walang imikan. malayo na ang natatakbo sa daan. ngunit ang sasakyan ay puno ng katahimikan. ang binata sa pagmamaneho lang ang turan. ang dalaga'y nag-iisip ng paraan. pano kukumbinsihin ang kaibigan. para ang isang kaibigan ay hindi masaktan. hindi nya ito maaaring iwan. desisyon ng binata kailangang pigilan. kung paano hindi pa nya alam. ang binata naman parang naibsan. kahit paano natanggal ang bigat sa pakiramdam. kung ang dalaga'y magdesisyong lumisan. sa mga susunod na panahon gagawa na lamang ng paraan. ang desisyon ay kanyang paninindigan. kung mawala man ang pagkakaibigan. ang kanyang desisyon ay tama naman. sa ngayon may masasaktan. ngunit mas mahalaga na sa tama lahat dapat simulan. para ang magaganap sa kinabukasan. hindi na muling pagsisihan. dumating na sa dapat patunguhan. wala pa ring salita ang sa kanila'y namagitan. dapat na sigurong may bumasag ng katahimikan.

we're here.

—-

nicomaine—

sorry

are we.... are we okay?

huh?

ok pa ba tayo?

uhm. oo naman.

galit ka ba?

why would i

kasi i'm planning to do something that might hurt your bestfriend

malungkot lang. nanghihinayang. baka kasi pwede pa namang ayusin

nicomaine

i get you... believe me richard... i do get you... at hindi naman talaga kita masisisi.... it's just that.... syempre.... we're still talking about alex

would it be different if it wasn't alex?

well as your friend. si alex man yun o ibang babae. my opinion will be the same. baka naman pwede ka pang humanap sa puso mo ng rason. baka pwedeng you give yourself sometime to think... maybe to look back dun sa mga bagay na pinagdaanan nyo, mga challenges na na-survive nyo, hindi naman kasi biro yung four years para itapon na lang ng ganun na lang di ba? baka nam—

do you honestly think i came to this conclusion without taking everything into consideration? minahal ko si alex. she was once the woman i thought of waking up my every mornings with. hindi naman ganun kadali bago ako nagdesisyon. i looked at all sides. heck i even traced back my previous steps just in case i missed something. i gave myself a chance to love her again.... not once, not twice... a lot of times... and you know what hurts the most? it hurts kasi kahit anong lingon ko, kahit saang direksyon yung puntahan ko, kahit anong gawin kong pangungumbinsi sa sarili ko, wala na kong maramdaman. hindi ko na sya makita sa tabi ko. hindi ko na makita yung buhay ko kasama sya. hindi ko na maramdaman na we still have a chance. hindi ko na mabigyan yung sarili ko ng rason and it was painful

sorry

please. don't be. nasasaktan din naman ako. nicomaine minahal ko si alex. once. nicomaine, once in my life your bestfriend WAS my life...

i.... i... uhhh— i don't know what to say.... but i want to be fair.... just please.... make it less painful... for her....

if i could.... if i have the option.... believe me ayoko syang masaktan.... hinihintay ko nga na sabihin na lang nya sa kin na si charles ang pinili nya.... at least i know she's ok.

she'll choose you. ikaw ang mahal nya. mahal na mahal.

then i don't have any option. don't i?

just.... just.... hindi ko alam.... i want to be objective. but knowing na si alex ang pinag-uusapan. i'm sorry but.... parang hindi ko kaya.... sorry

i get you. bestfriend mo sya eh. and i admire you for trying. but sorry, i have to do this. isa lang yung hihilingin ko....

huh?

keep our friendship

uhm.... i....

please....

i.... i'll try.... i will....

thank you

i... i can't promise

at least you'll try. that's enough for me

richard

yes?

kung... kung sakali ba na ako naman ang magsabi sayo.... to keep our friendship.... will you also promise.... promise to at least try?

i'll stay. that's not even a try. i'd be glad to stay.

sana nga richard.... sana nga....

look whatever it is.... i'll definitely stay

when do you plan to tell her?

as soon as possible

when did.... when was.... when di—

a year and a half ago.

that — that long ago?

i didn't want to prolong our agony. but i was not given a chance. did you know that for the last year and a half, anim na beses lang kami nagkita? birthday ng mom ko, birthday ng dad nya, christmas, new year and none of those lasted more than 30 minutes and not a minute we were left alone to talk, the other two occasions were her contract signing with a company i am a shareholder and then a party we sponsored and she was there as an endorser. all my invitations to talk, have dinner and even lunch — all of which she had excuses.

she knew...

what?

she has this gut feel.

that's why she's stalling?

yes. don't be angry. she's doing it kasi mahal na mahal ka nya.

hindi ako galit. hindi ako magagalit kay alex. but i can't do this anymore. i for one does not tolerate hypocrisy. i am an honest person nicomaine. ayaw na ayaw kong nagsisinungaling.

i get you. but as i've said. sana lang, wag muna. pakiusap.

nicomaine

please.... pag medyo ok na.... yung sitwasyon nya.... wag muna ngayon....

nicom—

richard please.... pabor ulit.... kahit may kapalit.... kahit utang....

don't do this

i have to. alex is my bestfriend

i don't want to hurt her anymore

for me? for our friendship... konting palugit lang. konting sandali pa? pakiusap richard

don't say please. don't make me take your offer

i'll take my chances.

i'm a businessman. mataas akong maningil ng pabor. i think i've established that.

still. for my bestfriend. for alex.

i.... i'm sorry nicomaine.... this time... it's a no...

i'll tell you my story...please don't leave he—

NO. as much as i would want to hear your story. not like this.

then what can i do

nicomaine

richard. do i need to beg?

no please don't.

then what?!

stop

i can't hurt her again.... not when i know i can still do something for her.... i'd move mountains if i have to.

i'm happy to help you move those mountains but even if i do, i will still hurt her. please don't make it any harder

richard can't you understand how much she loves you? she lov—

not at the expense of her son!

wait... alam — paano? sandali —pan—

about chico? yes nicomaine. i know. matagal ko ng alam. she can't be with chico if she's with me

pero ikaw ang mahal nya

which is wrong. she made a mistake not being a mom to her child when she chose her career over chico. i'm giving her the opportunity to be with chico. i should know. there was a part of my life when i lost my mom. she left us when my dad cheated on him. ang sakit mawalan ng ina. and NO CHILD should experience that kind of loss and emptiness. kaya, i'm giving her that chance nicomaine so please. stop begging. mas magiging masakit kung ako ang pipiliin nya. mas hindi ko kaya. kung sakali man na mahal ko pa sya ngayon. hindi yun kakayanin ng konsensya ko. so please. let's all put to rest everything that should just be in the past. let's start healing. nicomaine. if you're begging me for your bestfriend. i'm begging you for chico. i'm begging you for a child who deserves to have mother. a family. hindi ko yun ipagkakait sa kanya.

isang yakap. mga iilang hikbi. ngayon naiintindihan ang mali. may dakilang puso ang nasawi. para magbigay daan sa pagmamahal na napawi. nais magpasalamat kung sakali. sa lahat ng pag-iintindi at mga pakiwari. sa isang dakilang puso, walang masabi. ang kanyang pagmamahal natatangi. tama ang binata at hindi ito maitatanggi. isang yakap - pagpapahatid na kanyang kasakiman ay isinasantabi. tama ang nais ng binatang mangyari. lumaya ang lahat sa sakit na sa nakaraan naghari. masakit man ang mangyayari, ang lahat ng ito sa lahat makakabuti. sa ngayon pagkatalo ay tatanggapin ng madali. sa ngayon, ang dahilan ng binata ay magiging kakampi...

i'm sorry richard...

*******************