Page 4 of Between Then and Now
Her porch is the unofficial hub of the street–where people linger and laugh and talk. Within ourselves, the girls and I fondly call her our neighborhood’s Lady Whistledown. Which is honestly perfect because she also runs the homeowners’ newsletters.
“Good morning,ManangLinda! How are you today?” I ask, walking up to her.
“Oh, just the same, just the same. But you, Bonita, look at you rushing off. Is everything alright?” she asks, her eyes twinkling with concern.
“Just a bit of car trouble, but nothing major. I’m heading out now.”
“Well, don’t you look like a ray of sunshine despite the trouble.” She smiles and then she walks towards me. She’s wearing a sundress, a headscarf, and sunglasses. Minus the small portable fan she’s holding, she looks like a still photo from the sixties. She grabs my arm for support and whispers, “Did you hear about Mr. Santos down the street? I saw him sneaking out early this morning with that young woman who’s been visiting. Not his niece, I tell you that!” she says, her eyes gleaming with the thrill of gossip.
“ManangLinda, you’re too much!” I laugh, shaking my head.
“Someone’s got to keep this street lively! You know how boring it can get around here without a little spice.” She pulls her sunglasses down to give me an exaggerated wink. “Anyway, if you need anything, you know where to find me. Not that I can help you with car troubles, but I can offer entertainment while you worry.” She pats my hand.
“I’m sure you can. You always know how to make my day better,” I reply, smiling.
“Of course I do.” She winks. “Go on now, don’t be late.” She waves at me as I continue walking down the street.
Once I reach the main road, I pull out my phone again to check possible commute options for today. As I scroll through the routes, I notice that there is a bus stop just a few blocks away that can get me to work with only one transfer. I feel a small sense of relief knowing that I won’t be too late.
As I walk towards the bus stop, a black SUV slows down beside me. “Where are you off to?” Ryan’s familiar face pops out the window.
“The studio, supposedly. But my car won’t start, so I was looking for options. There’s a bus leaving in fifteen minutes” I hold my phone up and wiggle it to emphasize my predicament.
“Your studio’s on my way to the hospital, right? I’ll drop you off.” He gestures to his empty passenger seat.
“Oh my gosh, lifesaver,” I say as I wipe the sweat off my face and climb into his car. I am wearing a yellow sweater, thinking it would be cold today (because the weather app said so!), but as usual, Manila weather betrayed me, and the sun is up in the sky, turning the city into a steamy cauldron and torturing all commuters.
Ryan, bless him, increases the fan and lowers the temperature of the AC when he sees how sweaty I am. We drive in silence for a while, until he glances over at me, still frantically fanning myself to cool down. At this point, I’ve already taken off my sweater, but it’s still frustratingly hot.
“You know, if you just stop fidgeting, you’ll cool down,” Ryan says calmly.
“You know, if you just stop over for an iced coffee, maybe I will.” I look at him with a smile. He looks at his watch and thinks about it.
“I don’t really eat or drink in my car,” he says with a frown. “And I won’t start now, especially since you have a history of being… not careful.”
I gasp in mock offense, holding a hand to my chest.
He glances at me and scoffs. “Oh, stop that. I’ve seen your car, Bon. It’s a cheeseburger graveyard on wheels,” he says with a disgusted expression.
“Okay, fine,” I admit, “but come on. I won’t spill a drop! And you need to take more risks and break a few rules in your life. Live dangerously, Miller.”
He shakes his head, but he doesn’t speak or show any sign of emotion.
“Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on,” I chant, poking my fingers on his arm in rapid succession.
He sighs. “I should’ve just let you take the bus.”
“So… is that a yes?” I ask, my eyes wide with fake innocence. “I’ll even pay for the coffee—for both of us. You know you need it as much as I do.” I don’t give him a chance to back out, already pulling up the directions to the nearest drive-thru café.
“Fine,” he mutters. “If one drop lands on my seats, you’re banned for life.”
“We both know you won’t do that to me; I’m adorable.”
“Adorably annoying,” he shoots back, deadpan.
I lean back in my seat, smirking. “All I’m hearing is ‘adorable’.”
Ryan shakes his head again, but this time, a playful smile is tugging the corners of his mouth.
