old faces, old feelings

This post is long past due. I've never written anything about you. You know as well as I do the reason why. Yet...

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We exchanged gifts as soon as we saw each other. I never seem to remember you not giving me any gifts of some sort. You know, small surprises that never fail to make me smile in the past. Today was no different. But this time, I had something for you too.

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You were driving. The car has just run out of freon. But nobody was minding.

It took a couple of minutes, but yes, we agreed to go to Greenhills. We wanted to go someplace different from the usual spots. And we wanted to get away from everything for a while. We only had a couple of hours, so Greenhills it is. It was way too early for shopping so we had breakfast at Bangus. And you, the quintessential quiet person, surprised me by rolling out a series of stories, that even I, the quintessential impatient person had a lovely time listening to.

After an hour and a half of tocino, beef, eggs and coffee, we were ready to get all curious and snoopy at the tiangge-han. We were trying to find the entrance when someone said that it was closed till Friday. Aww.

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We went up to the carpark not knowing where to go next. We stayed in the car for a couple of minutes until you got sleepy. You had your head on my shoulder. And we stayed like that for a couple of minutes more. You mumbled that you missed me. We haven't been together for 3 weeks. I smiled while saying I missed you too. Everything was quiet. And we spent the moment in a carpark roof deck on a workday morning when everything is just right.

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You asked where I wanted to go. Tough. I would go anywhere so long as you were with me. But that was a different kind of answer, so I said, "Have we ever been to Cubao?" You didn't think so. And we wanted to go someplace new...So we went.

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Cubao.

A dear friend once told me that Quiapo is the pusod of Manila and Cubao is the kili-kili. I know I agreed with my friend then. Cubao is the most over-populated, over-polluted, and over-pirated places I have ever seen. But Cubao was heaven for me at that time. It was heaven and home rolled together. It was, at that time, a place worth going to, worth dying in, worth living for.

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We walked. And bought. And walked some more. And bought some more.

I was wearing these high-heeled boots from the office and they were killing my feet. You got me some rubber slippers that were really so comfortable but the type that was better worn at home. I knew I looked like some "secretary, nicely dressed and all, except for the slippers she hides beneath her table" ( it's a weird comparison, but you get the picture, right?) Nobody was minding.

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And we got hungry. And you needed a bathroom. I wanted Shakeys' mojos . It was pretty obvious where we should be heading next.

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We had the nicest time swapping old stories and jokes over our bunch of lunches. We made fun at people who we saw across the glasswall. We were laughing like old times. You kept stealing my table napkin which totally drove me nuts. But then, I kinda' expected that. You've always had a penchant for using my used table napkins.

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It was early afternoon when we finished. We roamed around for a bit until we saw this totally amazing massage shop. I know you've been bugging me for a massage for the last couple of weeks..err, months, and I said, "Go ahead, I'll wait."

But no, you knew that I was tired and needed to relax but was to stubborn to admit it. With a bit of coaxing from you, I gave in.

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It was almost late afternoon and I reminded that you needed to go home soon. You understood. You still had a few errands to do for your sister so I volunteered that I'd go with you. We had to head to my place for a bit though coz I wanted to change. As usual, you my dear, are the sweetest to the people at home. It never ceases to amaze me how nice and comfortable you are to my family. I went up to my rrom to change. You were right behind me. I asked you to turn around. You smiled, but yes, you did turn around. Behind your back, you should know I was smiling too.

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So we went back to Makati for the favor that you had to do for your sister. We went to Anson for that elusive wireless phone. And after that, I knew we have to say goodbye again. Before heading home, you asked if I was hungry. I said no, but I didn't want to go home yet so I said I was thirsty. Icebergs was nearby. You didnt like ice-cream. For me, ice-cream is next to mana itself. And we went.

Classical banana split for me, and kiwi hielo for you. I wanted to take a picture of my glorious, gargantuan banana split, but I left my phone cum camera at home. I borrowed yours and I noticed you hesitated before handing it over. I took the picture and for the heck of it, I tried to browse through your inbox too. But not before you grabbed the phone back. I sulked. The day was ending. So here was where the magic was ending too, huh? How typical. Some things never really change. I felt a fight brewing.

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I took my time eating my ice-cream. It might have been my favorite, but I was tasting sand at that time. I waited for you to say something. I was waiting for myself to throw a tantrum. These did not come.

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In the past, under the same circumstances, I would have walked-out already. We would have been fighting for 5 minutes already. I would have broken up with you again. But not this time.

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Not this time.

Why?

You said things change.

People change?

Perhaps.

I've never liked changes. I grew up moving from one place to another. Change, for me, hinted at pain and goodbyes. But if this is change, if we both have changed, and that we're not too keen on fighting anymore because of it, then I like it.

I can accept it.

At the end of the day, we were both smiling. You even gave in and handed the phone over. There was nothing there. You just didn't want me to go through your inbox with me remotely, though possibly thinking that there was something there. I felt silly, You felt relieved.

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We said goodbye. And you kissed me.

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