Chapter Text
It was a beautiful day - the sun was shining brightly, the fiesta banners fluttering with the wind. He wasn't really supposed to be in this part of Arayat - oh, far from it - but his friends insisted that he should come with them.
"Eduardo!" shouted his friend, Pio. "Ang bagal mo!"
He sighed and shook his head with a smile. "Hindi naman ako pumarito para mang-akit ng mga binibini!"
Another of his friends, Fernandino, roared with laughter. "Alam naman naming lahat na doon ka lamang sa panaderia ng ama mo maghapon kung mamarapatin." He patted Rusca's arm. "Paano ka makakahanap ng asawa kung puro pagkain ang iyong inaatupag?"
He good-naturedly ignored their teasing and jeers, knowing that they were only looking out for him in their own way. He followed them to the festivities, though he stayed under the shade of an acacia tree instead of dancing with the young women of the village. He didn't find anyone who interested him, sadly.
That was, at least, until he saw her.
She was sitting on a bench, watching the festivities with a small, bemused smile. She was beautiful - and not in the conventional way that most men prefered. He wasn't sure how long he observed her until she lifted her gaze and her deep-set eyes locked with his. She gives him a timid smile before her gaze flickers down. He looks away nervously too, feeling his cheeks burn.
It took him a solid half hour before he could pluck up the courage to introduce himself to her.
He sits down beside her, taking care to keep his distance so as not to startle her. He meets her gaze, trying to stay calm despite the fluttering of his heart. "Nagulat ba kita, binibini?" he asked softly. "Pasensya na."
She smiled again and shook her head. "Hindi naman, ginoo."
"Eduardo Rusca," he said, finally feeling brave enough to return her smile. "Anak ako ng panadero sa kabilang bayan."
She looks away again, a blush suffusing her cheeks. "Carmena Peralta, nag-aaral maging isang guro."
Friday, 11-20-15, 11:00 AM, Tea-rad Pass
Ed Rusca wasn't really sure how long he's been observing - and crushing on -that woman in the corner. He knew her as a newer regular, flitting in and out of the cafe since late August at the most. He noted that she was quite pretty, and always went out of her way to smile at the staff. She was quite polite though she never struck up any conversation to anyone in the cafe.
He didn't really know what happened, but that was also around the time that he stopped feeling jealous over whatever Goyong and Jay had. That was surprising, as he used to beat himself up over the fact that the boy general managed to win the heart of the woman that kept declining him. Of course, he never had it against them. They were his friends.
His stomach squirms as he touches his bruised neck - a remnant from the fight with Andres Bonifacio's doppleganger. He was told that his injuries didn't look as bad as they originally did, but he still felt a chill whenever he thought of how close he came to dying.
He peered at the woman again, wondering why he found her familiar. Despite knowing most about his past life by the age of fifteen, a lot of things were still a little murky to him - not that he minded. Learning something new about the past was enjoyable.
"Huy." Jay Hernando's voice broke through the storm of his thoughts. "Ang lalim ng iniisip mo."
She smiled and set down some pastries on the glass shelves, humming to herself. How long has it been since the mere sight of her sent butterflies in his stomach?
He subtly motioned toward the woman he's been observing. "Ang familiar kasi niya," he explained softly.
Jay shrugged. "Eh regular na si Ate Nena dito eh. Syempre familiar. Ikaw talaga, Kuya."
It felt like someone dumped a bucket of cold water down Rusca's head when he heard the name. A shudder started at the nape of his neck and travelled down his spine. He ignored Jay's startled look and locked eyes with the woman in question. Nena. Carmena. Pakshet.
She gave him a shy grin and he looked away, feeling warm all of a sudden. It felt like the mere mention of her name actually triggered his memories.
The gentle sound of windchimes broke through the moment. Rusca looked up, ready to greet the new customer - and his jaw dropped. Why exactly was Goyong del Pilar up and about? His friend - well, frienemy - was still supposed to be on bedrest. The younger cafe staff, mostly comprised of working students, flocked around him.
Rusca felt himself smile. "Nako, bumibreezy nanaman ah," he noted, earning a light punch from Jay.
"Baeyani na kasi siya ng Angeles," she called back. She chuckled softly and shook her head. "Gwapo na, murder survivor pa ang gago."
"Three times murder survivor pa nga ata, nyeta." Rusca grinned and echoed her chuckle. He left the bar and approached Goyong, a wild idea suddenly blooming in his muddled thoughts. Kung may girl expert man sa tropa sigurado akong si Goyong yun. He pulled Goyong aside and lowered his voice. He glanced at Nena, knowing that his companion would pick up quickly with his soldier's intuition. "Psst, bebelabs, nakikita mo ba yung babae dun sa may sulok?"
Sharp as ever, Goyong followed his gaze. A small frown creased his still haggard face. "Napano siya, Ruscababes?"
Rusca decided to cut the long story short. "Ilang araw ko nang napapansin. Siya si Nena." He began to wring his hands as a wave of nervousness shot through his entire body. "Oo pre. Wag mo lang bibiglain. Be yourself pero wag yung sobrang gago ha."
Rusca turned red. Hindi naman ako gagong katulad mo ah! "Ang hirap naman nun," he said, grinning. He scratched his cheek as he waited for the general to respond.
Goyong mirrored his grin mischievously. "Libre mo ng kape tapos itanong mo kung ano yung binabasa niya."
Uy, classic. "Uy, subukan ko nga yan. Salamat, ha?"
"Anytime, pre." Goyong patted his shoulder before heading for the bar.
Rusca felt like he was glowing by the time he returned to his spot by the counter. He could still feel Goyong staring at him, expectant, speculating. He looked away and focused on his job - and his sudden urge to run out of the cafe and scream.
Friday, 11-20-15, 3:00 PM, Tea-rad Pass
He finally plucked up the courage once the shift was over. Dropping his own money into the till, he called up an order to the working student in charge of the bar that day before striding into the staff room to change out of his uniform. He found himself trembling. Hindi mo naman alam kung siya parin yung makakatuluyan mo. Walang sigurado sa mundo - kahit na totoo ang reincarnation.
He smoothed down his hair. Magpapakalbo ako pag ito naging epic fail, seryoso. He never really cared much about his looks - he'd rather spend his money on food - but he found himself preening for the first time in years. He even made sure that his flannel shirt had no wrinkles.
He finally stepped out of the staff room, earning stares from his friends. Joven actually inclined his head curiously. "Pre, ayos ka lang?"
Rusca nodded as he grabbed the cup of coffee he ordered. "Guys, hindi ako agad makakauwi ngayon..."
Goyong gave him a knowing smile. "Alam namin yun."
Jay winked at him. "Good luck, kuya."
Rusca could still feel them staring by the time he marched toward Nena, knees shaking. He let out a soft sigh and sat across the table from her. He smiled nervously, dithering before he placed the coffee cup in front of her. "Hi," he began. "Para sayo oh."
Nena looked up, a small smile on her face. "Hi." She glanced at the cup before focusing on him. Her face lit up with recognition. "Ah, ikaw si kuya sa... ano..." Her eyes flicked to the bar.
Rusca nodded. "Ed Rusca, pag minsan baker."
She chuckled at that. "Carmena Peralta, preschool teacher."
Rusca let out a deep breath, fighting off the flood of memories rushing into his head. "Nice to meet you. Pasensya na ah, natutuwa lang kasi ako pag nakikita kita dito. Ah, sorry, ayaw ko naman maging creepy..."
Her smile was angelic with a hint of mischief. "Matagal na din kitang napapansin sa counter." She looked a way, a blush creeping up her cheeks.
Friday, 11-20-15, 5:15 PM, Tea-rad Pass
At sabi nila hindi tinatablan ng kilig ang mga lalake.
He finally parked his car down the driveway, feeling jittery. It felt like butterflies were caught in a whirlwind in his stomach, and an electric chill ran down his body. He didn't mind it one bit - it was actually quite pleasant.
He couldn't help but smile and hum as he stepped into the house. He didn't even mind that the air conditioning was too cold - or that the entire house smelled faintly like a hospital. Putangina ayaw ko na talaga sa mga ospital. He dispelled the thoughts and focused on the conversation he had with Nena.
He hated to admit it, but he was hooked.
He never really expected himself to be infatuated - after all, he was twenty-four years old - but there it was, the childish feeling of kilig running through his entire being. He could see the rest of Team Hijo de Puta staring at him with knowing smiles. He let out an exasperated sigh.
Being an only child, he never really really understood what it was like to be in a big family until the entire team moved in together. Not that he was complaining - far from it. He loved everyone in the team in his own way. Kahit na gago kayo.
He spotted Joven lounging in the living room, his eyes trained on the daily news. Everyone was still on edge regarding Andres Bonifacio's murderous doppleganger - especially after the near-death experience that he, Goyong, and Jay were subjected to recently - but even that seemed to have taken a backseat during that day. He doesn't break routine, though, prefering to sit down beside his best friend.
"May bagong biktima ba?" he asked. His brain was still a puddle of warm happiness due to Nena's laughter.
Joven gave him a sly look. He has always been too observant, frustratingly enough. "Wala pang update pero... kamusta naman ang date niyo ni Nena?"
Rusca flushed. He looked down, fighting the flutters. "Gago ka, wala lang yun."
Joven's snickered. "Rusca, palagi mong kinukwento si Nena sa kampo noon. Alam naming lahat na baliw na baliw ka sakanya. Uy, baka maprove niyo na love can transcened lifetimes."
Love can transcend lifetimes? Cheesy, pre. Pero why not?