Christmas Birthday Party

Jenneth looked at her reflection once again. She is wearing a simple army green flare dress that flows down to her knees and black stiletto sandals. Two inches lang naman iyon, just right to make her look sexy, but still comfortable. Simple lang din ang makeup niya. Again, it's just her usual concealer-bronzer- mascara-gloss routine. As for accessories, it's just her rose gold TechnoMarine watch with brown leather strap and Kate Spade stud earrings.

She knows she's beautiful. She knows she's beautiful enough to be the guest at Samantha's birthday dinner party. Oo, ayaw naman niyang mag-overdressed at baka masapawan pa niya si Samantha. For all she knows, isang simpleng dinner lang naman iyon. Kaya dapat toned down pa rin ang kanyang ayos.

But still, hindi siya mapakali. She's bothered that she will not look beautiful enough for a specific person. And somehow, she hates herself for that. She hates herself for still trying to please that person that she swears has no effect in her life anymore.

But it turns out he still has.

She brushed the thought off her mind and proceeded in preparing for the party. Nang masigurong okay na siya ay kinuha na niya ang susi ng kanyang kotse at saka na lumabas ng kanyang kuwarto, but not without her gift to Samantha.

She decided to buy a pair of earrings for her. Hindi naman kasi niya alam kung ano ang ibibigay. Hindi naman talaga niya kilala si Samantha de Vera. What she means is hindi niya ito masyadong close. Ngayon nga lang sila nagkaroon ng ganitong interaction kasi siguro nga, sila lang yung friends niya dito.

Pero hindi naman zero level ang pagkakakilala niya kay Samantha. Kasi nga naka-interact din niya ito ng matagal dahil siya ang laging inuutuasan nito sa COCC noong high school. Hindi naman sa bossy si Sam. Actually, yung mga pag-utos nga nito sa kanya noon served as training kaya naman siya ang pumalit sa puwesto nito.

At dahil sa lagi siyang kasama nito, lagi rin ay nakakasama niya noon si Ryan. Which is, at that time, favorable to her.

She arrived at the de Vera mansion just in time na parating na rin ang ibang bisita. The whole place is lit up. Nagtataka tuloy siya because ang alam niya, sila lang nina Ryan at Kenneth ang invited, pati na rin si Darlene. Pero parang ang dami yatang pumunta?

She went inside the mansion at nagtuloy-tuloy siya papunta sa may likuran sa may garden. There she saw the spectacle of people from the different classes of Tarlac society, mostly upper class. At that moment ay nagdalawang-isip siya kung aalis na lang ba siya. But then, Darlene saw her. Hind na siya nakaurong pa.

"Tita Jhing!"

She loves this child's energy. Nakakahawa kasi. Kaya kahit may naramdaman siyang hindi niya maintindihan nang makita si Ryan ay nagtuloy pa rin siya. She felt her whole body tense upon seeing him. She just wished he could not sense that effect he gave her.

"Hi Darlene!"

Instead of embracing her just like what she was intending to do, nagmano ito. That made her smiled. Ang ganda lang talaga ng pagpapalaki sa batang ito.

"Nice to see you again, Tita Jhing!" masayang wika ni Darlene.

Jenneth was so touched she embraced the kid. Gumanti naman ng yakap si Darlene.

"Same here, Darlene," Jenneth said. "Okay ka na ba talaga?"

"Oo naman po!" bibong-bibong sagot ni Darlene. "Magaling po kasi yung doctor ko, si Tita Sam. Tsaka kayo po, magaling po kayo mag-test nung blood ko."

Jenneth smiled. "Well, technically, it was the machine who processed your blood. And it was our pathologist who did the diagnosis."

She even pinched Darlene's nose lightly. Ang cute talaga nito.

Then, she stood up again and finally, face the man that as much as possible, she does not want to see again. But fate has other plans, it seems.

"Hi Ryan."

Jenneth tried so hard for that to sound as casual as possible. She tried so hard to suppress those butterflies that only this man can activate in her stomach. And it pisses her that those butterflies still happen even after everything.

"Jenneth."

That look of him to her. Napaiwas ng tingin si Jenneth.

"Uhm... si Sam?" she asked.

"Somewhere... she's here, but, uhm... she's somewhere," Ryan said

"What?" tanong ni Jenneth. Talagang naguluhan siya sa sinabi nito.

"Basta..."

Parang hindi malaman ni Ryan ang sasabihin. Ito naman ang napaiwas ng tingin.

Si Darlene na ang nagsabi. "Sa swing po."

Jenneth frowned. "Swing…" Was this a place that she should know?

Halata namang naalarma si Ryan sa sinabi ng inaanak. Jenneth gave him a questioning look.

"It's an old swing. Doon sa may dulo ng garden," ang sabi na lamang ni Ryan.

Jenneth looked as if it's the most ridiculous thing she's heard.

"Aren't she supposed to be here in her own party?" she asked. "Birthday party niya ito pero siya mismo, wala."

"Magkasama po sila ni Daddy," ang sabi naman ni Darlene.

"Si Kenneth?" tanong ni Jenneth.

"Opo," sagot ni Darlene.

Now, Jenneth is starting to get suspicious. Parang may kung anong nangyayari ngayong gabi. She looked at Ryan.

"Actually, pupuntahan na namin sila," biglang wika ni Ryan. "Tara na, Lene."

"Akala ko po ba hahayaan lang natin silang dalawa doon?" muli'y inosenteng tanong ni Darlene.

"Hindi ba gustong-gusto mong makita iyong swing? O, halika na! Dadalhin na kita doon."

Parang nagiging impatient na si Ryan sa inaanak. Mabuti na lang at puro good vibes lang talaga si Darlene.

"Talaga po?" Talagang na-excite si Darlene sa narinig.

"Oo, kaya halika na." Ryan took Darlene's arm.

"Ay! Bye po Tita Jhing!" paalam ni Darlene kay Jenneth.

"See you..." Ryan said to Jenneth.

Jenneth just nodded. Partly because she's confused of what's happening; partly because she's confused at what she felt when she realized that they are leaving her. As much as she's uncomfortable with Ryan's presence, at least she is with people that she knows. She looked around and saw the people chatting at each other. It seems there's no one she recognizes.

Well, nandoon naman din iyong mga officers ng TGH. Iyon nga lang, hindi naman siya close sa mga ito. She barely talks to them. Sina Sir Raul lang naman halos ang nakaka-transact niya sa mga iyon. Pati na rin si Dra. Glory at Dr. Ricky. Pero the rest of the people there, she does not know how to talk to.

Then she saw Dr. de Villa. He's talking to some doctors of TGH. Aside from the fact that Jenneth does not know anyone else aside from him outside the de Vera family, kasamahan din niya ito sa Lab kaya marapat lang naman sigurong batiin niya ito ng 'Maligayang Pasko.' And she can't ignore the fact that the generosity of this old man made him give her a pair of rose gold earrings as a Christmas gift.

Hinintay muna niyang matapos kausapin ni Dr. de Villa ang kaharap bago niya ito nilapitan.

"O!" anito nang makita siya. "Andito ka pala."

"Merry Christmas, Doc."

"Merry Christmas. Nasaan ang regalo ko?"

Natawa si Jenneth sa sinabi nito. She knows the old man does not mean what he said.

"Ano bang gusto mo?" tanong niya para sakyan ang biro nito.

"Iyong lechon doon." Inginuso nito ang buffet table. "Ang sarap no'n."

"Doc, bawal iyon sa inyo." Ang alam niya may sakit sa puso ang matandang doktor.

"Bawal ba?" patay-malisyang tanong nito.

"Ang tigas talaga ng ulo n'yo, Doc."

"Aba, dapat lang. Kung hindi, baka ma-damage yung utak ko kasi walang pumo-protekta na skull."

Napangiti na lamang si Jenneth sa pamimilosopo ni Dr. de Villa.

"Kumain ka na ba?" tanong ni Dr. de Villa.

"Kararating ko lang Doc, eh," sagot naman ni Jenneth.

"Kumain ka na. Halika at alam ko nagugutom ka na naman. Lagi kang nagugutom."

Natawa na lamang si Jenneth sa biro ng doktor at nagpatianod na siya papunta sa may buffet table. Nang makakuha ng pagkain ay isinama siya ni Dr. de Villa sa isang mesa at doon sila naupo. Halos mga doktor at officers ng TGH ang naroon. Ipinakilala siya nito sa mga iyon.

Hindi na rin naman masyadong na-OP si Jenneth sa mga pinag-uusapan ng mga ito. Sinasali din naman kasi siya ng mga ito lalo na at tungkol sa Medicine at hospital issues ang tema ng usapan. Somehow, she felt she belonged.