forget me not series 2 – The Romance of Ayin & Will
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Manila airport was a mad maze of crammed escalators, shops, numerous conveyor belts, countless bags or luggage, and warm bodies everywhere.
It was always a good idea not to have checked-in baggage so one doesn’t have to join the queue.
It was especially crazy at the arrival bays as cars flooded to pickup newly-landed passengers from what seemed to be a number of simultaneous flights.
The taxi line was a bit further away. Good thing Ayin’s friend Allie came to pick them up.
Just then, a black Volvo slowed down three cars a way, and a pretty head popped out of the window. “Ayin!”
She turned in time to see her friend Allie, waving madly with a big smile. She pointed to a less congested area and mouthed, “Over there.”
She nodded in understanding and they quickly walked away from the crowd.
As soon as the car halted, Allie shot out of the car and, with Ayin, let out girlish squeals as they hugged each other.
Allie, “Girl! I’ve missed you! It’s been like… a year since the last show? So nice to see another Bisdak (someone from Cebu) here!”
Ayin, “Yes, missed you, too. Cebu’s not the same without you.”
Allie then shifted her gaze to Will, who had been quiet all throughout the exchange. “Aha! You must be Will.”
Will gave her his most charming smile as he shook her hand. “And you must be Allie. Thanks for picking us up.”
Allie told him unabashedly, “Of course, I wanted to get first dibs on who managed to hook my girl.”
She gave Ayin a sly wink. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Just then, Allie’s driver, a sweet looking middle aged man who was the spitting image of Boboy from Apo Hiking Society, came forward and greeted them.
“Magandang umaga (Good morning), ‘po. Let me help you with your bags,” said the driver in Tagalog.
And just like that, it sank in that they were no longer in Cebu, but Manila — the nation’s capital with a different language, a hyper vibe and where everything is just extra.
And what better way to welcome them than to thrust them head on to its infamous traffic.
Ayin couldn’t help but squirm at the almost non-existent space between their car and the next. The side mirrors seemed to be separated by just a single hair strand. Just a little closer and the cars would transform to Siamese twins.
The driver looked unfazed, as he expertly and calmly maneuvered through the maze.
Allie, from the front passenger seat, looked behind and laughed at her expression. “Crazy, isn’t it? But you have to go through whatever small slot there is, otherwise we’ll never be able to move forward. That’s why I no longer drive in Manila.”
Allie continued, “Don’t worry, Bob here is an expert. He’s been driving in Manila for decades. He’s very efficient.”
Bob gave us a gentle, pleased smile at the rear view mirror in acknowledgement.
Ayin glanced at Will, who just quietly held her hand at the backseat, observing the traffic with an amused smile on his face.
She wondered what he was thinking about when all his rules of the road just flew out the window.
She turned to Allie. “How’s Aldwin?” she asked referring to her friend’s husband.
Allie said airily, “As usual, super busy. He’s at the Senate now but he’ll be joining us at the show tomorrow.”
Aldwin was the chief of staff of one of the Philippine’s senators, hence Allie’s move from Cebu to the capital over a year ago.
Allie, “So, we’ll drop you off now at the hotel and pick you guys up tomorrow before the show. Around 5ish? Let’s have dinner first before going to CCP. Let’s catch up after the show.”
Ayin, “Sure. You joining us for brunch?”
Allie complained, “Can’t. Would have loved to go around with you today but you know this is the only time I can squeeze out of work. You should have come on a weekend.”
Ayin rolled her eyes and glanced pointedly at Will, “Well, someone here is busy on a weekend.”
Will just grinned and said lightly, “Sorry.”
Just then Bob, the sweet, gentle driver, rolled down his window and transformed before their eyes as he shouted at an errant van driver who overtook them and almost bumped the car.
“Putang-ina mo! Matuto kang magmaneho. Gago!!!” Bob rolled out the curses, then calmly closed his window back up again.
Startled, Ayin and Will could feel their jaws drop.
“Sorry po, just another kamote driver.” Bob then smiled at them pleasantly like nothing wild happened, and continued driving.
In one of her driving classes, Ayin remembered Will talking about this particular scenario. As her instructor then, this was the exact thing he warned her never ever to do in the middle of the road.
They looked at each other for a moment and then simultaneously raised their hands to their mouth to hide their laughter.
Ayin giggled against his shirt sleeve, while Will looked out the window to keep from laughing.
Allie was the only one who had no qualms laughing out loud, “And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you manage stress and keep sane in Manila traffic.”
At that, they all burst out laughing.
Allie asked, “What are your plans for today? Will you be fine on your own?”
Ayin, “Don’t worry about us. I’m just gonna take him to shop at MOA (SM Mall of Asia). It’s very near the hotel.”
Allie, “Don’t you hate shopping?”
Ayin, “Not me. Him. We’re buying his outfit for tomorrow.”
Allie, “That sounds fun. Hm, what else is near your hotel? Oh, oh, you can drop by later at the Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard. Perfect for lovebirds. You can catch the famous sunset of Manila Bay.”
Ayin, “Oooh, I’d love that.” She squeezed Will’s hand and he winked at her.
Allie, “Things are happening there. There’s a mini fair and cafes and restaurants along the strip. You can enjoy the walk there from your hotel. You can have your dinner with a view rather than the mall. No need to fight for taxi at rush hour.”
Ayin, “Really? That’s great. Thanks for the tip, girl. We’ll do that.”
Allie sighed, “I miss dating with my husband. It’s always so hectic here with work that we usually just prefer staying in at the condo to relax than go out.”
Ayin, “At least, we have the Phantom date tomorrow.”
Allie grinned at her, “Oh yes! Thank God for shows like this. The perfect excuse for a romantic date. Can’t wait.”
Ayin smiled and echoed her sentiment, “Yes, can’t wait.”
Later, after checking in and having lunch at the hotel, Ayin and Will went to the relatively new SM MOA, which is considered to be one of the largest shopping malls in Asia.
It was indeed huge, and very cold and busy, even on a weekday afternoon.
As they walked along, Ayin shivered. Not from the cold but at the sight of the numerous shops to choose from.
This is the reason why she hated shopping – you need just one item and you’re given a hundred choices. Just the thought of all that time browsing and sifting through clothes was giving her a headache.
Where do they even begin? She scowled at Will for putting them in this situation by not preparing proper wear for the show while in Cebu.
“Okay,” she told Will in her most stern Commandant’s voice. “Let’s be efficient here. The mission is to buy you a dress shirt.”
“And pants,” Will inserted.
“I think your black pants in the bag will do.”
At his stubborn look, she rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay, and pants to fit as well. Nothing fancy, not too formal. We’re looking at smart casual or urban chic. We choose 2 items each that we think looks good on you and you fit them all in one go. How does that sound?”
Will just shrugged, his eyes busy soaking in the attractive items on several window displays as they walked along.
“Let’s go look for the men’s section at the main department store. It’s already a one-stop shop for all brands.”
Will nodded and whistled SM’s jingle, “We’ve got it all for you!”
She grinned at his happy mood. She thought men hated shopping, too. But Will seemed to enjoy this.
Once at the store, they went through the racks separately for several minutes and grabbed two full outfits each as planned, before proceeding to the dressing room.
Ayin sat on a bench and waited for Will’s fashion show.
When he emerged in a pair of khaki soft pants and blue checkered Marks & Spencer silk shirt, her heart skipped a beat.
He looked so handsome, with the clothes fitting him in all the right places.
That’s my boyfriend, she thought proudly. Mine.
How could he have chosen the perfect outfit in just one try?
Thank God he found the perfect outfit in just one try, you mean, she told herself. They could stop looking now.
After a moment of drooling, her gaze traveling from head to foot, she finally looked him in the eye and asked, “Did you just come out of the oven?”
Innocently confused, he asked, “Huh? Why?”
She grinned at him, “Because you look so hot!”
He burst out laughing at the cheesy line. Then, for a moment, he rubbed his eyes and groaned. “There’s something wrong with my eyes.”
Alarmed, she went to him, “What?”
He opened them full of laughter, and grabbed her waist, “Something must be wrong with my eyes because I can’t take them off you.” He suddenly kissed her nose.
Sheeesh. She chuckled. This competitive guy never lets one pass. She playfully slapped him on the chest and said, “Okay, this is it, good job on the first try. Let’s pay and bag it up.”
He said, “Wait, not yet. I haven’t tried the other ones. Maybe there’s something better. Go back to your seat.”
Just then, the kind saleslady came with an armful of several outfits in different colors and styles. “Sir, these are all the ones you asked for in your size.”
She could only look on in amazement, and yes… horror. Did he really mean to try all of them?
Apparently, yes, as she watched him disappear in the fitting room with a big smile.
Resigned, she settled back in her seat and reminded herself to be patient. After all, the reason he was trying on clothes was because of the show she was dragging him to.
You could be more supportive Ayin, she scolded herself.
So she put on a smile and made appropriate comments as he paraded the clothes.
On his 5th outfit try, she told him, “Hey Pretty Man, you should go meet Julia Roberts. You know her, don’t you? You have something in common. You’re both a cliche when it comes to shopping.”
As he paraded the 7th outfit, her head started to throb. She didn’t know how many more she could take.
Finally, after a few more tries, she heard him say, “This is the last one. What do you think? A five or a ten?”
When she heard the word “last”, she finally perked up and smiled. So she teased him, “Hm, on a scale of 1 to 10, I think you’re a 9 and I’m the only 1 you need.”
He chuckled as he did a final check on the mirror.
She continued, “So pick one already and let’s go. You look good in all of them.”
He said, “Okay.”
Curious, she asked, “So which one?”
He said, “The first one, of course.”
Her, “What?! You made me sit here for almost an hour only to choose the first one?”
He said, “I can tell from your eyes it’s the best one. It’s when they lit up the most.”
This guy, she didn’t know whether to smack him or kiss him.
Her, “Okay, okay, hurry up.”
When he finally changed to his original clothes, and waited for the cashier to charge his card and bag up the clothes, he turned to her and said. “Feel my shirt. Know what it’s made of?”
She did as she was told and swept her fingers through his chest and stomach. It looked just like any ordinary cotton shirt to her. “What? It’s just cotton.”
He said, “No, not just cotton. That’s what you call Boyfriend Material.”
In a burst of laughter, she slapped his stomach. Hard.
Him, “Ow. Is that any way to treat your boyfriend?”
Ayin turned her head to the cashier who laughed with her. “Miss, do you do refunds? I’d like to return this cheesy boyfriend, please.”
The witty cashier quipped, “Sorry ma’am, the 7-day grace period expired already. Boyfriend merchandise is good as sold.”
She winked at Will who gave her a big smile in approval. “Thank you for shopping, come again.”
They left the counter laughing.
Before they could take 10 steps, he asked her, “Are you sure I don’t need to wear a suit? There’s one at that shop.”
Firmly she said, “No.”
He said, “Come on, let’s take a look.”
She didn’t budge.
Him, reminding her of how she negotiated with him on coming to Manila, “You know, girlfriends have a responsibility, too. It’s your duty to escort me every time I go shopping.”
She scowled at him, but slowly followed him to the shop. This should be enough penance for bringing him here and unleashing his shopping beast. In her defense, she didn’t know he had one.
“You are such a girl, you know that?” she muttered.
He just grinned at her as he went on to browse.
As they went from one shop to another, not buying anything but just browsing, she began to feel suffocated, as she always did after a couple of hours shopping.
How was it that so many people were out and about even on a workday afternoon?
She felt herself becoming more irritable and snarky.
“Do we have to go inside every store?” she complained.
Then, when he was looking at gadgets, she said, “Do you really need that now? You can buy it in Cebu.”
He told her absentmindedly as he examined the items, “I don’t have time to shop in Cebu.”
She growled at him.
When she couldn’t take it any longer, she told him, “I’m not going to any other shop until you feed me coffee.”
He didn’t argue. “Coffee? I can drink coffee.”
Relieved, Ayin quickly led him to a cafe by the seaside, where she ordered a steaming black Americano and a fluffy cheesy ensaymada.
She closed her eyes in ecstasy, “Mm, this is so good!” The she made a face at him, “After going through hell, this is pure heaven.”
He laughed at her disgruntled face. Teasing her, he said, “I think I still need some shoes.”
She groaned. “Seriously? Your sneakers will do, it would be so cool to pair with your new outfit. We’re going for urban hip, not semi formal.”
When he didn’t say anything, she sighed. “You know what, I don’t want to ruin your fun. But I can’t imagine going back to another shop, either. Why don’t you just leave me here? I’ll just stay put and wait for you. You can shop as much as you like.”
He narrowed his eyes, “Really? Can I?”
Thinking about how lighter it would be to go through shops without a complaining companion, he warmed up to the idea.
She said, angelically, “Sure. I’ll wait for you here like a husband waits for his wife to finish shopping.”
He said, as he quickly finished his mocha. “Okay.”
Then, she remembered the time. “Wait, just one hour, okay? We have a sunset to catch at Manila Bay.”
He said, “Yep. Back before then.”
He stood up and patted her head in goodbye as he passed by.
“Wait,” she called out. “Can I tie your shoe?”
He looked down and noted his shoes were fine. He grinned as he waited for the catch.
She batted her eyelashes at him. “Because I can’t have you fall for anyone else.”
He chuckled.
Then she waved him off, “Go wifey! Remember to just look, not touch.”
Suddenly, he walked back and crouched beside her seat and whispered. “Hey there, miss. Your lips look lonely. Would they like to meet mine?”
Before she could react, he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her for a few seconds.
When he released her, she gasped, “Are you crazy?! We’re in a public place.”
He just grinned at her as he stood up. “That’s the beauty of Manila. We can be a little crazy. Nobody knows us here.”
With that, he winked at her and left.
She chuckled softly to herself as she touched her lip with her fingertips. She watched him confidently move forward and merge with the maddening crowd.
What a crazy guy.
And she was equally crazy about him.
Manila, she thought, what a fine thing it is to get lost in your madness for awhile.
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Ayin Quijano 
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