ML Story (iM eLove)

57

"Nasaan na yong kameeting mo?" nagtatakang tanong ko, sinulyapan ko ang relong pambisig ko, halos dalawangpung minuto na ata kaming naghihintay dito sa loob ng restaurant. Halos parating na rin ang inorder namin.

"I don't know" He shrugged his shoulders and reached his phone that was placed on top of the table. "Oh! He's not coming anymore, there's an emergency!" he looked at me pleadingly..

"Anu?! We wasted our time waiting for almost half an our. Anong klaseng investor yan?!" hindi ko napigilang mag burst out. Nakita ko ang pagtigil nito sa pagkakalikot ng aparato niya at pagtaas ng tingin nito sa akin.

I stopped, realizing what I've acted. He bit his lower lip and looked at me with amusement in his eyes. Bigla akong nahiya.

"Relax, ang init ng ulo mo lagi" natatawa nitong saad. Nagulat ako sa inakto niya, akala ko ay magagalit ito dahil sa pagsinghal ko sa kanya.

"S-sorry" bumaba ako ng tingin. He reached for my hand and gently squeezed it.

"It's okay, c'mon foods are coming" binitawan niya ang kamay ko nang batiin kami ng serbidor at ilapag ang mga pagkain namin. Bigla akong natakam sa pagkaing inorder niya. Kanina pa rin ako ginugutom. We silently ate our lunch before we went back to the company.

ILANG ARAW ANG LUMIPAS ay nagkaroon ulit ng lunch meeting si Bryan, kasama ako. We're heading to the restaurant where we were about to meet the client. He might be special since Bryan were so excited awhile ago.

"They are my godparents and my parent's best friends, they took good care of me when I was abroad" he suddenly broke the silence between us. Kahit hindi ko tingnan ang itsura niya ay halatang masaya siya at excited.

I don't know why he has to tell me this but I felt happy that he's actually informing me about details of him like this.

"A-are they ahmm..k-kind?" ewan ko kung bakit kinakabahan rin ako, it's as if he's going to introduce me to the people who were special to him as a girlfriend or what and I have to give my best foot.

Wow Brianna! Where did you pick that guts?

"They are." he answered, that was enough to calm me down. Pinatay niya ang makina ng sasakyan niya nang nasa parking na kami. Binalingan niya ako. "Don't worry they will probably like you" he winked at me.

Pinagbuksan niya ako ng pinto sa sabay kaming pumasok.

"Here" he whispered me from behind and guided me the way. Naiilang pa ako dahil nakaalalay siya sa likod ko.

Tanaw ko sa kalayuan ang nakangiting pares habang nakatingin sa amin kaya't parang alam ko na kung saan kami tutungo. At gaya nang inaasahan ay tumayo ang matandang mag asawa na may pananabit at kagalakan sa mukha.

"Bryan Hijo!" bati ng ginang at sinalubong si Bryan nang yakap, masayang niyakap naman siya ni Bryan pabalik. "How are you?" he touched Bryan cheeks and stared at him with adoration.

"I'm fine tita ninang! How about you po? How's your trip? Tito ninong" inabot naman ni Bryan ang matandang lalaki at niyakap rin ito.

"It went fine. Medyo naninibago lang sa byahi at klema" saad ng ginang. Hinahagod nito ang likod ni Bryan. Napangiti ako, sa puntong ito alam ko na kung bakit tila excited at masayang aura ni Bryan kanina. Sobrang close niya sa mga ito na parang mga magulang niya na kung ituring.

"Masasanay rin po kayo. Oh! By the way I'm with my girlfriend-" nagulat ako sa ipinakilala sa akin ni Bryan. Malaking parte sa puso ko ang masaya imbis na mainis sa sinabi niyang girlfriend niya ako. Nahihiya akong ngumiti sa kanila.

I felt hopeful and delighted. Not until a voice interrupted us from behind broke it. My smile faded and my heart sunk. Parang pinunit ang puso at hinugot ang panandaliang saya ko.

"Am I late?... Oh my! Tita! Tito!" Sheena rushed towards the pair infront of us and gave them a hug, that earned a welcoming hug from the latter.

She must know them huh. And the way they interact, they seemed close. I smiled bitterly at that thought.

Napayuko ako. Oo nga pala, muntik ko ng makalimutan na hindi nga pala ako yung girlfriend niya. Bakit kasi nag assume ako na ako ang ipakikilala niya sa mga taong mahalaga sa kanya. I'm his temporary secretary that's why I'm here, that's my only purpose here! Nawala ako sa mood.

I should distance myself as far as I could. Delikado na naman yung puso ko.

Umiwas ako ng tingin ng humalik si Sheena sa pisngi ni Bryan. Bryan looked at me like he have something to say.

"Nice to meet you Hija!" nagulat ako at hindi ko napaghandaan ang pagyakap sa akin ng ginang pero napangiti parin ako.

"N-nice to m-meet too po. I'm Brianna po...M-ma'am" pagpapakilala ko sa sarili ko. Kahit nahihiya ako sa kanila ay kailangan ko paring makisama.

"Call me Tita Sandra or Tita ninang, whatever will make you comfortable" her soothing voice almost made me forget my disappointment awhile ago. I smiled at her and bowed my head.

"Sige po...T-tita" nahihiya kong tugon.

"I'm your Tito Aldrin hija" her husband offered his hand that I gladly accepted.

"Let's settle down and catch up kids" Tito Aldrin offered us the table. Naunang umupo ang mag asawa kasunod si Sheena.

Nilingon akong ni Bryan pero hindi ko siya binalingan. He clenched his jaw and looked at me, wary-eyed. Nagulat pa ako ng ipinaghila niya ako ng upuan na hindi niya ginawa sa girlfriend niya.

Napatingin pa ako kay Sheena na wala namang pakialam sa nangyayari at abala sa pagtitipa ng telepono niya, natigil lang nang magsimula silang magbalik tanaw habang nag aaral pa si Bryan at si Sheena sa US. Abala si Bryan paglalagay ng kanin sa plato ko, na sobrang ikinailang ko dahil tinitingnan kami ng mag asawa habang nakangiti.

This is so weird, he should serve his girl not me!

Lalo lang akong nasaktan sa kadahilanang hindi ako naging parte ng buhay niya noong nagpatuloy siyang mag aral sa Amerika, kung paano siya naghirap at nagpursige para sa mga pangarap niya.

"Alam mo ba iha, sobrang sipag nitong mag aral. Me and your tita Sandra was so worried about him, I don't know if he was still sleeping at night. He was studying when I went to sleep at midnight and still facing his thick books when I woke up at dawn" naiiling at natatawang pagsasalaysay sa akin ni Tito Aldrin ng karanasan ni Bryan doon sa kanila.

Halong saya at lungkot ang lumulukob sa akin habang palaki nang palaki ang nalalaman ko sa mga pangyayari sa buhay ni Bryan pagkatapos namin. They're all smiling while talking about the past. I didn't know why they were feeding me this information. It made happy and sad and the same time.

Of course he is your boss! You should know what he'd been through to get to his position right now. To be inspired.

"Not just masipag, very competitive in class too, smart-ass!" Sheena rolled her eyes at Bryan and looked at me like she's telling it to me.

Tiningnan rin ako ni Bryan nang may pagyayabang. He was enjoying that his godparents were praising him infront of me. He was studying my reaction that's why I fakely smiled at him.

Oo, ikaw na!

_🖋