Last Dance With You

Chapter 8

The bar tender looks at him, making sure he's still okay. He's been in there for like a whole day, they were forced to open outside their bar's hour because he unexpectedly came and when a president came inside your establishment you don't turn him down.

His head of security approached him, "sir, gabi na po" Mario said. Bongbong just looks at him and grin, "sit down Mario, drink with me" he said.

"Oras po ng trabaho sir" he said.

Bongbong gestured him to sit down, "just sit, don't worry about me"

***

"Thank you so much Rob for being so patient with me. Sorry naka limutan ko kasi talaga" she said while Robert is putting his things inside his bag.

"Oh that's fine, I get to see the house with my architecture eyes" he joked.

"Do you want to eat dinner with me? Pang palubag loob lang, please" Leni offered. Robert smiled at her and said, "sure"

Leni prepared the table so they could eat dinner together, "so Robert, tell me about you" Leni started then sit on her chair.

"There's nothing to tell bukod sa nag sisimula ulit ako ng buhay dito sa Pilipinas pag katapos ko ma divorce" he said. Leni gave him a sympathetic look, "oh no! How long?"

"2 years"

Leni scoffed, "hay saglit na lang yan at mawawala rin ang pain. Give it more 3 years ma rerealized mo na madami ng nag bago and you will learn how to accept that ... well that's based on mg experience"

"So recently ka palang pala totally naka moved on?" Robert asked then took a bite of his steak.

"To be honest, hindi ka naman talaga totally makaka move on. Kagaya samin ni Bong, we've been married for 25 years, halos kalahati ng buhay ko na identify ako as his wife. Siguro you will learn how to live with it. Masakit pero wala eh ganun talaga" she answered.

Robert nodded then take a sip of his wine, "tell me, if you don't mind, paano kayo nag hiwalay ng asawa mo?" Leni asked.

"She fell in love with my best friend." Leni made a painful sound to let Robert knew she feels for him. "The story was we had a vacation with my best friend and his wife. Nung pauwi na kami, bago mag take off yung eroplano she said na she wanted to leave me for him"

"O my ghad, that's cruel"

"I know, 2 hours lang ang biyahe nun pero it felt like forever. How about you? Paano kayo nag hiwalay?" He asked.

"Oh it was a long process. We tried to save our marriage eh, kaso hindi talaga kinaya. I don't want him to run as President pero I still supported him. Hanggang sa nawalan na sya ng oras saamin, na iintindihan ko siya nung mga unang taon. Mahirap bago kami naka pag adjust pero kinaya kahit nasa binggit na talaga ng annulment ang marriage namin. When his first term was about to end akala ko finally magiging maayos na.

Until the people urged him to run again and I begged him not to, I cried, I almost kneeled just to stop him from running again kasi it was damaging our family na eh and our marriage but he did not listen.

Akala ko makakaya ko kaya I stayed for like a year but then I found out na nakiki pag chat siya kay Charlotte. Nakiki pag kita, nag cocoffee and all that. I asked him one night if he was sleeping with her and he said no." Leni paused for a while, remembering the most painful night of her life.

"But he said that he almost did it. I asked if what stopped him, he did not say na kasi kasal kami at mahal nya ako, he said "I cannot do that to our children" that was when I realized he was so done being my husband. So I asked him for annulment, he did not said no, I remembered he nodded his head then sabi nya lawyer na daw nyang bahala ang mag ayos tapos umalis na sya.

I think we both knew na dun na papunta yung marriage namin for years pero pilit naming pinag tatakpan kasi may mga anak kami at malaking eskandalo yun eh"

Robert held her hand and said, "you are strong Leni. I admire your courage to leave." Leni smiled and thanked him.

***

"25 year Mario! 25 years ginive up nya" Bongbong said then sip his alcohol. Mario's not drinking much but he's listening carefully to the president.

He knew that the president needs to talk to someone after his visit to the former first lady. The security knew something is going on to them again but they knew how to conceal it. It's part of their job.

"Ano po ba sa tingin niyo ang dahilan kung bakit siya naki pag hiwalay sayo" Mario asked.

"We figured out kung bakit siya naki pag hiwalay." Bongbong answered then gestured the bar tender to give him more drinks.

"I'll change the question sir, bakit po kayo pumayag na maki pag hiwalay sya?" That made Bongbong stop to think. I quickly flashed to his mind all of the things that happened to them.

"Alam ko namang ayaw nyang tumakbo ako bilang presidente. Aaminin ko nung unang term ko kaya ako tumakbo ay para sa ambition ko but the second term was my way to get away from her" it was the first time Bongbong said that to an individual.

Mario is his head security even before Yannie was born, so he trusted him so much. "Wala kasi siyang ginawa kung hindi awayin ako, sisihin ako sa lahat nang nangyari sa buhay namin. I don't blame her." Bongbong wipe his mouth then breathe heavily.

"We lost a child and alam kong sinisisi nya ako sa pag kamatay ng anak namin." Mario knew the story of Bongbong and Leni's fourth child who died due to brain failure.

Bongbong was on an important meeting abroad when Leni rushed Miguel, who was 2 years old that time in the emergency. The doctor said that he needed an operation.

Leni doesn't know what to do so she called Bongbong. He told Leni to contact the best neurosurgeon in the Philippines but they have different opinions.

Miguel's doctor since he was born said that it wasn't ideal to operate on him given his age, but the doctors Bongbong called insisted that the operation was essential. Leni sided with Miguel's doctor but Bongbong had the final say.

He let them operate on him and it was successful but he died eventually. His body couldn't take all of it.

Since then Leni became cold towards him.

"Ang dami daming pag subok sa marriage namin Mario. Sumabog na kaming dalawa"