Samantala, hindi nga nagkamali si Kenneth sa hinala. Nadatnan niya si Samantha na nakaupo sa swing sa may bandang dulo ng garden ng mansiyon.
"There you are!" aniya.
Medyo nagulat si Samantha sa pagdating niya. Napatunganga lang ito sa kanya.
"Thought I'd see you here. I was right," ani Kenneth. "May I?" aniyang ang ibig sabihin ay ang pagtabi kay Samantha sa swing.
"Sure."
Umusog ng kaunti si Samantha to give him space. Tinabihan siya nito.
"Mabuti at nandito pa rin ito," Kenneth said as he looks at the swing.
"Ate Helen restored it. Ang galing nga, eh," ang sabi ni Samantha.
"Happy birthday, Sam." Kenneth gave her his gift.
"Thanks." Samantha looked at the gift.
"Kaya ko nang bumili ng regalo ngayon," ani Kenneth.
Samantha giggled. Kenneth smiled, too.
"I guess life has been good to you," ani Samantha.
"Yeah... You can say that."
Natahimik sila saglit.
"I'm sorry about Kristine," ani Samantha pagkalipas ng ilang segundo.
Tumango lamang si Kenneth.
"Lymphoma?"
Muling tumango si Kenneth.
"How did she get it? May history ba sila?"
"Hindi rin namin matukoy," ani Kenneth. "Nagulat din ang parents niya."
"Alam mo, medyo vague pa rin nga ang causes ng lymphoma. There are risk factors. Usually, genetics talaga ang cause. Meron ding viral infection, immune system deficiency, exposure to chemicals or radiation..."
Kenneth smiled. "I'm thinking..."
"What?"
"What if you were there? Would it make any difference? Gumaling kaya si Tin? Were you able to save her?"
Napaisip si Samantha.
"I don't know. I'm not sure. Lymphoma is a type of cancer, and stereotypical as it sounds, it's really deadly. Though may mga survival cases naman, pero mostly pa rin kasi ay hindi na nakaka-survive."
"I guess we'll never know..."
"Yeah..."
Muli silang natahimik. Si Samantha ang bumasag noon.
"I remember during my father's wake. Nagpunta si Ryan noon, and he said nagpunta daw kayo ng Japan for a second honeymoon. Hindi naman daw niya masabi because you two are having a great moment. Ayaw niyang sirain iyon because of a bad news. I understood his motives."
"That was when she told me about her sickness."
"Oh..."
Tumango si Kenneth.
"Sorry din, about your parents. Nung namatay ang mommy mo, nabalitaan na lang namin. Hindi na rin kami nakapunta kasi sa Manila iyong burol."
"Oo. She died in Manila. Pneumonia. That time they thought it was SARS. That was also one of the reasons why my father took her there, thinking na magagamot iyong sakit niya. And then when she died, it was decided na i-cremate siya. Ayaw naman kasing ipa-transport ni Dad yung bangkay ni Mom pauwing Tarlac. Nang matapos ang cremation, inuwi namin iyong ashes. Nagkaroon ng two days wake tapos inilibing din namin."
"So many things have happened. Ang tagal na rin kasi, eh."
"Yeah... fifteen years?"
"I guess," Kenneth said.
"You've changed a lot."
"Nagsalita ang hindi nagbago," ani Kenneth sa kanya.
They both laughed.
"You're very... different," ani Kenneth. "In a good way."
Samantha smiled. "Thanks. Ikaw din. Marunong ka nang magbihis ng maganda ngayon."
Natawa si Kenneth.
"May pambili ka na kasi," ani Samantha.
"Nagbunga din ang pagtityaga ko kay Ryan."
Samantha giggled.
"Walang namang nakakapagtaka doon. You and Ryan are great."
"I guess we're just lucky."
"Or maybe, you're just plain greatness."
Kenneth smiled. "Okay fine. Why would I argue with a Harvard scholar? A great person knows another great person, right?"
"Sabi mo, eh."
They both laughed.
"But Sam..."
"Hmm?"
"I'm glad you're back."
Natigilan si Samantha sa sinabing iyon ni Kenneth. Lalo na dahil sa paraan ng pagtingin nito sa kanya. Parang punong-puno ng galak ang mga mata ng kanyang kababata. Tumagos iyon papunta sa puso niya.
"This time, please don't stay incognito. We would be very glad to know how you're doing. Mga millennials pa naman tayo, hindi ba?"
Natawa si Samantha sa sinabi niya.
"So, let's live up to being internet savvy of the millennials."
"Sige na nga. I'll make social media accounts."
"Good."
Meanwhile, sa may swimming pool naman nakapuwesto ang magninong na sina Ryan at Darlene. Pinag-uusapan nila ang ginawa nilang pag-set up kina Kenneth at Samantha.
"Mabuti naman at nasa swing na si Samantha to begin with. At least mas napadali ang plano natin," ang sabi ni Ryan sa inaanak. Pinaghihimay pa niya ng hipon si Darlene habang nagsasalita.
"Pero Ninong, gusto ko pong makita din sana iyong swing," ang sabi naman ni Darlene.
"Saka na," ani Ryan. "Kapag nagkatuluyan ang daddy mo at si Sam, kahit araw-araw ay pwede mong puntahan iyon."
"Ibig n'yo pong sabihin, dito po kami titira?" tanong ni Darlene.
"Well, we don't know. Whatever your dad and Sam would like. Bakit parang ayaw mo?" tanong ni Ryan. Napansin kasi niya na parang sumimangot si Darlene.
"Because I love our house po, Ninong. Tsaka paano po si Lola Marie?" ang sabi ni Darlene.
Napaisip naman si Ryan. "Oo nga ano. Wala nga namang kasama si Tita Marie. Anyway, maganda naman ang bahay n'yo kaya pwedeng doon na rin kayo tumira. Ako kaya ang nag-design noon."
That moment ay dumating na si Jenneth, and Ryan doesn't know why, but when she entered the garden, he can't help but feel her presence.
Or maybe, nakita lang kasi talaga niya ito kaagad? Eh kasi naman, nakapuwesto sila sa may tapat ng entrance. Kitang-kita nila ang lahat ng pumapasok at dumarating.
"Tita Jhing!" Darlene exclaimed, much to Ryan's dismay. Kung pwede ngang matampal ang noo dahil sa absurdity ng ginawa ni Darlene. Bukod pa doon ay nahiya siya dahil marami ang napatingin sa kanila. Ang lakas ba naman ng pagkakatawag ni Darlene na parang sila ang may party at hindi bisita lang.
At dahil nga doon ay napatingin si Jenneth sa kanila. She smiled upon seeing Darlene, and the same smile froze when her eyes laid on Ryan. The latter almost rolled his eyes for the conspicuousness of Jenneth's reaction.
Ganoon pa man ay lumapit pa rin si Jenneth.
"Hi Darlene!" bati ni Jenneth nang makalapit dito. She was about to embrace the kid when Darlene took her hand para magmano. Natuwa siya sa ginawa nito.
"Nice to see you again, Tita Jhing!" masayang wika ni Darlene.
Ang lakas pa rin ng boses ni Darlene na pasimpleng tinignan ni Ryan ang paligid. They definitely got everyone's attention. Well, almost everyone, he guessed.
Noon na nayakap ni Jenneth si Darlene na gumanti din ng yakap.
"Same here, Darlene." She looked at her after. "Okay ka ba ba talaga?"
"Oo naman po!" bibong-bibong sagot ni Darlene. "Magaling po kasi yung doctor ko, si Tita Sam. Tsaka kayo po, magaling po kayo mag-test nung blood ko."
Jenneth smiled. "Well, technically, it was the machine who processed your blood. And it was our pathologist who did the diagnosis."
And so, Jenneth stood up straight again to face the man that as much as possible, she does not want to see again. But fate has other plans, it seems.
"Hi Ryan." Jenneth tried so hard for that to sound as casual as possible. She tried so hard to suppress those butterflies that only this man can activate in her stomach. And it pisses her that those butterflies still happen even after everything.
"Jenneth."
That look of him to her. Napaiwas ng tingin si Jenneth.
"Uhm... si Sam?" she asked.
"Somewhere... she's here, but, uhm... she's somewhere," Ryan said
"What?" tanong ni Jenneth. Talagang naguluhan siya sa sinabi nito.
"Basta..." Ryan does not know if he will tell Jenneth about what is happening.
Si Darlene na ang nagsabi. "Sa swing po."
Again ay nawindang na naman si Ryan sa sinabi ng inaanak
"Swing..." Jenneth looked at Ryan, obviously asking about the situation.
"It's an old swing. Doon sa may dulo ng garden," ang sabi na lamang ni Ryan.
Jenneth looked as if it's the most ridiculous thing she's heard.
"Aren't she supposed to be here in her own party?" Jenneth asked. "Birthday party niya ito pero siya mismo, wala."
Of course, it's obviously weird. Ryan almost rolled his eyes on what she said. Mabuti na lang at napigilan niya ang sarili.
"Magkasama po sila ni Daddy," ang sabi naman ni Darlene.
Kung pwede lang talagang batukan itong si Darlene, ginawa na ni Ryan. Pero hindi rin naman niya masisisi ang inaanak sa kainosentihan nito.
"Si Kenneth?" tanong ni Jenneth.
"Opo," sagot ni Darlene.
Jenneth looked at Ryan, obviously starting to get suspicious. Kaya bago pa may bigla na namang sabihin si Darlene ay si Ryan na ang umiwas.
"Actually, pupuntahan na namin sila," ani Ryan. "Tara na, Lene."
"Akala ko po ba hahayaan lang natin silang dalawa doon?" muli'y inosenteng tanong ni Darlene.
Medyo umuunti na talaga ang pasensiya ni Ryan, pero nagawa pa rin niyang kumalma.
"Hindi ba gustong-gusto mong makita iyon swing? O, halika na! Dadalhin na kita doon," aniya sa inaanak.
At napuno na ng excitement si Darlene. "Talaga po?"
"Oo, kaya halika na." Ryan took Darlene's arm.
"Ay! Bye po Tita Jhing!" paalam ni Darlene kay Jenneth.
Napilitan tuloy si Ryan na magpaalam kay Jenneth. "See you..."
Jenneth just nodded.
Iniwan na ng dalawang mag-ninong si Jenneth upang magtungo sa swing sa may dulong bahagi ng garden, kung saan naroon si Samantha pati na rin si Kenneth.