Mistaken

“I want you to be my last” Janu admitted aloud, his hand clasped on Petra’s, a silver ring glinting under the sun’s fingertips. 

 With this, Maria knew she had to give up. 

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“Juice ka ba?”

 “Bakit?"

 “Sunkiss nga” Janu stated teasingly, earning a flushed look on Maria’s pale skin as she slowly stepped back in shock. Those words were enough to send Maria to squeal in delight, heart throbbing within her ribcage at the endearment. 

Unfortunately, the sudden rush of emotion sent her to slip down the gutter. Thankfully enough, being the knight and shining armor that he is, Janu assisted the young girl with ease, a gentle smile on his lips. 

His fingers began to intertwine with hers, and one look from him, makes Maria’s heart melt. ‘He’s the one’, she thought, ‘He’s the one I am meant to be with” She pulls the taller male, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. 

With that alone, Janu knew the answer he was searching for. 

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2 years and 3 months passed with their love in full bloom, Maria and Janu spent more time with work to have quality-time with each other.

 “I think we need to cool off” 

 “Is there something wrong?”

 “I want you to know that I will be going to Palawan for a business trip with my co-workers and it will be for fifteen days—so, it will be difficult for us to contact each other”, Janu said convincingly. 

Anxiousness was written on Maria’s face as she sighed in defeat “ I understand but please stay safe and know that I will be waiting for you.” Lovingly, Janu gave his girlfriend a kiss farewell on the forehead. 

 Time passed and Maria did not receive any notification from Janu, despite her multiple messages, calls and voice mails sent daily. ‘Perhaps he does not have a strong reception’ she contemplated. 

 The sound of “ping” from her smartphone disrupted her thoughts, expecting it would be from her boyfriend. “1 new text message from Vanessa” Intrigued, she opens it and saw a screenshot of a photo posted in a social media application named Instagram. 

 Words cannot express what she felt as she views the photo of Janu, hands enveloped to the small frame of a lady wearing a sexy red dress, kissing her passionately with the beaut Palawan sunset at the back. Her stomach churns as she reads the caption repeatedly.

 “Roses are red, Violets are blue, I do not want to love anyone else But only you “ 

 The adrenaline rush in her body made her eyes teary as she cries out the feeling of resentment, disappointment, shock and extreme heartache in the comfort of her bedroom. Eventually, she fell asleep out of exhaustion. 

 The next day, Maria went to work as she attempts to stop thinking about the words that she had read last night. With swollen red eyes and pale lips, her friends notice that she was not feeling well but they did not bother to ask for they know she would not tell them anyway. 

 Anguish fills her heart as she gets more curious of what Janu and the girl have been doing up until now. Her internal mumbles of frustration and impatience as if it can do something. She demands for answers and a text or a call would not be enough. “That’s it! I can go there now and see if it really is true” Cancelling all her appointments for the week, she booked a 15-hour flight from Vancouver, Canada to Palawan, Philippines. 

 “Is what he said really true?”

 “Is that really what he thought?” 

“Did I even mean anything to him?.” 

Those words echoed through the corners of her mind with the blue sky and cottony clouds at her window. Before she knew it, she fell in a deep sleep. The dream of Janu’s clear fond smile, as it continued the more she realized, that smile was not meant for her at all .

 “Janu, Why, Why do you have to do this...?” She mumbled as tears were slowly falling down on her cheeks.

 Moments later, her plane reached Palawan. The look on her face cannot be determined if she was in pain or if she was somehow happy to be there. As soon as she got to the resort, her face turned red. Dropping her bags on the white sand, she saw Janu and Petra at the distance. 

 “I want you to be my last” Janu admitted aloud, his hand clasped on Petra’s, a silver ring glinting under the sun’s fingertips. 

 With this, Maria Cacaasi knew she had to give up.

 Startled looks from Janu and Petra as Maria’s eyes were filled with tears for she could not believe that all of it was true. She ran as fast as she could while Janu was chasing her behind, leaving Petra in dead air. 

 “Wait! Maria, Stop!” He shouted, as he was panting already Running in a blurry vision, Maria was determined to go far, adrenaline pumping her veins made her dash. For what seemed like an eternity, she stopped at a retro-themed restaurant earning a growl from her stomach. The smell of coffee and bacon felt relaxing. 

She ordered her favorite eggs and pancakes in which the heavenly taste made her overlook about what happened and planned to explore Palawan. Fortunately, she went back to the resort and looked for her luggage. Her heart skipped a beat when she did not saw her belongings at the place she left it. 

Agitated, Maria went to the main lounge and asked the receptionists if someone took her possessions. Instead of answering, they gave her the key to her room. Perplexed, Maria cautiously went to the said room using the elevator.

 As she opened the door, she was welcomed with warm and bright ambiance. Looking around the room, she did not notice that someone was watching her. Her smile turned upside down as she saw Janu sitting at the living room. 

 “What are you doing here?”

 “Sitting, obviously” 

 “Stop the sarcasm, it is not helping”

 “Sorry, I just cannot help it.”

 “Help what exactly?” Before Janu can answer, Maria interjected “Help to cheat on me?! Help to betray me?! After all with what we have been through? Tell me, what did you see in her? Am I not good enough for you after all these years? Does she even know that I exist?! A girlfriend who is patiently waiting for your calls or text just to know that you are safe? “ 

 Janu took a deep sigh “It is not what it looks like Maria, I just met her from work a few weeks ago. She is just a good friend of mine. I am so sorry if I made you worry, the reception here is very weak and we are hectic on persuading the investors.”

 Maria scoffed, as she showed the screenshot proudly His face turned white as if he saw a ghost, he knows where this leads to. “Indeed—you are really doing your best at “persuading the investors” she air quoted. “I guess that you are so busy, you did not even notice that it has been 18 days since the “trip” started. By the way, the reception is not weak, it is your loyalty. Also, I appreciate the gesture of bringing my bags here but it is better if you kindly leave out of this room for you are definitely ruining the view and I no longer need your feeble services.” Maria tauntingly smiled with pure bitterness. 

 And so he did, his heart shattered and defeated. Surprisingly, Maria felt the weight off her shoulders and took a soothing bath. The bubbles felt calm on her skin as it washed her emotions of sorrow and regret away. She changed into her comfortable clothes as she reserved herself a tour around Palawan and organized her surprise trip at her hometown Baguio City before going back to Canada. 

 And that is where another chapter in her life begins…

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 On the other hand, Janu went back to his room and took a quick shower before Petra arrives. His thoughts were focused on Maria, her chocolate eyes, her plump red lips, and her tantalizing smile that illuminates his world. He blames himself for he fell to the lust in Petra Patikimka’s eyes.

 Lust that rusted Janu and Maria’s relationship. He was at the living room, looking at Maria’s Facebook account wherein she did not change the relationship status yet. 

 “Hey babe, I have been looking everywhere for you!” Petra said worriedly, embracing him. He felt nothing; he only wants to be in the arms of Maria again, for her hugs felt like home. “Babe, are you okay?” Petra said, snapping him out back to reality. 

 “Yeah, I just need to get some fresh air.”

 “Is it because of that girl? Who was she anyway?”

 “Can we talk about this later? I am not in the mood.” He half-shouted.

 “O-okay” Petra nervously said. Late in the evening, Janu went to the beach. The sound of crashing waves and quietness made him tranquil as he sat on the sand and gaze at the stars above. Few hours later, he returned to the resort. 

While Petra is fast asleep, Janu was arranging their clothes for they will go back to Canada the next day. Just as he was about to finish, a small white bag slipped out of Petra’s jacket. He picked it up and curiosity got the best of him. 

He opened it and what he saw devastated him. A bag full of pills—estrogen pills. With a note saying “take 1 pill before bed.” And that is what all he needed to know. Outraged, he packed up all his things and left a letter beside the pills on the bedside table. 

 ‘I cannot believe you tricked me all along. I cheated on my woman for a man. I threw away a great relationship for a man. And I am sorry but I am not the man for you.

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 As Janu arrives at Canada, he tried to call Maria but she was not responding and her co-workers told him that she is still at the Philippines .

 So he decided to call her on an application named “Facebook Messenger” 

 ‘This person can no longer receive your messages’ 

 With this, Janu Aginmamachu knew he had to give up.

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A Joint Collaboration Story:

Serran, Kym Audrey

Gapuz, Gina

Wag-e, Angelika

Yours Truly