My Sunflower World

Chapter 3
Waiting for nothing

“Bessie, bessie, hoy bessie!” Emman tried to get Maya’s attention when he saw her with a faraway look, lost in thoughts.

“Girrrrrllll, Maya dela Rosaaaaa, saan ka na naman ba nakarating diyan sa head mo na hindi na yata nagpapahinga sa kaiisip!!!! Lost in your own world ka na naman!”

“Emman!!” Maya exclaimed when she finally realized that Emman is calling her. She started crying hard. “Emman, he is getting married na!  Sakit-sakit naman!” She sobbed as she got off the hammock and hugged Emman.

“Bessie, bessie, kalma lang. Ano ba ang nangyari? Umalis lang ako sandali ah! Nagkaganito ka na! I swear di ko ma-gets, and lumalakas na ang dug dug dug sound nitong puso ko!” Emman said as he tried to calm down Maya.

“Emmann, Richard called. He told me he is getting married and invited me to the wedding! Getting married, Emman! I didn’t even know na may girlfriend siya.” Maya said sadly.

“I know we are just good friends but still….I thought….I mean, di ba….?” Maya trailed off, not finding the right words to say.

Emman is silent. He also thought that Richard does not have a girlfriend. He thought Richard and Maya are ‘MU’! Paano naman Richard acted like he was courting Maya. He is a constant presence in Maya’s life since she met him. He picks Maya from work from time to time, having dinner with her, and even accompanied Maya to the mall when she is stressing out and he can’t go with her, even if Richard does not like malling. Retail therapy is Maya’s coping mechanism, sometimes!

The two also have phone conversations that lasted until the wee hours, base as kwento sa kanya ng kanyang bessie. Though, Maya did tell Emman na nothing overtly personal naman ang pinag-uusapan nila ni Richard. Maya said Richard never asked her about love stuffs and never tell the same. Mostly, they talked about their common interests and how their day went, and whatever topic they find themselves discussing.

However, hindi rin iilang beses na nahuli ni Emman si Richard na nakatitig lang kay Maya kapag magkakasama sila. Richard look at Maya with an expression akin to love. Feeling niya, kulang na lang ang palitan ng ‘I love you’ para maging formal ang relationship ng dalawang ito. He was also puzzled on what is holding back Richard from declaring his feelings to Maya. Obvious naman talaga to him that Maya is more than a friend to Richard! Papipinturahan niya ng blue ang pink walls niya, kapag mali siya! He tried encouraging Maya to at least let Richard know how she feels, kasi he believes that knowing where you stand is better than second-guessing or assuming, but Maya refused. Emman knew he half- managed to convince Maya to do so the other evening. But now with this latest development, even he, does not know what to advise his friend.

“Bessie, frankly, I don’t know what to say! I am in shock too down to my pink toes! I thought the two of you will end up together and I will be the maid of honor in your wedding and the fairy godmother to your firstborn!” Emman quipped lightly in order to make Maya smile despite the heartache he know Maya is feeling. His heart is also breaking for his bestfriend.

“So, what are your plans now?” Emman asked Maya. “Pupunta ka ba sa wedding?”

“Hindi ko alam Emman, magulo pa ang utak ko.” Maya replied with tears in her eyes. She then excused herself to go to her room to pack as they are leaving early tomorrow.

“God, why does it hurt so much. Did I waste too much time not letting him know how I feel for him? Did I get too comfortable staying happily in my limbo?” Maya mumbled to herself while taking comfort in her favorite small purple bunny, a gift from Richard, the first time he invited her out. She takes it with her everywhere she goes, sort of a lucky charm.

September 2010

“Maya, anak, may bisita ka,”  Manang Fe told Maya as she knocks on her bedroom door, one Sunday morning. 

“Arrrgghhh, who could that be, I wanted to sleep some more,”  she muttered. “Sino daw po Manang?” She asked the kindly old lady who has been her nanny since she was a little girl. When she moved to Manila, her mom insisted that she brought Manang Fe with her. She also bought a townhouse for Maya so she does not have to live in a dormitory.

“Richard Lim daw ang pangalan niya,”  Manang replied as she impatiently tapped on Maya’s door again.

“Ha, si Richard!!!! Ano ginagawa niya rito, Linggong-Linggo, wala naman siyang nabanggit kagabi na pupunta siya!  Manang, pakisabi lang po na sandali lang.”  Maya, in her aligaga mode, told her nanay-nanayan.

Maya is wondering what Richard is doing in her house so early and so out of the blue. While he had dropped her off several times, he always declined her invitation to go inside and have coffee. Nevertheless, she hurriedly took a bath, checked in the mirror how she looks and with her heart beating so fastly and excitedly she went down to see the guy she has been crushing on since she met him. He has also been the star of her lovestruck dreams and the face now of every hero of her romantic novels.  Before she proceeded to the living room, Maya made a cup of coffee for Richard.

“Hi Richard, what a nice surprise!”  She greeted him warmly. “What brings you here?”

“Oh, I was just in the area. Thought of bringing you these.” He explained as he showed her several Jane Austen novels she mentioned that she has ‘lost’ to friends who borrowed them but never returned, in one of their nightly conversations. “Yayain na rin sana kita lumabas kung wala kang gagawin.”

“Naku, maraming salamat. Ikaw talaga. So happy naman to have these.” Maya said, touched that he remembered her telling him about the Austen novels. “Wala naman ako gagawin, tapos na ang deadline ko. Sige, I will just get ready ha.”

“Saan ba tayo pupunta pala?” Maya asked Richard as she puts on her seatbelt.

“Secret!” He said smiling as he started the car.

They parked in one of the parking areas of the mall, took the elevator up to the 4th floor to the big arcade there.

“Arcade! Dito tayo?” Maya asked in a very surprised voice. She never imagined Richard in an arcade!

“Yup,” he said,  smiling like a little boy. “I have been meaning to go here but I can’t  seem to find the time and the right company to do so! Come, we will try all the games! I kind of miss this It would be fun!”  He cajoled Maya, took hold of her left hand and started dragging her inside. Maya likes the feeling of Richard’s hand in hers. Fine, she said to herself. This is fun anyway, basta kasama siya.

Maya and Richard bought cards, let loose the inner child in them and tried most of the games in the arcade. Richard also talked Maya into trying their luck at the claw machine full of colorful stuffed toys. After so many crazy tries, he got her a purple bunny. Maya thought it would have been cheaper to buy the bunny from the nearby toy shop wtith the amount of money he spent just to grab it! She laughed so hard when he handed it to her with a big grin. Richard asked why she was laughing and she told him he looked like Spongebob. She told him of the episode of the cartoon she caught one morning where Spongebob acted crazily, wasting a lot of money just to get a stuffed toy from a claw machine. When she saw Richard holding the toy with a triumphant smile, he looked so adorable! She is also touched with the bunny gift.

The most unforgettable part of the afternoon was when they ended inside the videoke booth. She dared Richard to try. Maya knows that Richard can sing as he would teasingly sing to her, her favorite show tunes and movie soundtracks during their phone conversations, but he hates doing it in public! She was a bit surprised when he readily agreed.

“O ano, what are we going to sing?” She asked him as she looked at the selections.

“How about this?” He pointed at ‘Getting to know each other’ as he looked at her meaningfully.

“Okay. Ready ka na ba Mr. Lim?”  Maya said, with a question in her head with Richard’s choice of song.

“Ready na Ms. Dela Rosa. This is for you!” He said as he looked at her intently.

I call you and you call me
It’s funny how we get on so easily
We’re just friends aren’t we
You’ve got yours, I’ve got mine
And friends are all we ever could be
(But) We’re getting to know each other
A little too well
(Getting to know each other)
(A little too well)
We’re starting to show our feelings
And people can tell
(Ooh, people can tell)
Ev’ry time that your eyes meet mine
I light up like a neon sign
Yes, We’re getting to know each other
A little too well…
(Getting to know each other)
(A little too well…)
We have lunch ev’ry now and then
And I find myself humming love songs
Again and again…
Too many nights I’m workin’ ’till ten
And I hope that you know
That It’s hopeless to go on when…

     “Wow, ang galing-galing mo naman Richard!”  Maya said as she bowed teasingly. “Saludo ako sa singing prowess mo, Attorney!”

     “Ikaw talaga!” Richard said, laughing. He gave the mic to Maya.”O ikaw naman. Iparinig mo na ang Sarah G mong boses!”