Chapter Fifty-Nine - Hole-in-one
STACEY and the girls had fun all day. They got their lunch from food delivery. Pagkatapos, tulong-tulong sila sa paglilinis ng kanilang mga kalat at pagliligpit ng mga pinagkainan. Dumeretso sila sa entertainment room ng condo pagkatapos. They huddled together in Fritzie's couch that is so big it almost looked like a bed with a back rest half the height of the room's wall. Patay ang ilaw at sa higanteng smart TV lang nagmumula ang liwanag. They watched a lot of chick flicks and haven't finished one horror movie because Kylie started crying in fear. When they stopped watching movies, they entertained themselves with gossip. They updated each other about what's going on with their lives as well. None of them talked about Piccollo, though. That gave her the hint that even if they rarely talk in groups, Stacey had an idea that one of her friends talk with the other one every now and then. Kaya tila alam nilang magbabarkada na bawal pag-usapan si Piccollo—for Kylie's sake.
Ilang beses niyang sinubukang makahanap ng tiyempo para masolo si Sondra pero hindi niya magawa. Ihuhuli na lang niyang kausapin si Fritzie dahil hindi siya sigurado kung maayos ba ang kalalabasan ng heart-to-heart talk nila o sisipainba siya nito palabas ng condo.
It was only five in the afternoon when they completely drained their social batteries.
Nakatulog sa couch sa entertainment room sina Cynthia at Kylie. Kylie was already the only one wrapped in blanket that the five of them were sharing earlier. Nakayakap dito si Cynthia na nakatulog na. Fritzie was sitting with her feet up on one of the three long blue sofas in the living room. Kandong nito ang laptop at dino-double check ang details ng booked flight nito para bukas. Across the small table was another blue sofa where Stacey lounged. Si Sondra naman ang nakaupo sa panggitnang sofa na nakasandal sa pader kung nasaan ang isang malaking glass window. Kasalukuyang nakaharap doon si Sondra. Her arms rested close to the window, and her chin was atop her folded arms. Nakatanaw ito sa view sa labas ng bintana—ang luntiang damuhan ng golf course na may mangilan-ngilang mga puno. Hinahaplos ang mga ito ng mapusyaw na kahel mula sa liwanag ng papalubog na araw. Pagkalagpas ng tingin sa mga ito ay makikita ang tila nahahamugan na hulma ng mga nagtataasang gusali.
Stacey took in a deep breath and got up. Maingat siyang lumapit sa sofa kung nasaan si Sondra. Nakataas ang mga paa nito roon pero may natitira pang espasyo sa dulo ng sofa kaya umupo siya roon. Napalingon agad ang babae sa kanya.
"I thought you're going to take a nap?" malumanay nitong ngiti sa kanya.
She smiled and shook her head. "Maya-maya na siguro."
Ibinalik nito ang tingin sa bintana kaya nakitanaw na rin dito si Stacey. Masyadong maliit ang mga tao sa golf course, pero sa palagay niya ay dalawang lalaki iyon na may nakasunod na tig-isang caddy habang naglalaro. She could not help thinking of Renante. Ito lang naman kasi ang kilala niya na marunong mag-golf. He tried to teach her months ago, but she's just not really interested with that game. For Stacey, it is too slow and unclimactic. 'Tapos, napakapresko pa ng hangin at maraming puno sa isang golf course, kaya mas nakakaramdam siya roon ng ginhawa at antok kaysa excitement sa paglalaro.
Nagnakaw siya ng tingin kay Fritzie na busy pa rin sa laptop nito. Inaantok na tiniklop ni Stacey ang mga braso sa ibabaw ng backrest ng sofa bago ito inunan. Nakahilig ang kanyang ulo para maipako naman ang kanyang tingin kay Sondra.
She scanned her with her eyes first and realized that she may have aged, but her trademark features remained. Sondra still has those eyes so conflicting to look at—fierce but at the same time, innocent. Bahagya itong pumayat, kaya mas nagmukhang mahaba ang hugis ng mukha lalo na at na-maintain nito ang natural na pagiging unat na unat ng itim nitong buhok. Her hair was mid-parted with no bangs, and every strand were smoothly clasped together with a hair tie in a low ponytail. She wore a pair of jeans and a tight, ribbed button-down blouse colored maroon. So, chic and smooth like a pretty My Scene doll.
"Sonny."
"Hmm?" lingon nito sa kanya.
"I'm sorry for being a fake friend."
Mahina itong natawa. "Haven't we settled about this already?"
"We had. But I haven't moved on from it yet."
Saglit na napatingin sa kanila si Fritzie bago nito ibinalik ang tingin sa ginagawa. Ngunit ang mga tainga nito,nanatiling attentive sa pinag-uusapan nila ni Sondra.
"You can say sorry every day, and I'll always forgive you. But if you won't move on from it, then you really won't be able to move on."
“I really don’t know. It’s just that, saying sorry doesn’t seem to be enough, to make it up to you for everything. For all those years that . . . that I tried to ruin your life, so that Renante will be turned-off of you.”
Mapang-unawang ngiti ang gumuhit sa mga labi nito. Napauwas si Sondra ng tingin. It was as if her eyes were looking at something past her left shoulder.
“But during those moments, nananaig pa rin ang mabuti mong puso. Sure, you intend to get me drunk at times. You encourage me to go crazy, flirt around, and dance wildly at clubs . . . but, you never left me.” Sondra looked into her eyes. “You always make sure that I get home safe. You always check on me, the next day or on the same night . . . Just to see if I’m alright.”
Hindi niya alam kung ano ang sasabihin. Sa pagkakataong ito lang niya naalala ang mga iyon . . .
“You may be faking our friendship from the start, Stacey. But that doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Because it is already the past? I am scared how history can come back around and replay, this time, to my kids . . . or your kids.” Stacey lowered her eyes. "I have seen how the past, no matter how long ago it is, still affects the future of my mother and Renante’s mother . . . mine and Renante’s present . . .” A soft shudder escaped from her lips. Stacey calmed herself quickly and continued. “What if maipamana ko ang ugali kong ganoon sa magiging mga anak ko? I don't want them to be a fake friend. Or someone who only makes friends with others to get what they want."
"That's not going to happen, Stace."
Napatingin siya rito. "Because?"
"Because you don't want them to be like that, so it means, you will do anything just for them to be not like that."
Natigilan siya sa narinig.
"You are going to be their mother, that's why I believe, they'll be better people."
Naaalarmang napatuwid siya ng upo. "But you saw what I have done to you--"
"Of course," maagap nitong sagot. "And you learned from your mistakes. Hindi ba?"
Dahan-dahan siyang tumango.
"Then, you have nothing to worry about. Ang ugali kasi ng bata ay hindi namamana. Itinuturo iyon sa kanila. Akala lang natin na namamana nila pero hindi. Natututunan nila iyan kapag nakikita nila tayo, kapag naririnig nila kung paano tayo magsalita, o kapag napapansin nila kung paano natin tratuhin ang ibang tao. Now that you've changed, I believe that your kids will only see you as someone who's true and kind, and they’ll learn to be that kind of person as well.”
Nahihiyang napayuko siya. Pakiramdam niya kasi ay nangingilid na ang kanyang mga luha. "I'm so lucky to have a friend who already has two kids, who knows kids pretty well."
Mahinang natawa si Sondra. "Talaga! That's why, you have nothing to worry about." Napasinghap si Stacey nanggagapin nito ang kanyang mga kamay. "Just kidding! Look, I may already have two kids, but that doesn’t make me an expert mother or anything like that. Everyday, I still learn something new, because kids have different wants and personalities. So, don’t think that you might fail as a mother, because if you have any motherhood questions and your mom is hard to contact? I'm here. If you need my help, you can always call me."
Pigil niya ang maiyak habang nakangiti rito.
"Call lang, ha?" taray-tarayan ni Sondra. Sa tingin niya ay pinagaan nito ang tono ng pananalita dahil nagpipigil din itong maiyak. "Kasi, hindi kita lagi mapupuntahan. May dalawa na akong anak!"
"I know, I know. Hindi naman ako ganoon ka-demanding, no!" pabirong irap niya rito.
Nangingiting umiling-iling si Fritzie. Nakatutok pa rin sa laptop ang mga mata nito pero sagap na sagap naman ng mga tainga nito ang kanilang pinag-uusapan.
***
RENANTE clucked his tongue after he swung his golf club and hit the ball.
They were already at Florence Golf Club’s golf course. It was early January, that was why despite the warm glow of the setting sun, there was still chill in the air. It wasn’t just air, but breeze rustling past the lush trees surrounding them.
After putting a marker close to his golf ball, Renante ran back to rejoin Memo. A few steps behind them, there stood two other men—caddies in white sun visors and uniforms—that held and pulled their golf bags mounted on trolleys. They quietly whispered to each other.
Renante glanced at Memo who simply smirked at him smugly.
“Weak. Your turn. Again.”
Napapangiting umiling si Renante at pumosisyon uli.
“Humihina ka na yata sa pagtira,” pamaywang nito matapos ipahawak sa caddy nito ang gamit nitong golf club. “See how far my ball is?” tanaw nito sa golf ball nito na ilang hakbang pa ang layo mula sa kinabagsakan ng bola ni Renante.
“Well . . . There’s no need to hit that hard to get good results,” he sighed with a smile before positioning his feet properly. Itinutok niya ang dulo ng golf club malapit sa golf ball. “You’ll see what I mean.”
After assessing the position of the golf ball, Renante began parting his legs, bending his back, and squaring his shoulders. Inangat niya ang ulo para tanawin ang distansya sa pagitan ng bola at ng flag na senyales na naroon ang butas na dapat nitong pasukan.
Memo scoffed. “What I think is you need more practice. Come here more often. They offer golf training here and they are excellent—”
He chuckled. “Nah. Not necessary. This might be the last time I’m playing golf anyway.”
“Why?” tila gulat na gulat nitong tanong.
It took him a while to answer. He focused his concentration on his golf ball and club, then made his shot. Tinanaw muna niya kung saan bumagsak ang bola bago sumagot.
“Because, it’s a slow game. I don’t like to play slow games anymore . . .” he said as he stood straight and then, he turned to the caddies. “Sorry, caddies. But I’ll recommend this golf club to my dad and Ronnie.”
Ngumiti lang ng magalang ang mga ito. Yumuko si Renante at pinulot ang kanyang marker. Then, they walked toward the nearest ball. They saw Memo’s marker on it, kaya sinenyasan niya saglit ang kanyang caddy para ilagay ang marker niya sa mas malayong golf ball.
“Too bad you don’t want to play anymore,” Memo replied. “I mean, you’re a CEO now. It’s been tradition to bring prospects or colleagues to a golf game—”
“Because the game is slow-, there’s an opportunity for long talks like this, and it can help buy us time to persuade them to negotiate with us?” he grinned as they stopped in front of Memo’s golf ball.
“Yeah,” Memo sighed, reached for his golf club from his caddy, and switched places with him. “Speaking of ‘buying time,’ is that phase in your relationship with Stace already over?”
“What phase?” kunot-noo niya habang
“The ‘buying time’ phase!” maluwag na ngiti nito sa kanya. Ni hindi pa tinitingnan uli ni Memo ang golf ball nito. “You really took a long, long time, didn’t you, Renante? You made Stacey wait for so long to be your girlfriend. You need to buy some more time again until you’re ready to make her your wife?”
Pinaningkitan niya ito ng mga mata. “Do you really have to pressure us?”
“Not really pressuring,” he shrugged and started to get into position. “I just need an answer or I need you to promise that you are already sure about committing to Stace. Kasi, ‘tulad ng sinabi ko sa ’yo , pagkabenta ko ng mga properties ko rito, aalis na ako, hindi na ako babalik pa. So, before I completely leave Stace to you, I need an assurance.”
That’s when he finally got curious. “Ano ba itong . . . utang-na-loob mo kay Artemia? What could she have possibly done, for you to go to this extent just to pay her back?”
Memo breathed in and stayed in his bent down position as he answered. “She unveiled a very important secret to me.”
“What secret?” he asked without thinking. Kaya nang mapagtanto ang kanyang nasabi ay bumawi siya agad. “I mean, you can say it if . . . if that’s okay with you.”
Memo smirked. “Well, she just told me the secret on how to get this rich.” After that vague confession, he made a smooth swinging hit that ended him up in a standing position with his hand holding the golf club over his shoulder, and one leg slightly bent.
He stared at Memo for a bit, wondering what kind of secret on how to get rich was he talking about. Then, he watched turned his head to the field. Sa lakas ng tira ng kanyang kasama, hindi niya nahanap agad ng mga mata kung saan bumagsak ang bola.
Then, Renante remembered that he still owe Memo that assurance regarding Stacey.
“I assure you,” he said when Memo turned to him, “Stacey will be safe, loved, and taken care of by me. Always. Until the end. We are still in the process of closing some chapters in our lives . . . We’re getting ready. I am getting ready for the big day, which is absolutely going to happen, because she’s my hole-in-one*.”
“Hole-in-one*, eh?” Memo grinned.
“Yes. One look at me and I already got her. I’m so lucky, right?” He smiled, while deep inside he still could not believe that after all these years, he still has Stacey by his side. “I really think that I am in a good place, right now, Memo. Everyday, things are doing good. Hindi na kami katulad ng dati na malala kung mag-away . . . na sunod-sunod ang conflict. Lately . . .” Natulala siya saglit, “everything seems to fall into place. Everything feels so right.”
“That sounds nice. I think that’s how true love is supposed to feel like. But it is different with life.” Memo stopped walking when they got to the nearest golf ball. Humarap ito sa kanya kaya hinarap niya rin ito. “When life gets too peaceful, it’s like the quiet before the storm.”
Nagsalubong ang kanyang mga kilay.
Memo smiled. “So, brace yourself.” Then he looked down at the golf ball close to his feet to check its marker before glancing back at him. “Your turn.”
***
Definitions:
*Hole-in-one
: In golf, a hole in one or hole-in-one occurs when a ball hit from a tee to start a hole finishes in the cup. A ball hit from a tee following a lost ball, out-of-bounds, or water hazard is not a hole-in-one due to the application of a stroke penalty. (source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hole_in_one)
:There’s an “unofficial” rule which has become a tradition among golfers. If a golfer is lucky enough to strike a hole in one, he will celebrate properly after his round is over, by buying a round of drinks for everyone in the club, at the bar at that particular time. (source: https://www.mardykevalley.co.uk/golf-course-in-south-ockendon-essex/etiquette-and-the-hole-in-one-rule/)
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