Dogtag (completed)

18. surprises

“We’ll go ahead na, Lolo…”

“Aren’t you staying for dinner? You can sleep here. I can tell Lilia to set up an extra bed for Rj in your room.”

“No more na, Lo. I’ll be here next Sunday…”

“Isama mo yang boyfriend mo…”

“Lolo! He just got your permission to court me…”

“O sige…next week…may apo na ako, ha?”

“Lolo!”

“Baka lang naman…”

“Hahaha! Excited si Lolo…” Rj chuckled.

“Wag mo na gatungan. Let’s go na. Bye Lo! See you next Sunday!”

“Kahit any day of the week. Rj, you’re most welcome to come by anytime…”

“Thank you”

“..dalian nyo ha? Apo ko…I’m not getting any younger, you know…and, hindi naman putotoy ang naputol kay Rj e…”

“Bye, Lolo!” Dei said, giggling while shaking her head.


“Hello Coach. Good afternoon, Ms. Dei” Joey greeted. He was driving a golf cart. Rj had made arrangements with Joey to drive for them that afternoon.

“Joey?”

“Yes, Miss” Joey smiled as he helped Rj sit in the cart and put away his wheelchair. “Okay, Coach, saan po tayo?”

“Hmm…kain muna tayo…Japanese…”

“Okay po.”

“Sumama ka na sa amin kumain, okay? Tawagan mo kaya si Nina, double date…”

“Ah, wala po sya e..Umuwi kanina. Bukas pa balik nya…”

“Bakit sya umuwi?” Dei inquired.

“May kukunin daw po sa kanila…”

“Ahh” Dei replied. She was really confused about the day’s events. When she thought she had figured it out already, something else came up. A battle between wanting to know and waiting to be surprised left her quiet.

“Don’t worry. This is all for you...” Rj said as he slipped his fingers in hers. Dei just nodded and smiled. She turned her head to look at the buildings and surroundings.

“Lolo Teddy is something else…” Rj said, laughing.

“Manang Lilia said that this is the first time she’s heard him laugh heartily and be as daldal as he was today…”

“Really? Sabagay, when people in the service talk about General Mendoza, may takot at kaba. He’s known to be very strict.”

Dei’s life at the camp hospital and Genevieve’s Home ‘isolated’ her from the rest of the more ‘public’ areas of the compound. Just a few yards past the residential area of higher ranking officers’ homes was the ‘public’ area filled with shops and restaurants. After a few turns, Joey parked the golf cart and helped Rj back in his wheelchair.

“Coach…magkikita talaga kami ni Nina sa kabila lang…dinner…text nyo nalang ako pag tapos na kayo…” Joey whispered to Rj as he adjusted the latter in the wheelchair. Dei took over and pushed it away from the parking lot.

“O, Joey?” Dei said when she noticed that Joey didn’t leave the parking area.

“Sige na po, Miss. Antayin ko nalang po kayo. Ayoko maging third wheel…”Joey waved at them and chuckled.

“Ah, okay. Sigurado ka?”

“Opo, Miss. Dito lang po ako. Salamat po.”

“Let’s go?” Rj said. Dei just shrugged her shoulders and pushed the wheelchair down the restaurant entrance. 

They shared their order of sushi and soup. Since Rj had difficulty using chopsticks due to his tremors, he picked up the sushi with his hands. “Many of these are actually eaten using your hands” He explained. He also drank the soup from the bowl.

“This is our first official date.” Rj beamed after their meal. “Did you like the food?”

“Kahit na turo-turo or fishballs pa kainin natin, basta magkasama tayo, I’m okay. Thank you.”

“This day has been…”

“Awesome!” Rj raised his arms as he shouted.

“Shh! Oo na…awesome na…hmm…mysterious…”

“Mysterious?”

“Ang dami mong pasabog e…”

“…oo nga no? It started nung umutot ako this morning…”

“Forever kadiri ka talaga..”

“Pero love mo naman…”

“Pasalamat ka…”

“…forever grateful…o, let’s go na?”

“Don’t you need a change?”

“Hmm…dun nalang sa next surprise…”

“Hello po ulit.”

“Nakakain ka, Joey?”

“Yes, Miss. Thank you. Coach?”

“Tara na, Joey…”

“Saan tayo pupunta?” Dei asked as she sat in the golf cart.

“Do you want to get dessert?”

“Hmm…wag na. I’m so full! Besides, kawawa naman si Joey…ginawa mong driver mo…on a Sunday pa…”

“Okay lang po, Miss…”

“No. Nakakahiya.”

“…okay…so let’s go…”

“Saan?”

“Secret…” Rj wiggled his eyebrows.

“Nakakainis.”

“Bakit?”

“Nalilito na ako sa dami ng pasabog mo e…all in one day…birthday mo ba?”

“Hindi…”

“…ang alam ko, January pa birthday mo e…di ko rin birthday…Joey, birthday mo?”

“Po? Nung April pa po birthday ko…”

“Ay ewan…”

“O, kung tapos ka na sa speech mo, tara na…I might need a change really soon…”

“Uuwi na tayo? Ang dami pang sinabi, uuwi naman pala tayo…”  After a while, “...teka, hindi ito ang daan pabalik sa G…Rj?”

Rj just smiled and shook his head. He was quite amused at Dei’s reactions and words.

“Joey?”

“Driver nyo lang po ako…”

“If you both don’t tell me where we’re going or what’s happening, I’m going to…”

“Coach, sabihin nyo na! Nag-e-English na sya!”

“You’re going to what? Dei! Umupo ka nga!”

Dei unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed on the hand rail by the cart’s frame. Joey slowed down.

“If you don’t tell me what’s going on, I swear, Richard, I will jump!”

“We’re here!” Joey said cheerily. He got out of the driver’s seat and got Rj’s wheelchair behind the cart. Rj nodded and pulled himself to stand. While holding on to the rails then on Joey, he got off the cart and sat on the wheelchair.

“Love?” Rj said as he held up his hand to assist Dei off the golf cart.

“Thanks Joey!” Rj said.

“You’re welcome, Coach. Coach, Miss Dei, alis na po ako. Goodnight.” Joey said and got back in the golf cart.

“Goodnight” Rj said and Joey drove away.

“Wait…where are we?” Dei was somewhat mesmerized by the lights of the houses on the street.

“We’re home…”

“Home?”

“Yes…my home…your home…”

“Mine?”

“Ours”

“How?”

Dei walked beside Rj as he wheeled himself on the sidewalk. She forgot that he was wheelchair-bound at that moment.

“Before I explain, can you please unlock the door?” They stopped at a bungalow, a few lots away from the corner where Joey dropped them off. Across the house, in a circular lot, was a mini forest and playground. Rj instructed Dei, “…0524…then turn the knob counter clockwise…”

“0524? That’s today’s date…”

“Yes..the day we met for the first time, 3 years ago…”

“Has it been that long?” Dei said as she pushed the door open. She walked in, as Rj followed her in.

It was minimally but tastefully decorated. A low table by the living room had their pictures.

“…the bedroom is over here to the right…I think I need a change…” Rj said as he invited Dei inside the bedroom.

Like the rest of the house, the bedroom was simple and looked very comfortable with a big bed and soft lighting. To the side was the door to the bathroom.

The bathroom was about as big as the bedroom with a walk-in closet area to the side. It had bars and gadgets for the handicapped.

“…this is all ours…” Rj said when Dei approached him. “Hmm…Love?”

“I…I don’t know what to say…”

“This will be your home from now on…hindi na tayo maghihiwalay…”

Dei’s tears began to fall. When Dei clutched her chest, Rj became alarmed. “Dei? Love?”

“…I’m okay. I’m just…it’s overwhelming…”

“Uhmm…” Rj looked at Dei.

“Babe?”

“…sorry to break the momentum pero ibang pasabog ang gustong mangyari ng tummy ko e…” Rj looked at Dei, pleading.

She pushed his wheelchair next to the toilet and he stood up using the handrails. She removed his diaper and he sat on the toilet.

An hour later, they were both in bed, naked.