Chapter 4: Proposal 2

Pagpatak ng 6:30 PM, handa na ang lahat para sa proposal ni Aaron. Ang sabi ni Kelly, ang road manager ni Kristine, isang guesting lang daw sa isang noontime show ang nasa schedule ng girlfriend niya ngayon. So he immediately asked Kristine for a date at 7 p.m. He was more than relieved when she agreed. Sinabihan niya ito na ipapasundo sa driver nila. Umoo din ito. A week prior, naitawag na niya ang plano niya kay Tito Gilbert, ang Daddy ni Kristine. Tito Gilbert was more than happy to hear the news and he promised his presence tonight.

And so here he was, in the middle of the restaurant-- under the sea of fairy lights hanging from the ceiling and rose petals scattered generously on the floor-- awaiting for his future bride with a bouquet of roses in his hands and a beautiful solitaire diamond ring in his pocket.

Ilang minuto pa, dumating na ang Mommy niya. Kasunod nito ang pamilya ng Tita Shannon niya, ang Uncle Clinton niya at mga pinsan niya at mga anak  ng mga ito. Nagsabi na rin si Isabella na handa na ang crew nito. Ang kulang na lang si Kristine.

He anxiously checked his phone. There were no messages.  He texted Kristine a while back, but she didn’t reply. Nag-text din siya kay Kelly pero wala rin itong reply. Tumawag na siya kay Tito Gilbert but he seemed to be busy that can’t answer his calls.  And he found it weird.

Minutes passed and still no response from Kristine, her family or her manager. Pagpatak ng alas-siete, dumating ang driver nila. Without Kristine.

“E Sir, umalis daw po sabi ng mga katulong na naiwan sa townhouse niya. May dalang mga maleta,” ani Manong Roger, ang driver nila.

“Hindi sinabi kung saan pumunta?” kalmado niyang tanong, nanakuyom ang mga kamay.

“Hindi raw po Sir e. Basta aalis daw po, hindi sigurado kung hanggang kailan.”

He huffed, anger starting to rise from his chest. Mabilis niyang kinuha ang cellphone niya at idinial ang number ni Kristine. His calls didn’t push through. Sinunod niya ang number ni Kelly, ganoon din. Diretso na niyang tinawagan si Mrs. Cabral, ang mismong may-a*i ng talent agency na kinabibilangan ni Kristine.

“Aaron, napatawag ka?” bati ng nakatatandang babae nang sagutin ang tawag niya.

“I just want to know where Kristine is? She’s not answering her phone,” he said in a controlled tone.

“She’s at the airport right now waiting for her flight to the US. Nakapasa siya kasi sa initial audition for a role in Hollywood. The producers wanted to see her immediately for a final audition kaya sila bumiyahe agad ni Kelly ngayon. Hindi ba siya nagsabi sa ‘yo?” paliwanag ni Mrs. Cabral.

Humigpit ang pagkakahawak niya sa cellphone niya. He clenched his jaw to prevent him from cussing as anger started to course through him. Hindi na niya sinagot si Mrs. Cabral. Agad niyang pinutol ang tawag.

For a while, he stood there at the middle of the hall, unsure of what to do. Kristine stood him up. Hindi iyon ang unang beses na hindi natuloy ang mga plano niya para sa kanilang dalawa ni Kristine. Sanay naman siya na nakikisingit lang sa schedule nito. But of all the days she planned to stood him up, why tonight that he’s going to ask her to marry him? At ang lalong nakakagalit doon, ni hindi man lang nito sinabi sa kanya na bibiyahe ito papuntang Amerika!

“Dammit!” He cussed as he threw the bouquet of roses on the floor.

“S-son?” tawag ng Mommy niya sa likuran niya. Hindi siya sumagot. Masyado siyang galit para kausapin ang Mommy niya nang hindi nakasigaw.

“Oh my god, the bitch stood you up, isn’t she?” ani Shannon. Nilingon niya ang pinsan niya. Nakatutok ang mga nito sa cellphone nito. “The bitch is at the airport and flying to the US. She stood you up, Aaron!” histerikal na balita nito bago ipinakita sa kanya ang video ni Kristine na nasa airport at ini-interview ng local press.

He stormed out of the restaurant and went to his car. Kahit na anong tawag ng Mommy niya at mga kamang-anak niya hindi siya nagpapigil sa pag-alis. He was seething in anger. How could Kristine just leave him in the dark just like that? He made him looked like a fckin fool!

Sa buong tatlong taon na relasyon nila ni Kristine, siya ang laging nag-aadjust para dito. Dahil naiintindihan niya ito, she’s just 26 and full of dreams. Kristine wanted fame and all the glitz and glamour that goes along with it. And he wanted her to achieve just that. He wanted her to have everything good and beautiful in this life. Heck! He’d even give her the world she only need to ask him and he’d fckin give it to her.

And then this. One call just to tell him that she can’t make it, hindi pa nito magawa? What does she think of him, a lost puppy who’d just follow her wherever she goes?

“Bullshit!” he hissed as he drove away from the restaurant.

He drove around the city for a few minutes just to clear his head before he drove to his penthouse at SSL. Pagtuntong niya sa penthouse niya, agad siyang nag-text sa Mommy niya na nakauwi na siya sa bahay at na wala na itong dapat ipag-alala. Dumiretso siya sa bar at uminom ng beer. He wanted to knock himself to sleep tonight.

Pakiramdam niya kasi pinaglalaruan na naman siya ng tadhana. He was okay with the sudden death of his father messing up his career path for a while. But he can’t allow fate to mess up even with his relationship! Kristine is supposed to be the one because they’ve met at the right time. Why is she the one messing up all of his plan?

Tumungga siya mula sa pangatlo niyang bote ng beer at hinugot ang cellphone niya mula sa bulsa niya. He looked at Kristine's photo on his wallpaper. He took that a couple of months ago when she was having a photoshoot. He was supposed to take her to Amanpulo for a weekend getaway, but her work called and took her away from him again. But since he wanted to be with her, sinamahan na lang niya ito sa trabaho. He can still remember all the hateful looks the people in the production were giving him when he was waiting for Kristine to finish her work. It was as if he’s not welcome there—in their world. But when he told Kristine about it, sinabi lang nito na masyado siyang sensitive dahil mababait naman daw ang mga katrabaho nito.

A wave of hurt rose from his chest.

“What's wrong with you?” naghihinanakit na tanong niya sa picture ni Kristine.

Maya-maya pa, tumunog ang cellphone niya. Nag-flash sa LCD ang pangalan ng girlfriend niya. She was calling him. He pushed the reject button before downing the bottle of beer on his hands. Nang tumunog ulit ang cellphone niya, kumuha na siya ng premium drink sa bar at uminom doon straight from the bottle. But the damn phone just won’t stop ringing. What would she say to him anyway after making a fool out of him? Nakakapangalahati na siya sa premium drink nang bumigat ang pakiramdam niya. He was beginning to feel light-headed.

Good, he thought. He knew blessed sleep will come sooner than he expected. Kaya lang, tumunog ulit ang cellphone. Sa inis niya, pinulot niya iyon at binato sa pader. It crashed on the floor, broken. Kasabay niyon ang pagdilim ng paligid at pag-switch on ng emergency light sa ‘di kalayuan.

He took off a few buttons from his polo nang tuluyan niyang maramdaman ang init.

Maya-maya pa, sinubukan niyang tumayo mula sa bar. Only for him to stumble on his carpeted living room. He is fckin wasted. A very first in his entire lifetime.

He laughed at himself and closed his eyes—planning to sleep. Maya-maya pa nakaramdaman siya nang malambot na kamay na humahaplos sa kanyang pisngi. Akala niya guni-guni lang niya. Kaya lang naulit ulit ang masuyong paghaplos sa pisngi niya. He forced his heavy lids to open. He saw a vague form of a woman looking down on him. He caught the woman’s hand touching his face. He heard her gasp.

“What are you… doing here?” he asked in a slurry voice.

“S-Sir…” she called in a sweet comforting voice.  He caught a whiff of her scent and he found it so fcking pleasant he wanted to have more.

He pulled her closer to him only for her to crash directly on his lips. She was soft, warm and inviting. And his body’s reaction was instant. He kissed her and touched her. And she willingly surrendered to his need.  That night, he owned that stranger woman over and over until he could finally sleep.