"Does it fit?"
"Yes."
"Did I turn now into a handsome prince?"
"Yes."
And then he smiled at her.
That enchanting smile that captivates her fully.
Right there and then, Sam fell in love with the beast.
But how does she knew it is love eh hindi pa naman niya nararanasan yon?
From her parents. The perfect example of true love.
And from the movies she saw.
And from the books she read.
Plus, and its a MAJOR MAJOR plus, gustong lumundag ng puso niya papalabas ng dibdib niya. Ang lakas lang nang tibok, parang nabibingi na yata siya.
Kaya nga siya naging hopeless romantic.
But idealistic.
And realistic.
But these traits of her were easily swiped away with just one look from this man in front of her.
Modesty aside, maganda siya. Lots of people tell her her beauty is something indescribable. Hindi nga siya maniwala when they say words were not enough to describe her. Naman, saan ka pa?! Her beauty is beyond description daw, sabi nang karamihan sa manliligaw. And modesty aside, again, mahaba ang pila ng mga manliligaw niya sa lugar nila.
Pero wala ni isa man siyang nagustuhan sa mga ito. Hindi tumibok ang puso niya, ika nga. Maski kay Colin, na sobrang guwapo at mabait, deadma ang puso niya.
Pero dito sa kaharap niya, isang titig pa lang, bam bam bam bam! Nagririgodon ang puso niya at nagkaliko-liko ang daloy ng dugo niya.
Kanina lang nung hindi pa niya nakikitang mabuti ang lalaki, si Adam/Beast ito sa paningin niya. Nasinagan lang ng konting liwanag ang mukha nito, nag-iba na timpla nang puso niya. Paano pa kaya kung makikita niya nito sa liwanag ng araw? Parang gugustuhin niya yatang sumama dito kahit saan kapag niyaya siya.
Pero ang malas naman niya, dito pa tumibok ang puso niya. Sa hindi niya kilala at palaging pinagagalitan siya. Pero in fairness, bumait ang mukha sa kanya nung makita siya. Ano yun, nakuha din ng indescribable beauty niya?
"How do I fare, so far, princess? Will I pass as your knight in shining armour?" biro ng lalake nang mahuli siyang nakatingin pa rin dito.
"You will do, knight. You will do." she immediately replied.
Hindi dapat mahalata ng lalake na tuluyan na itong naging "prinsipe" ng buhay niya.
She doesn't know him yet, not even his name. Malay ba niya kung "prinsipe" lang ito sa gabi, pero "kapre" pala sa umaga? And she has to hold herself, too. Even if it's the first time her heart thumped like it was jumping for joy, dapat rendahan nang utak niya ang puso niya. She has nobody to depend unto sa mga ganitong sitwasyon kundi sarili niya.
"Focus, Sam, focus," saway niya sa sarili.
She better grip herself properly. She may believe in fairy tales, but she clearly knows what's real and what's not. And this, being with him, is not real. He can only be her prince for the night.
Kung gaano kabilis ang puso niyang nain-love kay "Prince Adam", ganun din kabilis ang utak niyang kontrahin ang puso niya. And as usual, nanalo ang utak niya.
"I have to go. Baka hinahanap na ako sa loob," pagdadahilan niya.
He hesitantly let go of her hand.
"Are you part of the party inside?"
"Ahm, no. But, do you really have to go inside? Can't we stay here for a while and know more about each other? I haven't introduced myself to you yet, and I didn't know your name as well."
"Tempting, but no."
"And why is that? You're not interested to know me? It's enough that I'm The Beast in your own fairy tale? You do not want to know the "real prince"?"
She's tempted to say yes.
"No."
Dahil wala rin namang saysay kung makikilala niya ang lalake. Andito lang siya sa Singapore for the party. After that, back to Philippines na siya. Back to real life si Cinderella. And unlike the story, there's no way the prince will search for her.
Just then, they heard a piano music coming from inside the hotel. And parang coincidence, the music was from that movie she was talking about earlier.
"Aha! Perfect timing!" he said and iniabot ang kamay sa kanya. "May I have this dance, my princess?"
Nag-aatubili siya kung tatanggapin niya ang imbitasyon ng lalake.
"C'mon. As a last gesture from "Prince Adam", pagbigyan mo na ako. You won't tell me your name, you don't want to know my real name, at least let's have this dance before we part ways."
Sam hesitantly accepted his hands.
He pulled her to him and they started dancing under the moonlight.
As their bodies sway with the music, hindi niya mapigilang kumanta. Again, to soothe her nerves that were wrecking inside.
"Tale as old as time...True as it can be...Barely even friends...Then somebody bends...Unexpectedly...Just a little change...Small, to say the least...Both a little scared...Neither one prepared...Beauty and the Beast..."
"Talagang panininindigan mong ako si Beast, ah. Am I really that bad?"
"Talaga bang zero knowledge ka about Disney movies? Or any movie at all?"
"Anything with happy ending," he honestly said, looking intently at her.
"Why didn't you like happy ending?"
"Because there's no such thing as happy ending. It's only an illusion."
Tama pala decision niya. She believes in the happy ever after whilst he does not.
"Kaya pala."
"Kaya pala ano?"
"Kaya pala ganyan ang facial features mo."
"And that means?"
"Parang hindi nababahiran ng ngiti ang mga labi mo. Why, are they too expensive in your world you can't afford to smile even for once a day? Or you did not know there is an expression called "smiling"?"
"I don't know what it means until I saw a beautiful princess who fell from a swing."
Nagulat siya sa tinuran nito. And he looked serious when he said those words.
But,
"I may be captivated by your dashing look, my prince, but that doesn't mean I'll be swayed by your sugar and honey-coated words."
"Ouch, that hurts!" hinawakan nito ang dibdib na kunwaring nasasaktan. "You're used to getting a lot of admirations, aren't you?"
Nagkibit-balikat lang siya. "Enough to believe what is true and what is not."
"And mine was on the "not" side"," he said matter-of-factly.
Nagkibit-balikat lang siya.
The music stopped and so is their dance.
"Thank you for giving me the chance to "know" you, my princess," he said and bowed his head.
"My pleasure, my prince," she curtsied.
"So, this is goodbye?"
"I guess so."
"For now, my princess, for now," he said and kissed her hand.
She left him standing there.
But she left him her heart.
She turned to look at him for the last time and waved her hand.
"Goodbye, my prince. But I will see you again. In my dreams."
