Ikaw At Ako

Kabanata 5

Read up to Chapter 23 now on my Patreon creator page Rej Martinez or join my Patrons private Facebook Group if you find it hard to subscribe on my Patreon page. Just kindly message my Facebook account Rej Martinez to join my Facebook group for 150 PHP monthly membership and have early access to the chapters in my ongoing stories and read my exclusive stories there. Thank you for your support!

Kabanata 5

Simula noon ay nagsimula na rin kami ni Joaquin sa pagpaplano ng aming kasal. Tumulong din pareho sina Mama at Tita Christine. Ang dami pa nga nilang tinatanong sa akin lalo na ang Mama ng mga gusto ko raw para sa magiging kasal ko. But seriously I just wanted to get married to Joaquin.

Umuwi rin ng Negros ang Mama ni Joaquin. I was even in awe when I first saw and met my fiancé's beautiful and elegant mother. Her beauty was timeless. Bilib din talaga ako sa Senyor Stefano at ang gaganda rin ng mga babae sa buhay niya.

"Mama," Joaquin greeted his Mama with a smile and hugged her. He also kissed her cheek.

Awww. Joaquin's such a sweet son to his Mama. And then I even started imagining a little boy who looked exactly just like Joaquin who's also sweet to me. I smiled happily to myself. I thought it would be beautiful to have a son of our own with Joaquin.

"Hijo..." Joaquin's mama also kissed her only son's cheek.

Joaquin's her only child, too. At ang nakuwento sa akin ni Joaquin ay hindi na raw nakapag-asawa pa ang mama niya pagkatapos kay Senyor. Naisip kong sayang din pala sana sila ni Senyor pero okay din naman sila nina Tita Christine at ng kambal. At mabait din si Tita Christine. So I think deserve pa rin naman nila.

Pagkatapos ay halos mataranta pa ako nang tumingin na sa akin ang mama ni Joaquin. I stayed behind Joaquin while he greeted his mom. Kabado talaga ako sa totoo lang ngayong unang beses na makikilala ang mama ni Joaquin. I was never introduced to a parent of anyone I dated in the past. Hindi rin naman kasi talaga ganoon ka seryoso ang mga naging relationships ko noon... At hindi rin ako naging interesado na maipakilala o magpakilala sa magulang ng boyfriend ko noon... Ewan ko ba. Kaya bago pa para sa akin ito ngayong ipapakilala ako ni Joaquin sa mama niya.

Kay Senyor Stefano ay parang ayos lang dahil matagal ko na rin naman itong nakilala at close pa nina mama at papa. Pero ang mama ni Joaquin ay ngayon ko pa lang talaga makikilala at ito ang talagang nagpalaki at nakasama ni Joaquin sa ibang bansa.

Kaya naman kinabahan din talaga akong makilala ito...

Pero ang kaba ko ay parang nabawasan nang makita ko itong ngumiti naman sa akin. Taranta pa akong ngumiti rin pabalik dito. Shit. Baka na sobrahan pa ang pagkakangiti ko at nagmukhang plastic. OMG!

"H-Hello, po..." Shit. Shit! I bit my lip.

I heard Joaquin laughed a little. Hindi ko naman na siya matingnan dahil nakatingin na lang ako sa reaction ng mama niya. Pagkatapos ay naramdaman kong inakbayan niya ako. "Mama, this is my fiancée Angelica Ossorio. Babe, this is my mom, Susanna Alcaraz." He introduced.

"Good morning, po." I breathed quietly.

But she just smiled kindly to me. "Good morning, hija. It's really lovely to finally meet you!" She looked happy to know me naman.

I smiled happily, too. "Thank you, po! Err, I mean nice meeting din you po..." Hindi ko na maayos ang mga salita ko!

But nevertheless she just smiled to me.

Pagkatapos ay pumasok na rin kami sa malaking mansyon ng mga Aguirrezabal. It still amazed me how their family can keep and have a good relationship with each other despite. Nakita kong mukhang maayos naman ang pakikitungo nina Tita Christine at Tita Susanna sa isa't isa. Mabait din agad ang mama ni Joaquin kahit kay Stephanie na anak din ng Senyor sa ibang babae naman. Mukhang medyo magulo lang talaga ang pamilya nila... Pero mukhang okay naman. I just smiled after all.

I had a meal with Joaquin and his family together with his mom. Maayos at magaan lang naman ang aming pagtatagpo. Mabilis lang din akong naging komportable sa mama ni Joaquin dahil mabait lang din talaga ito. At mukhang hindi naman siya tutol sa pagpapakasal namin ni Joaquin, even a bit, unlike what I've had imagined. Those were just really my crazy thoughts.

"I like you for my son, hija." She told me this nang mapag-isa kami.

Senyor and Tita Christine got busy with their own things. And Joaquin checked on the thing that his papa was asking for him to look at and excused himself for a while. Kaya naiwan muna kami ng mama niya, and we had a chance to talk to each other with just us two.

Ngumiti ako. Halos hindi ko pa alam ang sasabihin pero... "Thank you po, Ma'am..." I said.

Umiling naman ito. "Oh, no. Just address me Tita Susanna, hija. There's no need to be too formal. And you can even start calling me Mama now." She smiled beautifully.

Napangiti rin ako lalo. "Thank you, po..."

I'm just really grateful that she likes me.

She smiled.

Pagkatapos ay nakabalik na rin si Joaquin at mabilis lang din siya. We spent more time with his mom. Nagtanong na rin ito tungkol sa kasal namin ni Joaquin. Until the next days she started helping us with the wedding planning, too.

Nakakatuwa lang. Kahit siguro kung titingnan ay parang ang bilis lang din ng mga pangyayari sa amin ni Joaquin... Pero ayos lang naman ang kinakalabasan ng lahat. And I'm just happy about it all. At tingin ko ay iyon lang naman ang mahalaga. There's no reason for me really to be too worried with anything. Especially with the future that no one knows what will really happen. So I'll just choose to enjoy what I have now. Thinking too much about the uncertainties of tomorrow might just ruin what's today.

That's just how I lived my life. As they always say that I'm the carefree Angelica Ossorio...

Days and months passed by quickly. Joaquin's mom stayed until our wedding day because she helped with the wedding preparations too. And then our wedding day finally came...

"Angelica, do you take Joaquin to be your husband? Do you promise to be faithful to him in good times and in bad, through sickness and in health, to love him and to honor him all the days of your life?"

"I do." I answered.

I was smiling as Joaquin and I were already exchanging vows.

Joaquin and I started exchanging our wedding rings.

"I, Stefano Joaquin Aguirrezabal, take you, Jannah Angelica Ossorio, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow."

Sinuot sa akin ni Joaquin ang singsing pagkatapos.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." The officiant smilingly pronounces.

Joaquin and I sealed our marriage with our first kiss as husband and wife. We're officially married!

Everyone inside the big church who witnessed the promises Joaquin and I just made in front of the Lord celebrated our union with their applauses and congratulations for us.

Joaquin and I showed our families and friends our rings. We were both smiling and just happy on this day.