CHAPTER 4: LOLA

"Remember how we met?"

Rodney asked me the same question for the nth time already. We are currently speeding across the highway heading to the airport to fetch Lola (Loh-Lah), his grandmother.

It was too forward of me to call her Lola when I haven’t even met her yet, but it was instructed by Rodney.

I blew an air upwards my bangs in an act of exasperation. How many times must he ask me this? It’s just crazy that he is the one who’s getting all anxious when I’m the one who’s going to be in hot waters later. I am more stressed because of him than because of the meeting with his grandmother.

"Relax, Rodney, let me handle this in the most natural way I can. I already know the circumstances of our love story so there is no reason for you to keep on repeating it again and again," I told him, smiling.

He suddenly put his finger on my lips that I jerked backward in surprise. “Do not call me Rodney. Call me Babe.”

"Eww!"

"What's wrong with Babe?"

"That was how you and Shelley call each other!" I pointed out.

"And you are supposed to be her."

“I thought I was not going to pretend I was ‘Shelley’? We agreed I will pretend as your girlfriend as I am, not as someone else.”

He raised his free hand in surrender. “Fine, I concede. We’ll not call each other Babe but let us come up with any term of endearment.”

‘Dulce amor’. I smiled as I recalled the term he used before.

"Earth to Mira!"

I looked at him.

"Did you think of something?"

I shook my head. “My mind is not working right now. I’ll just go along with whatever you want, you take the lead.”

He slowly let out his breath. “Whew! Whatever! We’re already here so let us just cross the bridge when we get there.”

I nodded and removed my seatbelt. I was about to open the car door when he stopped me by the arm.

"Mira.."

I turned back to look at him.

"Let's just relax and really pretend that we are in love with each other, okay. Let's forget awkward."

"Okay," I smiled to assure him. ‘Pretend you're in love with me, then.’

He raised his hand to my face and stared at me for a while.

"Wait-! W-What are you going to do?" I pulled back awkwardly.

"See? That's what I was saying. You’re not comfortable with me." He gestured at my reaction.

I bit my lips then pouted. Why did he have to stare? Of course I will be awkward with that.

"Let's practice." He moved his face closer to mine.

Is he going to kiss me?!

I closed my eyes tightly, anticipating his lips on mine. My heart is beating so fast and loud, I can almost hear it. I thought I heard him groaned and cursed but I kept my eyes shut.

Until I heard him laughing softly as he knocked on my forehead. My eyes flew open. What happened?

I was answered by the loud thud of the closing car door in the driver’s side. I saw him circling the car to get my door.

"They'll be landing in few minutes," he said as he looks on his watch. "Let's go."

Rodney was walking ahead, so I was run-walking just to catch up to him. We do not look like lovers. We look more like a prince and his slave who is following him closely behind.

"Ney!" I grabbed his arm. He looked back surprised.

"Ney? Who is Ney?"

"You. You told me to think of a term of endearment."

"Why Ney? Short for honey?"

"That could be. Or it could be short for Rodney, right? And by the way, why are you leaving me behind? I'm supposed to be your girlfriend, right?"

"Y-Yeah.. I'm sorry, I was rushing too much."

I smiled at him. Act One starts now.

I let my hand slowly trail his arm towards his palm. I felt him flinch subtly.

"Relax. Remember, we shouldn't be awkward," I told him his reminders earlier. I reached for his hand and made our fingers intertwine. His muscles tensed for a while.

I looked him in the eye and smiled sweetly. The way I would have wanted to look at him if he were mine. I gazed at him with such longing and I can see the confusion in his facial expression.

My smiled turned into a challenging one, daring him to match my acting. Slowly, he smiled in acceptance of my challenge.

He also held my hand and led me towards the arrival area. HHWW. Holding hands while walking. I wanted to scream in delight but, really that is so embarrassing and preposterous.

"She's here," he declared.

Rodney’s grandmother is old yet she still exudes strength. She looks dignified yet charming even in her simplicity.

"Gran, I'm glad you arrived safely," Rodney reached for Lola’s hand and brought it to his forehead in a gesture of respect. She murmured ‘Bless you’ to her grandson as she looked at him with a smile on her face. Then Rodney kissed her cheeks. I smiled at the sight of them. Rodney has always been gentle and polite, but seeing him like this, it kind of warms my heart.

The old lady eyed me curiously.

"Gran, she's Mira, my girlfriend."

"Gran.." I also reached for her hand and mimicked Rodney’s gestures earlier. When I stood up, Lola was looking at me intently. Her face does not betray any emotion or expression so I do not know if she I made a good impression on her.

We are already in the car, but she is still obviously observing me while carrying a conversation with Rodney. After a while, she turned to me. Perhaps she realized that she should be interviewing me.

“How are your parents, hija?”

I glanced at Rodney and he nodded slightly.

“They are already dead, Lola. I haven’t met my mother, since she died when I was still a baby. My dad died when I was in college so from then on, I learned to live by myself.”

"I'm sorry about your parents."

"I already accepted it, Lola. But I hope, I can also treat you as my own grandmother if that is not so assuming of me."

Her left brow jerked upward.

"You’ve been calling me Lola since earlier without my permission, right?"

I smiled shyly and scratched my nape.

"Why do you dress that way?" she motioned her hand towards my get-up. I am wearing a long dress that is a little loose and unflattering.

Rodney and I looked at each other. "It’s comfortable for me," I replied.

"Not because my grandson forced you to it so that I will like you?"

"Lola!" Rodney exclaimed.

"Oh, why are you reacting so violently? Am I right? Tch! Tch! What a kid! I am not conservative, just to set it straight. I just don’t like vain people. Because people who are vain are usually harboring so much insecurities. I like women who are confident, with or without make up. Because it means that her confidence is coming from within.”

"I agree Lola," I grinned. "Don’t worry, I wear what I want to wear. Ney isn’t really someone who dictates me regarding my clothes."

"Gran, you really think I'm like that? I respect her too much to dictate her. She's a very capable woman."

Our gaze met for a while. His eyes were smiling, and I can feel heat slowly creeping up my face. Why does it feel like he's really complimenting ME.

Lola made face at him. "Well, it's good if it's like that."

I cannot tell if Lola approves of me, but I am sure she has no animosity towards me. If any, she has the petulance usual to people her age. And what is quite endearing is that she doesn’t hold back when it comes to her opinion.

We reached her resthouse in Tagaytay at almost lunch time. I was expecting Lola to sleep while we travel but no. She was curious about so many things that she kept on asking during the whole duration of travel. She will ask about politics one moment, and then jump to climate, stock market or houte couture the next. And she was talking to me, not to Rodney. I indulged all her questions and engaged her into conversation.

"I was nosy, was I not?" Lola asked as we alight the car.

"Yes, you are, Lola." I agreed teasingly. She smiled and turned to Rodney.

"Okay, I'm decided. I like her," she declared and left the car.

Rodney and I were left looking at each other. Slowly, we both smiled. I can claim that this moment is something that's really ‘ours'; us sharing a giddy moment of satisfaction.