Chapter Four: When Everything Was Pure

Our love story started in one direction.

"Miss? Pwede magtanong? "Preskong tanong ng isang hindi pamilyar na hindi nalalayo ang edad. Tumango ako bilang sagot.

"Ano iyon? "

"Naliligaw kasi ako, hindi ko alam kung saan iyong tamang daan? "Inosente niyang sabi.

"Daan? "Nakita kong tumango siya. Eh,

"Eh, iisa lang ang daan dito. Paano mangyayari maliligaw ka pa? Pinagloloko mo ba ako? "Nagtataka kong sabi.

"Miss, bago lang kasi ako dito." Anong konek non'.

"Eh, ano naman? "

"Bago sa paningin. Gusto ko lang malaman kung saan ang tamang daan upang makapasok ako sayo." mayabang niyang sabi. Bastos! Kaya mabilis kong pinalanding ang nag-iinit kong kamay sa kanya. Walang sabi-sabing sinampal ko siya ng mag-asawang sampal na may kasamang kabit.

"Damn." Mahina nyang mura habang nakangisi.

"So he was right, kakaiba nga." Mahinang bulong niya habang nakahawak sa kanyang pisngi na namumula.

He had asked me for directions before because he doesn't even know where he goes. But I've felt disrespected by the way he talked.

I am aware that he has grown up in the States since then. But he studied at our school before because he was punished by his grandparents. He was once a notorious playboy that time before he met me. I still remember that he changed girls every week.

"Sinabi ko nang tumigil ka na at hindi mo mababago ang isip ko. It's always no." Mababa kong sabi habang nagliligpit ng gamit ko dahil pauwi na ako.

"Hindi ako titigil. Gusto kita. Gustong-gusto kita. Sayo ko lang naramdaman ito." determinado niyang sagot.

"Bahala ka. Pinapagod mo lang, iyong sarili mo. Hinding hindi mo ako maisasama sa mga koleksyon mo. Iba na lang, wag ako." Matigas kong sabi sa kanya bago tinalikuran ko sya.

He has courted me for less than two years since I was in eighth grade. I was too young at that time, and I have no idea what love is. I kept rejecting him more than ten times, but he was so persistent to get my yes, so before our high school ended, we officially became a couple and talked in town in our school until the end of our high school days.

"Yes! Yes! She finally said yes to me.He kissed me on the cheek, and he hugged me tightly. Sabi nila, high school life is different from all of school days. High school taught us a lot of things.

Ito ang pinaka-best memory sa lahat, na pinaka-memorable. And they'd be right, dito ko sya nakilala. Dito ko naramdaman ang sinasabing pag-ibig. He's my first love, my first boyfriend, my first kiss, and it turned out to be my first heartbreak too.

Our relationship was genuine and pure, even though we'd enrolled in different universities. Cheating will never be an issue. There's no

cheating that happens. Howard is an ideal boyfriend, and he has the potential to be husband material. The hectic schedules, heavy activities, and responsibilities we'd had were not a hindrance to our relationship. I will never believe that he fulfills his words, despite the background he has when it comes to women.

"Happy third anniversary, Miss." He kissed my lips before he gave me a flower.

"Happy third anniversary, Mister." I kissed him, and he kissed me back while hearing the fireworks he prepared for me for our anniversary. The fireworks I've felt on him when he's around. It never changed, even though we were rare to meet.

Since then, I've always felt love, respect, and most of all, importance. I couldn't ask for more than to be with him for the rest of my life.

"Miss, what is your greatest dream? "Bigla akong napatingin sa kanya. Sa totoo lang, hindi ko pa alam. Kaya dinantay ko na lang ulo ko sa leeg niya at natulala sa tanong niya.

"I just want to be happy." He stared at me for a couple minutes to know if it was true. I just lightly pinch his nose while I ask him the same question.

"Ikaw, what is your greatest dream? "I asked while looking at the stars.

"I want to marry the woman I love and have a child with her." He held my hand and kissed it. I'm still looking at the stars, wishing that one day I want my dreams to become real.

Yes, I am happy, but I still feel empty if I can't figure out what it is.

"Is the woman you want to marry ready to get married? "I heard him laugh at my question.

"She will, she is," he answered me before I felt the heaviness of night.

We celebrated our fifth anniversary right on his private yacht. Yes, his filthy rich man. But he never showed me the difference in our status. He made me feel that I can still reach him as well as he is to me.

It made me fall deeper in love with him every single day. I couldn't imagine my life with somebody if he was not him. I couldn't; I am badly in love with him.