Wedding

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be resting in your room now?"

Nakalitaw ang ulo ni Gab sa maliit na singaw ng pinto ng bahay. Pinagkrus ko ang mga kamay habang hinihintay siyang papasukin ako sa loob. Lihim akong napatawa nang maaninag ang gulat sa mukha niya. Hindi nito inaasahan ang pagdating ko. Paano kasi'y alas dose na ng gabi at naparito ako sa bahay ng mga Ramirez para kausapin siya.

"What's wrong about coming here at this hour?" I asked, motioning to get inside but he blocked my way. "Looking at you, I think you were still up when I came. May ginagawa ka?"

"We shouldn't be seeing each other right now. Don't you believe in the saying that the bride must not show her face at all to the groom before the wedding?"

"Oh, come on. Ikaw pa talaga nagasabi niyan, Attorney? That's an outdated tradition," komento ko.

He smiled. "I was just kidding. I know you're not buying that."

"Exactly. Now, let me in," I said and advanced but he still obstructed me from entering. " Why?"

He sighed. Ilang sandali pa siyang nakatitig lamang sa akin bago ako tuluyang pinapasok.

Now, what?

What am I exactly doing here in the middle of the night when the world is now asleep?

"You want coffee?" he asked after closing the door.

Umiling ako. Mas lalong hindi ako makakatulog pag ganoon.

"Milk, then."

He immediately prepared it for me. I just watched him walking around the kitchen with only his shorts and black sando on.

Umupo ako sa high chair at humalumbaba sa counter habang pinapanood siya. He turned to me and smiled while stirring the milk.

Am I seeing abs through his body fit shirt? Ngayon ko lang napansin dahil ngayon ko lang nakita siyang nakapambahay.

Obviously, he's working out recently.

Oh, goodness. Ano namang pakialam ko?

"I'm sorry. That's all I have here," sabi nito at nilapag ang tasa sa harap ko. Umupo din ito sa high chair na nasa tabi ko. "Hindi ako nakapag-grocery."

Hinarap ko siya. Ang isang siko ko ay nakatukod sa counter habang sinisimsim ang gatas. He sure can make good milk.

Lihim akong napatawa. May criteria ba sa pagtimpla ng gatas?

"It's all right. Pasensya na. Nadisturbo yata kita," I said apologetically.

"Hindi naman. I was working on something," kaswal niyang sabi. He pulled his hair a little. "Work-related."

"Wow."

May kasalan bukas, nagtatrabaho pa rin siya ngayon?

Fine. It's not actually a wedding he's really looking forward to in a romantic sense but then he could put aside his work for a while and allow himself to feel excited about this marriage. Or does he feel remorse about living with me for a year?

We're putting up with each other.

"Are you bothered about anything?" he asked. His voice is soft and gentle. "Hm?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. I just can't sleep," sagot ko.

"So, you're bothered."

I took a deep breath.

"We got this together. Imagine having this house and the hacienda after this setup."

"I know. Don't worry. I'm fine. I just want someone to talk with tonight. Inaantok ka na ba?" tanong ko para magkumpirma.

"I have become nocturnal since I came here so talking all night is never a problem. But are you sure no one is looking for you at home?"

"They all went to bed when I left," I answered.

"But they'll assume we're having our honeymoon in advance once they learn you sneaked out just to see me," he said naughtily.

Ramdam ko ang pamumula ng pisngi ko dahil sa sinabi niya. Hindi ko na naisip ang sasabihin ng iba. I was just driven by my desire to chit-chat with someone tonight and he was my easy target.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're cute when you're blushing?"

I scoffed. "You're kidding again, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not."

I made face. Tumawa siya. I felt victorious again. I don't know why but that's what I feel when I'm the reason behind his laughter.

"You really find me funny each time, huh?" tampo ko.

"I am just reiterating the truth."

"So, kikiligin na ako?"

"Pwede. But I dare you not to fall in love with me."

"You're so full of yourself, Attorney. That's not gonna happen."

"Well, just in case you have forgotten. It will be a serious problem if ever each of us gets emotionally attached."

"After what I've gone through, I don't think I'll ever fall in love again, especially with you!"

"Good. That's all I want to hear. "

I looked at him straight in the eyes. "What do you plan to do when the setup is over?"

"Just get back to work like what I usually do," he said seriously. "How about you?"

"Mag-aasikaso ng dalawang hacienda at ng kompanya. Tama ka. We'll be both probably busy even before the year ends. I'm not sure if we could even take a glimpse of each other when we get home at the end of the day."

"We'll make time for us."

"Sus. As if naman kailangan pa iyon."

"Of course. Kailangan nating mag-usap palagi. Consider me as your friend. A partner. And partners should be updating each other about what's going on with their lives so when people ask, we can easily make up a story or at least have a plausible answer to give. "

Wala naman magiging problema. If we can't become a couple as we should, we can at least be friends or partners. Hindi na kalabisan ang level na iyon. I would not ask for his time but I appreciate him thinking that we need to make time for us no matter how limited our time may be at kahit para sa setup man ang purpose no'n.

Napag-usapan namin noon na mamamalagi kami dito sa hacienda sa loob ng isang buwan then we'd start living in his house in Makati a month after. Magiging maganda kaya ang takbo ng buhay namin?

I nodded. "Fine. I wouldn't argue anymore."

                                ***

Lumapit sa amin isa-isa ang mga bisita para bumati. Karamihan sa mga bisita ay mga kakilala namin at mga kamag-anak. May iilang imbitado sa pinagtatrabahuan ni Gab. Dumalo din ang pinsan niya na si Nick. Sa nakikita ko ay maayos naman ang pakikitungo nila sa isa't isa ni Gab.

Maagang natapos ang seremonya dahil nga civil wedding lang naman iyon na officiated ng isang judge na kakilala ni Gab. The wedding was held in a garden resort here in Tarragona maging ang reception. Sa sobrang bilis ng mga pangyayari ay huli ko na nang maramdaman ang suot na singsing sa daliri ko. Huli na din nang mag-sink in sa sistema ko that Gab and I shared an OBLIGATORY kiss.

Should I count it as my first kiss?

Naipikit ko ang mga mata nang lumapat ang mga labi niya sa mga labi ko. My senses only came back when he planted a kiss on my forehead.

I wonder if he's a good kisser without anyone seeing us.

What the hell am I thinking?

"May laman na ba 'to?" himas ni Brianna sa tiyan ko matapos niya akong yakapin. Ngayon ay naglilibot na kami sa mga mesa para makuhanan ng larawan kasama ang mga bisita.

Gab went to his friends shortly and left me with Brianna.

"Anong pinagsasabi mo?" pagtataka ko.

"Aminin. Pumunta ka kina Gab kagabi, diba?" tawa niya habang palipat-lipat ng tingin sa amin ni Gab.

Namilog ang mga mata ko. Paano niya nalaman gayong wala naman siya sa bahay kagabi? Or did Joriel tell her that?

"Where did you hear that?"

"Where I heard it is not important. But you did sneak out last night," natatawang sabi nito. "You can't wait the next day to see your groom, ano?" bulong nito sa akin.

"Nothing happened, okay? We just talked," paliwanang ko at pinukol siya ng masamang tingin.

"Wala namang masama kung may nangyari nga," hagikgik niya.

"Oh my god. Get lost," seryosong sabi ko.

"Hey, come on. I was just kidding," bawi nito. "Cheer up, Mrs. Alcantara."

"You're stressing my wife," hapit ni Gab sa beywang ko na nagpapitlag sa akin. Saan ba ito galing? Ang tagal niyang nawala.

"Here are my colleagues," Gab introduced the three lawyers behind him. Isa-isang niyang pinakilala ang mga kasamahan niya at mukhang mababait naman at palabiro ang mga ito.

"Congratulations sa inyong dalawa Attorney. Pa'no ba yan? We can't paint the town red anymore," sabi ni Atty. Lopez, mukhang kasing-edad lang ni Gab.

Gab raised his eyebrow. "Not unless my wife agrees. Right, babe?" he coaxed, lightly rubbing his lips against my earlobe. I gasped. It was a strange feeling. Parang may kung anong mainit na bumuhos sa tiyan ko.

They cleared their throats. "Respeto naman sa mga single."

"Will you take me with you then? I said, gently, raising my head to see more of Gab's face.

"Of course, Mare!" Atty. Lopez exclaimed. "Sama ka para may kausap din itong si Atty. Baldemor kapag lalabas kami," tukoy nito sa abogada na kasama nila.

"You sure don't know when to zip your mouth, Atty. Lopez," pormal na wika ni Atty. Baldemor. Seryoso ang aura nito at maging sa pananamit. Parang hindi pwedeng biruin.

"Chill lang. Ito naman. Sasamahan kana nga ni Mareng Tiffany," ani Atty. Lopez at humalukiphip sa harap ni Atty. Baldemor. "Sige ka. Kapag ganyan ka, tatanda ka talagang dalaga," babala niya.

Tumawa lamang ang isang abogado na kasama nila. Atty. Howard Vasquez.

Nasa late 30's na ito. Malayo na ang edad kumpara kina Gab ngunit wala pa rin daw asawa. These people surely hate commitment, don't they?

Kung wala bang hinahabol na will si Gab ay mananatili din kaya itong single kagaya ni Atty. Vasquez?

I felt Gab's hand intertwined my fingers. "Shall we go? Medyo mahaba pa ang bangayan ng mga iyan."

I whispered. "Are you sure we can leave now?"

"They will understand."

Gab tightly held my wrist as we sneaked out of the reception.

"Mga sampung anak. Yohoo!" narinig kong hiyaw ng isang bisita na hindi ko na nalingon kung sino nang mapansing tumatakas kami.

Nagtagumpay kaming makalabas at makasakay sa kotse niya. We laughed at what we did.

"Are they not going to look for us?" tanong ko. Nag-aalala lang naman ako na baka hanapin ako ni Mommy dahil patuloy pa ang pagdating ng mga bisita. I was a bit sad this morning knowing that Daddy and Kuya Terron didn't make it but seeing the people around us happy with our union, I couldn't be happier.

"They knew already where we're going and what we're about to do," he replied, laughing.

Siyempre, sa isip lang nila 'yon. We're not going to do what they think we will.

"Hay naku!" I crossed my arms. Nilaru-laro ng paa ko ang suot na gown. "Nakakapagod din pala ang ikasal, ano?" baling ko sa kanya. " Mukha yata akong haggard ngayon. What do you think? Napapangiwi na yata ako sa ibang litrato natin kanina"

"You're beautiful, Tiffany," he softly said, glancing at me.