iheartclouds

In the stories we write, he probably won 19t make the cut as a hero. Not that he isn 19t handsome. He is. The first time I met him, (he was my boss, in my very first job), half the staff (13/26) of the work-place was in love with him. He is a superb dancer, a great actor and owns the sexiest ass of everyone I know. But he is also way too sweet to become a hero 13 he is, in our stories, the perfect best friend to the heroine. The one who offers the shoulder to cry on, the one who drives her around, the same one the hero feels jealous about.

 

He arrived from South Africa where he now works in a US Army facility last Tuesday. From the airport he called me and said that he will see me Wednesday for lunch and then he wanted to go to the spa. We would have met but his flight was delayed so he hasn 19t taken a bath for two days, etc. Sure, I said. But can it be in the afternoon because I was finishing a manuscript? He said yes.

 

Yesterday, after I gave up on writing senseless scenes, I texted him. 18Will just take quick bath. See you! 19

 

He called, 1cHey, can you go to mother 19s place instead? 19 Everyone calls his mom, mother.

 

18Shits, Raul, 19 I said. 18How do I go there again? 19 I 19ve been there only a thousand times but I still can 19t remember.

 

He sighed. He would have picked me up in SM near our place but he only have a few days in the Philippines so he has non-stop social activities and guests. 18Take cab, 1d he said.

 

18Malamang. But 13 1c

 

18Oh yeah, maliligaw ka. Okay you take a cab, punta ka ng Espana tapos right before the riles, turn right. 19

 

18Sige, 1d I answered unconvinced. I really have the lousiest sense of direction.

 

Shortly after, I texted him again to say that I was in cab. After ten minutes, he called me again. 18Where are you? 19

 

18Uhm, Quezon Avenue. 1d

 

18Where exactly in Q. Ave? Can you see Sto. Domingo? 19

 

18Ano ka ba, Raul? Don 19t panic. QA EDSA pa lang. Sobra ka naman alam ko namang pumuntang Espana. 19

 

18Ok. Sige. Nagpapa-praning lang ako kasi baka maligaw ka pa. 19

 

18Okay lang ako. Riles, right? 19

 

18Oo pero Q, kapag naliligaw ka naman, tatawag ka di ba? 19

 

18Siyempre. 19

 

Thirty minutes after I was on his street so I texted again. 18I am in your street na. I think. 19

 

When the cab passed by his house, he is already outside. He paid for the cab and gave me the biggest, tightest hug.

 

18Ganda mo today, 19 sabi niya. 18I like your outfit. 19

 

18My official spa attire. Kasi naman sabi mo sa spa tayo magkikita. 19

 

18Eh, kasi masarap niluto ni mother. Dapat matikman mo muna. 19

 

When I entered, I hugged and beso everyone and he took me to the dining room where table is set already.

 

18When I called yesterday, naglalaba ka raw? Naglalaba ka na? 19 he asked with a seriously worried look on his face. 18What happened sa yaya. 19

 

18Cost cutting. Naisip ko kasi naka-leave ako so baka naman kaya ko ng walang maid. Pero undies lang naman. Pinapa-laundry ko iyong iba. 19

 

18Paano si Pao? 19

 

18I wake up really early. 19

 

He frowned.

 

18Seryoso. As in Tini-test ko ang sarili ko kung hanggang kailang ako tatagal. Two months na. I think, 3 days na lang gigive-up na ako. 19

 

I laughed. He didn 19t. Nakunot ang noo niya. Parang troubled talaga. 18So naghuhugas ka ng plato? 19 he said as if he can 19t imagine me washing dishes.

 

18Oo naman. 19 And then I told him how even Pao is learning. Sometimes, I would just leave him food and he heats it up in the microwave.

 

18Hindi ko kaya. Alam mo, pabalikin mo na lang si Ate. 19

 

I had to convince him a long time that really, I am doing fine. While I ate, he just sat there to watch me and asked me to make him kuwento the series I was writing. He laughed at all the appropriate times. He asked all the right question and then he told me how he cried when he read the last MS I sent him through email and that he passed it to a couple of female Filipino friends who also cried and that they discussed the story through YM even when they were working.

 

Then he told me how he met Christian Slater (true, the Christian Slater!) when he visited the camp and how Christian found him really really nice and accommodating that he gave him his shirt and a pair of rubber shoes as souvenir.

 

I told him, 18Did you ask him to sign the shirt? 19

 

18No. 19

 

18Sayang. We could have sold the shirt on E-bay. 19

 

He laughed his booming laughter. 18Sama mo. Bigay 18yun sa akin, eh. 19

 

18Sinabi mo ba kay Christian na kinukumusta ko siya? 19 I joked.

 

18Oo naman. 19

 

He smiled, showing the to-die-for dimples. 18Sabi niya, okay naman daw siya. Hi, din daw. 19

 

Nothing I say will be too silly for him.

 

After dessert, Pam arrived and we went to the spa together.

 

18This is my treat, 19 he said and paid for the one hour massage Seriously. And then we went separate rooms. After over an hour, I got a text.

 

18I am in Starbucks right outside. Tip money is with me. 19

 

18I gave tip na. May pambayad naman ako ng tip, 19 I said. Nagmamaganda pa.

 

Kaloka, right?

 

Okay, so he also paid for dinner and then he wanted to buy a shirt so we went with him to the mall. In the store, I saw this really nice bag and I tried it kasi sobrang  bagay sa outfit.

 

He said, 18Get it na. I will buy it for you. 19

 

18Uy, huwag na. 19 I quickly put the bag back on the rack and didn 19t touch anything again. Still, he bought some stuff for Pao, because I can 19t say no to his gift to his inaanak.

 

18Oo nga pala. I am going to Davao but I will be here Sunday. Alam ko na, bibili na ako ng mga ingredients tapos pupunta ako sa bahay mo tapos magluluto ako para masaya. What do you think? 19

 

What do I think?

 

I think I am just so blessed to have a friend who seems to think I am a princess and who thus, treats me like a princess, listens to my whining and who cooks the meanest pasta dishes ever.

 

And no, this is not fiction. I have a friend like this one. And then I have another one -  the sosyalera gay friend ( read: g5 tambayan, real Gucci bag, belly dancing to keep in shape) who was texting me all the time I was in the spa.

 

Message went like this: What are you doing Friday? Let 19s go with Ces to Tagaytay. Will treat you to a good restaurant there and then to a body massage.

 

Bakit ba lahat ng kaibigan ko gusto kong ipa-masahe?

 

My post paid line got disconnected and so I am using prepaid. When I couldn 19t answer right away he thought wala akong load. He sent me 100p credit so I can text back.

 

This was the same friend who, one time, called me to ask how I was. I said, 18heto depressed. 19

 

18Bakit ka depressed? 19

 

18Kasi isa lang ang TV sa bahay. Tapos Pao is watching. Wala akong TV 19. I was not depressed actually. Nagpapaka-brat lang.

 

18Email ka ng letter sa akin. 19

 

18Ha? Bakit? 19

 

18Hingi ka ng TV. 19

 

18What? 19

 

18Papa-approve ko kay Mayor. Para di ka na depressed. 19 (Note: di ako sumulat ha. ano kaya 18yon?)

 

I don 19t have a boyfriend right now. I don 19t even have a pending hero or hero-like material. But oh boy, I tell you, I have all the requisite friends to live the perfect heroine 19s life.