Life Savings

“Hi!” Joy called as she approached Eric, who was slumped on a chair by his favorite table at Café Breton in Paseo de Santa Rosa. He smiled back, but his face was careworn; his expression was of relief and resignation. Joy came up and gave him a short, warm hug.

“Hi,” Eric replied finally, motioning his friend to join him. “Kamusta?”

“ ‘Eto, ganito pa din. Ikaw, kumusta?” Joy replied. Eric shrugged, and they shared a knowing look. She smiled, saying, “Ngayon lang kita nakitang ganito, ah.”

“Ngayon lang naman tayo nagkita ulit, eh. Your tan suits you – how was Boracay? Had fun? Meet anybody?”

“Uy, naging good girl ako, ha!” Joy replied, grinning. “Ayun, nag-beach kami ng friends, nag-enjoy, gan’un. Ikaw?”

“ ‘La lang. Same old, same old. Namundok noong Holy Week, solo climb. You? Behave?” Eric teased. “Impossible. It’s like saying you aren’t who you are anymore.”

“Hindi, talaga, good girl ako, promise! Except noong sabog kami sa gimikan, grabe yung inuman,” Joy laughed. “O, kuwento ka, pero pili muna ako, ha?” As she perused the menu, Eric sipped his coffee, admiring her tan, marveling how her tiny moles looked like beads strung on a necklace she wore always. The waiter served the vanilla milkshake with his customary friendly greeting, and left quickly. Joy then began, “O, kuwento ka na?”

“Nothing much to tell. Steffi and I are through.”

“O, bakit?” Joy asked, more concern than curiosity in her voice. Eric began haltingly, then telling the story slowly became easier – how he had become nothing but a cash cow in the relationship, how his career, his relationship with his family, and his friendships were falling apart around him, and how finally he broke free from being manipulated, something he had realized too late. Not once did Joy interrupt.

“Bottom line is,” Eric said, toying with his mug, “I woke up one morning not knowing who I had become, that he person staring back at me as I looked at the mirror was someone I didn’t recognize. What’s worse is that I didn’t like the guy at all – I pitied him.”

“Teka, akala ko ba okay kayo, na okay lahat? The last time we talked about it was four months ago, and you were very happy then.”

“That was until I learned for sure that I was being manipulated, even to the extent of being isolated from my friends, even my family. You knew she was jealous of you, right? That she thought you were a threat, so I texted that it’d be best if we stopped hanging out for a while?” Eric asked, and Joy nodded. “She made it seem that you texted her… something.”

“Something?” Joy asked. Eric shrugged, embarrassed. How do I tell her that it was so graphic, so sensual – no, sexual! – something that never entered my mind till then? That those texts were variations of “i pity u, coz wen ur away, m d 1 eric goes hom 2 evry nyt, n its my body he rily wnts n cnt stop touchng n kssng” – hell, no it was more detailed than that… like a Xerex Xaviera segment sent via text.

“Something?” Joy persisted. Eric shrugged again. “Let’s just say she made it seem like I was cheating on her with you.”

“O, tapos?” There was a hint of disdain in Joy’s voice. Eric grinned wryly. Yes, Joy, we both know you were never attracted to me.

“First of all, I know you wouldn’t do anything to get in the way of things that would make me happy. Friends don’t do that to each other. Second, the content was such that it was so unlikely to have been from you. Finally, I used to own a cell just like hers.” Eric explained how it was a simple matter of composing, saving, and transferring a message into the cellphone’s inbox to make it seem like it was a new message. “It became obvious when she left the room for a moment, then she came back with a new text, supposedly from you.”

“Teka, teka, what did I text daw?” Eric looked away, shrugging, calmly hiding his unease. “Something like you and I get together when she’s not here.”

Joy rolled her eyes. “I don’t even have her number.”

“I know that. Elle told me how surprised you were when she told you what I had told her about this, a few weeks back.” All I told Elle was that you and I were under suspicion of cheating – God, please blind their intuition and perception, accurate as they already are.

“Te-text na sana kami.”

“May SIM nga ako, wala naman akong cell.”

“Bakit?”

Eric smiled ruefully. “I sold it. I was running on empty. That’s how the final fight all started; she was ‘borrowing’ money, I had nothing to give, so she blew her top.”

“So how much did you lend her?” Joy asked. Eric shrugged and said nothing. There was a resigned, pained smile on his face. “Malaki? Savings mo, ano?”

“Well, it wasn’t all at the same time,” Eric said defensively, “and she did tell me she’d pay me back eventually.”

“You think she will?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ang tanga mo rin, ‘no, Eric,” Joy chided gently. Eric sighed. “Yeah, I seem to attract all the psychos. Why can’t I meet someone okay for a change?”

“That’s all up to you,” Joy replied.

Eric dismissed the answer with a wave of his hand. “No, it’s just that the nice ones don’t want me. Oy, your turn. How was Boracay? ‘Di ba kayo nahirapan sa biyahe pabalik?” At this, Joy laughed, and proceeded to relate how they slept – or at least tried to sleep – on a passageway of the overloaded ferry, all flights to Manila being booked solid.


Later, as Joy drove Eric home, Eric said softly, “Thanks, Joy.” For being here for me.

Joy smiled back. “Okay lang yun. What are friends for?”

“I know,” Eric replied. Now I know why I don’t like her in that way anymore – she’s a friend, just as much as any TOSStado is to me. While girlfriends come and go, coffee friends are keeps, and I’m keeping this one.

“Alam ko yung iniisip mo,” Joy said, breaking the pensive silence, while swerving to a new lane with her characteristic reckless driving. Eric, apprehensively stealing glances at the tricycles barely inches from the van’s bumper, asked, “What?”

“ ‘This ATM is no longer in service. Please try another ATM near you’,” Joy said, and they shared a laugh. “Ang tanga mo talaga, Eric,” Joy chided, gently as ever, when they were quiet again. He looked up and said, “At least I woke up and got out on my own.”

Joy answered, “Oo nga e. Kung hindi, ‘ba, inuntog ka na namin sa pader.”

“Nah, you wouldn’t,” Eric grinned, “not to a friend, you wouldn’t.”

Joy rolled her eyes. “Ano ka, that’s what friends are for, ‘no?”

At this, Eric smiled and looked out the window, thinking, Yep, this one’s a TOSStado too. This one I’m keeping.