Note:  Happy ‘weeksary’ to My Sunflower World yesterday! 🙂 Thank you very much again for reading my first story!  

Chapter 6
‘Flip side’

Maya looked at the lady who interrupted their conversation. She is lovely, classically beautiful. She has a face that will grow more beautiful as she ages. Maya assumed that this is Alexandra, Richard’s wife.

“Hi. Yes, I’m Maya Dela Rosa, I’m please to meet you, finally, Alexandra.” Maya offered her hand, trying to sound normal, and hide the mixed of emotions she is feeling at the moment.

“Oh, no, no, no, you got it wrong. I’m not Alexandra.” The lady corrected Maya. “I’m…..

“Maya, this Rafaella Alcantara, my cousin. The one I told you who moved to the States the year before we met.And yes, Rafi, this is Maya!” Richard finished the introduction. “Why didn’t you call me, para hindi ka na naghanap.”

“Chard, my phone died when I was about to board the plane in Singapore. Since I know you will be in the area we agreed on, I decided to look around na lang. Hi Maya, I am really glad we meet, finally! Call me Rafi, family and friends do.” Rafi said as she hugged Maya tightly as if she had known her a long time.

”I would like to get to know you better. If you have some free time when you are settled in, maybe we can have coffee?” Rafi added as she looked at Maya happily.

“Nice to meet you Rafi. S-s-sure, let’s have coffee soon.” Maya said uncertainly. It looked like Rafi knows a lot about her, judging by her seemingly familiarity with her, considering that they just met. Richard did talk about Rafi, a bit, when they were hanging out. They were very close as not only they are cousins, they are very good friends, barkada, and they have been classmates since grade school until high school. There were two other childhood friends Richard mentioned in passing, Alex and Jeff.

“Okay, then.” Rafi said brightly as Richard observed the interaction between his very bubbly cousin and the woman who have been haunting his thoughts and dreams since she dispappeared from his life. He knew that they will click right away when they finally meet, and not only because he had told Rafi so much about Maya, but because they have similar traits.

“Maya, I will see you soon.” He said as he looked at Maya meaningfully, as if he does not want her to be out of his sight again.

“Okay, Richard. Looking forward to seeing you again.” Maya said breathlessly. Ah, only him can do this to her, even if there can’t be anything more anymore. She does have a lot of questions for Richard, to clear the air and move on. “l’ll go ahead. Baka paalisin na si Emman doon sa temporary parking space and para makaalis na rin kayo ni Rafi. Nice to meet you Rafi. Ingat kayo. Bye.”

Maya proceeded to where Emman is. She waved at Richard as she got into Emman’s car. On the way to his condo, Emman was full of questions.

“Girl, ano naman ang napag-usapan niyo ni Atty. Richard? Imagine after all these years, nagkita ulit kayo at sa mismong araw pa ng muling pagtuntong ng mga lagalag mong paa dito sa Pinas! This must be fate! Itinadhana talaga kayo!”

“Huwag ka ngang ganyan, Emman. You know naman that Richard is married na. Di ba he was getting married two years ago. Kaya nga ako lumayo. Nakalimutan mo na ba!” Maya reminded Emman.

“Ha, ah eh, hindi mo nga pala alam! At hindi ko rin nasabi sa iyo dahil ayaw mong pag-usapan ang mga nangyari noong bigla ka na lang nag-alsa balutan. Sosyal ha, bessie, abroad ka agad-agad. Oh well, bahala na si Atty. Richard na magsabi sa iyo. For sure, magkikita kayo niyan. The way he was looking at you sa airport, mukhang sobrang inlababo pa rin sa iyo si Mr. Heartthrob Lawyer!” Emman said as he navigated the traffic from the airport to his condo in Ortigas.

“In love? At talagang hanggang ngayon, iyan pa rin ang posisyon mo ha? Ayaw mo lang yatang papinturahan ng blue iyang pink walls mo!” Maya half-jested, though she is very curious why Emman still believes that Richard has feelings for her beyond friendship, after all that had happened.

“Mayabels, Mayabels, nang mag-disappear ka, courtesy of your mana from your Papa Arturo, marami kang hindi nalaman. Basta, bahala na nga si Atty. Richard na magsabi. Kailan nga kayo magkikita? Sa tagal ng moment na ibinigay ko sa inyo sa airport, I am sure, nakapag-arrange na kayo ng date!”

“Date? Grabe ka naman. Hindi ah. Paano namang naging date eh married na siya, di ba? But yes, we will see each other on Wednesday, pero just to talk.” Maya confirmed. She really wanted to ask Emman what he knows, but decided to wait unti she sees Richard. She wanted closure, but she still need to gain her equilibrium after unexpectedly seeing Richard at the airport. Baka too much to take na rin, hilo pa siya sa biyahe and the time zones. Saka, she would rather know everything from Richard. Ah, two more days! She is nervous, and the same time, excited in seeing him again.

Rafi and Richard are having a similar conversation to what Emman and Maya were having while on the road, with Rafi dominating the conversation.

“Chardddd, she is here!!! Di ba fate na rin ito, nagkita kayo ulit! Pagkakataon mo nang sabihin sa kanya ang mga gusto mong sabihin! Not so many people have second chances!” Rafi talked so fast and excitedly, while Richard tried to concentrate on finding the best route to Rafi’s place!

“Rafi, Rafi, calm down. Easy lang. Yes, I know. I am planning to do that when we see each other.” Richard said with a big grin. “I just hope she is not yet committed to someone else!”

“Hmmm, tama ka diyan. I have a feeling, though, that she is still single. Call it a woman’s intuition.” Rafi told him with conviction. She really hopes that Richard will find the happiness that eluded him two years ago.

“I hope so Rafi. We will see each other on Wednesday.” Richard happily told her.

“Oh good, then you can finally have it out, my dear cousin. Huwag mong sayangin ang pagkakataon. Keep me updated, ha.” Rafi said as they neared her condo unit in Makati.

When she got off the car, Rafi is thinking that finally, she can sleep in her own bed after working in Singapore for a month. She moved back the Philippines almost two years ago, partly to be with Richard in his time of need, and because she got tired of the fast-paced life in New York.

Richard, on the other hand, while driving home, is still dealing with the fact that he finally saw Maya after two long years! He is counting the minutes until they see each other again. He has so much to tell her!

Note: Happy second anniversary Be Careful With My Heart!:-)

Chapter 5
‘Past’ forward

Two years later

Maya felt the full blast of Manila’s scorching summer temperature as she stepped out of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. She was glad to be back home after two years and the heartache she was not courageous enough to face here. Yes, for some, maybe she took the coward’s way out by bailing out and going as far away as she could, but it was the way she was able to cope with everything.

But, it is also true that time heals all wounds, and the heart recovers no matter how painful it had endured. Maya is more confident now, at peace, and ready to face Richard. Perhaps, she needed to to get full closure and maybe, she can still be friends with him again. She still have feelings for him. But she had accepted the fact that he belongs to someone else. It took more than a year of living and working in Afghanistan to do that. There, she had seen first hand how fleeting life was, realized there are worse things than suffering from a broken heart. Maya also learned that you can love without being loved back, to love unconditionally, painful as it maybe. She believed that Richard loved her in his own way, not just the way she wanted or envisioned it to be.

“Mayabels, Mayabels, Bessieee!!!! I’m here!!!!” Emman waved at her excitedly near the coffee shop. Seeing that coffee shop, her mind went back to that point in time where she was seeing Richard there, suprising her and her Emman after that unforgettable and eventful vacation in Camiguin in 2012. There is still a bittersweet feeling in her heart, but the pain of remembering all the sad things that had happened since that day, had ebbed.

“Emman, good to see you!” Maya’s face lit up as she hugged her best friend. ‘Na-miss naman kita ng sobra-sobra. Grabe!”

While Maya and Emman were hugging each other, a guy was finding his way to the seat at the coffee shop that Emman vacated. He was about to sit down when he noticed the two persons happily and noisily hugging each other at the edge of the terminal that borders the coffee shop.

“Maya???” He blurted out as he looked closely. His heart beat faster and a very overwhelming feeling of joy enveloped him as he confirmed that is indeed, Maya, the girl who had been haunting his thoughts for the past two years!

Richad slowly approached Maya and Emman. He is not sure whether he will be received well, all he is sure of is that he can’t let this moment pass.

“Maya, Emman. Hi. I saw you guys from the coffee shop. Nice to you again Emman and I’m very happy to see you, Maya. I thought I will never see you again. It has been two very long years!!” He said nervously and excitedly.

“Hi Atty Richard, long time no see ah. Kumusta ka na? Ah, eh Mayabels, dito ka na lang catch up with Atty. Richard, kunin ko na lang iyong car and pick you from here.” Emman said as he quickly escaped before Maya could react.

Emman knew that the two have a lot to talk about. He can still remember that evening six months after Maya was gone and he found himself having a drink with Richard. At that time, even he, don’t know where Maya disappeared to after resigning from her job at the magazine. He thought she just went home to San Nicolas. However, when he called Maya’s sister, she just said that Maya was out of the country and that she was not sure when she will return. Maya only contacted him after that chance encounter with Richard. She requested that they don’t discuss her abrupt departure when she phoned him as she wanted to move on. So, he didn’t tell her about that night when he saw Richard drowning his sorrows in a bar he frequented.

Maya was so surprised to see Richard so soon after she landed, what Emman said did not register in her brain. At first she didn’t know what to say to Richard after two long years, but she recovered quickly.

“Hi, Richard, kumusta? How have you been?” Maya greeted Richard warmly, with the sunny smile he remembered so well.

“Maya, I’m really, really so happy to see you! You don’t know how much. Where have you been?” Richard asked as he looked intently at Maya.

“I’m glad to see you too, Richard. I flew from Singapore. Before that I was in Kabul, Afghanistan, where I have been working. I have been traveling for more than 24 hours na I think.” Maya said, as she looked closely at Richard. “And you, how are you?”

”I was okay lang before, but heto, I’m happier now that I’ve finally seen you again. I have been trying to find you, Maya, you don’t know how hard. I went to your place several days after we met at that coffee shop by the bay, but another person was occupaying the unit. She can’t tell me anything about you. Look, can we talk, please, really talk? This is not really the best place for the things I want to say to you. May I see you as soon as you get settled?” He asked her earnestly.

Maya took a deep breath to calm herself a bit. “Of course, Richard. I am really going to look you up after I have rested from my flight. Eh, tiyempo naman, heto pagtuntong ko ng Pilipinas after two long years, here we are.”

“It is good to know that you were going to do that. I’m glad that I decided to go here myself instead of sending my driver. Please let me know when can we see each other. Do get settled first. Pahinga ka muna. I can wait. I know you just got back and all. Where are you staying?” He asked as he continued to stare at Maya, as if memorizing her face.

“I will stay with Emman for several days, before heading to San Nicolas. My mother and Cristina Rose do not know yet that I am home. I was not so sure of the date I can leave Kabul, so I decided I will just surprise them. Saka ilang beses na ring na-postpone itong uwi ko eh.” Maya replied as she observed that Richard is still as good looking as ever, though a bit thinner, and while there is a sadness that she sensed in him, he is still the same Richard that she was drawn to from the beginning. “Can we see each other two days from now, at same coffee shop where we last saw each other? Is it still there? Doon ko na lang din ikukwento sa iyo ang lahat”

Richard was surprised at her choice of place for their heart to heart talk. He thought that she wouldn’t want to be at that place again as it was the place where he experienced the happiest and the saddest day of his life. Happy to find out that Maya loved him, and sad that she ran away from him and that at that instance, there was nothing he can do, except to let her go. If only he reacted quickly after. Ah, but that is all in the past, and he can’t undo it anymore, the important thing is, she is here again and he will have his chance.

“Yes, it is still there. I will see you there at 3PM, Wednesday? He asked, as he observed how beautiful Maya still is, with her very expressive eyes.

It just occured to Maya, then, to ask why Richard is at the terminal. But before she could do so, someone called Richard.

“Chard, Chard, you are there pala. I have been looking for you doon sa cafe. Sabi mo doon tayo magkita.” The beautiful lady said to Richard as she approached, towing a big trolley bag.

“Oh, hi, nandito ka na pala. Sorry. Errr, Maya, this is….” Richard was interrupted before he can finish the introduction.

“Maya??? You are Maya dela Rosa????” The lady blurted out.