Recollections (one shot)

It was a sunny Monday morning for Dawn fresh from her Malipano weekend getaway with the whole family and some "kumares" along with their respective families. It was a refreshing weekend for everybody as being far from of rolling cameras meant relaxation. Everybody's back in the Metro though. Early this morning, the group, led by Anton and Dawn (being the weekenders' hosts) took the first flight for Manila since almost all of them (except for the kids) will be back to work.               

She was dead tired from an early morning travel and was dealing with an air pocket due to a high pressure 1 hour airbus ride yet, she got an 11 am magazine photo shoot schedule to attend to that morning. She showered up and went straight on location keeping in mind to arrive at least on or before the call time.

Clad in an old rose knee length dress, she asked Ed (the driver) how long will it take for them to arrive on set and if it is still possible for her to take a nap even for just a couple of minutes.

"Ma'am, sa lagay ho ng traffic eh mukhang aabutin tayo ng isang oras. Lunes na lunes ho talaga ang traffic."

She checked her wrist watch and smiled to her driver on the rear view mirror.

"So pwede pa akong umidlip ng isang oras, sige Ed, you take your time maaga pa naman eh, iidlip lang ako sandali ha."

"Sige ma'am, makakarating po tayo ng alas onse."

She smiled and leaned to her side and was about to close her eyes when she got a text from Vivian.

"Good Morning! I'm on my way to the photoshoot, meet you there. I'm with Janet and the whole wardrobe team."

"Ok, on my way too. I'd be there in less than an hour, will take a nap lang." She replied.

She set her phone in silent mode and drifted to slumber mode when in less than 5 mins it vibrated. She expected it to be Vivian's reply but her eyebrows furrowed when the screen displayed the sender's name, it read: "Gomz".

Her eyebrows even met and she even sighed on exasperation upon reading his text.

"Good Morning ganda!"

She ignored his message determined to take her much needed nap, only to feel it vibrate in her hands after 2 minutes. Another message from "Gomz".

"Wag masungit ganda, it's monday you know. Sige ka, weeklong din bubusangot yang mukha mo. Hahaha"

No, don't reply. Don't reply. You need your nap. She is close to giving in.

Yet, in less than a minute her phone buzzed again. A 3rd message from "Gomz" read:

"Ganda, naka unli ako just so you know, I'll pester you hanggang sa mag reply ka."

She just wanted her sleep period. Knowing how Richard can still be childish and impatient at times, she decided to reply in her childish way as well.

"😠😡😤😾😼🙏💤😵😲😖" (these are "usok ilong" emojis, computer won’t display it, sorry! Hehe – ed.)

Sent.

"Whoa! Umuulan ka na naman ng emojis! Hahaha Can i call you?"

This time she gave in, she tapped the reply button and typed:

"No. Unless it’s extremely important or emergency or end of the world. I want my nap, Gomz."

"Kita mo 'to ang sungit kagagaling lang ng bakasyon. This is just a quick one, please? Di kita papatulugin unless you'll let me call, naka unli ako as what I've said."

My God, this MAN is beyond child like. Ang kulit kulit! Makukit pa kay Jacobo at Ayisha. And before she knew it she gave in.

"Okay okay shoot! 😠😡😤" (emojis again. :) - ed.)

After a few seconds she took Richard's call with exasperation in her voice.

"What is it this time? Better make it quick, parang awa mo na I need to take a nap and I'm on my way to a photo shoot! That would be in less than an hour Gomez!"

"Hey breathe Dawn, eto naman. Wag masungit baka naka busangot ka din sa photoshoot mamaya."

"Ano na nga? Dali!"

"Well, I cleared my things out from my office it has to be repainted na kasi. I found the original script of Iisa Pa Lamang here." There was an undeniable sadness in his voice.

Iisa Pa Lamang script? So this kid trapped in a man's body ruined my sleep because of a script?

"What about it?" 

This conversation is clearly going nowhere.

"It's your copy of the script, Dawn."

"My copy? How come you have it?"

Dawn has a habit of collecting scripts from all of her projects for keepsake. She didn't even remember losing her Iisa Pa Lamang script. 

"I took it from your memorabilia box - it was the... uhm - the day you left the house. I mean my house."

Richard was trying to choose his words carefully. 

"Bakit? What's the point of having it before?"

"That day when you decided to leave, you were upstairs clearing out your clothes from our closet and I was just there in the living room. I was a mess. I couldn't say a word that time Dawn, I felt was losing everything as I was losing you. Along the many other stuffs that you brought out from our room I saw your memo box and your scripts in it. I took out the Iisa Pa Lamang script. Eto ang una kong nakuha out of nowhere. Dahil na din siguro memorable ang movie na to, not saying that the others were not pero, you know what I mean, nasa peak tayo ng relationship when we were doing this, para ngang di tayo nag ta trabaho dito eh, para lang tayong nag bakasyon with a whole bunch of people. Pababa ka na rin nun kaya naitabi ko ng biglaan. At yun nag ka dramahan na tayo bago ka umalis.  I even remembered asking for another chance."

Dawn felt the memory flashing right before her eyes as she took a deep sigh gripping her phone tightly as if drawing strength there.

"Yes and I remembered walking out on you." Was all she can manage to say.

"Because I was a jerk, a total one." He answered quickly in a weak tone that was almost too  dragging to hear.

Silence.

"Kulang na pala mga collections ko ikaw ha! Ibalik mo sakin yan, importante kaya ang pelikulang yan sakin." 

Dawn jested, trying to break the deafening silence in their conversation. She knew he meant every word he said.

"Sakin din naman ah, eto kaya yung pelikula na inlove na inlove ka na sakin!" 

He said smirking.

"Ako lang ba? Ikaw din naman ah patay na patay ka na rin sakin diyan! Kaya kunot noo ka diyan sa tuwing magkaiba tayo ng location noon!"

"Pano kasi ang lalayo ng locations natin."

This time Richard turned serious again.

"But I really had good time shooting it Dawn, especially the Biri scenes. At oo, inlove na inlove tayo sa pelikulang to. I guess that made everything a lot easier for everybody kahit gaano ka layo ng location."

"Yeah, the midnight star gazing in Biri was one of the best, Gomz."

"And the swimming all day! After 3 days sa Biri ka kulay mo na ako!"

"That too, everything was just so perfect at that time."

Everything was just so perfect at that time.

Silence again.

"Yeah.. So pano matulog ka na. Baka naman makita ang eyebags mo sa photoshoot balikan mo pa ako."

"Ikaw kasi ang kulit kulit at yang script ko na ninakaw mo paki dala next week, akin yan no!"

"Still doing that? Keeping your scripts?"

"Yeah, it became a habit you know. Makapal kapal nga ang naicompile ko sa Walang Hanggan."

Richard smiled. The sentimental Dawn that he used to know is still the same. The used to be ladylove of his life who valued everything even from the littlest details of their relationship - from the resto receipts where they both had food feast, to the check-in tickets among the various out of the country trips they had, to the Polaroid pictures that they randomly took with each other (he even kept one of her wearing his shirt smiling full blast sans make up) and yes, to the scripts of the movies she or they both starred in, all kept and carefully labeled. Yes, she was sentimental and OC and he marveled those characteristics of her. What he cannot tell is, if those trinkets were still with her until now. Baka tinapon na or worse sinunog. He wouldn't dare to ask. After all he didn't know what to feel if indeed she burned those into flames. Sayang naman. Ah - those memories. He smiled at the thought. At the moment what he is sure however was, he once loved that sentimental side of her because not to mention, he was one too even up to now.

"You haven't changed, Dawn, even a bit. Take your nap na, ingat sa daan. May taping na tayo next week. Ayokong may bukol ang leading lady ko."

"Magkabukol man ako, corny ka pa din, Gomez. Seriously, thank you. Pano I'll see you next week?"

"See you next week, Dawn."

Their lines went dead. Dawn leaned back as she closed her eyes that has been pooling with tears. She has been constantly fighting the urge to cry the moment Richard made mention about that particular scene 20 years ago. She leaned back closer to the window when a familiar sound of a piano melody from the radio hummed in.

Sa dinami-dami ng aking minahal 

Panandalian lamang at ilan ang nagtagal 

Iisa pa lamang ang binabalikan 

Alaala ng kahapong pinabayaan 

Sa dinami-dami ng aking nakapiling 

Kung sinu-sino ang umibig sa akin 

Iisa pa lamang ang inaasam-asam 

Ang nakalipas, di maaring balikan 

Talk about fate, it can really be playful at times.

She closed her eyes again as the memories they once shared in Biri flashed on her mind, the star gazing moments, specifically.

"Andaming stars! Ano nga ang favorite constellation mo? Dali abang tayo ng falling stars, Babe."

Dawn gushed over Richard on which he in return said nothing but instead was merely looking at her admiringly. They were under the moonlit sky of Biri, laying over its stone formations with hands intertwined, an hour after Direk Joey announced "pack up" for that day's Iisa Pa Lamang movie shooting.

"Paano tayo makakakita niyan kung di ka naman sa taas nakatingin?" She asked as she caught Richard's eyes.

"Bakit pa ako titingin dun kung nandito naman ang pinakamagandang star sa tabi ko." Richard said tucking several strands of her hair to her ears by his free hand.

She pinched his nose. "Corny!"

"So pag naka kita tayo, anong gagawin natin? Mag wi-wish ng sabay?" He asked looking above the glittering sky.

"You too believe in that, Babe?" She said in awe, looking at his direction as if trying to say if he too, believed in well, superstitions.

Richard took her hand that was intertwined with his and kissed it as he looked straight into her eyes delving and whispered gently, "You made me believe in everything, Love."

At kahit iba na ang minamahal mo 

Kung sino man ang siyang may-ari ng iyong puso 

Ang bawat pangalan, kalaro, kaibigan

Dawn wiped the tears and sighed as the recollections went vividly remarkable and too much to bear. Yet she closed her eyes again for the nth time with tears flowing through and fro but this time she allowed herself to be swept by the emotions and the song.

No words were needed because even herself has to agree with the last line of the song.

Iisa pa lamang ang minahal ko ng ganito.

--------------------------------

Hi everybody! Rain always makes me sober. And most likely, while starring outside the window my mind would tend to create scenarios of CharDawn "what ifs". Lots of them. And thus, this one shot came up. My apologies however that the emojis were not visible, got that idea kasi si mama mahilig magpa ulan ng emojis sa mga messages niya to us. Enjoy! :)

- xoxopenguin

editor's note:

 i don't proofread my works. my apologies for any incorrect punctuation or grammar. comments and reviews are very much appreciated. ♥