Rendezvous - Not a True Story


"Tabi nga, Megan. Inaantok ako."

I scooted over to the side, my breasts practically flattened to the wall, as another classmate squeezed in his huge frame between myself and Jonathan in the miniscule bed. "Eto naman oo," I muttered, "Di na nga'ko dito makahinga!"

My classmates laughed. Another day at the PGI Quarters. A full-blown whole-day citywide brown-out and a 5:00 PM class with Dr. Lee at Radiology has resulted into my hanging out at the PGI Quarters at noon. I wasn't really much of a siesta person so I figured, since the hospital has a generator and all, it would pobably be a cooler place for killing time than sweating like a pig and dying of boredom at home. Of course, I had forgotten that lunchtime was usually the time of the day when the PGI Quarters was most packed.

Carlo, official class clown-slash-heartthrob was in the middle of telling an anecdote about a former Psychiatry ptient he met during his rotation at IM when my cellphone rang.

"Hello?"

Yup... It was him.

"Meet me at the parking lot?"

I smiled. "What time?"

"Now."

I laughed. "Okay."

A quick tug-of-war between my hair and the hairbrush, a few strokes with the lipstick and a couple spritz of my perfume and I was all-set. I was about to walk inconspicuously out the door when Eve called me. We were both under Dr. Lee's class but she usually comes in early because of, get this, her insatiable appetite to learn... Yes, I too believe she must be suffering from some kind of a disease... "Hey, Megan, sa'n ka punta?"

Think, Megan, think. "Uhmmm... lunch."

"Sama ako. Di pako kumakain."

"Uhmmm..." Shit! What the hell--- "Lunch ako with my mom."

Eve scrunched her face. "Oh, well. Hiya naman ako. Wag na lang. Antay na lang ako kay Doc Badz."

I simply nodded and headed towards the parking lot, a cat-ate-the-canary smile practically pasted on my face. There's something incredibly naughty about keeping secrets. The mere fact that you're keeping something from other people makes rendezvous-ing so much more... what's the word?... Delicious?...

And there he was.

From afar, I can just imagine that expression on his face, as he watched me walk towards his car. Those intense eyes, boring through me, as if he was planning to eat me up in one unexpected moment. The lips partly pouting, partly smirking, as if he knew something about me that even I didn't know... He was very dangerous grounds, I know, but somehow, sparks flew and I was hooked to him like Mighty Bond between the pads of your fingers.

He smiled at me from his window and openned the door as I got into his car. "Hi, baby" he greeted, kissing me lightly on the cheek.

I grinned. "Hey, kumain ka na?"

"Yeah. Kaw?"

I nodded. "So, how was your day?"

He started playing with my hair, twirling them in between his fingers. "Don't ask," he answered, rolling his eyes for emphasis. "Toxic kami sa ward kanina. Buti nga natapos din. Eto at nakapagpahinga na sandali." He then leaned his head on my lap and closed his eyes.

"Wawa ka naman pala," I teased and started playing with his hair.

He laughed. "Stop! Masira buhok ko." He then grabbed my hands and held them firmly, his fingers fitting perfectly in between my own.

I swatted him playfuly. "Ako ba di mo tatanungin kung kamusta araw ko?"

He looked at me guiltily. "Ay, di ko pa ba natanong?"

I laughed and pretended to look mad. "Che!"

He laughed and held me closer. "Uyyy... hahaha... tampo na siya... Sori na, lasa. pagod lang kasi talaga. O siya, siya... how was you day man?"

"I found out na buntis daw girlfriend ni Miguel."

He raised an eyebrow. "Miguel, your ex?"

I nodded.

"The same girlfriend na dahilan kung bakit kayo nagbreak?"

I pretended to look offended. "I-remind ba?... Yeah, i guess so. Namomoblema daw kasi parents niya ngayon kasi di pa nga sila pwede ipakasal kasi 16 years old pa lang yung girl."

"What did you feel when you heard the news?"

"Mixed emotions kasi. Mostly, I felt surprised."

"Knowing Miguel, nasurprise ka pa?"

"No. I was surprised that what I was expecting, actually happened. I felt sorry din for him kasi from what I heard, wala pa rin siyang work hanggang ngayon and now he's become one of the statistics that he used to vow he would never become - an unwed father."

"Buti nga sa kanya... Baby, that's karma."

"Yeah. I guess... Actually, I felt sad din. More for myself, not for him."

"Bakit? Namimiss mo pa ba siya?"

I laughed. "Nahhh... I felt sad kasi... bat yung girlfriend niya binuntis niya, ako hinde?"

He laughed. "Aba! At gusto mo na palang mabuntis?"

I giggled. "Hehe... Joke lang."

"Alam mo, madali namang gumawa ng baby. Mahirap lang magpalaki."

"Oo na po, kuya," I teased, kissing him quickly on the lips. "Nagbibiro lang po."

"Pero, kung gusto mo talaga," he turned and before I knew it, my back was practically reclining on the smooth leather interior, "Madali naman akong pakiusapan. Gusto mo ngayon na natin simulan?"

I laughed. "He! Ikaw talaga, bad ka!"

"Hinde...ako naman. I'm just being a good friend. You know, I'm always ready to lend a helping hand... So, if gusto mo talagang mabuntis na, pahihiramin ko katawan ko. Free of charge."

I smiled. "Sira!," I told him, before giving him a quick smack.

He then looked at me inquisitively. "Honestly speaking, hindi ako magagalit. Do you think you're completely over him?"

I looked at him and found myself surprised by what I saw in his eyes. It was fear. Cold damn fear of losing the one you love... Ha! I guess he has realized it so much earlier than I did... What started out as friendship, a fling, a relationship that was just supposed to test the waters has finally turned out to be so much more. Damn hell... how was it that i never realized it until now? Or maybe I was just so much in denial about it, afraid of getting hurt again, that I didn't want to face what's right there infront of me?... Until now...

Oh, shit. What the hell am I gonna do?

"I'm over him."

"How sure are you?"

I looked at him. "I just do."

He kissed the back of my hand and didn't say another word.

"Lasa?" I called.

"Yeah?"

"Wanna know something?"

"What?"

"I'm just as scared about this as you are."

He turned to me, smiled and kissed my forehead. He understood. Words weren't needed because he felt it too. And it was clearly enough for now.

*The following characters and situations are based on fantasy and are nothing but the product of the writer's delusional and overactive imagination. They are in no way related to nor reflective of any actual individual and whatever similarities there might be to situations or persons in reality are simple coincidences only that should best be left ignored.