CHAPTER 5

REAM LOOKED AT his friends who decided to stay in his condo when he clearly didn't want them to stay. It was morning and they were all huddled in his living room with empty liquor bottles around them. Kahit anong pagpapalayas niya sa mga kaibigan niya, ayaw ng mga ito umalis.

"Seriously." Ream sighed. "It's morning. My head is still ringing. I'm drinking no more."

"Just drink, Oliveros," ani Lysander. "Hindi ka namin nasamahan kagabi sa paglalasing mo kaya ngayon na lang."

Nagsalubong ang kilay ni Ream. "But I'm good now, really. Makakaalis na kayo."

"We're good too, so let's drink," ani Shun sabay inom ng beer mula sa bote. "Bilhan ka na lang naming mamaya ng pang-paalis ng hangover kapag nalasing ka ulit."

Napailing na lang si Ream. "Wala ba kayong mga trabaho? It's a weekday, people. Time to work."

The lunatics in the living room just shrugged and continued drinking. Napailing na lang ulit si Ream dahil alam niyang hindi aalis ang mga baliw niyang kaibigan.

"So..." Calyx opened another bottle of beer and looked at Ream. "What happened to you last night? Come on." He grinned. "Let it all out. We will be your therapists today."

Siyempre, hindi magpapatalo si Iuhence. "Ayon sa tsismis na nasagap naming mula kay Dark, emosyonal na tumawag ka sa kaniya kagabi—"

Binato ni Thorn ng throw pillow si Iuhence. "Cut it out. Para kang tsismoso na nagbabalita. I mean, tsismoso ka naman talaga pero hindi maganda pakinggan."

Iuhence cleared his throat. "Okay. Take two. Ayon sa tsismis na sapilitang nalakap naming mula kay Montero, naglasing si Ream dahil kay Syl."

Bumuntonghininga si Ream sa kabaliwan na naman ng mga tsismoso. "Seriously, if you want to know something, just ask."

Iuhence grinned. "Great! My question is, are you broken-hearted, bud? You got drunk, after all."

"I honestly don't know what I'm feeling right now and what to do with it. I'm moving on, so..."

"Moving on?" Calyx frowned and looked at everyone. "Puwede pa lang mag-move on kahit hindi naging kayo?"

Ream showed his middle finger to Calyx. "I have feelings too, you motherfucker. Unlike you, idiots, I'm not going to force myself on her. I'm into her and I want her so much, but if her happiness means me stepping back, then so be it."

Lath chimed in. "Hindi mo liligawan? Women like it when they're being pursued."

"Not all of them." Sumandal si Ream sa likod ng sofa na kinauupuan. "It's like this, lunatics, if the woman is into you, she'll like it. But if she's not, then it's stalking. Hindi man sa 'kin sinabi ni Syl na ayaw niya sa 'kin, ramdam ko, okay? So, I'll move on, maybe visit my mom in Norway, or whatever. I have to get away."

"May mga babaeng mahilig magpakipot," wika ni Shun. "Baka isa siya do'n?"

Umiling si Ream. "I don't think so. She's just not interested. I can tell."

"So, you're just going to leave?" Lysander asked, frowning like he couldn't understand Ream at all. "Just like that? You're not going to make an effort for her to see you? To like you?"

"Callahan, I understand what a 'no' means and she said 'no'. I gave her my number as a last resort, but nothing." Ream blew out a loud breath.

"Baka naman nag-iisip pa siya." Ayaw talaga siyang tantanan ng mga kaibigan, lalo na si Vergara. "Maybe you have to wait for a little while or be persistent, maybe?"

Umiling si Ream saka bumuntonghininga. "I'm not like you, guys. A no is no to me. And if she wants to call, she'll call, and I'll be there for her. But I'm not going to force myself on her when she clearly doesn't want me."

"But you're leaving for Norway," sabad ni Thorn. "Anong gagawin mo kapag tumawag siya habang nasa ibang bansa ka? A call from her means a chance for you, right?"

Ream let out a heavy sigh and picked up a bottle of beer, drinking it before he answered, "I'll come home and be there for her."

Thorn's eyebrows furrowed. "That's not exactly moving on, bud."

Ream shrugged. "I have to get away somehow." He remembered the woman who hurt Syl, and his blood boiled. "Baka may magawa akong hindi maganda kapag nanatili ako rito."

Everyone looked at Ream and everyone knew this was not just about Syl. There was more, but no one asked, not even Calyx or Iuhence. They kept their mouths shut and changed the subject.

"How's business going?" Lysander asked and Ream chuckled.

"Really?" Ream shook his head at the sudden change of topic. "Business is good. How about all of you?"

Everyone shrugged a little and that meant their businesses were doing good as well. And then they continued drinking like it was not early in the morning. When afternoon came, everyone who visited Ream was drunk from too much beer.

"Why the fuck am I drunk?" Calyx grumbled when he got up to pee and his world started spinning. "Wait...am I drunk, or is there an earthquake?"

"Maybe because we didn't eat," Lath offered as an explanation. "Ah, my twin's going to kill me for not working today."

Iuhence groaned as well while trying to get up, but his ass kept falling back to the ground. "Tyron! Stop pulling me down, you asshole!"

Ream, the only sober in the group because he didn't drink too much, frowned at Iuhence. "Vergara, Zapanta is not even here."

Iuhence glared at Ream. "Anong wala?!" Tinuro nito si Thorn na nakahiga sa sahig katabi ng bote ng alak na wala nang laman. "That's him, idiot. Nagtutulog-tulugan lang 'yan kasi ayaw niyang mamigay ng beefsteak."

"Huh...?" Ream was confused as fuck. Hindi niya alam kung anong pinagsasasabi ni Iuhence nang maalala niyang lasing pala ito. Napailing si Ream at sinagot si Iuhence. "Padadalhan ka na lang daw ng beefsteak ni Zapanta."

That put a smile on drunk Iuhence and he finally let himself fall to the ground and sleep.

Habang tinitingnan isa-isa ang mga kaibigan niyang lasing na may kaniya-kaniyang kabaliwang ginagawa at walang saysay ang mga pinagsasasabi, kinuha ni Ream ang cellphone at kinunan ang mga baliw ng video.

Calyx was still trying to get up while complaining about his imaginary earthquake. Thorn was sprawled on the floor, hugging the empty bottles with a smile. Lysander was on his phone, crying about something while looking at his own picture. Shun was sleeping on the sofa while hugging his laptop and wallet, while Lath was trying to call his twin brother, Lash, but he was actually talking to Siri.

Karma's a bitch, motherfuckers.

After taking a video of his drunk friends, Ream went to his room to take a bath. Pagkalabas niya, kaagad siyang nagbihis saka tinagawa ang restaurant na pag-aari ng asawa ni Dark at nag-order ng pagkain para sa mga kaibigan niyang lasing.

Tinagawan ni Ream ang kaibigan pagkatapos um-order sa restaurant ng asawa nito. "Hey, Montero, I ordered food from your wife's restaurant. Can you, um, deliver it personally?"

Dark frowned. "Something's up?"

"Some idiots visited me this morning." Ream massaged his forehead and sighed. "They're drunk and they'll need food when they wake up since we didn't eat any."

Dark sighed audibly. "Mga baliw talaga. Fine. I'll deliver the food."

"Thanks! I'll leave my keycard and your name at the front desk." Mapagkakatiwalaan naman ang mga nagta-trabaho sa front desk at hindi 'yon ang unang beses na iniwan niya ang keycard niya. "Just show your I.D."

"Wait...you're leaving?" Dark dried his wet hands from washing the dishes. "Akala ko hindi ka pa kumakain?"

"I have to visit my store," sagot ni Ream habang nagsusuot ng sapatos. "I'm leaving for Norway soon, so I have to make sure that everything is okay."

"Oh. Because of Syl?"

Ream smiled. "Yep."

Dark sighed audibly again. "Man, you have a complicated love life."

Ream grimaced. "Bud, you can't call a one-sided affection a love life." Then he bade him goodbye and ended the call.

Stepping out from his condo, he went down to the ground floor and left his keycard with Genna. She was a distant relative of his that he helped after her husband left with his mistress.

"Thanks, Genna!"

"Ingat!"

Nang makaalis si Ream, kaagad na bumulong ang receptionist na katabi ni Genna. "Ang guwapo-guwapo talaga ni Sir Ream, tapos ang bait pa. Ang suwerte ng babaeng makakasilo sa kaniya."

Tumango si Genna sabay ngiti. "Mabait talaga 'yang pinsan ko. Sa lahat ng kamag-anak ko, siya lang ang tumulong sa 'kin kahit malayo kaming magkamag-anak. Ilang taon na rin mula noong iniwan ako ng gago kong asawa at hanggang ngayon, tinutulungan pa rin niya ako sa mga anak ko kahit ang dami na niyang nagawa para sa amin."

The receptionist beside Genna sighed dreamily. "Ang suwerte talaga ng babaeng mamahalin si Sir Ream."

Tumango si Genna bilang pagsang-ayon. "Sobrang suwerte."

LEAVING HIS CAR at the parking lot reserved only for him, he entered his store and smiled seeing that it was packed. "Nasaan si Carlo?" tanong ni Ream kay Jenny na siyang tumatao sa cashier.

"Si Manager?" Luminga-linga si Jenny. "Mukhang may inaasikaso yatang costumer doon sa VIP room, Sir Ream. Medyo madaming tao ngayon kaya all hands on deck kami, Sir."

Tumango-tango si Ream. "If the store needs more people, let's hire."

"Naku, Sir, no need," pigil ni Jenny sa may-ari ng jewelry store. "Malapit na kasi ang buwan ng Hunyo kaya maraming costumer. Siguradong kaya namin 'to, Sir. Huwag ho kayong mag-alala."

"You sure?"

"Yes, sir."

Ream smiled and patted his cashier's shoulder. "Okay. Keep up the good work. Jenny. I'll go look for Carlo."

Tumango si Jenny saka ibinalik ang atensiyon sa magkapareha na nasa harapan nito at handa nang magbayad.

Samantala, si Ream naman ay tinahak ang daan patungo sa dalawang VIP room. The two rooms in the store were actually a showroom for VIP clients and he found Carlo in the first room entertaining two women.

Ream didn't want to disturb Carlo, he just wanted to inform the manager that he needed to talk to him later, but his eyes were caught by one of the women inside the room.

Syl.

Does fate really want to pair me with Syl so bad? This was their fourth coincidental meeting.

And it looked like Syl felt his stare, because she looked up from examining the diamonds in front of her and their eyes met.

For the first time since they started meeting, coincidentally, Syl didn't flinch nor look away. She stared back at him like she was recognizing his existence. Syl only looked away when the woman beside her made an excited noise and Ream felt like his blood was boiling when he saw that it was the same woman who hurt Syl.

"Oh! I want this one, Syl!" The woman's eyes sparkled with happiness while Syl looked like the world was on her shoulders even though she was smiling. "Buy it for me." Then the woman looked at Carlo. "Do you have a set of earrings that would go with the ring?"

Ream saw how Syl's face paled, and seeing the panic in the depths of her eyes, Ream stepped in. He couldn't just stand on the sidelines. Hindi niya alam kung bakit gano'n ang reaksiyon ni Syl, pero nasisiguro niyang kung ano man ang rason nito hindi 'yon maganda.

"Carlo," kuha ni Ream sa atensiyon ng manager na kaagad na tumayo nang makita siya. "I'll take it from here. Go help Jenny at the cashier."

"Yes, sir," ani Carlo saka kaagad na umalis para sundin ang utos ng boss nito.

After Carlo left, Ream faced the two women and introduced himself. "I'm Ream Oliveros, the owner. How may I help you, madam?" A smile was plastered on his face even though he hated the middle-aged woman in front of him.

"Oh, the owner himself?" The woman looked pleased that the owner himself was the one entertaining her. "I'm flattered."

Ream just smiled before glancing at Syl who was just silently sitting beside the woman.

"I want earrings that would go with this ring," anang ginang saka ngumiti. "My daughter here is buying this for me. Aren't I lucky?"

So they're mother and daughter. Ream's smile widened even though all he wanted to do was tell the woman to leave. "Very lucky, madam, but unfortunately, we don't have a set of earrings that would go with the ring."

Observing Syl from the corner of his eye, she looked relieved after hearing his answer. That means she didn't want to buy anything, but she's being forced by her mother. What kind of mother does she have?

"Then I want to order earrings that would go with this ring." Syl's mother was persistent, alright.

Ream's mind immediately went to work. Kapag hindi niya tinanggap ang order ng ina ni Syl, siguradong bibili pa rin naman ito sa ibang jewelry store at baka mas mataas pa ang presyo na ibigay, pero kung tatanggapin niya ang order nito, puwede niyang pahabain ang paghihintay ng ina nito at puwede pa niyang bigyang si Syl ng free cancelation offer kapag nagbago ang isip ng ina nito. Yeah. It's better than not helping Syl at all.

"Of course, madam," Ream answered with a smile. "Unfortunately, you have to wait for four to six months because we are fully booked at the moment." His perks of being the owner—he can lie without being questioned. "But the advantage is you don't have to pay now. Payment will be asked after the completion of the order. Would that be okay, madam?"

"Of course!" Syl's mother exclaimed. "I can wait patiently." Just the thought that she was talking to the owner himself made Delilah feel somewhat a special VIP costumer.

"Thank you so much. We appreciate your patience, madam." Then, Ream stood up to get the order form and pen placed on the table at the corner of the room and handed it to Syl's mother. "Please fill in this order form and we'll be finished."

Tinanggap ng ina ni Syl ang order form at sinagot lahat ng kailangang sagutan. Nang ibabalik na iyon ng ginang kay Ream, nagsalita si Syl.

"Ma, let me put my number just in case the store needs it."

"Of course, sweetheart."

Syl's mother was so sweet to Syl that she might have deceived Ream too, if he didn't see what she did to Syl at the parking lot.

After writing her number on the order form, Syl handed the form and pen back to Ream.

"...And that's it." Ream smile didn't leave his lips. "We will call you once your order is ready for pick-up."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Oliveros." Tumayo na ang ginang at nilingon nito si Syl na hindi pa tumatayo mula sa pagkakaupo. "Sweetheart? Come on, let's go."

Syl stood up, but not to leave. "Ma, I want to settle the payment for your earrings now. Can you wait for me in the car? I'm sure it'll be quick."

Delilah looked at Ream, as if asking if it would really be quick, and Ream nodded.

"You're a VIP, madam. Of course, we'll make it fast."

Delilah smiled, pleased. "Okay, sweetheart. I'll wait for you in the car."

Ream immediately lost his smile when Syl's mother stepped out of the showcase room. And for some reason, he felt drained and disgusted that he had to put up with such person.

"Thank you," ani Syl na ikinatingin ni Ream dito.

"For what?"

"For the earrings..." Umupo ulit si Syl. "For giving me more time to ready the payment."

Ream sat on the sofa in front of Syl. Alam ni Syl na maraming katanungan si Ream, nakikita niya iyon sa mga mata nito. Lalo na ang may kinalaman sa nakita nito sa parking lot.

But to her surprise, Ream's question was different from what she was expecting.

"How are you, Syl?"

How long had it been since someone asked her that earnestly? As if her answer mattered? "I'm..." Syl wanted to say she was fine, but her tears just fell as if telling the man in front of her that she was not fine. Not fine at all.

Seeing Syl in such a state, Ream stood up and went to sit beside Syl. He offered her his handkerchief and just let Syl cry to her heart's content while he stayed beside her silently until she calmed down.

"Feeling better?" Ream asked Syl while helping her wipe her tears and dry her damp cheeks.

Syl nodded as she took deep breaths.

After a while, Syl commented, "It's very peaceful here."

"You can visit anytime."

Syl chuckled. "I don't have the money to spare."

"Then why did you buy earrings for your mom?"

Syl became silent.

"Dahil ba sasaktan ka niya ulit kapag hindi mo siya binilhan?"

Nanatiling tahimik si Syl.

Bumuntonghininga si Ream. "Syl, my offer still stands and will always stand. You don't have to like me back or do anything for me. Just, remember me if you need someone or something. I swear I'm not going to take advantage of you—"

"I know," Syl said in a whisper. "You have always been nice and kind. Always making me feel that my decision and my answer matter. Maybe that's why I like you and I chose to be with you that night in Bali, but..." Syl turned to Ream with her teary eyes, "I can't drag you to my mess. I know you mean well, Ream. I know you mean no harm, but you don't know my family. What you saw in the parking lot, it's nothing compared to what they'll do to me if I rebel. So, I'm sorry that I can't accept your help. I don't want to accept it because I don't want to hurt the only choice I made for myself. You're a good guy, Ream. Maybe in different circumstances I would willingly run to you, hug you tight, and kiss you hard, but where I am now is not a good place."

"I can get you out of that place, Syl. Just trust me..."

"Trust..." Umiling si Syl. "...Is something I can't give so easily, Ream. I'm sorry. Maybe it's selfish of me, but I just want to preserve the good memory we had in Bali. I enjoyed it. So much. And because of that, I don't want the person I chose for the first time to hurt me or leave me, because that's what will happen if I give in and run to you right now. You will leave me, Ream, because you're a good man."

Walang nagawa si Ream nang tumayo si Syl at lumabas ng kuwarto dala-dala ang panyo niya. Hindi sa wala siyang nagawa, kundi wala siyang ginawa dahil kitang-kita niya kung gaano ito nahihirapan at nasasaktan.

Dadagdag pa ba siya?

Ream looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. He was trying to wrap his head around Syl's words to understand her and to know where she was coming from.

Why does she sound so certain that I'll leave her? Ream felt that there was more to this than just her parents. There was more to Syl than her fears and tears. 

CECELIB | C.C.