How I Met Irish

I was finishing my internship in the US, particularly near Los Angeles. Last week ko na then pwede na kong mag-apply ng full-time job or umuwi sa Pinas para magbakasyon.

Nagkaroon ng party for interns sa isang restaurant-bar. Halos kalahati nung place was reserved by our company. Then I was waiting for my turn sa restroom, ang dami kasing taong nakapila. I saw Irish was also standing, waiting for her turn sa women's restroom.

Casually in Tagalog, I asked "Pinay ka ba?"

"What do you think?"

Hard to tell, but she's definitely Asian.

"I'll say... yes, you're Pinay!" She smiled at me.

"Taga-Laguna po ako."

"Oh wow, hi! Nice to meet you! I'm from Bulacan!"

"You working or studying here?"

"About to finish my internship, finally. Ikaw?"

"Studying. Post-grad, six months to go."

"Wow. I'm Lance btw."

"Irish."

Then my turn for the restroom came.

"Hey it's good to meet you. Maybe we can, like, bump into each other later? or some time soon?"

"Haha, let's see!"

Into the restroom I went. Gosh, that's one pretty Pinay out there. Nagmadali akong mag-CR, baka nandoon pa siya, ang haba kase ng pila for women's.

Yes, she was still standing, looking at her phone.

The rest of the night, we were really drinking and eating separately, though I would look at her from a distance. She was seated on a table with two female friends, about 15 meters away from where we were. Then the party came to its highlight, each intern will say something. E putcha lasing na ko, medyo may tama na.

May turn to speak came and the first thing I said was, "Hi there Irish and friends!" Then everyone looked at the table I was pointing at. Then she said "Hi!" back.

As we were wrapping up the party, nakita ko si Irish with just one more female friend. I decided to approach their table. It turned out she's also Pinay, kinakapatid ni Irish who was born in the States.

We chatted for a bit and then I asked for her number. She gave it and said something about where she's staying, if ever I am in the area.

I gave her a call the following morning which was a Tuesday and we agreed to meet over dinner on Thursday.

Sa Texan-Mexican restaurant kami nag-dinner, then we had a few drinks. Not a lot, kase para kaming magkababayang matagal ng hindi nagkita. I drove her home at around 11pm kase may classes pa siya the next day. I was able to hold her hand and kiss her on the cheek as we parted ways.

Tapos Saturday uli, magkasama kami. She invited me to her place, which is owned by her father-side Tita. Pero since she's a nurse on night shift, Irish was alone. We stayed at the porch, munching on sandwiches and drinking some beer.

She asked about me, my background, how life was in Manila and what prompted me to be in the States. Kwento-kwento then it was my turn to ask her.

Our conversation became more personal. I shared about my ex-girlfriend who migrated to Australia. Siya naman, she had a childhood sweetheart na nasa New York, pero they lost contact na from three years ago pa.

I sensed her sadness when she spoke about her family.

"Bakit parang hindi ka happy to talk about your family?"

"Not really. It's just that I did not grow up with my mom and dad. They were both working na dito sa US when I started studying. Early teens ko palang when they migrated."

I learned her parents are in Alaska, pareho silang chef.

"Sino nagpalaki sayo kung wala yung parents mo sa Pinas?"

"Tita ko, my mom's youngest sister. Sa Laguna kami nakatira. From grade school up to when I finished high school."

"Was she single?"

"No."

Tapos she paused and her face became sad.

I reached out, hinawakan ko siya sa kamay.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"There's part of my life in Laguna that I really really hated."

"Care to share?"

"Nakakahiya e..."

"I'm a good listener but I'm not forcing you..."

"Ikaw muna, something personal kase e. Baka mamaya mandiri ka sakin..."

"Hey hey hey, I am not at all judgmental! I came from a weird family, you know. Really really weird."

"Woah, talaga? How weird?"

"Baka ikaw ang mandiri sakin!"

"Ay, ang daya mo, you started it na e. Spill!"

I drank half the bottle of beer, swallowed hard and looked at her, with our noses almost touching.

"Weird like I fucked my cousins. And I have a Tita who fucked me."

"Shit! Talaga?"

"Told you it's weird."

"Oo nga, kakadiri ka nga!"

"Now who's judgmental?!"

She was just joking. She did not ask for details, except how old I was when I had incestuous sex with relatives.

"O ikaw naman, anong ka-weirduhan mo?"

"Well, now that you told me about your weird family, I must say my family is a lot more normal than yours. Except for the time na umuwi ang Tito ko from Saudi."

It turned out she was staying with her Tita for three years na halos, and that when she was in third year high school, it was just the two of them hanggang yung asawa ng Tita niya, biglang umuwi galing ng Saudi.

"He was very good to me, initially at least. He would bring me to school, tapos sinusundo din niya ko. He would cook for our meals. Pag weekend, he would prepare barbecue, or we will go to Pansol for swimming sa hot springs."

"Wow, bait naman pala."

"Well, I thought so too. I felt protected, kase I was so young. Tandaan ko nung third year ako and I was varsity sa volleyball, lagi siyang nanonood ng laban namin maski late na. Ayaw niya daw akong umuwi mag-isa."

"Ok, what happened, ba't parang your face turned sad when you started talking about that part of you life?"

"Well, it was summer vacation. I was waiting to enter fourth year high school to finally graduate and get to college. My Tita went to Manila para mag-down sa condo nilang binili and do other errands. So she was gone for the night."

"And?"

"As usual, I was sleeping in the room in my big hello kitty sleeping gown. It was late. I woke up because parang my nakadagan sakin."

Irish choked a bit. Then she drank more beer.

I gave her a piece of tissue paper.

"No it's ok. I'm kinda over it. Asar pa rin ako sa nangyari pero hindi na ko galit sa kanya."

"What did he do?"

"I woke up and he was beside me. His arms were around me. He was kissing my back and neck. Then he felt my breasts. Nagulat ako, gusto kong tumayo sa kama pero hinawakan niya ko ng mahigpit, as in nagkapasa ang braso ko."

I was shocked.

"He kept kissing me, tried to kiss my lips pero I turned my face away, sinubsob ko nalang ang mukha ko sa unan. I felt his hand sa baba ko. He started feeling me. He even tried inserting his finger on me. Pumalag lang ako, I kept kicking and kicking hard. Tapos naramdaman kong umuuga ang kama."

I held her in my arms. She was crying.

"You know Lance, I felt so stupid. I didn't even realize what was happening until years later. That he was playing with my vagina while he was masturbating..."

I held her more closely and said, "Oh Irish, I am so sorry. I didn't know you were abused as a teenager. I am so sorry to hear that..."

She almost broke down. With her voice breaking, she resumed her story. "I hated it. I was so conflicted and confused. Di ko alam kung sisigaw ako or what. I hated it that he even said to my ears, "Uy basa na siya..." Putang-ina, hayup diba? At that point I cried so loud and I screamed."

I felt really mad. "Did you tell your Tita about it?"

"Of course not!"

"Why not?"

"San ako pupunta at that time? E dun nga ako iniwan ng parents ko sa kanila?"

"Kahit na, why not run to another relative? Or to the police?"

"It wasn't that easy at that time..."

Her abuse ended with her Tito finishing what he was doing and leaving Irish alone in her room. Apparently, nung nakaraos na siya, iniwan niya si Irish and she locked her door right away.

"I cried all night. I could not sleep. Hindi ako lumabas ng kwarto until my Tita arrived."

"And your Tito?"

"He apologized profusely the next day, nung naabutan niya ko sa rooftop nila at nagbabasa. I ignored him. I did not talk to him, until he died last year of kidney failure. Buti nga sa kanya!"

"How long did you stay with them pa ba?"

"Another year, then nag-dorm na ko nung college when I went to St. Scho."

"Wow. Just wow. Shit. I am truly sorry to know you were abused."

"That's alright, thank you. Ayan, nailabas ko na!"

Then she smiled. I hugged her. I held her face, and kissed her lips, tenderly. She kissed me back. We walked towards the living room while kissing, kase nga nasa porch kami.

I sat on the sofa, nakakandong siya sa akin. I tore her clothes apart. She unbuckled my pants. That's the first time we fucked. And we fucked until it was time for me to go home at around 7:30 in the morning.

I was back the next day. We roasted some hotdogs and marshmallows in their garden, then had vodka for a change.

That's how I learned na si Irish ay may pagka-exhibitionist. We were making out, and I was about to remove her blouse and bra, then I noticed parang may taong nanunuod sa amin - from the house of their neighbor. Although may bakod naman, their neighbor's house was taller than the fence. And I think I saw the profile of a middle-aged guy watching us.

"Hey, I think your neighbor is watching us."

"Hayaan mo siya, hanggang tingin lang naman yan, he's harmless."

I proceeded to take off her top as I removed my pants....