Forever with You (Under Editing And Revision)

Chapter 11: Five Years Later

James' Point of View

IT HAD almost been five years since that terrible tragedy happened. And no matter how hard it was for Stephanie to keep on going, she never gave up. She lived how her mother wanted her to.

I stayed by her side.

I saw how she struggled to accept the truth and move on. Maraming luha rin ang kinailangan niyang ilabas upang mawala ang sakit na nararamdaman niya. Actually, I was not sure if she was totally okay now. Ang alam ko lang, mas okay na siya ngayon kaysa noon. Hindi na siya umiiyak kumpara noon, at bumalik na ang kanyang matatamis at napakagandang mga ngiti.

At dahil mas napalapit kami sa isa't isa, mas lumalim ang relasyon naming dalawa. We weren't in a relationship, okay? Our friendship just leveled up! Because now, we were best friends!

Masaya talaga ako at nangyari ito. Ang feeling na magkaroon ka ng best friend (na katulad niya) ay ang best feeling na naramdaman ko. Pakiramdam ko nga, mas masaya pa ako kaysa sa lalaking sinagot ng "oo" ng kanyang girlfriend matapos niya itong yayaing magpakasal.

"James? Wake up."

Napakahimbing ng tulog ko ngayon dahil nagpuyat ako kagabi. Katulad ng madalas kong gawin, ginamit ko na naman buong gabi ang aking cellphone. Tuwing gabi kasi, sobrang lakas ng signal kaya nasisiyahan ako sa pagsi-cellphone. Siguro nga, maaari na akong tawaging adik. Could you blame me? It was addicting, really.

"Hey, James, wake up." She walked to my bed, and even though I heard her footsteps, it didn't wake me. "Ang himbing ng tulog mo, ah."

Then there was silence. Someone was staring at me, I felt it. But still, it didn't wake me.

"Ang gwapo mo talaga. You look like an anime character, lalo't ganyan 'yang buhok mo. I really love your hair." She touched my hair. "What am I doing? Stephanie, stop! You and him are best friends!"

Tumagilid ako. Of course, I was still asleep when I did it.

"Hindi pa rin siya nagigising, huh? I'm sure nagpuyat ito kagabi. Hey, James! Gising na!" Inalog-alog niya ang aking katawan.

Dahil hindi siya tumigil, nagising tuloy ako. I didn't open my eyes. "Hmm... Stop, natutulog pa ako."

"Gumising ka na! Talagang sinusulit mo ang bakasyon, ha? Mabuti na lang at dumating ako ngayon. I'll make sure na hindi ka na makapagpupuyat ulit."

I slowly opened my eyes. Itinigil na niya ang pag-alog sa 'kin. "Stephanie? Why didn't you tell me that you'd come here?" Naupo ako. "And why did you wake me? Anong time na ba?"

Dumating na naman siya. Siguradong hindi ito magiging ganoon kasaya.

Well, I was glad she was here today. But there was part of me that wasn't. Kakailanganin ko na naman kasing sundin ang mga gusto niya gaya ng pagkain ng mga gulay, pagtulong sa mga gawaing bahay tulad ng paghuhugas ng mga pinggan at paglalaba, pagbabasa, pag-iwas sa pagbababad sa cellphone, pagtulog nang sobrang aga, at "marami" pang iba.

"Lagpas 5:30 pa lang." Mas nagsalubong ang aking mga kilay. "Inagahan ko talaga ang pagpunta rito dahil kailangan kitang gisingin. Tumayo ka na at magdya-jogging tayo."

"What? Pumunta ka rito nang ganito kaaga para gisingin ako at yayaing mag-jogging? Nandito ka lang yata para pahirapan na naman ako? Do you really like me?"

Her face became serious. "James, I like you so much. And I'm not doing this para pahirapan ka. I'm helping you. Gusto mo bang sabihin nina tito't tita na immature ka pa rin hanggang ngayon?"

"E di immature kung immature na. Ganito na ako mula pa noon at hindi na yata ito magbabago pa." I sounded like a kid. "Basta! Dito lang ako, at hindi ako magdya-jogging. If you want to exercise, then do it. Huwag mo na akong isali."