It has been three weeks now and he still could not get Dana off his mind. He was such an idiot, he thought, for having fallen in love with an attached woman. And he was a total bastard, he knew, for letting her go. He was sick and tired of seeing her every five minutes on his work table, and suddenly, he was glad that he had a lot of grinding to do.
Robert had met her five months ago in a mall parking garage. He had just bought some canned fruits for his mum and was just about to get going when he dropped the bags on the floor, seeing that he had left his car keys inside the locked vehicle.
Dana, whose car was parked alongside his, was also leaving at the time. And after letting the expletives fly, he slapped his forehead hard. Apparently, it was loud enough to catch a stare from her.
"Pu#$^*%#! Bwiset!," he said.
"Hoy! Wala naman kasalanan nanay mo sayo, noh! Wag mo murahin!" she joked.
"Ano bang paki mo?"
"Amina nga! Tabi dyan!" she moved and brushed him aside.
She took out a long, thin wire from her handbag and after several minutes of prying the windows ajar, she successfully hooked onto the lock and pulled it up. She smiled and nervously handed the wire to a flustered Robert.
"Baket ka may ganito? Carnapper ka ba? Hehehe! Maraming salamat, ha?"
"Well, yeah. Sideline ko yan eh. Pero oks lang yun. Madami akong ganyan actually sa bahay eh. Sobrang dalas ko na naiiwan susi ko sa loob ng kotse kaya nagpagawa na ako ng mga wire," she said.
"Ah, okay. Er, I’m Robert, by the way. Thanks ulit. Can I show my appreciation by treating you to a meal? Have you eaten already?"
"Ay, naku! Tempting pero hindi na. Yung boyfriend ko manlilibre daw sa akin ngayon eh. Next time na lang, Robert. I’m Dana nga pala."
"Nice to meet you. O, sya! Alis na ako. Hinihintay ng mummy ko itong prutas eh. Ingat ka and I can’t thank you enough."
"Hehehe. Sige! Tago mo na yang wire. Feeling ko kakailanganin mo ulit yan very soon, eh."
Just as soon as he was geared to reverse, Robert heard a soft tap on his window. It was Dana.
"O, bakit? Did you change your mind about the free lunch?" he asked.
"Er, not exactly. But can I borrow back the wire I gave you for a second? I uhm..."
So they had been close friends since then. They went out to movies, dinners and such. And he even met Dana’s boyfriend Edward, whom he really thought was a very good lad for her at the time.
"They’re both so lucky to have each other!" he once said aloud.
In any case, like many other "innocent friendships" between a boy and a girl, the frequency of their "platonic meetings" and phone calls eventually took its toll. Whereas in the past, their pet names for each other were usually "sis" and "buddy," it was later upgraded to "dear."
His friends knew that it would lead to this, but naturally, nobody had the guts (or the brains) to tell him. And Robert, for all his jaded emotions, first felt this kind of sensation after Dana had a fight with her beau.
"It’s no one’s fault, lass. Talagang may tampuhan sa mga relationships."
"Yeah? Eh bakit parang nag-iba sya months after sagutin ko sya?"
"I don’t know. Only you can answer that, my dear." Robert said.
"Ewan ba! I’m getting tired of this. I still love Edward, pero it’s getting to a point na nagsasawa na ako sa mga away namin."
"Well hang in there, dearie. Fight for love despite the obstacles."
Robert choked as he said that, for he was now feeling more than just sympathy for the friend who had helped him unlock his car a few months ago. He eventually felt deep resentment towards Edward, because he felt kind that the guy was kind of shallow to get angry over the fact that Dana wore spaghetti straps to parties. Her sense of style should be hers and no one else’s, he once thought.
And even though he ached to openly express what he really wanted, he felt it was none of his business, so he kept his mouth shut.
It was only after her fourth argument with her boyfriend in less than a month did he have the courage to tell her off.
"Eh bakit ka pa pumapayag na awayin ka nya ng ganyan?" he furiously asked.
"Because we’re together. And I still love him."
"Then why do you complain about him all the time to me? I’m getting a bit tired of this Edward s**t, Dana! I can’t stand to see you cry all the time!"
"I’m sorry! But if only you came first... Pero ikaw kasi ang friend ko!" She sobbed.
Now there was the twist!
"Listen, I’ve been wanting to tell you something, but I’ve been afraid it would only give you more problems."
"Ano yon?"
"Uhm..."
"Out with it, Robert!"
"I, uh, think I’m falling for somebody who can unlock a car with a thin wire."
"What?" Dana shouted.
"I’m so sorry, my friend. But I wanted you to know that. I know the timing is s**t and all, but..."
Now there was an even bigger twist.
"I’m really sorry, Dana." He couldn’t even look at her when he said that.
"Oh, Robert! If only you came first!"
(To be continued next week.)