Summer to Forget ✔️

KATAPUSAN

When I was a child, I find love stories cliche. Until my parents broke up, there, I hereby hated love.

I was still a little when I became bitter. Whenever I see young lovers, I picked something and throw it at them. Until one day, I eavesdropped. They were talking about my Dad and someone's Mom who are now happy with themselves and doing their illegal deeds.

“So the Señor Marcil was left for that Chiongson man? 'di na baleng iwan ang lalaking totoong nagmamahal sa iyo para lang sa negosyong druga? Nakakaawa naman iyong mga bata, lalo na si Tamila, kegandang bata na iyon.”

Tamila Marcil. . .

Starting that day, I started to ask some people about that girl but the girl was nothing but a home girl. She was over protected by her father and her two older brothers which are twins.

Years passed by quickly for me because I guess I had fun, I had fun on stalking her. I don't know,

And she never failed to amaze me.

The summer that she wanted to forget was the best summer of mine and I'll be spending the rest of my summers with them. Looking for her for the rest of the day makes me feel excited. Until I saw her coming out from their gate with my cousin. . . She's with Laura! Are they close?

Kaya nang masigurado kong nakauwi na siya ng ligtas ay agad akong sumugod sa bahay nila Lau!

“Where’s Laura?” I asked their helper. She looked shocked when she saw me but she managed to point where Laura is and I saw her on the kitchen, drinking water.

I grab her arms just to make her look at me and asked. “Are you friends with that Marcil girl?” my voice sounds authorative even if I didn't make it sound like that.

Am I too excited to catch news for her?

“She’s my bff.” that was her only answer and she walked out.

At least for now, I have someone to ask informations about her. That was I thought, but Lau didn't cooperated. She doesn't want me to meddle in Tamila’s life because she thought that I have a plan for my revenge though she was also a victim by our parents stupid love story. And I lost my single chance so I had a plan to give up on knowing her. Kaya lang isang araw ay talagang gumawa ng paraan ang tadhana upang pagtagpuin kami ulit.

It was a sunny summer time when I decided to work for a ricefield because I wanted a new experience and I wanted to look moreno. Ever since I heard Lau a fact that she likes tan men so, I did. Naglalaan ako ng araw kung saan ako nagbibilad sa araw. Kung minsan ay naliligo ako sa dagat o ‘di kaya’y tumutulong sa sakahan.

“Naku Iho! Pupunta pala rito sila Señor, kasama iyong mga anak niya.” narinig kong sabi ng may kaedaran ng lalaki kung saan ko iginiit na tutulong ako sa pagsasaka.

“Ano hong problema doon?” hindi ko mapigilang tanong sa kaniya kaya lang medyo nagulat siya sa naging tanong ko.

Then it hit me. People in this town thought that there is a wall between our families. Maybe they wonder that our families are not friends and do not attend with each other's party and that is because we are not interested in their business. Our business are too far with theirs.

There, I saw her again. She was wearing a simple spaghetti top and shorts but it really looks good in her plus her cute pair of slippers. She smiled at us but seems that she haven't seen me.

Or maybe she doesn't even know me?

I was like in a cloud nine that day when she heard me sing a song for her. It was indeed a happy summer that I'll cherish forever.

I got a band when one of my old friends messaged me to be their vocalist at the same time the guitarist. So I transferred school for my last year in Highschool and saw her again. But that day, I knew that she's the one that I'll be loving for the rest of my life.

Done with my bitterness when she started to make me laugh despites of her corny jokes. To be honest, I don't really understand what she is talking because I always got starstrucked when I am with her.

God. I really love her.

I learned a lot from her, I sacrificed our relationship even if I know that she'll hate me, I left her. Just to make her safe and my relatives. When I found out that he's Dad is sick, hindi na ako nagdalawang isip pa kung hindi ay umalis kaagad.

We went to Cebu for a year and when we came back. She also left but her Dad told me everything. Hindi ko alam kung bakit sobrang saya ko nung malaman kong walang namamamagitan sa kanila na Ina ko. Her Dad gave me his blessings, kahit walang kasiguraduhang tatanggapin pa niya ulit ko.

Kating-kati na akong tapusin ang pag-aaral ko sa kolehiyo kaya pangdalawang taon lang iyong kinuha ko para masundan ko na siya sa Cagayan kung saan siya nag-aaral at kasalukuyang naninirahan dahil iyon ang usapan namin ng aking ina. I thought she was doing better there but she's more wasted than I am when I left her. I wanted to punch myself.

She was dating different man from then to then. The old shy but smiling Tamila was gone, she was always present to different bars. I was the one who kept on sending her flowers, notes and even signs that his dumbass boyfriend was cheating on her. Pero hindi siya tumigil doon hanggang sa nakita na nang dalawang mata niya.

When I see her broken, it broke me. Yes, we were young when we had things between us but we were serious on our relationship. It broke me seeing her crying over a man whom had he known of month.

She couldn't help but to get attached by the people around her. Alam ko naman na kailangan lang rin niya ng taong masasandalan. And that should have been me. But things aren't meant for our way. We were meant to be apart from each other in order to grow.

I was happy that he has Dan that time even if I knew about his past. I even heard that he's courting her so I confronted him and he stopped.

Good thing that she managed to change before she could be kicked out from her University. Until she graduated, I didn't let her see me. Palagi lang akong nakasuot ng hood habang sinusundan siya, I maybe looked scary but I didn't mind as long as I know that she's safe and so I am.

It suddenly hit me, she finally graduated but I have nothing to be proud of, except on having her. I was anxious 'bout it ‘till on the same day on her graduation, I saw my old band mates, heard that they have mini concert here so we talked and I texted Lau that I can't go with lunch with them because I have to make myself a job.

They immediately let me join their band when their vocalist left the band to be with her family. I imagined myself in him, I would do the same thing too once Tamila and I will be married. It's her over everything.

I did everything just to get her attention then I succeeded. I thought my love for her was already on it's highest point when we got married but I was wrong, I loved her more after she gave birth to our twins. I was the happiest man on the universe.

That was also the time when I lose a bet from Namiel, hindi ko inakalang nang dahil sa kaba ko ay mawawalan ako ng malay. So I named my sons Edrian for their second names, kahit alam kong maiinis ang asawa ko sa kabantotan ng pangalang gusto ni Namiel. Rawl on the other side laughed at us after years. Namiel and I automatically looked at each other with our wide eyes.

He finally laughed!

“Ga, please look at the twins for a while. I'll just pee.” my beautiful wife spoke to me and grabbed something on her drawing but I don't mind it.

Siguro wala na kaming tissue sa banyo pero nang nakapag-isip isip ako at may nakita pa kaninang marami. So I talked to them not to jump in the bed and they listened and just sat there.

Pumasok ako roon nang hindi na nag-abalang kumatok sa pintuan at naabutan siyang umiiyak roon habang nakatago ang mukha sa dalawang palad.

“What’s wrong, my love?” I asked her as I took a step near her.

She was crying but she has a beautiful smile, I wonder.

“We’re having another baby!”

We already have our angel, twins and another blessing.

I, Czesar Chiongson, couldn't ask for more as long as I have them, healthy, I am complete.