If Mayors Ruled The World [Duterte - Robredo]

"Leni"

Digong’s POV

Cagayancillo Islands, Palawan

I invited Jesse to tour me around “his place”. Very few people live in the island and while they did not exactly worship Jesse, they treat him with great respect as I’ve observed. They also don’t call him by his name, they only know him as Apo, a name given to him by the chieftain, who got his body from the shore of one of the island’s beaches. He talked about his death, what happened and why it happened. He said he don’t know that he was buried in Manila. We both wondered who was in that grave.

“What if the one I’m talking to now is not really Jesse but someone who thought he was Jesse?” I offered.

He laughed. “Di ka padin nagbabago Digong,”

“E para sigurado tayo.” We laughed.

“Lagi mo bang sinisigurado lahat pare?”

“Syempre naman, mahirap na.”

“So sigurado ka na kay misis?” He joked. I looked at him and we both laughed loudly.

“Mailap siya. Mahal ka e.” He laughed.

“Akala ko ba lahat sinisigurado mo?”

“Jess, paano mo ba napasagot yun agad agad? Ginawa ko na ata lahat.” I confessed.

“Sigurado ako. Yun lang. Sinigurado ko lang ang lahat. May mga agam agam ka kasi.” He offered sympathetically.

“Totoo naman.” I bowed my head.

My professional (and personal) relationship with his woman has been tainted by doubts and distrust due to the roles we ran for and assumed. Beyond that, I thought, maybe there will be no hesitations. Maybe.

“Pero mukhang ayos naman kayo.”

“Wala naman kaming away, problema. Talagang di lang kami magkasundo sa mga bagay na hindi tayo magkasundo.” We laughed.

“Alam mo,” He started. “Since she assumed her post, she became more beautiful and younger looking. I thought, ah, because of Digong.” We laughed again.

“Baka si Banal,” I offered.

He laughed louder. “Ah, akala ko pinaligpit mo na yun?”

“Gago, di ko pinatay yun,”

"Akala ko eh,"

“Ano bang meron sa kanila ni Leni? Alam mo ba?” I can't help myself and ask.

“I’ve always trusted Leni in whatever she did. That whatever she does is best.”

“Pang showbiz naman yan sagot mo.”

“Nagseselos ka padin ba?”

“Minsan,” I admitted and he tapped my back.
“Di ka nga nagbago Rody. Alam mo kung hindi kita kaibigan, inupakan na kita.”

“Salamat sa konsiderasyon. I’ve always admired the lady. I can’t stop liking her,” I confessed as I felt warm heat spread across my face.

“I won’t stop you liking her. But she is my wife.”

“Oo na,” I conceded and we laughed.

“Salamat Rody, for watching over her. She needs it. She needs someone like you.”

“Wala yun, I sometimes think I owe it to you. Mabait man si Leni, wala akong problema.” I assured him. “So, are you willing to go to Davao?”

“Ask the people here. If they say yes, well – “

“If they say yes, let us leave first thing. Are you ready?” I looked at him.

He looked at the vast sea in front of him. He sighed. “Well, it’s been 6 years of an unbelievable life in death.”

He looked at me and nodded.

He is ready to leave. And live again.

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