The Plan

Hindi mapakali si Jenneth. Alas-sais pa lang yata ay gising na siya, to think na lampas hating-gabi na siyang nakatulog kagabi. Hindi kasi siya makatulog dahil naiisip niya ang pagdalaw sa kanya ni Ryan ngayon. Iyon din ang dahilan kung bakit hindi siya mapakali nang mga sandaling iyon. 

It's ten A.M. now. Jenneth wondered what time Ryan will arrive. Napatingin siya sa suot na Havaianas flip flops. She's wearing a shirred top and denim shorts. She remembers the short being quite short and the off-shouldered top exposing her sexy collarbone. Bigla siyang nag-alala na baka isipin ni Ryan na nagpapa-sexy siya sa kanya. Ganoon naman talaga siya kapag nasa bahay. Well, at least kapag may inaasahan siyang bisita. She really dresses up to be presentable. 

And she admits she really dressed well for their meeting. Ewan ba niya. Kapag involved si Ryan ay sinisikap niyang maging presentable lagi. At first, she refused to admit it to herself. Iniisip kasi niya na hindi naman niya ginagawa iyon to attract Ryan by being beautiful in his eyes. But now, she realized she's always making sure she looks beautiful because she does not want him to think that life has been bad for her since he was gone from her life. She wants him to think na hindi siya kawalan, that she even was better without him. 

Yes, she admits she's still bitter about their breakup. 

And at last, Ryan arrived. Hindi niya alam, but she was pleased to see him – or rather, to see him looking like that. Ryan really knows how to dress up. He's wearing this dark blue sweater over a light blue polo, paired with khaki pants and brown leather shoes. Jenneth tried so hard to suppress the smile on her lips. Feeling kasi niya ay pinaghandaan nito ang pagkikita nilang iyon. 

"Hi… Hello…" 

Hindi napigilang matawa ni Jenneth. Para namang nablangko si Ryan sa ginawa niya. 

"Nilahat mo talaga, ano?" 

Saglit na hindi nakapagsalita si Ryan. Nang maisip ang nangyari ay napangiti na rin ito. 

"Sorry… hindi ko kasi alam kung paano magsisimula at kung paano sasabihin sa iyo iyong kailangan kong pabor." 

Unti-unting nawala ang ngiti ni Jenneth. Pero bago pa siya makapag-react ulit ay may iniabot na sobre sa kanya si Ryan. 

"You have to read this letter first," ang sabi ni Ryan sa kanya. 

Kinuha naman ni Jenneth ang makapal na sulat. 

"Babalik na lang ako later. May imi-meet lang akong mga kliyente. Siguro, hapon na ako makakabalik," ani Ryan. 

So, iyon pala ang dahilan kung bakit bihis na bihis ito. May kliyente naman palang kikitain. Medyo nainis si Jenneth sa realisasyong iyon.  

"Sige… See you later." 

Wala nang nagawa si Jenneth nang tuloy-tuloy nang lumabas si Ryan ng bahay niya. Ilang sandali pa ay narinig na niya ang kotse nitong paalis ng bakuran nila. 

"Hah! Wow!" 

Hindi niya alam kung maa-amuse o maiinis sa mga nangyayari. Napatingin na lamang siya sa sulat. Is this Ryan's letter for her? Bigla siyang kinabahan. Ano kaya ang laman ng sulat na iyon? Is it about them? Makikiusap ba si Ryan na makipagbalikan siya sa kanya? Parang hindi siya prepared sa ganoong eksena. 

Nevertheless, kailangan niyang buksan ang sulat na ito. Kinakabahan siyang inumpisahang basahin ang sulat. Pero natigilan siya nang mabasa ang opening salutation nito.  

𝘛𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘦...

Jenneth frowned. 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘦?

Binasa ni Jenneth ang sulat. It's a story about Kenneth and Samantha, and of course, Kristine. Kilala niya si Kristine. They used to have double dates noong college. Si Kenneth at Kristine, siya at si Ryan.  

Speaking of Ryan, hindi naman ganoon karami ang participation niya sa kwento sa sulat. Kumbaga sa pelikula, supporting role lang siya. Until Jenneth reached the end of the letter. She has this feeling na hihingi ng tulong si Ryan na maisakatuparan ang hiling ni Kristine. 

Na kinumpirma nga ni Ryan nang magbalik ito nang hapong iyon. Kaagad nitong tinanong kung nabasa na niya ang sulat pagkakita nito sa kanya. 

"I did," she said. "It was about Kenneth and Samantha and Kristine." 

Tumango si Ryan. "Siguro alam mo na rin kung bakit ko pinabasa ang sulat na iyan sa iyo." 

"You want me to help you," she said with certainty. 

"Yeah… You see, may naisip akong paraan para mapalapit sina Kenneth at Sam. But I'll be needing your help." 

"Why did you think I'll help you?" 

Natameme si Ryan sa sinabi ni Jenneth. 

"Ry, may boyfriend na si Sam." 

"Boyfriend pa lang naman," ani Ryan. 

Jenneth almost rolled her eyes sa sinabi nito. 

"Hindi pa naman sila kasal. Pwede pa naman silang maghiwalay." 

"Ry, ayokong maging dahilan para maghiwalay ang dalawang magkarelasyon." 

"Pero paano kung iyon ang destined na mangyari? What if they are really meant to be?" 

"Hindi mo kasi naiintindihan…" 

"Jhing… you know how much Kenneth loved Kristine. But she died. We never wanted it to happen. But what if that's destiny's plan all along? At itong gagawin natin, ito ang magiging daan para maging masaya silang lahat? You read how much Sam loves Kenneth. Ito na yung chance para magawa nilang mahalin ang isa't isa." 

Jenneth looked at Ryan. He's begging her. She can feel the pleading through his eyes. She can feel his desire to fulfil Kristine's wish. It actually makes her feel like helping him. Kaya lang… 

"Ayoko… hindi ko kaya. I'm sorry, Ry. I can't do it." 

Parang maiiyak si Jenneth dahil sa pagkaalala ng dahilan kung bakit hindi niya magawang tulungan si Ryan. Huminga siya ng malalim para pigilan ang sariling maiyak. 

Mataman siyang tinignan ni Ryan. He's questioning her with his eyes. Napaiwas ng tingin si Jenneth. She wants to tell him the reason why she can't do it, but she can't do it either. Napayuko na lamang siya. 

"Okay…" 

She looked at him again. 

"So hindi mo kami matutulungan ni Darlene." Tumango si Ryan. "Naiintindihan ko." 

"I'm so sorry…" 

Maybe it's the look in Ryan's eyes that made Jenneth feel guilty. He was hurt, and he didn't bother hiding it from her. Ramdam ni Jenneth ang sakit ng rejection na natamo niya ngayon. 

"Can I have the letter back? Please?" 

Ibinigay ni Jenneth ang sulat sa kanya. 

"Salamat na lang sa oras." 

Jenneth nodded, still not meeting those sad eyes. Hinayaan na rin niyang umalis si Ryan. Akala niya ay iyon na ang katapusan ng lahat. Na hindi na niya makikita si Ryan.

Well, for that matter. Because a part of her is saying that this might not be the last time they will see each other. That there will be an instance when they will bump into each other again, and maybe that time, they will be better than how they were these past days they've been together. 

Jenneth stood up and closed the door. Tiningnan niya ang nakasarang pintuan, and she wondered kung magkakaroon pa ba ng pagkakataong mapadaan ulit sa pintuang iyon si Ryan.