Friends na uli

The day we were leaving Bicol for Manila, I saw Edmund’s missed calls and text message which came in some 45 minutes ago. I returned his call but I couldn’t reach him. His phone would ring once then it would give busy signals. I tried a dozen times even seconds before our plane took off. From the airport to the house, I still couldn’t reach him.

He was at the garage when we reached home and happily hugged and kissed me.

On Tuesday morning, I couldn’t again contact him. I was frantic because he asked me, the day before, to set a meeting with Engr. Wilson Sy for Ford EDSA’s building renovation plan. Despite Wilson’s busy schedule he accommodated my request. I needed to confirm this with Edmund but I couldn’t contact him. His phone was rejecting all my calls and he didn’t respond to any of my text messages.

I went to Tagaytay that day and the same thing happened. I couldn’t contact him. I got home at 8 pm and the first thing that I did was to look for his cellphone. It was in the kitchen. I placed it in front of me and called his number. It wasn’t ringing at all. I tried again two times. It wasn’t picking up my calls. I suspected it blocked my calls. I tinkered with his phone, looked for my name and number and scrolled down, looking for the reason why his phone’s rejecting all my calls and messages.

I went to my daughter’s room and I gave her Edmund’s phone.
A———- “Anak, I think daddy blocked my number”.
Oyen——- “What do you mean?”
A———- “kaya pala I couldn’t contact him, he blocked me. Can you check?”
I was so offended. My own husband blocked me from calling him.

He was already asleep when I entered our room.  Batukan ko kaya?

Past midnight, while I was in the study room, he came up to me, “Hi tart, saan ka nagdinner?”
I told him he blocked me. He said no, baka daw na block lang. Same thing that happened daw to Chino Raymundo kaya Chino also got offended.

I didn’t buy his alibi that he didn’t know and he didn’t intentionally block me.
It would take several scrolls and maneuvering before you could reach that “block this caller”
. He probably got pissed when he was calling me because I wasn’t answering kaya he blocked me.  I was in bed, my phone pala was in my bag kasi paalis na kami ng hotel.  I didn’t hear him calling.

I told him I would never call him again. I shouted at him “hindi kita kailangan”.
I was so offended. Ako pa iba-block nya. What if I needed his help? Or for something important. I really didn’t believe that he did not do it on purpose.

I took my pillow, my blanket, and squatted in my daughter’s room. Last night was my 6th night. Yes, I still say hi to him only because he says hi to me.  Baka naman sabihin isnabera ako.  But I don’t want to sleep beside him. I am not mad at him but if he doesn’t like me, then I don’t like him either. Excuse me.

At 5 am, he sent me a message, apologizing and explaining nga na he didn’t do it intentionally. Excuse me.

He called me in the office, I didn’t answer his call. Excuse me.

I was in Binangonan yesterday afternoon. I got home at 6:16 pm and as soon as I entered the sala, he was there, he wants to hear mass daw in Christ the King kasi aircon.
I said okay. Nyke couldn’t join us, and Oyen was in Zambales.

So kami lang dalawa.

Mahirap magsimba pag merong gap kasi pag dating ng “PEACE BE WITH YOU”, patay ka na, hindi pwedeng hindi kayo magki-kiss and make-up.
Usually, he would hug me, kiss me on the cheeks and he would say  I love you or love you tart.
Alam nya inis ako kaya last night, pag dating ng peace be with you, he just gave me a peck on my right cheek. Wala ng peace woman peace.

We had pizza and burata in Gino’s. You cannot eat together without engaging naman in conversation. Kwentuhan na kami.

When we reached home, I still stayed in my daughter’s room. She’s not here kasi. She went to Zambales for the music festival.

My evening companions for two nights while my daughter was away:

I was the zoo keeper.

This morning, Edmund was not around when I woke up. I had breakfast alone. I made a special request for bangus sisig, masarap kasi.

I read the main page of Manila Bulletin then I started taking the measurement of our dining table and checking my Tagaytay plan.

He suddenly appeared:
E——–“Hi tart, maghahanap ba tayo ng ilaw para sa santo?”

PEACE  TALK  yan!

Of course I said “okay”.   Naku, eh di sasakay ako sa kotse nya?

Marunong,  alam nya I needed to buy lights and generator set for the santo.

He drove for me to Home Depot, ang init init, super, parang oven.
We hopped from one store to another, pero hindi nga ako nakipag-holding hands sa kanya.  Excuse me.

I found something at A&S. Thanks to him, sya nga ang unang nakakita kasi nahihilo ako to look-up  at the chandeliers. Since matangkad sya.
E———– “Eto o tart”.

The light stands need some fabrication. The twelve bulbs would be split into 4, for the 4 corners of the carosa. 3 lights on each corner.

He also helped me look for 3 tiny spotlights. We checked-out generator sets. Pinakain nya pa ako sa Cibo, sinamahan pa nya ako mag-usyoso ng relo sa Lucerne, at mga pinggan at gamit sa Rustan’s.

Omb———– “Tart, ang ganda nito, magugustuhan ito ng anak ko”.

Mermaid made in Spain = P187,500

I like Bernardaud porcelain’s simple but elegant designs but I hate its prices.

Made in France.
Coffee Pot = P36,500

Creamer

I stopped breathing when Edmund lifted the sugar canister to look at the price at the bottom.

Ang lakas pa naman ng grip nyan, I was too afraid  the porcelain could break.     Kung nabasag nya yan eh absent kami bukas sa office.   Nadun kami sa Rustan’s at nagwawalis.

Soup tureen P75,000 +- Super mahal.

He also didn’t object when I forced him to try the malunggay and pineapple juice.
E———– “Lasang santol”.

Since he was kind enough to help me find the things I needed to buy for St. John the Evangelist, sinamahan pa nya ako mag-window shopping, inayos pa nya yung mga pinamili ko, sige na nga I forgive him na.

Paano na kaya tonight? My daughter has arrived. She might feel suffocated na with me squatting in her bedroom. Uwi na kaya ako? Para namang wala akong utang na loob, he helped me na nga tapos… Okay, fine, friends na uli kami. pero friends lang muna, no touch.
After the Holy Week na lang o kaya before my birthday.  Para hard to get.  Excuse me.