The Way It Was - Abridged (Complete)

10

Now

THAT WAS a lifetime ago. We left the studio and distracted ourselves with food. I took him to a good Korean restaurant. He could not really handle the spice so I took him to a Filipino restaurant. We gorged and tried not to think of what was going to happen. We told things about each other and got to know one another.

Then Roarke got the phone call. He had another meeting. He had three meetings before they had decided he was the right frontman for the band. Ganap na nagbago ang buhay ni Roarke. He shone so brightly. People were uncertain at first but he easily won them over and eventually amassed a huge following.

I was one of the millions of fans.

I could only be a fan now. I was no longer the woman he fell in love with.

Maybe I should also stop being that. I should cut it off completely.

I should but could I? Being a fan had been part of my life.

Marahas akong nagpakawala ng buntong-hininga. Binuksan ko ang phone. I needed to know what was happening. Darating din siguro ang araw na kaya ko nang itapon ang phone na iyon at i-wipe ang lahat ng accounts at information na naka-store roon. Darating ang araw na susuko ang puso ko o muli iyong titibok para sa iba.

Pero sa ngayon ay kailangan kong malaman kung ano ang nangyayari. I needed to see him. I needed to see how he was after the night we had together. I couldn't really tell and know, because Roarke was good at donning a character on stage, but I needed a glimpse.

Bago ko nga lang mabuksan ang isa sa mga social media apps ay tumunog ang regular phone ko. Nang silipin ko iyon ay nakita kong international number ang tumatawag. Mabilis ko iyong sinagot dahil ang unang naisip ko ay baka may nangyaring hindi maganda sa mga magulang o kapatid ko.

"Hello?"

Tahimik ang kabilang linya.

"Hello? Who's this?"

"You took my ring."

Kamuntikan ko nang malaglag ang phone na hawak ko nang marinig ko ang pamilyar na tinig ni Roarke. Maigi na lang at nakaupo na ako dahil malamang na bumagsak na ako sa sahig kung hindi.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to get your number? Richard doesn't know. Your brother is a dick. And you fucking took my ring." He was angry, that was very evident.

"It is my ring."

"It's mine," naiinis niyang sabi. "You gave it to me. It's mine. You had no right, damn you, Marianne."

"It's my ring!" giit ko, may garalgal sa aking tinig. "You shouldn't be wearing my ring. You're married for God's sake."

"Fuck!"

"Did you tell her?"

"Tell who what?"

"Did you tell your wife you slept with someone else?" Hindi ako sigurado kung kailangan ko ba talagang malaman ang sagot sa tanong na iyon. Ano ang gagawin ko kapag sinagot niya ako? Paano ako magre-react sa magiging sagot niya? May inaasahan ba ako?

It took a beat before he said something. "Oh, fuck, you really don't remember."

Hindi ko naintindihan ang tugon na iyon. Ano ang hindi ko maalala? The night we spent together? The night we cheated on his wife? I wished I could forget–that he was a married man.

I wasn't the ex-girlfriend anymore, I realized. I was the affair. Oh, my God.

"You're not getting the ring back, Roarke. Goodbye." Bago pa man magbago ang isipan ko, pinutol ko na ang koneksyon.

Sa loob ng ilang sandali ay natulala ako. Kapagkuwan ay napabulalas na lang ako ng iyak.