Redamancy

III.

She fights the urge not to follow him outside. To talk to him. To have a proper conversation with him. Outside. Where nobody was.

But then, her phone rings...

December 10, 2018, 9:31 P.M.

"Hon, I'll just answer this outside." Dawn asked her husband.
"Okay, sure." She stood up and went outside the function room, finding a quiet place.

"Hello?"
"Hi, Mare!"
"Viv, napatawag ka?" She was shocked that Viv called her because her manager knows she is in a party right now.
"Yeah. Well, ABS-CBN called me and they are asking if you want to do a serye?"
"Serye?"
"Oo. Ikaw ang first choice eh. They told me a gist about the storyline. Maganda and it's new for you. Di mo pa nagagawa 'to... do you want to hear their pitch? I can set a meeting-"
"Hmm. Sinong kasama sa serye?"
"Albert or Rowell... but no answers yet. Wala pa atang mahanap eh." Dawn sighs. Too loud for her manager to notice.
"Mare, are you okay? Ayaw mo bang tanggapin?"
"Did they offer this project to Richard?" She asked as she picks her finger, nervous that she may not like what she's going to hear.

Of course her manager knows the truth. She sighed again, this one a bit disappointed.

"They did 'no? But he's too busy?"
"Dawn... hindi naman sigu-"
She cuts her manager, "I won't take the offer... sa iba na lang nila ibigay. Thanks for letting me know. Bye!" and then she quickly hung up.

She's trying to hold back her tears but she failed. One tear fell and then it flows rapidly.

After a while, she wipes her tears and composed herself. Ready to go back to the function room, Richard suddenly came out from the comfort room.

They were both shocked to see each other. But Richard quickly gathered himself up and approached her.

"Hey!" He smiled, a warm one for her favorite girl.
"Hi." she answered on her best, cheerful voice that she could make.
"Musta na, Dawn?"
"I'm fine, Gomz." Dawn thinks if she would ask him how he is or if she will make sumbat, because honestly, she felt a bit a disappointed at him for not accepting the project. But she chose to-
"Eh ikaw, Gomz? How are you? Tumataba ka ngayon, ha."

He laughs, his playful laugh that she missed the most, especially on shootings and tapings when she's alone at her tent.

"I'm good, Dawny. Ang daming masarap na pagkain sa Ormoc eh. Hiyang na ako!"

"How's Ormoc?"
"It's great. We're very busy now at the office now that the holidays are approaching. We have to finish a lot of projects before the year ends."

He just continues to blabber about his achievements and plans for Ormoc.

"I love seeing the people there. How happy they are with my service. The smiles on their faces whenever they see me is just... enough. Nawawala yung pagod ko."

Dawn just listens. Even nodding sometimes.

She is just silent while he shares his stories. She can see how happy Richard is - serving the people in his wife's hometown.

"Alam mo ba, there was this one time when we were in a charity work, an old lady told me na masaya daw siya kasi may nakakapansin na sa kanila ng madalas. Hindi na daw sila pinababayaan at may taong nag-aalaga sa kanila. Ang sarap na they appreciate me and the works I've been doing."

And there, Dawn realized how selfish she was for being tampo to Gomz about him not saying yes for the project.

But she also felt proud of him and his achievements. Those were the dreams he always told her when they were still together, "I want to serve a community and help them in making their lives a little bit better."

She continues to listen to Richard's voice and absorbing all these milestones.

"Hearing all of these things, how can I stop him and ask him to come back?" She thought.

Isn't that a bit selfish because he is doing so much for his city and yet all she wanted was to have him back for herself.

"I'm proud of you, Gomz." she blurted out of nowhere.

Richard stopped midway in telling her his stories and then smiled. It is such a relief that Dawn is proud of him. Even though he left her for the meantime.

"Thanks, Dawny. You don't know how much I wanted to hear that from you."

A tear almost fell out of Dawn's eye but she controlled it and gave Richard the warmest and sweetest smile she could give and hugged him. Quick but tight.

"Let's go back na, Gomz. They're waiting for us." Dawn suggests.

Richard held Dawn's hands before they walked, just like their hug, quick but tight as if saying that he will be back. Not now. But he will.

And that made Dawn's heart feel a little bit at ease and content.

They went back inside the function room, Richard went in first then 5 minutes after, Dawn followed.

"What took you so long, Hon?" Anton asked her as she takes her seat.
"Uhm... Viv told me about the bosses asking me for a serye."
"And? What did you tell them?"
"I won't take it. I didn't like the story."
"Oh... Okay." And then her husband went on talking with the people in their table.

Richard and Dawn continued on with the party as if nothing happened outside.

-end-