Mikha's Pov
"Aiah nandito na sila mikha." Tita Cathy said.
"Tagal talaga ni aiah." Sheena said.
"You know aiah, she always makes sure that she doesn't forget anything." Tita Cathy said.
Aiah came down from upstairs, i smiled at her then took her mini suitcase.
"Maraiah yan lang dala mo pero ang tagal mo sa taas." Sheena said.
"You know me, nagdodouble check ako lagi." Aiah said.
"Triple check to be precise." Stacey said.
"Tita alis na po kami." I said.
"Safe travels and enjoy your trips girls." Tita Cathy said.
"We will po." I said.
We left the house and went inside the van. Today is the start of our vacation in baguio. The driver started to drive the van. Magkatabi kami ni aiah, sa tabi ng bintana ako nakaupo.
Two cars sana ang gamit namin kaso ayaw ni mom, kaya van ang gamit namin. Ako, aiah, jho, stacey, gwen at sheena ang magkakasama. Hindi natuloy pag sama ni kaori at vivoree. Si colet naman nauna na kasama si maloi kahapon pa. Nakakahalata na ako sa kapatid ko.
"Someone's excited for a vacation." I said.
"It's been a while since i had a vacation." Aiah said.
"I'll make sure you enjoy baguio." I said.
"Okay mikha lim i'm looking forward to it." Aiah said.
I put the earbuds on my ear and played some songs. I like listening to music when i'm cooking at home or traveling. Tinignan ko si aiah na tulog. Hindi ata nakatulog ng maaga dahil excited siya. I remembered last week when i was in the hospital that i asked her if i can court her.
FLASHBACK
"The set up may not look romantic and it's only simple but here goes. Can i court you maraiah queen arceta?" I said.
I look at her eyes. She smiled then hugged me for a short time.
"Uhm aiah." I said.
"Took you long enough to ask." Aiah said.
"Huh?" I said.
"I was about to ask what's our relationship status." Aiah said.
"I'm really slow in this kind of thing." I said.
"I know." Aiah said.
"What's your answer?" I asked.
"My answer is when you wake up later. Get more sleep first." Aiah said.
"Huh?" I said.
"Just sleep first mikha lim." Aiah said.
After i woke up, she said i can court her. She said it infront of our friends who are eating the foods they brought. I laughed a bit because some of their foods almost spilled because of their excitement.
END OF FLASHBACK
"You're smiling." Aiah said.
"Akala ko tulog ka." I said.
"I was but i got hungry." Aiah said.
"Let me guess, hindi ka kumain sa excitement." I said.
"Yes." Aiah said while smiling.
Nag-stop over muna kami, hindi lang pala si aiah ang gutom pati si stacey, sheena at jho. Bumili lang kami ng foods then nagtuloy na ng byahe. Inopen ko phone ko at nanuod saglit ng balita. The news is about gelo.
"He's in jail right now, sisiguraduhin ko na diretso kulungan siya pagkabalik natin sa baguio." Aiah said.
"Aiah don't mind him, just think of enjoying the vacation." I said.
"I know how the type of person like him acts but i didn't expect that he would really go that far like kidnapping you just to get me." Aiah said.
"What's important to me is you're safe from him and letting colet give you my condo key was a good idea. Hindi ko din ine-expect ma-kidnap ako." I said.
I hold her hand, slowly i've been getting used to muster my confidence around aiah but sometimes i still get flustered.
"I'm right beside you now and i'll always be here." I said while smiling.
Aiah smiled back at me. I closed my eyes, continued listening to music then taking a nap. After three hours, we arrived at baguio. Dumiretso kami sa bahay ko. Pagkabukas ko ng door ay nagluluto si maloi at colet.
"Welcome to baguio girls." Colet said.
"Alright it's vacation time." Jho said.
"Sulitin niyo vacation dito, you'll get a lot of paper works when we get back." Maloi said.
"Yes captain." Jho and colet said.
We laughed a bit at jho and colet. They may be detectives but they are really comedian sometimes. The roommates for this vacation are me and aiah, jho and stacey, gwen and sheena, colet and maloi.
"Stacey okay lang sayo ka-roommate si jho?" I asked.
"Sanay na ako sa pagmumukha niya noong high school pa mikhs." Stacey said.
"Crush mo ako staku noh." Jho said.
"Jho nasubukan mo na ba magbasa ng harry potter book?" Stacey asked.
"Oo naman, bakit?" Jho said.
"Ganun kasing kapal ng confidence mo." Stacey said.
"Hula ko bardagulan silang dalawa buong bakasyon." Aiah said.
"Wala magpapatalo sa dalawa." I said.
I went upstairs to put mine and aiah's suitcase then i went to the balcony near our room then leaned my arms on the railings. I see aiah walking in the backyard with maloi, sheena and stacey. Hindi ko napansin na nasa likod ko na pala si jho, colet at gwen.
"What are you doing here alone instead of walking with aiah down there?" Colet asked.
"I'm just enjoying the view." I said.
"The view or just aiah." Jho said.
"What are you three doing here? Aren't you supposed to be downstairs?" I asked.
"Pinunta lang din namin mga gamit sa room then we saw you here." Gwen said.
"Ano iniisip mo mikhs? We know you when you're like this." Jho said.
I took a deep breath and looked at aiah from afar.
"The three of you already know that i'm already courting aiah." I said.
"Mikha lim nag-iisip ka ba paano manligaw? Alright, we'll help you." Jho said.
"That's not what i'm thinking right now." I said.
"Then what is it?" Gwen asked.
"I went to aiah's parents to asked permission to court her." I said.
"Wait pumunta ka kila tito bernard sa canada?" Jho asked.
"Huh? Kailan ka pumunta mikhs?" Colet asked.
"Last week, the three days that i told you guys i went here was a lie. I went to canada to personally asked aiah's parent's." I said.
Jho, colet and gwen pats my back at the same time. Ginulo pa nila buhok ko.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Good job mikhs." Colet said.
"Sneaky move." Jho said.
"Aiah doesn't even know that i went there." I said.
"What did aiah's parent's say?" Jho asked.
"Well, it's a nerve wracking experience." I said.
"Just tell us what happened." Colet said.
FLASHBACK
You can do this mikha. It's only aiah's parent's and they are also your old boss.
"Mikha nandito na tayo." Tito Mickey said.
"Thank you for the ride uncle." I said.
"Relax mikha, you can do this." Tito Mickey said.
"You're right tito, i'll get going then." I said.
I went out of the car. I'm in front of the arceta mansion. This is it mikhaela lim, wala ng atrasan. I rang the doorbell and a butler opened the door.
"I'm butler jarvis. Ms. Lim come on in." Jarvis said.
I went inside the mansion. Nakita ako siguro sa cctv.
"Mikha what an unexpected visit." Tita Maileen said.
"Good morning ma'am." I said.
"Stop being formal, we may be your old boss but call us tita and tito too." Tita Maileen said.
"Yes po tita maileen." I said.
"Good. By the way, you're right on time. We're having our tea time, join us." Tita Maileen said.
I followed tita maileen to the backyard garden. Mr. Arceta/Tito bernard is on call with someone. Tita maileen told me to sit down while she get another cup of tea inside. Leaving me alone with aiah's father who just finished his call.
"Hi mikha, philippines is far but you're here. Binibisita mo ba lola mo?" Tito Bernard said.
"Yes po but i have another reason why i'm here sir." I said.
"It seems at the tone of your voice it's about business." Tito Bernard said.
"Well, no sir. It's about your daughter." I said.
"About maraiah?" Tita Maileen asked.
Tita maileen came back with three cups of tea. She sat beside tito bernard. Come on mikhaela lim be strong.
"I'm asking for your permission to court your daughter maraiah queen arceta. I'm here not as a person who is from jimenea or lim bloodline but as a person who really likes your daughter po." I said.
No one spoke between the three of us, only the sound of the water fountain is heard.
"Mikha, so you like my daughter and you want our permission to court her." Tito Bernard said.
"Yes sir." I said.
"You're a girl." Tito Bernard said.
"I know sir." I said.
"Are you sure at what you're saying mikha?" Tita Maileen asked.
"Yes ma'am i'm sure." I said.
"This is an unexpected topic." Tita Maileen said.
"I know po that i'm a girl but it doesn't mean i can't love your daughter as a person." I said.
They are still seriously looking at me, i can do this.
"Since high school i have a crush on her and through out the years that passed by, that crush became love. It's not an obsession but i seriously love maraiah. I wanna be that someone better for her. Someone who will do anything for her even without her asking for it. I'm a girl who wants to be there for her, even if i'm busy i'll be there." I said.
"How can you be sure that you're always gonna be there for her?" Tito Bernard asked.
"Because i already did that even without me noticing it. Sir it was not easy for me to muster my confidence to be able to talk to your daughter." I said.
"I believe your words mikha." Tito Bernard said.
"Po?" I said.
"Bryan kept us updated at what's happening in the philippines." Tita Maileen said.
"Please continue being there for maraiah." Tito Bernard said.
"Protect her for us, be that someone better for her." Tita Maileen said.
Both of them smiled at me.
"Thank you sir, ma'am." I said.
"Don't be formal mikha. You may be just about to court her but i'm already giving you our blessing as the person who we want for aiah." Tito Bernard said.
"Call us mom and dad too, okay?" Tita Maileen said.
"Yes po mom, dad." I said.
They were also surprised that aiah doesn't know i went here. I told them if they could not say anything to aiah yet because i wanna surprise her too.
Well, what surprise me is they told me i'm the first person who would go first to them asking for permission. They said even aiah's two ex boyfriends didn't do what i did.
END OF FLASHBACK
"Truly nerve wracking experience." Colet said.
"It sure is. I thought they would not give me permission and get mad at me." I said.
"Look at what your confidence did, so proud of you mikhs. Kaya pala iba smile ni mom bago tayo umalis." Jho said.
Bumaba na kami sa backyard deck to start preparing the meats and seafoods for barbecue tonight.
"Whoa meats and seafoods." Sheena said.
"Nasa beach ka lang kanina shee." I said.
"My nose detects food." Sheena said.
"Iba talaga ilong mo, you can just go grab some snacks in the kitchen." I said.
Sheena went inside while i felt someone's presence behind me.
"Well done for me please." Aiah said.
"Yes attorney." I said, laughing a bit.
"Joke lang mikhs. Can i help later?" Aiah asked.
"Sure, maloi needs help later in the kitchen. Your suitcase is already upstairs." I said.
"Thanks, i'll just go upstairs to unpack." Aiah said.
Aiah went inside with stacey. I feel jho and colet are gonna tease me.
"The way you two act is obvious." Jho said.
"It's like they are already a couple." Colet said.
"Stop teasing and continue helping maloi." I said.
"Jho and colet are right." Maloi said.
"Maloi not you too." I said.