"I now pronounce you, Husband and Wife"
As I walked down the aisle, I had only one thought in my head – "After all we've been through, I finally get to be with him eternally."
Just as I was approaching the love of my life – my husband to be, the man I get to grow old with - there was another that stood before me. He had a familiar face, but not enough to make recall his name, or the role he played in my life.
The ceremony began, everything felt like it was from a fever dream – rather, incredible.
The man that was sitting right beside me was soon to be the man I spent the rest of my lifetime with. So many thoughts were circling beneath my skin, but all I was certain of - was that I loved him.
In the middle of the ceremony, the priest that wed us wanted to say a few words. And those "few words", made my world swirl.
"First of all, I would like to send my deepest congratulations to the newly wed. I truly am happy for the both of you; though I don't think I should be."
This made the whole room raise their eye brows. Why would this Man – Priest rather, have a say about my wedding?
I continued to listen in confusion – hoping I would get answers to thousands of questions I had going in my head, all at the same time.
"I first laid eyes on you, 10 years ago. We were at church, this same one. What a big coincidence, diba?"
And that's when it hit me. He was familiar because he was ---
"Before anything else, I thought you were the prettiest girl I had ever seen. I hadn't forgotten your face ever since.
See, what's Ironic is; I had always wanted to be a servant of God. Until you came along. It's funny diba? The girl na Nakita ko lang once, now played a big role about my judgements in life. I even tried becoming an Altar Server, hoping that would bring me closer to God – which don't get me wrong, it did. But my heart had other plans. I tried to approach her one day, but just then, I saw her hugging my best friend; the Man that became her husband today.
Ang saklap diba? D na nga naging sayo, napunta pa sa best friend mo.
Pero that's not the end of it. It hasn't even begun.
She left to go to the States just a few days after I first saw her. Of course, my best friend was bummed out, but so was I.
A few months after that, one of her friends, also my cousin – suggested that I interact with her.
I didn't know how I felt about this, but I did so anyway. Little did I know – this was going to be the best yet most painful interactions in my life.
We talked 24/7, 7 days a week. Every minute felt like seconds, time flew like the doves released from this ceremony. I thought she was the one. A day out of the blue, biglang we stopped talking. I came back from doing my chores, just to see her matching profile pictures with someone else. But that's a story saved for later.
In my fifteen year old, dazed and confused mind; my only thought was to step back, and stop talking to her. That was probably that stupidest decision I had ever made. I was the smartest in all of my classes and yet, I lacked common sense. I few days had past, and I was still confused. I couldn't let go of the fact that I let a good thing die – just like that.
I turned to God, hoping he had answers to my questions. And he did. That's when I knew that she was the only one keeping me from what I wanted, other than her. Maybe God did send her to me to fill the longing I had, and she did – for a while.
I'm still grateful for the moments we shared, but maybe he had other plans for us."
--- He was; Carlo.
Carlo was this amazing guy, that I thought would have been the one with me in this wedding ceremony – well he is, but not in the way I would have wanted him to be.
Ika-kasal, hindi mag ka-kasal.
"But everything aside, I would like to say sorry. I hope you find happiness in starting this new chapter of your life – with no other than my best friend. Maybe we can start ours in the next lifetimes to come."
"I'll be sure to remember your name, isay"
