AFIRE

Yes (from HURRICANE)

Fast forward, 8 years.

2023

ALDEN's POV

"Di mo pa ba aayain si Maine magpakasal?"

Tanong ng bestfriend ko.

"Huh? Kasal?"

"Oo. Eh di ba 8 years na kayo?"

"8 years na ba? Oo tama, 8 years na."

"Tignan mo to. Di mo alam ilang taon na relasyon niyo?"

"Alam ko, pre. Ano ka ba."

"Tapatin mo nga ko Rj, may problema ba kayo?"

"Uh."

I stayed silent. I couldn't answer him. May problema nga ba kami?

"Oy, Rj. Kilala kita. Pag napapatulala ka ng ganyan, may problema. Ilabas mo yan pre."

He said, while taking a sip of his drink. He invited me over his house for a mini reunion. We haven't seem each other in months, after all, he's my bestfriend.

"Ewan ko. Hindi ako sigurado."

Totoo naman. Hindi talaga ako sigurado kung anong tunay na status ng relationship namin ni Maine.

"Hindi ka sigurado? Paliwanag mo."

"Kasi pre, parang wala ng nangyayari. Boring na. Hindi na kami gaanong nagkakausap at nagkikita. Even through text and call, hindi na rin kami masyadong nakakapagcommunicate. Lately, ang daming nangyayari sa career ko, and siya naman, she recently took a break, with reasons unknown to me. Tas pag nagkikita kami, parang wala lang. Parang nasa relationship kami together na parang hindi. I feel like, we're strangers again. Wala akong alam tungkol sa buhay niya."

"Bakit?"

"Parang nagkahiwalay niya yung paths namin sa buhay. She's doing her thing and I'm doing mine."

"Pero, Pre, mahal mo pa ba?"

"Yun na nga yung kinakatakot ko, pre. Hindi ko alam."

//

MAINE's POV

There's knock on my door.

"Hi."

"Hi."

It was Rj.

"It's midnight, what are you doing here?"

"Galing lang ako sa get together with my childhood friends. Your place was nearby, so I went here. May sasabihin ako."

He sat down the couch and I joined him.

"Rj, what's up?"

"Aalis ako the day after tomorrow."

"Nanaman? Kagagaling mo lang ng Japan last week ah."

"May shoot kami sa Canada. For 1 week lang naman."

"1 week? Fine. I got used to not having you around anyway."

"What does that suppose to mean, Maine?"

I stood up and turned away from him.

"Na lagi kang wala. Grabe, kaaalis mo lang, aalis ka nanaman. We haven't had time alone together these past few months. Magkita man tayo, saglit lang. Rj, tapatin mo nga ako, are you still in this relationship with me? Kasi pag kailangan kita, wala ka. Tapos, pag nandyan ka naman, ang dami mong excuses, like busy ka, and all that stuff. You don't take time to listen to me. Maybe, hindi ka nga rin aware na, the day after tomorrow is our freaking 8th anniversary!"