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The Last Seven Days, Part 3: Belief

<<< Nakaraan

JOEY: Hello?
SEPH: Hello, Joey, bakit hindi mo sinasagot?
JOEY: Seph? Ikaw ba yan?
SEPH: Bakit? Sino ine-expect mo?
JOEY: Hindi, wala, nasa CR kasi ako eh, tawagan na lang ulit kita mamaya, ok?
SEPH: Sige, bye.
JOEY: Ok, bye.

Binaba ni Joey ang cellphone, at nanlilisik ang mga matang tumitig kay Seph.

JOEY: Who the hell was that? Bakit kaboses na kaboses mo siya? What's this? Is this a sick joke na naisip n'yo nila Treena? Well, Mr. Reyes, malayo pa po ang April Fools, and as so you know, it isn't funny. Cut it out, ok?
SEPH: Joey, this is not a joke.
JOEY: Then what is it?
SEPH: Hindi ko din alam! Ang alam ko lang, 4 days ago, Thursday night, nakipag-break ka sa kin. Nagkita tayo nung Friday, we had a closure. Then, I was wasted for a couple of days, yesterday, kinontak ako nila Treena, nagkayayaan, nag-inuman kami, I drove home, drunk, I had an accident, and then, THIS. Ok?
JOEY: So, alam mo na pala?
SEPH: Ang alin?
JOEY: Na gusto ko nang makipag-break.
SEPH: Well, you told me Ms. Santiago. Nakipag-break ka sa kin, gusto mo ipakita ko pa sa' yo text mo.
JOEY: Tama na, ok! Sino nagsabi sa 'yo? Sila Franz?
SEPH: Ha? Hindi. Alam mo namang hindi ko kasundo mga officemates mo di 'ba... Teka, you mean you were planning this all along?
JOEY: No, hindi ko 'to plinano, ano ka ba...
SEPH: So niloko mo ko all this time. What... Wednesday, magkasama lang tayo, you even told me you love me.
JOEY: When I told you that I love you, I meant it! Hindi porket makikipaghiwalay ako hindi na kita mahal. This is not something I have planned, this is something that I want. I was just looking for the right moment.
SEPH: ...
JOEY: Ok, now... I get it. Nalaman mo na gusto kong makipag-break, and now, you're doing this to win me back. Kinuntsaba mo pa sila Treena, then what, siguro nag-hire kayo ng kaboses mo para tawagan ako... And, what, the accident? Was that fake? Grabe yung nangyari sa sasakyan mo, tapos ikaw, halos wala kang galos... (Gasp) How romantic of you to do this elaborate...plan... well, knowing you, hindi na ko magugulat... Ano, tama?
SEPH: No.
JOEY: (Stare)
SEPH: Hindi ko ma-explain. I know, you wouldn't believe it, I can't believe it either, so let's see. Magbihis ka, alis tayo.
JOEY: Sa'n tayo pupunta?
SEPH: Basta, somewhere, I want to make sure of something. May damit pa ba akong naiwan dito?
JOEY: Sa drawer, andy'an pa yung t-shirt mong gray.


Naglalakad sila Seph and Joey papasok sa mall na madalas nilang puntahan nung College. Tumigil sila pagdating malapit sa isang video shop.

JOEY: What are we doing here?
SEPH: Dito tayo madalas mag-rent di ba?
JOEY: Yah, I know. What, magre-rent ka? Bakit sinama mo pa ko?
SEPH: No, I'm trying to prove something. If my memory is right, bumili ako ng DVD last Saturday. Hindi ko lang maalala yung exact time. Pero, sure ako, pupunta ako dito.
JOEY: What the hell? Pinaninindigan mo na talaga yang...
SEPH: Wait, quiet.

On the other side of the hallway, naglalakad ang isang lalaking kamukha ni Seph papunta sa same video store. Nagtago sila Seph at Joey sa gilid ng isang stall.

SEPH: See that, that's me, right?
JOEY: (Hindi makapaniwala) Could be. Or a body double. Pwedeng kamukha mo lang na hi-nire nyo para...
SEPH: Listen, Joey, hindi kita niloloko or something. I think I know what this is. I think, I'm from the future, from your future. I think I was sent back here to fix something. I think, I am here, to fix our relationship.
JOEY: Do you really want me to believe that bullshit?
SEPH: Joey! Listen to me! Do you think I would go this far to lie to you? Please, realize, that this is divine intervention! This is God himself, telling you to not leave me.
JOEY: I don't know... I don't know kung maniniwala ako sa 'yo...
SEPH: Joey, please. Siguro ganun nga, bumalik ako, para pigilan kang makipag-break sa 'kin.
JOEY: ...
SEPH: Please... please, believe me. I think I can fix this. I know I can fix this. It's not too late. Just give me time, and we can still be together.


12:16 PM. Kumakain ng lunch sila Seph at Joey sa isang fastfood on the same mall they were in. Matagal silang tahimik, hindi nag-uusap.

SEPH: Are we gonna be like this the whole day?
JOEY: What?
SEPH: We're not even talking.
JOEY: I don't know... you talk, d'yan ka naman magaling 'di ba? Plus, this weird shit you keep on insisting. I don't know if I'm going to believe it.
SEPH: ...
JOEY: Is it true?
SEPH: Huh?
JOEY: That I will finally broke up...err, break up.. broken up... grr, na nag-break tayo! God, I can't even think of the right verb to use.
SEPH: Yes. You texted me. Nagpunta ako sa inyo, then...
JOEY: What did I say?
SEPH: That we've changed. That it's not like before.
JOEY: ...
SEPH: I can't believe it.
JOEY: Then start believing. Change is constant, ikaw nagsabi n'yan sa 'kin 'di ba?
SEPH: Yah, but not THIS change. Plus, we can prevent it kung gusto natin.
JOEY: For what? If we prevent it we're just delaying the inevitable.
SEPH: That's bullshit. Ikaw na nagsabi 'di ba, kung gusto, palaging may paraan.
JOEY: Now you're using my words against me.
SEPH: You did it first.
JOEY: ...
SEPH: ...
JOEY: See that... We can't even agree on something. Nung College, magkasundo tayo sa lahat ng bagay... that's the change that I'm referring to.
SEPH: Well, we're two different person, that's normal.
JOEY: ...
SEPH: ...
JOEY: What are we arguing about anyway?
SEPH: Ewan.
JOEY: ...
SEPH: Joey. Do you still love me?
JOEY: ...
SEPH: I want you to look into your heart, tell me now, 6 days before you decided to break up, do you still love me?

Joey looked away, took a sip of Coke and pondered for a moment. Seph was eagerly waiting for her answer, natatakot sa mga maririnig niyang sagot, ngunit umaasa rin na magugustuhan niya ang sasabihin ng dalaga.

Joey looked into Seph's eyes, looking for something, something that, 8 or 9 months ago she might have sought, but now, is difficult to find. She dug for words, pero hindi niya maisip kung anong sasabihin.

SEPH: Do you still love me?

Seph's question kept creeping into her mind. Pa'no siya sasagot? Anong sasabihin niya? His question is the same question she's been asking her heart for a long time now.

SEPH: Do you still love me?
JOEY: ...
SEPH: ...
JOEY: I don't know.

Itutuloy...

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