Jhoharra Roberto
The next day, ibang profile nanaman ang nirereview ni Maki. Araw ngayon to meet Jhoharra Roberto.
Jhoharra is the Mayor of their city.
Maki went to see her at the Municipal Hall, where Jhoharra was already buried under a mountain of paperwork.
“Hi Maks, I missed you sobra. Super glad that you are okay, pero unfortunately nga eh nagka-amnesia ka pa,” Jhoharra said, looking up from her desk with a warm smile and looking for something and then took out a folder.
Maki smirked. “Let me guess…You’re about to give me a government-issued document?”
Jhoharra chuckled and handed Maki the folder. “A briefer of our relationship.”
“Wow, very government ha. Complete staff work,” Maki said, flipping through the papers.
Jhoharra and Maki had met when Maki attended a prominent event with her dad.
Jhoharra had been awarded as the Most Outstanding Government Official.
Maki found Jhoharra cute, but what truly endeared her was Jhoharra’s passion for public service.
Jho was the type of leader who would rather starve herself than let a single constituent go hungry.
For today, Jhoharra was scheduled to attend and open a feeding station in one of their barangays.
“Sama ka?” Jhoharra asked.
Maki shrugged. “Why not? Let’s see what kind of Mayor you are.”
Jhoharra grinned. “Wag ka pa VIP treatment ha. You’re gonna see the real work of public service.”
Maki followed Jhoharra to the barangay, where kids and families were already lining up for the feeding program.
As Jhoharra mingled with her constituents, personally handing out meals and making sure everyone was taken care of, Maki observed her closely.
This was different from the world Maki knew—corporate, polished, calculated.
Jhoharra was hands-on, sleeves rolled up, wiping sweat off her forehead as she spoke to people with genuine concern.
Maki found herself smiling. This was a side of life she never really got to see.
“You look impressed,” Jhoharra teased, catching Maki watching her.
Maki scoffed. “Naisip ko lang… Maybe you should be the one running my company.”
Jhoharra laughed. “No thanks, Maks. I already have a city to take care of.”
After the feeding program, Maki and Jhoharra found time to drop by a local carinderia.
“Favorite ko dito umorder,” Jhoharra said while waving at the staff. “Madalas kong pinapadeliver sa munisipyo.”
Maki took a bite of the dish Jhoharra recommended. “Masarap nga,” she admitted.
Jhoharra smirked.
“Ganito ba mga dates natin?”
“Naku, ang mga date natin ay meetings,” Jhoharra chuckled.
“Kasi parating may pa-feeding program at charity yung company niyo. Pero di ka naman nakakasama lagi.”
“Talaga ba?” Maki asked.
“Oo, kasama ka sa planning pero pag event day, bigla ka tatawagin ng tatay mo to a business trip,” Jhoharra said, shaking her head.
“Sayang nga, ngayon mo lang na-experience ‘to.”
Maki quietly observed Jhoharra. She seemed like the perfect wife—smart, compassionate, driven.
But she also had an entire city competing for her attention.
Maki sighed. Maybe love really was about timing.
On the way home, Jhoharra rode in Maki’s car.
She glanced at Maki fondly.
“Kala ko di na kita makikita when I found out what happened to you and your dad. Mejo tulala nga daw ako, sabi ng mga tao sa office.”
Maki felt her heart skip a beat.
“More than sa pagiging girlfriend mo, I see you as a good ally, Maki. Kaya nakakalungkot kung mawala ka. You always tell me na kaya kong gawin ang isang bagay kaya ang dami ko nagagawa for my city.”
Maki turned to her. “Was I a good girlfriend to you?”
Jhoharra gave a small smile. “Oo naman. Gulat nga ako nung nalaman kong madami kami. Pero I want you to know na kahit ganun, kahit masakit sa loob, you were a nice person naman. Pero di ko kaya magmahal ng may kaagaw. Sorry.”
Maki couldn’t explain it, but hearing that stung.
As they reached Jhoharra’s house, she signaled the driver to stop at the gate.
She turned to Maki. “I hope we can be good friends, Maki. Mahal kita, pero I want you to decide kung ako ba o iba. I cannot compete. That’s not the relationship I wanna be in.”
Maki watched as Jhoharra stepped out of the car and walked inside.
She let out a deep breath.
Jhoharra was offering stability, but siya na ba? was that the kind of love she was looking for?