ako? Di, ah? Paano mo malalaman yan?

Sarah: Mataas ang mata ko, noh? I’m sure meron ka dapat sasabihin sakin tungkol sa friendship natin.

Jay: Our friendship? Wala. Tama na yang assumptions mo. Kaka rindi. (laughing)

Sarah: (shaking her head, smiling) Ang weird mo naman.

Narrator: Just cuz she thought I was focusing so much on her beauty? Eh, that doesn’t seem to be the case (even though sometimes I get a lil too flirtatious at her)

Anyway, Maja came up to us, standing beside her best friend.

Maja: Jay, maraming salamat, ah? Mabuti naman ang ginawa mo, kahit mahirap pa ang ng sakripisyo mo. (smiling at me)

Jay: (also smiling) Wag ka maalala. Siguraduhin ko na hindi mangyari ‘to ulit.

Maja: (nodding) Sana. Sana hindi ka nasasaktan ulit.

Jay: I know.

Narrator: Then without hesitation, Maja hugged me, her arms tightly wrapped around me enough to make it serious. Sarah watched us with her very own eyes. She looked worried, which was not a good sign especially when it comes to a drama teleserye.

After the hug…

Maja: Na miss ka naming eh.

Jay: I know how it feels to leave your friends behind.

Narrator: Meanwhile with Koji, Erich, and her friends…

Jamilla: Kumain kana ba?

Erich: Oo. Binili kaming pakain.

Brenda: Saan?

Erich: Sa Kapit Bahay.

Koji: Wow. Mayn we shoulda ate there.

Brenda: Naku, sanay na ako dun. Kita mo, lagi bumili kaming pamilya ko yan. Almost every night pa!

Erich: Mm grabe ah?

Nina: Hey Erich. May Pilipina ang ng kilala namin kanina sa Marie Calendar’s.

Erich: Really?

Nina: Yeah. Fil Australian siya.

Erich: Oh cool.

Denise: Kung pupunta kami ulit dun, sasama ka namin.

Erich: Ng trabaho ba siya dun?

Brenda: Oo. Siguro this weekend, we’ll go.

Nina: (hand on Erich’s shoulder) Stay with us next time, ah?

Brenda: Yeah, Erich. Ayaw namin mag saktan ka ulit.

Erich: Sensya na, ah? Di ko na isip talaga ang maayos nung ng biglaan yung earthquake.

Brenda: Oo saka dinala kappa yung lalaki sa medyo na dilim sa labas ang lugar nito. Hindi ba na isip niya talaga ang maayos?

Erich: Hoy, wag na tayo maisip yan. Saan ba siya ngayon?

Nina: Sa hospital. Pinag dala siya kanina eh.

Erich: Oh.

Narrator: Meanwhile on my side…

Sarah: Sige, Jay. Uunahan na kami.

Jay: Uuwi nab a kayo?

Sarah: ‘Ba oo. (laughing) Saan pa ba? Sa dagat?

Jay: (laughing as I shake my head) Sobrang lamig dun, noh? Probably around 10 degrees.

Maja: Haha very funny. Sige. Bye na.

Narrator: As the girls approached Erich’s gang…

Maja: Uunahan na kami, guys.

Brenda: You’re leaving now?

Sarah: Oo.

Denise: Ingat kayo, ah?

Maja: Oo. Ikaw rin, Denise. (as they hugged)

Narrator: Sarah hugged Denise as well, then Sarah and Maja hugged Erich. (holding Erich’s hand) Remember, lagi nan dun si Lord para sa yo. Wag mo siya bibitawan, ah?

Erich: (smiling) Oo.

Sarah: Wag ka maalala. Dito rin kami para sa yo.

Narrator: Maja and Sarah then waved at Erich’s friends as well as Koji, and they waved back at the two girls.

Nina: It’s been nice hangin’, guys.

Narrator: Then they turned to me again, giving their last goodbye of the day.

Sarah: (single pat on my arm) Ingat ka, Jay.

Narrator: I nodded, smiling. As soon as the girls walked away from the Town Center…

Sarah: Kikita pa rin tayo bukas, ah?

Jay: We will.

Narrator: They took off afterwards.

Koji: Yo Jay!

Jay: (turning to Koji, nodding) Whattup, homie?

Koji: We should probably get home now, don’t ya think?

Jay: I’m actually about to leave anyway.

Koji: Yeah man it’s like (checking his watch) almost midnight.

Jay: Wow. Anong horas na?

Koji: 11:42.

Jay: Shit, we better go.

Narrator: When we approached Erich and her friends…

Jay: Erich? (as she turned around facing us) Ingat ka, ah?

Erich: Aalis na ba kayo?

Jay: Yeah.

Denise: Bye, Jay. Salamat ulit sa pag ligtasan mo kay Erich, ah?

Jay: Sure thing.

Brenda: Dude, how do we owe ya?

Jay: Me? (laughing) I’m sure it’s not about the money.

Jamilla: Oh please. Why not a trip to the Bahamas or something?

Jay: That’d be nice, if only I can afford a thousand dollars gettin’ there.

Nina: Don’ worry, man. I think I know just the perfect place where we can treat ya.

Jay: What’s that?

Nina: Ehmm secret muna.

Jay: Tsk oh c’mon. How long until I find out?

Denise: Basta wait ka na lang. Surprise treat ‘to.

Jay: (laughing) Ang corny naman kayo.

Erich: Aba, ayaw ka mag hintay, ah? Sige. Alam ko birthday mo bukas, kaya gagawa kami ‘tong surprise treat.

Brenda: Wow, Jay. Birthday mo pala bukas eh! Bukas I treat namin ni Erich sa yo.

Denise: And don’t ask kung saan kasi I blindfold ka namin.

Jay: Huh? Tsk please…

Denise: Joke lang yan, o? (as she and the other friends laughed)

Koji: I got blindfolded once when I was taken to the swimming pool. My friend removed it, then he pushed me in there!

Jamilla: Wow. Ano ginawa niyo that time?

Koji: House party maaayn.

Jay: Aba, pumunta ka sa mga ganyang rowdy party, ah?

Koji: Mmm not always that way.

Erich: So kikita ba tayo bukas, Jay?

Jay: Ummm… anong horas?

Erich: Ahmm say about sunset o kaya bigla na dilim na.

Jay: (nodding) Sure, maybe around 9.

Erich: 9? Ang late naman yan.

Jay: O sige 8 na lang.

Erich: Bakit? Meron kabang puntahan nyong araw nayan?

Jay: Sa Disneyland.

Denise: Wow! I wish I go!

Erich: Sinong kasama mo?

Jay: Some friends (didn’t wanna mention Sarah so the drama wouldn’t spread in the conversation).

Erich: Oh. Well, can you still make it for tonight?

Jay: Yeah of course. I’ll tell my friends about this.

Erich: O sige. Sabihin mo agad sa kanila, ah?

Jay: I wil, don’t worry.

Erich: Sige. Ingat kayo, ah?

Jay: We will.

Erich: Thank you ulit, ah?

Jay: No problem.

Narrator: After some two-second hesitation, I smiled, patting Erich on the arm. Me and Koji left afterwards, Erich still looking at us with a very content smile. I turned back, Koji continuously walking. I gave my one last look at Erich, grinning. Erich also grinned.

Denise: Bye Jay!!

Narrator: Instead of waving at the gang, I showed them my peace sign as I continued walking. Erich laughed softly.