23 22

Bumundol ang kaba ni Anikka nang makita niya ang paglabas ni Menriz sa garden. But she can't back out now. This was planned for weeks. She practiced for weeks sa tulong ng mga kaibigan nitong napakiusapan niya. The song was hard idagdag pang hindi naman talaga siya magaling kumanta. Pero pinaghirapan niyang aralin iyon because it was the best song for him.

She won't be backing out now. This was the first time she would do something for Menriz. For the person she loves.

You were my strength when I was weak

You were my voice when I couldn't speak

You were my eyes when I couldn't see

You saw the best there was in me

Lifted me up when I couldn't reach

You gave me faith 'coz you believed

I'm everything I am

Because you loved me

She can't see his expression. Blangko iyon. Na para bang walang epekto ang ginagawa niya. Was she too late? Napagod na ba ito sa kanya?

I'm grateful for each day you gave me

Maybe I don't know that much

But I know this much is true

I was blessed because I was loved by you

Nothing. He was not even smiling. He was just looking at her like she was a stranger. Maybe she was a bit late. Ngunit hindi siya susuko. It was the first time she was making an effort for someone lulubos-lubusin na niya.

"Menriz, I love you!" lakas-loob na sabi niya sa tapat ng mikropono. Alanganing nagsitigil naman ang mga kaibigan nitong nagsilbing banda niya. Maging ang mga ito ay nagulat sa ginawa niya. Their plan was to finish the song, but she cannot wait anymore. She was not a good singer anyway.

Ngunit blangko pa rin ang ekspresyon nito na para bang hindi narinig ang sinabi niya. Or maybe her words did not have any effect to him anymore.

"Do you hear me? I love you. I realized at it the day of your accident." Pagpapatuloy pa rin niya. Naroon na rin naman siya, sasabihin na niya ang nararamdaman niya.If it will be in vain, then she has no one to blame but herself.

"Because I saved you? You are feeling guilty that's why you're doing this?" sa wakas ay sabi nito. Pero mali. May mali sa tono nito.

"Of course not!" agad na tanggi niya. " I love you, plain and simple!"

"You were undecided just a few weeks before and now you're telling me you love me? Guilt is different from love."

Parang gusto niyang ibato ang mikropono rito kung hindi nga lang alam niyang kagagaling lamang nito sa ospital. How could he give a different meaning to what she was saying? Heto na nga siya at ipinagsisigawan sa harap ng mga kaibigan at ina nito ang nararamdaman niya mukhang ayaw pa nitong maniwala.

"Nagi-guilty ako oo pero walang kinalaman iyon sa sinasabi ko ngayon. I love you. And I might have loved you eversince we were in high school. Remember those time I threw all those love letters addressed for you? I did that because I was jealous."

"Ang sabi mo naiinis ka dahil hindi mo naman kaibigan ang mga babaeng iyon para utusan kang ibigay ang mga sulat na iyon sa akin?"

"Hindi ba pwedeng in denial pa ako nang mga panahong iyon? Na hindi ko pa kayang aminin sa sarili kong may nararamdaman na ako para sa'yo noon?" balik niya rito.

"At hindi ka na in denial ngayon?" simpleng tanong nito.

"Hindi na. You made me realize so many things. That time I got pissed off when I thought Eunice was your girlfriend, I can't accept it before but now I do acknowledge it. I got jealous. Nagpapa-cute ka sa akin noon tapos malalaman kong may girlfriend ka? And when Ethan made that event for Eunice, I got scared because I thought it was you who made that for her. I got scared that I would lose you." Mahabang litany niya.

"Then why didn't you answer right away when I confessed to you?" tanong nito.

"Because I was still confused back then. Masisisi mo ba 'ko? I just got betrayed by my jerk of a fiancé! I needed the time to think things through."

"And by that you mean, talk and hug your ex?" there. He finally said it.

"We talked, alright, but I did not hug him. Siya ang umakap sa akin. Tatanggalin ko pa lang ang pagkakayap niya nang makita kita. And then you were walking away. Na para bang wala ka nang balak pang makita ako pagkatapos ng nakita mo. And I can't let that happen. When I already realized that I love you." Huminga siya ng malalim bago nagpatuloy. " That same day, I realized I love you. At iyon ay dahil na rink ay Andrew. Kung hindi ko siya nakausap at nakumpirma sa sarili kong wala na siyang epekto sa akin, hindi ko pa matatanggap sa sarili ko ang nararamdaman ko para sa'yo. Na lahat ng ginawa mo, mula sa halik noong high school tayo, nang sunduin mo ako sa restobar ni josh, ang pagluluto mo para sakin, ang pagtatanggol mo sa'kin kay Pia and those kisses you've given me. Lahat nang iyon ang nagpakilala sa puso ko ng damdaming alam kong kahit kay Andrew ay hindi ko naramdaman. Because never have I felt so nervous when he was around. Hindi nagwawala ang puso ko sa tuwing lumalapit siya o hinahalikan ako. Pero ang simpleng presensiya mo pa lang nagpapagulo na sa mundo ko. I don't know if I was really a fool back then to not realize my feelings or I can't just accept it. I thought I was hating you, only to find out it was another feeling. You said you want me to like you back. And I did. Even more than like. I love you, Menriz."

Inintay niya ang magiging reaksiyon nito. A smile will do. Ngunit maging iyon ay ipinagkait nito.

"And you thought this event, this confession for you would make me run to you, hug you, kiss and make up with you?"

Waring dinurog ang puso niya sa narinig mula rito. Was this his way of rejecting her?

"M-menriz..."

"You've hurt me enough. You even caused me to be hospitalized for a while." Malamig na sabi nito. "What do you expect me to do now? Magtatalon sa tuwa dahil sa mga sinabi mo?"

Ang bawat salitang binitawan nito ay parang punyal na tumutusok sa dibdib niya. So she was really too late. He hates her now.

Naramdaman niya ang pagpatak ng mga luha niya. Hindi naman niya ito masisisi dahil tama ito. Kasalanan niya ang nangyari dito. He was always there for her but she had hurt him.

"I-I'm sorry." Nagawa niyang sabihin saka pinalis ang mga luha. "It was s-selfish of me. Ni hindi ko inisip na maaaring galit ka sakin. Na maaaring pinalis na ng galit na iyon ang kung anumang nararamdaman mo para sa a-akin. I-I'm sorry." Sabi niya saka nagmartsang papunta sa pinto. Malas nga lamang niya dahil nakapuwesto ito sa may pinto at mdaraanan niya ito.

"Menriz, anak.." narinig niyang sabi ng ina nito habang wala namang imik ang mga kaibigan nito.

Ngunit wala na siyang pakialam pa kahit kahiya-hiya ang nging labas niya sa mga ito. Ang tanging naiisip niya ay umalis sa lugar na iyon at humanap ng lugar kung saan siya mapag-iisa at mailalabas ang lahat ng sakit sa dibdib niya. Maybe she'll drink and cry her heart out somewhere. Pagkatapos niyon ay kukunin niya ang lahat ng gamit niya. She will go back to the States. Kaya niya iyon. Makaka-recover siya basta malayo siya rito at---

"Where are you going?"

Hindi pa man siya nakakaalis ay napigilan na ni Menriz ang braso niya. Hinila siya nitong pabalik. Suddenly they were facing each other. Akala niya ay mababasa niya ang galit sa mga mata nito. Ngunit unti-unting sumilay ang ngiti sa mga labi nito. At sa gulat niya ay bigla na lamang nitong pinitik ang noo niya.

"Aw!" daing niya. "W-what was that for?"

"How dare you make me scared like that? Ang tanda mo na, hindi ka pa marunong tumawid." Sa wakas ay sabi nito nang nakangiti pa rin. What was happening? "Do you know how scared I was when I saw that car that was about to hit you? Akala ko mawawala ka na sa'kin, at sa harap ko pa." sabi nito na ngayon naman ay malumanay na ang mga mata.

"K-kaya ba ikaw ang nagpabundol sa sasakyang iyon? You could have died, you idiot!"

"What do you expect me to do then? Let you die infront of me? Mas malala pa iyon sa pagkamatay ko, alam mo ba? Because seeing you hurt won't feel like death, it would be hell for me." Madamdaming sabi nito. "Gugustuhin ko nang ako ang masaktan kaysa ang taong mahal ko."

Tama ba ang dinig niya. He loves her. He still loves her!

"Don't look so surprised." Natatawang sabi nito. Umangat naman ang palad nito ay lumapat sa mga pisngi niya. "Sa tingin mo ba mawawala ang pagmamahal kong ito dahil lamang sa nasaktan ako? O dahil naaksidente ako sa pagliligtas sa'yo? It was my choice to save you. And that was also because I love you."

"P-pero kanina, you were saying that ---"

"I was playing with you. Nasaktan kaya ako nang makita kong inakap ka ng lalaking iyon. Hayaan mo naman akong makabawi kahit sa paraang iyon lang." at kinindatan siya nito.

Hinampas niya ito sa braso.

"Nakakainis ka! Akala ko pa naman... akala ko, sumuko ka na sa akin. Na hindi mo na 'ko---"

"That won't happen okay? I love you and that won't ever fade. Hindi ba at ipinusta ko na nga lahat ng yaman ko pati ng mga kaibigan ko?"

"Hey! 'Wag mo nga kaming idinadamay! Nagkakawanggawa na nga kami sa love story niyong magulo eh!" narinig niyang reklamo ni Darwin.

"Oo nga. At walang damayan ng kayamanan, pwede?" segunda naman ni Lenard.

"Behave, party people!" narinig niyang sabi ni Eunice na nakaladkad din niya sa kabaliwang iyon. "Hindi pa sila tapos." Bumaling it okay Menriz. "Please, continue."

"Thank you." Sabi naman ni Menriz. "As I was saying, never doubt my feelings for you. I have been loving you all my life, wala nang pag-asang magbago pa iyon. Kahit pa mapagod ka sa pagmamahal kong ito."

"Good, because I don't want you to stop either." Nakangiti nang sabi niya. "Thank you for everything. For being there for me, for that dinner you prepared, for that slideshow. Hindi ko alam may pagka-stalker ka pala."

"H-hindi ah! Nagkakataon lang na ikaw ang nakukunan ng camera 'ko." Sabi nito bagaman nagkamot din ng ulo tanda nang nahihiya ito sa ginawa. Nginitian lamang niya ito.

"Thank you for contacting my Dad. We are okay now by the way. He went back to the States a week ago dahil sa trabaho but he said he will come back to talk to you. Siya na din daw ang bahala sa stepsister ko at sa asawa na rin niya. They won't be bothering us anytime soon." Pagpapatuloy niya.

"Good. And the jerk?" tukoy nito sa ex niya na ikinatawa niya.

"Ipina-deport ko na sa piling ni Pia. They were a perfect match anyway."

"Good. You're all mine now, then?"

"All yours." Tatango-tangong sabi niya.

"Very Good." Idinikit nito ang noo nito sa noo niya.

"I love you, Anikka. I will always do."

"I love you too, Menriz. Please believe that." Sabi niya rito.

And before she could even react, he was already kissing her.

It was the first time that he kissed her like that. Warm and passionately. And she loved it. Tinugon niya ang halik nito sa paraang alam niya. Sa paraang makakapagparating rito sa totoong nararamdaman niya.

"Okay, we're done here! Tara nang kumain bago pa ako maumay sa lovebirds nay an!" narinig niyang sabi ni Apollo.

"May pinahanda akong pagkain sa loob. Alam ko kasing mapapagod kayo sa pagtulong sa dalawang iyan." Narinig niyang sabi ng Mommy ni Menriz.

"Thanks, Tita. The best ka talaga! Tara nang kumain!" sigaw ni Josh.

"At bakit kasali ka? Hindi ka naman tumugtog?" sabi naman ni Lenard.

"Ako ang manager niyo, kaya damay ako. Tara, mga bata!"

Naririnig nila ang pagkakaingay sa paligid ngunit wala silang pakialam. They were kissing like there was no tomorrow. Masisisi ba sila? They have been through a lot before they get to be together for real. And this is their own way of celebrating. At magunaw man siguro ang mundo nang mga oras na iyon ay hindi nila mapapansin. They have each other now and they were more than contented.

                                                                     - - -  WAKAS  - - -