OFF-TANGENT(A Lesbian Story)

Chapter Eight

After Vic's "updates for the day", Mika banged the telephone receiver and decided she needed some fresh air. She walked to the supermarket with her thirty-two pesos and fifty cents and in pure pique spent most of it on a chocolate bar--- the biggest one she could find na pasok sa budget nya , and one produced by Vic's strongest competitor. She dropped the remaining coins into the pockets of her white shorts and started for home, savoring the chocolate, nibbling a tiny bite and letting it melt on her tongue, then crunching the crisp almonds, and wishing it was Vic Galang she was crushing between her teeth.

It had become a matter of pride to her, to survive the weekend without borrowing money or begging rides. Besides, she didn't want anybody else to know what happened. The whole thing was too embarrassing for her. Not even Wensh knew the worst of it. She assumed that once Mika knew for certain where her handbag was, there was nothing much left to be concerned about.

On Monday evening, the band concert started before the dark, and when Kiefer came to pick Mika up, Vic had not yet made her regular call. The young reporter was torn between wanting to stay at home, in case there was something important on her calendar for Tuesday that she would forget about entirely if she wasn't reminded, and an irrational desire to hurry of to the concert to avoid the possibility that Vic would call while Kiefer was in the apartment. O well, bahala na si Batman bukas. Bakit kasi di pa tumatawag yung gunggong na yon. Eh alam naman nya kung anong oras ako susunduin. Tsk!

They decided to just walk, anticipating the difficulty of finding parking space. The concert was to be held at the Boulevard which was a good fifteen minute walk from Mika's apartment. It was high tide. The rush of waves against the walls brought a soothing melody. As they walk hand in hand, Kiefer said, "I hate to bring up business on a beautiful night, but..."

"What is it?"

"Well, the payment on your car loan was due today."

Mika stiffled a groan. She had forgotten all about the car payment because it was automatically deducted from her account each month.

"And when the girls at the loan desk tried to withdraw the money from your account..."

"There was not enough there to cover for it, " Mika agreed. "Darn!"

"They came to me, of course. Mika, it is so unlike you. You have never missed a payment before..."

"This is an unusual situation."

"That is what everyone says the first time," Kiefer muttered with sudden cynicism.

"Well, it is. And it is not only the first time, it'll be the last time too. I'll make a deposit by Wednesday, without fail."

"What is the matter, Mika? Did you purchase something that you could not afford? Lose money in the casino?"

He was trying to make a joke of it, she thought, even though, it was rather a heavy-handed joke.

"Of course not! I just... well, I sort of lost track of my pay cheque."

He stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk. "You what? Lost your cheque?"

"No! Uhmmm... not exactly. I know where it is. It is just that I can't get it back and deposit it till Wednesday. If you could just explain to the loan people that I am not defaulting..."

"Mika, I cannot make a habit of this," he warned.

"You said yourself I have never missed a payment before!"

"Just because I am employed at the bank does not mean that you can rely on me to cover things up."

"I am not asking you to conceal anything! I just want two days grace period on my car payment this month."