Work Text:
Not everyone liked their own company. Me? I always preferred mine. Hindi naman sa ayaw ko sa mga tao. I had friends. I didn’t mind social gatherings. But sometimes…
Sometimes the crowd could be too much. Sometimes it became suffocating. Minsan, kahit tatlo lang kayo, silang dalawa lang naman yung nagkakaintindihan sa isang chismis and all you can do is listen and eat in front of them. At kung isang tao lang din kasama mo…madalas, wala naman kayong magandang pinag-uusapan. In the end, parang naging ka-date nyo na lang din ang cellphone nyo kasi dun lang din naman nakatutok ang atensyon nyo.
Kaya bakit ko naman pipilitin ang sarili kong maghanap ng kasama kung gusto kong kumain, or di kaya, kung may bagong pelikula akong gustong panuorin sa sinehan mismo. Wala namang masama kung mag-isa kang kakain o manunuod. Masyadong judger lang yung mga tao. Na para bang requirement na mabuhay sa mundo in pairs. Eh hindi naman nakakamura mabuhay kung may partner ka. Madalas, dagdag expenses, dagdag din sa sakit ng ulo.
Kaya ayan, I chose to live my life peacefully, doing everything by myself, enjoying my own company. It was always “table for one lang po”.
Hanggang sa: “Miss, pwede bang tumabi? Puno na kasi ang ibang tables eh. Wala ka naman atang kasama?”
I looked up from the screen of my laptop to the woman asking me a question. She was in jorts, a plain white cropped T-shirt, and a beige jacket. Thick black-rimmed glasses framed her features along with long black hair. She wore a kind smile, waiting for me to respond.
Instead of answering right away, I looked around the café. Kaya dito ako lagi kasi hindi maraming tao ang pumupunta but for some reason, the café was packed this afternoon. It was mostly students huddled in small groups, laughing and talking loudly with each other.
She noticed my hesitation and held up a cake. “Birthday ko today.”
“Happy birthday?” I said, confused, the words sounding like a question.
She chuckled and sat down across from me anyway, no longer waiting for my answer. She placed a clean fork and tissue in front of me, along with a small plate, and then began to open the small box of cake she was holding.
“What are you doing?”
“Kakain ng cake. Birthday ko diba? Share tayo. Ay wait, may kandila ako. Kantahan mo ko ha.”
I stared at her, trying to grasp the situation kasi hindi ko naiintindihan. “Hindi kita kilala…”
“Ah!” Sabi nya habang nilagay yung kandila sa gitna ng cake nya. “Joie ang pangalan ko. Happy birthday, Joie…ready…sing!”
She started clapping – loudly, I might add – urging me to sing along with her. Hell, she was urging everyone in the room to sing with her. They all did – the customers, the students, the staff, the baristas sa counter…at ako, clapping along timidly, confused as hell, singing happy birthday to Joie. I could feel the heat rising to my face, the embarrassment clawing at me. Lahat ng tao sa amin nakatingin. Oo, na kay Joie at attention nila pero nararamdaman ko pa rin naman. I didn’t like attention.
“Happy birthday, Joie!” Everyone cheered after she blew her candle and just like that, they all went back to their own world, and Joie stabbed her cake with a fork and took a big bite.
She looked at me, chewing curiously, pushing the cake towards me. “Ayaw mo? Apple crumble cheesecake. Bago yan dito. Masarap kaya! Pina-reserve ko pa yan eh.”
The whole encounter has been weird but I was raised polite by my parents so I did take a bite of the cheesecake. Isang bite lang. But the moment the cheesecake crumbled on my tongue, the taste of caramel, apple, graham and cheesecake…shit.
Hindi ko napigilan ang sarili ko. One bite turned to two, and eventually I lost count. Joie sat across from me, grinning ear to ear. “Baka eto din yung cheesecake na nahibang sina Rachel at Chandler. Kahit nasa sahig na, kinain pa din nila.”
The comment piqued my attention. She watched Friends. I didn’t expect that it was a show she’d like watching. It’s just that, by the looks of her…. “Ilang taon ka na?”
Her eyebrows rose at my question. “22. Bakit?”
“The Friends comment. It’s an oldie but goodie but not something your generation likes.”
“Na para bang anlayo ng tanda mo sakin, miss…”
The way she trailed off her words meant she was fishing me for my name. And probably my age too. “Alena. But Allie. You can call me Allie. And I’m 24. Di naman malayo yung age gap but I have a millennial older brother that forced me to watch sitcoms.”
“Judgmental ka, noh?”
My eyebrows furrowed as I reached for my hot matcha. “What?”
Joie lightly shrugged her shoulders. “Di porket gen Z ako hindi ibig sabihin na I don’t appreciate good shows. At kelan ba naging personality ang generation-generation na yan. Kaya nagkakagulo ang mga tao dahil mahilig e label agad bago kilalanin.”
She paused for a beat, stared at me and cocked her head to the side. “Tsaka hello, pareyas lang tayong gen z! Ang magkaiba, mabilis ka lang mag categorized ng tao. Baka gusto mong tanungin ano din MBTI ko. Pero hulaan ko yung sayo, sure akong inverter ka eh.”
I was completely dumbfounded by the change of direction of the conversation. It felt like…everything…anything…all at once. “Joie…marunong ka bang prumeno?”
She was mid-bite of a cheesecake. She paused and stared at me and then smiled apologetically. “Sorry ha, na overwhelm ba kita? Mabilis lang kasi ako mapalagay sa tao.”
“Paano kung masamang tao ako?” The question was out of pure curiosity. Unlike Joie, I was cautious of people but then again…here I was eating cheesecake with a complete stranger. The irony of life, I guess?
“Una, kung masamang tao ka, edi gumawa ka na ng eksena kanina pa. Pero sino yung gumawa ng eksena? Ako, diba? Kasi pinakanta ko ang buong cafe ng happy birthday para sa akin. Pangalawa, kung may masamang balak ka sa akin at kikidnapin mo ako, sana may nilagay ka sa kape ko,” She paused for a moment, eating the cake on her fork and chewing slowly. Tapos, napakamot siya ng ulo niya.
“Pero wala akong kape na pwede mong lagyan at ako ang may dala ng pagkain sa ating dalawa. Walang lason yung cheesecake ha, kasi kahit ako nga kumakain. Kung meron, oh edi dalawa tayong hihimatayin so dalawa tayong kukuhanan ng kidney para ibenta. Nakuhanan na tayo ng kidney, wala pa tayong perang nakuha dun para pang-concert.”
I could feel my lips twitching to a smile, and hard as I tried to stop myself from doing so, it just happened. I could feel my eyes crinkling, lips turning upward, teeth showing and I tried to hide it by taking another bite of the cake pero Joie already saw it.
“Ayun, marunong din siyang ngumiti!” She even clapped as if it was an achievement unlocked. “Akala ko may botox ka eh.”
Napailing na lang ako sa mga pinagsasabi niya. I set aside my laptop na nasa table pa din para fully cleared na yung table at yung cheesecake na lang yung andun. I packed it back in my bag, fixed myself a bit, and then turned my attention to Joie. “Kung birthday mo, bakit ka andito? Bakit ka mag-isa? Wala ka bang kaibigan? Pamilya? Ulila ka ba?”
She leaned closer to me, enough that I could smell her scent: fresh, slightly floral, but with clean musk at the end. Surprisingly fitting for someone like her. “Hindi ako ulila, Allie. May birthday din namang inihanda ang pamilya ko. As for my friends, I celebrate with them after I celebrate with my family.”
I nodded my head slowly, mulling her answer as I slowly bit onto the plastic fork, thinking. “And hindi ba ito yung cake na kakainin mo with your family or is this just you indulging in something you like because you have a birthday pass?”
Joie stared at the cake for a moment and just nodded, agreeing with what I said. “Oo. Kasi gusto ko lang. Actually, kahit hindi ko naman birthday at kaya ko lang bumili, I’ll buy.”
“That kind of loses its value, when you can simply buy something that’s meant for a special occasion.”
“Hindi naman araw-araw,” Pag-aangal niya, “pero kung deserve mo naman sa araw na yun, bilhin mo na. Maikli ang buhay para pagkaitan ang sarili mo ng mga bagay na gusto mo, Allie. At hindi lang maikli ang buhay dahil sa kamatayan, minsan, naiikli siya dahil may mga bagay na nalilimutan.”
That was…something I didn’t expect for her to say, but it also felt like something na napag-isipan na niya ng matagal na. Joie was quiet for a while and I let her, drinking my matcha silently in front of her. Eventually, she placed her fork down on her clean plate and looked at me with the same friendly smile she wore when she approached me nung una.
“Gusto mo pa ba?”
I shook my head. “Hindi na. Busog na ako. Salamat pala ha.”
Joie began to re-box her cake: neatly putting it back inside the box and tying the gold ribbon around it na para bang hindi siya nabuksan ever. “Aalis ka na?”
“Yes. May birthday party ako with my family, remember? I think na set-up na nila yung bahay for that,” she started to say as she began to fix herself then, she paused and looked at me. “Gusto mo bang sumama?”
I blinked rapidly, letting her question sink in. “Ha?”
Joie chuckled. “Tinatanong kita kung gusto mong sumama sa akin sa birthday ko sa bahay namin, Allie.”
Na para bang if she phrased the question more specifically, I would understand kung bakit niya ako tinatanong. “Joie…”
“Hindi mo ako kilala,” she finished for me, nodding her head in agreement, “at hindi din naman kita kilala pero gusto kitang isama sa birthday ko kung nasaan ang buong angkan ko.”
“Kaya nga…” I said. Matalino naman akong tao pero why isn’t she making sense to me right now? “Bakit ka nag-iimbita ng taong hindi mo kilala?”
Joie looked thoughtful for a moment. “Kasi gusto ko? Kasi birthday ko? Baka kasi tuksuin naman nila ako na isang birthday ko naman ang lilipas na wala na naman akong jowa.”
When I looked at her in shock, Joie quickly backpedaled on her last statement. “Wait, sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed or said that. I meant it to sound light, na para bang joke. Hindi ko naman gustong ma-offend ka, Allie, by assuming kung-,”
I held up a hand to stop her from talking. “Joie, it’s fine. Hindi ako na offend. Nabigla, oo.”
She scratched her nape, nervous. “So ano? Gusto mo bang sumama? OA yung pamilya kong maghanda pag birthday ko. May hotdog on sticks na may marshmallow. Naalala mo ba yun? Diba laging may ganyan sa children’s party? Sure akong meron kaming ganun eh kasi akala siguro nila, seven years old pa lang ako.”
God, she was cute when she was nervous pero charming pa din. I chewed the inside of my bottom lip, mulling over her offer. Hindi ako yung tipong tao that would go for something so spontaneous. Kailangan ko ng tatlong business days bago ako umo-o sa isang adventure with my friends. But right now, Joie was offering spontaneity on a silver platter and it wasn’t a usual order for me.
“Ihahatid mo ba ako pauwi kung sasama ako sayo?”
Her eyes widened, realizing that I was saying yes to her offer. “Kahit saang lupalop ka pa sa CALABARZON, naka-full tank naman ang kotse ko.”
The two of us left the cafe and got in Joie’s car – which was conveniently parked just outside the door. The whole ride, Joie briefed me about her family: only child lang siya pero maraming kapatid ang nanay niya so marami silang magpi-pinsan. She never felt na mag-isa lang siya dahil parang kapatid niya na din ang mga pinsan niya.
The reason why festive yung birthday niya ay dahil hindi lang siya ang magdi-diwang. She has the same birthday with her grandmother, yung mom ng nanay niya. They’ll celebrate the two birthdays sa ancestral house ng nanay niya dahil dun pa din nakatira yung lola niya.
“What about your lolo?” I asked, curious. Joie spoke about her family so animatedly – and with very detailed descriptions – that I felt like I’ve met them already.
Joie’s gaze was fixed on the road. “Matagal ng wala si lolo. Bago pa ako pinanganak eh. Pero madalas siyang kinukwento ni lola sa akin kaya parang hindi naman ako na-FOMO sa kanya. Memorize ko na lahat ng kwento na siya yung bida eh, sa ilang beses ba naman kinukwento ni lola.”
I smiled at that. I had a decent relationship with my family pero minsan, being too close with family…minsan hindi siya masyadong ideal. Minsan nawawalan ng respeto at privacy. But sometimes, tulad ng sa pamilya nina Joie, sometimes it worked out. Depende din siguro sa tao yun eh.
“Mahal mo pamilya mo noh?”
Joie glanced at me and I noticed something flashing in her eyes – was it fear or sadness? Hindi ko ma-point out – and smiled a bit. “Oo. Nung bata ako, palaging sinasabi sa akin ni lola na, kapag natapos ang araw, kahit saan ka man sa kabuohan nyon, uuwi ka pa din sa pamilya mo.”
I tilted my head to the side, mulling over her words. “Eh paano kung nag abroad ka?”
The car slowed to a stop for a red light and Joie looked at me, her eyebrows furrowed, but an amused smile on her face. “Edi uuwi ka ng mag-isa sa apartment mo. Ewan ko. Baka uuwi kang luhaan dahil homesick ka. For sure, ganun ako.”
Timeless by Taylor Swift began to play and Joie reached for the stereo, increasing the volume, humming along the song as I rested my head on the window, watching houses after houses that we passed by. The world outside her car was bright and alive and chaotic, a world that I needed so much energy to face, and it might be the same kind I’d witness pag dating namin sa bahay nina Joie. Right now, whatever peace there was in this car, I’d take it all in to charge myself with its grounding energy.
“Joseph ang pangalan ng lolo ko. Oye yung palayaw niya,” Joie’s voice was low and soft, almost quiet that I had to strain a little to hear her, as she began to tell me about her family again. “He died a month before I was born. Dahil pinanganak ako sa birthday ni lola, yung birthday gift na hiningi niya kina Mommy was to at least name me in honor of her late husband. Kaya Joie. Joie Christine ang buong pangalan ko. Everyone else in the family calls me Tintin. But lola is the only one who calls me Oye, the same nickname her husband had.”
She took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. “So much of who I am is rooted in my family. You have to remember that pag dating natin, okay?”
I had a feeling that there was more to that she wasn’t sharing at the moment but I didn’t press. Joie had been unraveling herself to me, bit by bit, kahit na ngayon lang naman kami nagkakilala and that was more than I could ask for, even from someone that was close to me. I was never the type to pry, so for someone to just tell me her story so freely, I respected every bit that she shared.
Finally, a big house came into view, and Joie slowed down her car. She honked twice, and someone ran out of the house to open the wrought iron gates to let us in. Joie cautiously parked her car inside, and I noted that there were about six cars in total parked inside the grand house. Joie turned off the ignition and turned to me, she smiled: the same friendly one she wore when she asked if she could share a table with me.
But she reached for my hand and held it in hers gently and said, “Kung iinisin ka ng mga pinsan ko, kung tutuksuhin ka nila, batukan mo sila. I’ll share my birthday pass with you.”
I pulled my hand from hers quickly and balled it into a fist, my heart racing just a little with the sudden intimate contact but Joie seemed unfazed. She got out of the car, opened the backseat to get the cake, and then waited for me to get out before locking it. There was a younger girl waiting for us at the front door, eyeing me suspiciously.
“Twenty two years ka nang nagbi-birthday, te, pero ngayon ka lang may dinalang bisita,” The younger girl commented and then offered a hand for me to shake. “Hello, ako si Tala. Pinsan ako ni Ate Tin. Ang ganda nyo po! Artista po ba kayo? Paano po kayo naloko ng pinsan kong sumama dito? Blinackmail ka ho ba nya?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the questions directed at me and Joie pushed the box of cake to her cousin’s chest, glaring at her. “Manahimik ka nga, Tala. Asan na sina Mommy at Daddy?”
“Andun na sa bakuran. Kanina ka pa namin tinext ni Kuya Corics, ngayon ka lang dumating. Nagsimula na kami noh! Pero di pa naman si Lola nakapag-blow ng cake.”
I found myself moving closer to Joie as we headed to the backyard where her entire family seemed to be. The moment we got there, I was surprised by the decorations: party banners with happy birthdays were there, along with balloons tied to the back of the chairs, party hats on everyone present, and the hotdog on sticks with marshmallows, centerpiece on the buffet table, along with a two-layered cake with white and pink icing – may edible flowers pa as design.
“Is that your cake?” I whispered to Joie, pointing at it.
She glanced at it and grimaced, shaking her head. “Ha? Hindi noh. Kay lola yan.”
Someone approached us – lalaking kamukhang-kamukha ni Joie – and wrapped his arms around her tightly. “Happy birthday, anak.”
I watched as Joie took a deep breath and hugged him back. “Thank you po, Daddy. Ay, siya nga pala, may bisita akong kasama. Si Allie po…kaibigan ko.”
It took her a moment to think of how to describe me to her dad and kaibigan might have been a stretch pero there might be a lot of questions kung sabihin naming ngayon lang kami nagkakilala. Her dad turned to me and smiled warmly. “Mabuti naman nakapunta ka dito. Ang tagal na naming sinasabi dito kay Tintin na magdala din siya ng bisita niya pero ayaw lagi. Salamat naman at may sinama siya.”
“Aba, ang gandang bata naman,” Someone said from behind her dad. She approached Joie first, kissing her on the cheek and hugging her tightly and whispering ‘happy birthday’ to her as well. “Mama ako ni Joie. It’s nice to meet you…”
“Allie po,” I said, shaking her hand and smiling politely. “Mukhang ang saya nga po ng birthday ni Joie ah.”
“Birthday ni Joie? Baka nagkamali ka, iha. Birthday ko.”
The four of us looked at the person who approached. She was wearing a light pink dress, her white hair neatly combed, and the slightest touch of makeup. “Sino ka?”
I looked at Joie who was staring at the older woman who just intruded our conversation. She pursed her lips and took a deep breath. “Lola Maye, happy birthday sa magandang maganda kong lola!”
Her voice was so lively when she said it, moving away from her parents to approach her lola and hug her tightly, her eyes closed just as tight but when they pulled away, Lola Maye stared at Joie, holding the same confusion she had in her eyes when she saw me. “Sino ka din? Juliana, bakit may mga bisitang hindi ko kilala?”
“Mama,” Tita Juliana’s voice was soothing as she approached her mother. “Naku, nalimot ka naman. Si Tintin yan, yung apo mo, ang tanging anak ko.”
“Lola naman, diba ako ang paborito mong apo?” Joie said, her voice sounding small as she spoke, so different from the Joie I met at the cafe earlier, the one who randomly shared with me her birthday cake dahil lang birthday nya.
“Tintin!”
“Lola Maye!”
They were being called by the other family members’ and as if it was muscle memory, Joie guided her lola to the center of the party, where everyone was waiting for them, leaving me momentarily with her parents. Her mother turned to me apologetically.
“Sorry, Allie, ha. Si Mama…” Tita Juliana faltered a little and sighed. I suddenly felt intrusive. Sana hindi na lang ako pumayag na sumama. “Mama has dementia. Marami na siyang nakakalimutan pero naaalala niya lagi ang birthday nya pero hindi niya maalala na kasabay ng birthday nya ay kay Tintin din.”
“We used to hold their birthdays together,” Joie’s dad began to explain, “pero nung lumala yung kondisyon ni Mama, nagsimula siyang magalit na diniriwang ang birthday niya kasama ng taong hindi niya kilala kaya sabi ni Tintin, kay Mama na lang yung i-celebrate namin. Okay lang naman daw sa kanya.”
“Kaya nga natutuwa akong may sinama siya,” Dagdag ni Tita Juliana. “Lahat kami, nakatutok kay Mama. Pero ngayon na andito ka, merong taong dinidiwang din ang kaarawan niya.”
Everyone started to gather sa gitna. We all started to sing happy birthday to Lola Maye, everyone in high spirits and smiling, even Joie. They even played the pabitin before we started eating and Lola Maye was the first to get herself a prize. Lahat ng taong andun, natutuwa. Yung tawanan, yung tuksuan, yung likas na tuwa na sa pamilya mo lang nakikita.
But all I could do was watch Joie.
She smiled and laughed and teased along with her cousins. She even participated in games. Pero all I could think of was the fact that she could have been more than just a participant. Isa siya sa mga celebrant but she was choosing not to be celebrated.
It all made sense: bakit siya may isang malaking cake na para sa birthday niya at naki-share sya sa taong hindi niya kilala, why she wanted everyone to sing her happy birthday. She wouldn’t have that celebration here. She wouldn’t…not for a while…with the people that she was so used to spending it with.
Kumakain na ang lahat at nakahanap ako ng upuan, away from the crowd. Nahihiya din naman ako eh. Tala was by my side nung games kung isa sa mga participant si Joie at friendly naman ang buong pamilya nila pero still, I was a stranger to everyone here as they were to me.
Lumapit si Joie sa akin, dala-dala ang isang paperplate na may ilang pirasong hotdog, fried chicken, at spaghetti. She sat across from me and quietly handed me a hotdog. “Ba’t hindi ka kumuha? Dinala kita dito para dyan, diba?”
I rolled my eyes at her words but did take a bite of the marshmallow and hotdog, letting the familiar sweet and savory complexity fill my mouth. I chewed quietly as Joie ate in comfortable silence with me. One of her cousins approached, tall with broad shoulders, long hair that was tied in a low ponytail.
“Aba, siya na ba yan, Tin?”
Joie’s eyebrows furrowed and glared at him. “Wag mo kong simulan, Enrico.”
But Corics wasn’t listening to her. His attention was still fixed on me. “Ako pala si Corics. Mas matanda ako dito kay Tin pero wala yang siyang galang. Curious ako, ikaw ba yung babaeng minsang tumatambay mag-isa sa cafe niya?”
Cafe niya…?
“Ha?” I asked, looking at Joie and Corics. “You mean Kay Oye is…”
Ah shit. Why didn’t I figure that out sa sasakyan pa lang?
Corics didn’t seem to get the situation so he continued on with what he was saying. “Itong si Tintin kasi, may kinukwento sa akin. Meron daw isang magandang dilag na palaging pumupunta mag-isa dun sa coffee shop. Minsan, nagbabasa ng libro. Minsan, may trabahong ginagawa sa laptop. Pero madalas, mag-isa. Table for one lagi eh kaya wish neto, baka dumating yung araw na pwede siyang makipag-share dun.”
Corics didn’t get to finish the conversation he was having with me. Tinawag siya ng isang tita so once more, Joie and I were left alone. I looked at her questioningly. “I can explain.”
“Sige, explain mo nga before I jump into any conclusion.”
“Yes, Kay Oye is mine,” Joie started to say, “and I have noticed you coming in for a while now. Hindi ka naman araw-araw dun but isa ka na sa mga pamilyar na mukha. You always sat by yourself. Mukhang hindi ka naman malungkot. Nakukwento kita sa mga pinsan ko kasi curious ako sayo. Palagi nila akong tinutukso na ang duwag-duwag ko daw kasi hindi kita malapitan.”
She scratched her eyebrow, pausing, as she thought of how she could further explain everything to me. “I didn’t plan on sharing my cake with you, Allie. Hindi ko naman alam na ngayong araw ka pupunta eh. But you were there and I took it as a sign and so…I took a shot and I guess I scored?”
Maybe it was the last statement because I found myself exhaling a quiet giggle as I shook my head at her. “You’re pathetic, you know that?”
“Cute naman.” She replied with a wide grin on her face and slowly, it softened into a small smile. “Pero salamat kasi sumama ka dito. Hindi ko alam kung may nakakwento sayo pero may dementia si lola at hindi na niya naalala na birthday ko din, that we share this celebration together.”
“Bakit hindi ka na lang nagdala ng mga kaibigan mo dito?”
Joie shrugged her shoulders. “Bringing my friends here feels like crashing her party with mine. Nagpaubaya na nga ako, diba? Parang ang redundant naman kung biglang dadalhin ko sila dito. Kaya I celebrate with them on a different day. Besides, ganun naman talaga kami.”
“So bakit mo ako dinala dito?”
“Kasi nakakalungkot din pala.” She looked down on her paperplate for a moment before continuing. “Hindi naman sigurong masamang hilingin na may sumama din sa akin sa kaarawan ko, kahit isang tao lang.”
My heart softened for her at that statement and I reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. She looked up, meeting my gaze and I offered her a small smile. “Happy birthday, Joie.”
From that ‘merienda’ buffet, it soon transitioned into dinner that I didn’t even have time to fully digest the meal that I ate before Tita Juliana was already handing me a plate filled with lechon skin and ribs. It was the most that I had been socially active on an occasion – joining the games na pakulo ng mga pinsan ni Joie, even the card games that included alcohol drinking, and the conversations with the rest of her family.
By the time that everyone called it a night, it was nearly 11PM. I had spent the afternoon and evening eating and laughing and learning about the family history of Joie’s family, and even the love story of her grandparents. Somehow, her aunts even managed to squeeze in a quick mahjong tutorial for me that I couldn’t fully grasp but had every intention of learning. Pero I had to go home with a promise that I will come back for another tutorial.
The ride to my apartment was quiet. Neither of us spoke this time. Hindi ako sigurado kung busog lang ba kami at inaantok na but it was a silence I was comfortable with – one that was almost akin to the silence I had with my own company.
“Allie.” Biglang tawag sa akin ni Joie. She suddenly handed me her phone. “Hindi naman siguro masama kung hihingin ko yung number at socials mo? Kanina narinig kita, binigay mo kay Tala. Parang unfair naman ata kung hindi ka naka-follow sa akin sa IG?”
Natawa ako sa pinagsasabi niya but added my number in her contacts and followed my own socials. I’ll follow her back na lang when I get home.
“Paglumabas sa Facebook yung birthday mo, promise, bibilhan din kita ng apple crumble cheesecake.”
I pursed my lips, trying to bite back a smile. By the time her car slowed down to a stop, nasa tapat na kami ng building ko. I turned to look at Joie. “Then, don’t be surprise kung bukas na bukas, kailangan mo na akong bigyan.”
She stared at me, my words slowly sinking in. “Birthday mo din?”
I shook my head. “Hindi ngayon. Bukas pa. I still have what, ten minutes left before my birthday?”
“Allie, bakit hindi ka nagsabi!”
“Hindi naman ako tulad mo that would announce my date of birth to a stranger, Joie.”
She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Allie, what do you want? Anong regalo gusto mo? Sinamahan mo ako kanina sa birthday ko kasama ang pamilya ko, I can offer you my car as a gift if you want.”
Tawang-tawa talaga ako sa pagka-OA niya. “I already have plans, Joie. I have a 7AM flight to Singapore. I’ll spend my birthday there, alone.”
Joie mulled over my statement and nodded her head slowly, taking it in. “Table for one…birthday alone…gets naman. To each her own.”
“I like my own company,” I told her quietly with a small smile, “but I’m starting to like yours.”
She looked up at me, her eyes widening a little. “Imbitasyon ba yan na sumama sayo sa Singapore?”
I let out a giggle and shrugged. “Depende sayo, Joie. I’m just shooting my shot and seeing if I can score too.”
I was simply echoing her words from earlier, making her smile wider, but then she frowned. “I have to celebrate with my friends. Ipapa-hunting nila ako if I indian them eh.”
I nodded my head in understanding and gently patted her cheek. “Then I’ll see you when I get home. I’ll be at Kay Oye at some point next week…for a table for one.”
Joie’s eyes brightened at my words, her lips turning upward into a wider smile again. She reached for my hand and held it in hers, her thumb gently caressing my knuckles. I wasn’t sure when we jumped from casual strangers into this intimacy but I didn’t really mind.
“Table for one, I’ll have it reserved,” Joie said softly, “pero can I share it with you?”
END