Maxine Valdez
Pagkaalis ni Nate, a year after, I graduated. Naayos naman nina Tita yung papers kaya nakuha ang medals, trophies, and certificates niya. High school graduation, I was the valedictorian. Thought that year was a tough one. Naga-adjust pa 'ko na walang Nate sa paligid. But of course, at least my friends are there.
After high school life, college life has been easy for me. I took dentistry in a university specialized for that course. Okay naman kasi yun talaga ang gusto ko, while Nate took engineering pero nag-shift siya sa business management kasi nandon nga naman siya para i-train to hold their company and to start a company himself.
Naging masaya ang college ko. Madami akong new friends, pero iniwasan ko na ang groups. Dagdag pa sa obligations ko 'yun if ever. Kasi syempre, you're a part of a group. Obligasyon mong sumama kung may pupuntahan sila. At sa tingin ko, hindi mo muna kailangan nun. Hindi din naman mawawala ang suitors. Ang cute cute kasi ang gaganda ng mga ngipin nila! Nah, just kidding. Pero wala akong in-entertain. I have a boyfriend that time! Pero hindi rin nagtagal 'yon.
Nagkahiwalay hiwalay kami nina Scott, Glenn, Rai, Belle, at Aine nung mag-college. Kasi syempre, iba't ibang courses. Pero hindi nawala ang group hang outs namin. Those guys are the best. They're real.
Nung first five months ni Nate doon sa France, it was fine. By fine I mean, everything was smooth. Medyo mahirap kasi, six hours ang time difference. He's going to call me after his classes, gabing gabi na naman dito. Kapag lunch nila, nakakapag-usap din kami kasi kakatapos lang ng classes ko non. 'Yung next months, we became busy. Ang pag-uusap namin, thrice a week na lang. I thought that was the worst pero hindi pala. Yung thrice a week, naging thrice a month. And since pagod kami from classes, two to four hours na lang kami nakakapag-usap.
Iyong first and second anniversaries namin, nacelebrate namin ng maayos kahit magkalayo. Hindi pa kami masyadon busy noon eh. We spent both days ditching classes to converse and catch up.
On our third anniversary, I was second year college. He was in his first year in business management. Tandang tanga ko noon, kahit gabing gabi na 'kong nakauwi, pinilit ko pa ring mag-online para ma-contact ko siya. But not everything turned out well. In fact, nothing turned out well.
Pagdating ko sa condo unit ko, umupo agad ako sa kama ko at sinet-up ang mga materials. 'Yung mga helium ballons, binitawan ko na, yung mga cut papers ikinalat ko na, yung laptop inayos ko na. May chocolate mousse at ice cream pa na galing sa favorite naming café. Yay, I'm so excited!
When I saw his name, he wasn't online. What? Intayin ko na lang siguro. I've waited.
Thirty minutes. Tunaw na iyong ice cream at mousse.
Three hours. Bumagsak na iyong ibang balloons.
Five hours. Nakatulog ako, pero pag-gising ko, he still was never online.
Eight hours. Nakapag-aral na ako para sa examination.
Eight fucking hours and damn he's still not online! Umaasa na naman ba ako? Hindi kasi ito ang unang pagkakataon na nakalimot siya ng special occasion. He also forgot my birthday this year.
At last he did. 6 AM here in our country and 12 AM in theirs. Our day officially ended. Here and there.
He called so I accepted that one.
"Good morning, Queen." He even smiled.
Naiinis ako! Tangina, naiinis ako! Oo, nakakalimot din naman ako. Pero anniversary 'to. This is so much more than just monthly celebrations which I sometimes forget. I can't give him my smile. Tinaasan ko pa siya ng kilay. "Wow, nag-online ka pa."
BINABASA MO ANG
The Brainy Rebel
Roman d'amour"I do what I want, because everything that I want is right. Always right."
