Dalumat

I. The Idea Of

It's funny, Risa thought.

She has this aura about her that makes you want to protect her.

It's funny because she is anything but weak. In fact, she brings with her this quiet dignity, along with that shatterproof composure. Risa could never recall a time when she saw her friend rattled, ever, even at her busiest.

But there's also a certain softness. Maybe that's what it was.

It makes you feel protective, makes you want to defend her from absolutely anything and anyone. It makes you want to build an iron fortress around her just to keep her safe, and you don't even know from what, nor would you care.

You just don't want anything bad to touch her.

As she sat there quietly onstage, in the midst of pink and placards and attentive eyes, listening to the woman in question speak to a passionate crowd, Risa wondered if she was the only one who thought that about her friend.

Hindi lang naman siguro ako, diba?

A young girl — probably a first-time voter, Risa guessed with a smile — near the stage caught her eye. She was clutching a pink cartolina, now slightly crumpled, so tightly to her chest, eyes and ears fully focused on Vice President Leni Robredo, as if every word that came out of her mouth was the most important word in the world.

Tama. Risa wanted to laugh. Hindi nga.

-

It was already 11 p.m. by the time the rally 'ended' — at least for Tropang Angat. A band was still playing onstage, and they could hear the audience singing along from their tent. If they could, they would stay for the music, but they still had an early start the next day. She'd probably get about four hours of sleep at most. Five if she was lucky.

The senatorial slate was the first to come down from the stage. Leni and Kiko were still up there taking pictures with some of the celebrities and supporters.

"Sen?" Risa turned to find Chel calling her. "Punta ka na?"

"Mamaya na. Mauna na kayo. Hintayin ko muna si VP."

Chel responded with a small smile and a nod, bidding her good night before leaving for the van to their hotel, the others already there with him. It wasn't unusual for Risa to stay behind and wait for Leni, who was always the last to leave the venue if not leaving together with them. But it wasn't usual, either. It was just a sometimes thing. This was just one of those Sometimes.

Because she felt like it.

Wala lang. That's what Risa would say if asked why.

The tent was busy with people milling about. There were tables set up where they ate their dinner and snacks. There were refrigerators at the side just in case anyone wanted a drink. Risa went to one of the refrigerators and fetched a cold bottle of water. She was about to approach a free chair at one of the tables before a group approached her for a quick selfie.

She was still smiling and looking at the camera when she sensed a commotion from not too far away. These days, that meant one thing: Leni was nearby. It was a rarity to see Leni alone in public ever since the beginning of the campaign. Wherever she goes, a crowd usually follows. Risa wondered how her friend felt about that.

She looked up to see she was right. It was Leni surrounded by a small mass of people — a mix of her supporters, her staff, the governor, and her PSG. Risa was temporarily distracted by the group still around her, but, as if she had a sixth sense just for her, she could feel where Leni was even without looking.

As the group was leaving, she knew Leni was coming near her, and by the time she was left alone, Leni had a hand about to land on Risa's shoulder.

Pat.

"Risa," Leni said her name with the last syllable stretched out, making Risa smile secretly behind her face mask.

They came together for a beso and a half-hug, just like how they normally greet each other in public. When they pulled away, Leni didn't fully let go of her, one hand still on Risa's waist.

"Pasensya ka na, 'di kita nakausap kanina. Medyo natagalan kasi kami sa volunteer HQ."

"Oh, no worries. I understand naman." Risa finally asked the question she'd been meaning to ask all evening, "Nag-dinner ka na?"

"Hindi pa. Pinakain ko na 'yung staff ko, pero dumiretso na ako agad dito."

Remembering the bottle of water in her hand, she offered it to Leni. "Namamaos ka na," she said teasingly.

Leni only laughed in response as she gratefully accepted the bottle. She struggled with the cap for a while before she was able to successfully open it. Risa couldn't help but smile a little at how cute she looked then.

Leni was in the middle of drinking her water when Risa made her proposition.

"Gusto mo Chowking on the way home?"

She could almost see a spark in Leni's eyes when she said that. Leni's mouth was still full of water, so instead of hearing Yes, all Risa could hear was something more like a grunt — hoarse voice and everything — which an amused Risa took as a yes, anyway.

A hungry Leni wouldn't say no to good ol' Chowking.

-

It wasn't long until Risa and Leni were in Leni's black van. Leni's staff, who were usually with her in this van, rode in a separate one directly to the hotel. Neither Leni nor Risa even had to say anything. For some reason, this time, unlike the previous times before tonight, when the staff saw the two of them leaving the venue together, it was basically understood that the two women were going to get the van all to themselves. Risa thought that, after a few of those Sometimes, they probably got used to it by now.

They had already passed by a drive-thru and were rummaging through their orders in their seats. Both of them got the same pork chao fan with steamed siomai.

"Malapit na pala mag-midnight. Midnight snack na ba 'to?" Risa joked, at which Leni laughed.

"Gusto mo sa room ko na kumain? Medyo malapit na din tayo," Leni suggested.

She was right. They were just a couple of minutes away from the hotel. Eating now would be counterintuitive since they would be forced to stop midway and finish their food in their rooms in the end.

"Sure."

It was quiet for a few moments as Leni placed the paper bag with her food in the vacant space between them. Risa, who was still holding her order, decided to do the same thing, and placed her paper bag beside Leni's.

"By the way..." Leni looked up, directly meeting Risa's gaze. "Thank you for waiting for me."

It wasn't anything surprising. It wasn't the first time Leni thanked her for anything, either. She didn't know what it was or what was different. Perhaps it was the manner she said those words — softly, almost like a whisper, like she was sharing a secret.

In those few seconds when Leni said those words and the few seconds afterwards, Risa suddenly understood how the young girl from the rally earlier felt, how the girl was hanging on to every word Leni was saying that she neglected to raise the placard that she'd probably worked on the entire night before, when the intended recipient was finally right in front of her.

"You're welcome, Leni."

Risa couldn't see Leni's mouth behind her face mask, but she could tell she was smiling — what with her eyes smiling in that unique Leni way of hers. She couldn't see herself, either, but Risa knew she was smiling, too.