"The way of love is not a subtle argument.

The door there is devastation." - Rumi

***

Damn it!

After the exhausting day I've had, I was looking forward to eating a nice piece of tender and juicy medium rare steak.

Instead, heto ako at hinahabol si Maria na biglang nagwalk-out sa restaurant dahil sa nagalit sa waiter who doesn't know how to practice restraint.

He must find it hilarious that Maria butchered the word Pinot Grigio.

But the woman has no regard for decorum.

Inaway niya ang waiter at hindi naisip na we were at a fancy restaurant.

Of course, I have to make the mistake of defending the guy.

It was Neri who told me to go after Maria.

Hindi siya familiar sa lugar na pinuntahan namin.

Isa pa, I offered to take her home sumama lang siya sa amin.

Neri offered to foot the bill.

Iuuwi niya na lang daw ang steak.

Paglabas ko ng restaurant, I looked left and right and saw Maria walking on the sidewalk.

Ang bilis niya maglakad.

I have to run to catch up with her and when I was ten feet away, I called her name.

Hindi man lang siya lumingon.

Tuloy-tuloy siya sa paglalakad at hindi pansin ang mga kasalubong.

I doubled my pace at nang nasa likod niya na ako, I called her name again.

"Will you please stop?" Napatingin sa akin ang isang babae whose arm looked like it was about to fall off from carrying three big paper bags with logos of designer purses.

"Bahala ka sa buhay mo." Sigaw ni Maria ng hindi pa din tumigil sa paglalakad.

Binilisan ko ang pagtakbo.

When I was about a foot away, I reached for her arm and swung her till she was facing me.

The force of what I did was so strong that Maria's body crashed into mine.

Tumingala siya at nagkatitigan kami.

But whereas my expression was soft, hers was fiery.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Mahinahon ang pagsasalita ko.

Halos magsalubong ang kilay niya sa galit.

"I was wrong. I shouldn't have defended what he did."

Her ears perked up with what I said.

"Ulitin mo ang sinabi mo."

"Which one?"

"Iyong part bago mo sinabi na mali ka sa pagtatanggol sa gagong waiter na iyon."

"Do I have to?" I wasn't sure I heard her right.

But from the gleam in her eyes, I know she was relishing the fact that she heard me apologize.

"Kung ayaw mo, bahala ka diyan."

She was about to turn around but I caught her hand.

"Okay, fine. I'm sorry."

"Ang hina." Tinuro niya ang tenga. "Hindi ko marinig."

This woman is exasperating.

What I don't understand was how I'm like a fool who was willing to do her bidding.

I cleared my throat.

"I'm sorry. I mean it."

This is embarrassing.

Ang daming tao na dumadaan.

I hope no one's taking a video of this.

"Okay na." Lumakad siya ulit but this time, hindi na siya nagmamadali.

"Where are you going?" Nagtatakang tanong ko habang sinusundan siya.

"Saan pa? Eh di maghahanap ng terminal ng bus pauwi sa Cavite."

"Why would you do that? I told you na ihahatid kita di ba?"

Tumigil siya sa paglalakad at tumitig sa akin.

"Marunong ka naman palang magtagalog eh."

"Of course I do."

"Inglesera ka lang talaga ganun?"

"I lived in California for a while and I got used to talking in English. We used the vernacular at home too." I don't know why I'm defending my choice of language.

"Kaya ka napagkakamalang isnabera eh."

"Says who?"

"Basta." Tumayo siya sa tapat ng fountain.

The lights were on at may mga tao na nakaupo sa paligid nito.

There were some who were taking selfies or group pictures.

Up ahead, the condominiums at BGC were lighted and if it were a different situation and I was with a woman I like, the vibe would have been romantic.

"Why don't we go back to the parking lot para maihatid na kita?" I said in a soft tone.

Baka mamaya magalit na naman siya.

I don't have the energy to run after her anymore dahil gutom na ako.

The last thing I ate was a cup of seafood noodles and a packet of crackers.

Hindi na kami nakapagbreak ni Neri dahil hindi namin inasahan ang malaking turnout ng mga maga-audition.

"Okay." Sabi ni Maria.

Lumakad na kami pabalik sa restaurant.

Habang nasa biyahe, bigla siyang naghalungkat sa bag niya.

"What are you looking for?" I took my eyes away from the road.

Akala ko kasi may naiwan siyang gamit sa restaurant.

"Naghahanap ako ng makakain."

I looked away and smiled.

Gutom na din pala siya.

"Why don't we stop somewhere and grab something to eat?"

"Sige."

May nadaanan kaming Jollibee along express way.

I asked Maria kung okay lang sa kanya na doon na kami kumain.

"Oo naman. Favorite ko kaya ang Jollibee."

I made a right turn and found a corner spot.

Bago kami bumaba, I grabbed the blue Golden State Warriors snapback at sinuot ito.

"Ano iyan? Disguise?"

I only smiled.

Sinamahan ako ni Maria sa pila.

She wanted an Amazing Aloha burger, large fries, large coke, chocolate sundae and chicken joy.

Gusto ko ng palabok and instead of buying the individual chicken, I ordered two buckets of six-piece chicken para may pasalubong siya kay Henry.

"Bakit ang dami?"

"Give this to your brother." Tinuro ko ang isang bucket.

"Thoughtful ka pala. Akala ko kasi antipatika ka."

"What made you say that?" Binuhat ko ang tray at nakahanap siya ng table malapit sa glass windows.

"Eh kasi iyon ang impression ko sa'yo eh."

Sabay kaming umupo.

"But you don't even know me."

"Hayan ka na naman sa kakaingles mo."

"You understand me naman eh."

"Kahit na. Nakakanose bleed ka."

"I don't understand why you're so against it." Kinuha ko ang palabok at ang kalamansin.

Nakatingin si Maria habang pinipisa ko ito paikot sa noodles.

"Marunong ka pala ng ganyan."

"Nang ano?"

"Ang pumisa ng kalamansi."

"Really? Do you think I'm that hopeless?"

"Mayaman ka kasi di ba?"

"Yes. What's wrong if I grew up with money?" I was so hungry that I found myself actually furious to find out where this attitude is coming from.

"Lumaki ka siguro na may yaya at maraming katulong?" Kumagat siya sa burger.

"That's right. But it doesn't mean I'm incapable of doing things. My mother didn't raise me that way."

"Eh iyong tatay mo? Nasaan siya noong lumalaki ka?"

What an odd question.

I stared at her.

What an odd woman.

"What do you have against people with money?" I asked after ko sumubo.

"Wala lang."

"Wala? The very first time we met, high blood ka sa akin. Ni hindi kita kilala but you made me feel like I did something wrong to you."

She bit on the burger as if she was eating a beef jerky.

"I'm not going to apologize for having money or for being born into a wealthy family. You're the one with issues and you have to deal with it not me.

It was a very silent drive on the way to her house.