Tux and Teardrops

Uno.

"Iniwan ka nya. Pinagpalit ka sa mas sexy, mas matangkad, at mas sosyal. At hindi ka lang basta basta ipinagpalit, he cheated on you. For four months!"

"Yep."

"Sa four months na yun, dumaan ang first anniversary ng business mo at second anniversary nyo. Pareho nyang nakalimutan yung events na yun kasi he was apparently out of the country for a business trip, tapos all the while, he was just in Cebu. With his bitch!"

"Uh huh, that's right."

"Nung nakipagbreak sya sayo, he said it was your fault. Sabi nya, clingy ka in an annoying way. Hindi ka daw sweet kapag nagdi-date kayo. Hindi ka marunong maglambing. He called you boring and a waste of his time."

"Apparently, the douchebag doesn't know what Introvert means."

"And you're okay with it?"

"Gago ka ba? Syempre hindi! Eh wala na eh. So.."

"Maine, maybe he's right."

"Nicoleen Dyann Mendoza, gusto mong sindihan kita ng buhay dyan, girl?"

"Gago. Eh kasi naman! Minahal mo ba talaga yun? Baka naman kasi hindi talaga tapos nafeel nya na lang. Kaya ayan, iniwan ka."

"Cheated. HE. CHEATED. Buti sana kung iniwan na lang eh. Naaksidente, nangibang bansa, namatay. Ganun ang pang-iiwan. Mas matatanggap ko yun!"

"Bakit, hindi mo ba tanggap?"

"Are you fucking kidding me? Ikaw kaya ipagpalit ni Mike sa hipon, matatanggap mo?"

"Leche ka, sinali mo pa yung Mike ko!"

"Arte ng 'Mike ko'. Kinapayat mo yun."

"Tse! Pero seryoso nga, Meng. Are you okay? I mean, nag-usap na ba kayo nun ni Andrew? Tinanong mo na ba sya kung bakit? Did you do your part na ba to fix things?"

"I did, okay? Many times. As in calling-him-every-minute-of-everyday-to-ask-for-another-chance kind of many times. Yes, I know. Pathetic. Tinanong ko naman sya kung bakit, but every time I do, I get the same reason - kasalanan ko daw. When I had enough, tinigil ko na, Coleen. It's not fair na he cheated on me tapos ang dahilan pa nya is kasalanan ko. Tangina nya.

Besides, I may not be an expert when it comes to love and relationships, but all I know is that cheating is wrong. Kahit ano pang lame excuse ang meron ka, cheating is not something you can just look over your shoulder to. Hindi ako bobo."

Hingal na hingal sya pagkatapos nya maglitanya. Everytime someone asks her anything about sa break up nya with her boyfriend for two freaking years, it's like this. Kalmado sya sa umpisa tapos bigla nalang sya'ng magfa-fire up to the extent na gusto na nyang manapak. Pero si Coleen ang kasama nya ngayon kaya pipilitin nyang kumalma. Braso palang, talo na sya.

"Okay, okay. I get your point, Menggay. Hindi rin ako bobo, wag ka sakin magalit."

"OA mo, nag-explain lang ako."

"Yup, you did. Pero hindi ko pa rin kasi gets. There's one thing that bothers me, and maybe, si Andrew din. Meng, minahal mo ba talaga?"

"Coleen, ano ka ba? Syempre naman. Two years, hello!?"

"But still. Are you sure?"

"Pinaglaban ko sya kila Tita Rubs at Tito Max. Kahit hindi magaan ang loob sa kanya nila Tito, I stood by him. Kahit kabi-kabila ang warning at kwento na narinig ko tungkol sa pagiging babaero nya, I never believed them. Dun lang ako naniwala sa Andrew na nakilala ko. I trusted him and not once I ever doubted him. Even when he said there was someone else kaya he wanted to break with me, hindi pa rin ako naniwala kasi paniwalang paniwala ako na hindi nya magagawa yun. But yeah, he did. Ang sakit sakit, Coleen. If I don't love him, then I don't know what the hell this is."

"Pero Maine, you never shed even a drop of tear. Since the break up, even now, hindi kita nakitang umiyak."

"Coleen.."

"Hmmm?"

"Is it really my fault that I'm incapable of crying?"

•~•~•~•~•

**cling cling**

"Good morning!"

"Hmmorning. Welcome to TuxTies!"

"Huy, Menggalerts! Gising! Eto talaga, sino na naman nadarag mong makipag-inuman sayo kagabi?"

"Si taba."

"Hahaha! Kawawang Coleng. Anyway, ready na ba yung mga pinagawa kong tux?"

"Ingay mo, Kristoff! Oo, ready na! Alam mo, sa lahat ng groom na ginawan ko ng tux, ikaw ang pinakamakulit na araw araw nagche-check talaga kung tapos na. Tsk."

"Syempre, excited na akong magpakasal. Ganun talaga!"

"Oh edi ikaw na! Eto na yung mga pinagawa mo. Bakit ba dalawa 'to? Don't tell me mag-a-ala Beyoncé ka na iba pa yung pangsimbahan at pangreception mo?"

"Timang ka, hindi noh! Sa bestfriend ko 'to. Sinabay ko na para sure na pupunta. Speaking of punta, I'm expecting you to come ha!"

"Paulit ulit. Oo na nga! Pero sa reception na ako makakarating. Di ko pwedeng iwan itong shop. Wag ka nang kokontra dahil napag-usapan na natin yan."

Besides, ayokong umattend sa wedding ceremony kasi I'm sure once you go and exchange your vows with Elena, everyone will cry over how head over heels in love you guys are with each other. Ayoko magmukhang insekyorang bato dun dahil lang hindi ko kayang umiyak.

"Pupunta ka lang yata dun para kumain eh."

"Syempre naman! Para ano pa't sinamahan ko si Elena para sa final food tasting?"

"Patay gutom ka talaga."

"Gago, wag kang mag-alala kasi mas marami pa rin ang makakain ni Coleen."

They shared a laugh and high fived in the air. Kristoff is one of her closest cousin and he's about to get married in three days. As an owner of one of the most respected tux makers of the North, Kristoff paid her to make his wedding tux along with another tux which was apparently was for his bestfriend.

Arte ng bestfriend, may tagapagawa ng tux.

"O sige na, I'll go ahead. See you in 3 days."

"Yup, see you. Mawalang galang lang, lumayas ka na. Inaantok pa ko."

"Tequila pa more. Hahaha, sige. Bye bye, Menggalerts!"

When Kristoff left, she fixed her things and closed the shop. Parang binibiyak ang ulo nya kaya she decided to go home and sleep all day instead.

Tutal hindi naman nya maiyakan ang pagka-broken hearted nya, itutulog na lang nya.

Saklap.