The Calm and the Storm

02

02

I pretended to be fine throughout the entire dinner with my sister.

Masyado siyang eager sa reunion lalo na at pumayag akong tumulong. Ba't nga ako pumayag? Kailangan ko yatang i-untog ang ulo ko sa pader para matauhan.

Pagdating sa condo ay uminom kaagad ako ng dalawang baso ng tubig. I remained in the kitchen to gather my consciousness. Kinuha ko ang cellphone mula sa aking bag at tinawagan si Aida.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Busy ka ba?"

"Hindi. Naghahanda ako ng salad para sa dinner. Bakit?"

I heaved a long sigh.

"Parang malaki yata ang problema mo, Trinity," she said.

"Yeah, talagang malaki. Ate just asked me to help her with their college reunion."

Aida paused. "And?"

"It means I will get to see Jeno Emmanuel! Oh my gosh!" naghy-hysterical na ako sa kusina.

My friend went silent for seconds then she laughed. "Yan ang problemang sinasabi mo?"

"Duh, of course! Hindi naman ako sure kasi pinakiusapan lang ako na tumulong sa reunion. But the chances are there! Puwede kaming magkita ulit and I can't bear that."

When I saw him again, bumalik na naman ang konsensiya na dala ko buong kolehiyo. I couldn't bear to look at my sister in the eye again.

Akala ko ba kasi ay nakalimutan ko na si Jeno Emmanuel? Ngunit isang tingin lang mula sa kanya, parang hindi man lang siya umalis kahit saglit.

"You are just overreacting, Trinity. Hindi nga kasi big deal."

"It's a very big deal, Aida," I replied.

"No, it's not. Again, normal lang naman magka-crush."

"Pero hindi normal na magka-crush sa crush ng Ate mo."

She sighed. "Are you even sure that she really had a crush on him? I mean, he is her friend. Plus, isang beses niya lang namang sinabi sa 'yo 'yun."

"Kahit na, Aida. She still said it."

"Paano ka naman ka-sigurado na crush pa rin ni Therese si Jeno Emmanuel hanggang ngayon?"

I couldn't answer her. I didn't know what to say.

"BFF, I am not gaslighting you, okay? Pero ginagawa mo lang na big deal ang issue kahit hindi naman," Aida said on the other line.

Alam ko.

It was slowly sinking in, but I just can't accept it.

My sister is too precious. She's been there for me through ups and downs. Ayoko na biguin siya dahil lang sa simpleng crush. Maybe I was being hysterical, but I was just concerned. My anxiety couldn't bear it.

Even when the call ended, I was still thinking about the whole situation. But I knew I had to live with it. I had no choice.

Siguro masyado lang talaga akong praning.

Morning came and I prepared for work. Ngunit pagdating sa parking lot ay kaagad akong nanlumo nang nakita ang gulong ko!

"Seriously?" I groaned.

Malala pa naman ang traffic ngayon. I looked at my flat tires, feeling so heartbroken. Especially when I remember that I had no spare tires with me.

"Hello, Ate?" I said when she answered my call.