KALOPSIA

Kalopsia - 11

The gang are at Lea’s, having a chitchat after their work from the hotel with a bottle of gin.

“So, there are two fafas na nasasarapan sa cupcake mo, girl! Ikaw na, sa’yo na ang korona!” Vice exclaimed and acted as if she’s putting an imaginary crown on Lea’s head.

The three, Vice, Regine and even Dawn have been annoying Lea about the cupcake thing-y, which unfortunately, the latter doesn’t have any idea what is it all about.

“You guys have been talking about this cupcake of mine and you are pissing me off!” She crossed her arms afterwards.

“Bakit ka naman naiinis, ‘te? Masarap nga daw cupcake mo!”

“Eh masarap naman talaga cupcake ko! Tikman mo pa, eh!”

“Ay, ‘wag na ‘te!  Ayan si Vicente pwede pa,” Regine replied as she and Dawn laughed.

“Wiz! Wiz! Wiz! Wala akong balak mag-tomboy, veh.” She then acted like she's going to puke which made Lea rolled her eyeballs.

“Sir Lucas and Sir Morning likes your cupcake, yiepi!”

Dawn butted in, “Oo nga pala. Pumayag ka ba sa offer niya?”

Lea shook her head no. Dawn just nodded. She's not ready yet.

The throwing of banters goes on and the room filled with laughs, Regine even shed a tear because of so much laughing. “Saglit nga. Serious na kasi.”

Vice took a chip first before speaking again, “May napapansin talaga kami, eh.”

“Diretsuhin mo na! Magkakilala kayo ni Sir Aga, ‘noh?—oh, oh, okay ka lang ba?” She rubs Lea’s back as the latter coughs.

Dawn laughs at her friend’s reaction, “Mars, ‘yung tanong mo naman kasi.”

She keeps on coughing and somehow she forced some of those as she takes the opportunity to think. Do they have to know our story?

Her acting skills didn't last that long when the three noticed that she's faking it. They eyed her— reading her actions and confirming their assumptions.

“I hate how you guys make me tell you everything with just your looks.” Lea hissed while the three chuckled.

“Okay. Yes, we knew each other.” She started and heaves a deep sigh before continuing, “He was a friend of mine since I was at the tenth age. We were close back then, we were like twins whom you cannot separate. He was good, he was my person, my human diary. Aside from Dawny, he's all I got. Fast-forward when he started courting me. May feelings pala si gago.”

“The ligawan stage last for a year and a half, as far as I remember. I was that young and naive girl who believes that when I give him my yes, the next step is marriage. Would you believe that we have house for the two of us and for the family we're planning to build—ew, cringe— take note that we still not together at that time, ha. So, it took years and six months. My parents didn't like him for me, they planned my future, they brought me to this mess,  they made me marry the man I don't know and I don't love.” They can hear the bitterness in her voice in every of her words.

“Th-the night,” she stutters upon remembering the tragedy of her life, “I was about to commit myself to him, I was ready to give my yes to him, I was ready for a future with him —kahit pa tutol ang magulang ko, handa na ako, eh. I told him that my answer is yes, he was happy, I can say.  I-i thought we'll be fighting against all odds. Akala ko lang pala. The next day, he was nowhere to be found.”