One month no update hahaha anyway, happy new year everyone. Happy reading!!
"Joerrelle Yshanna Martin. From Philippines!" Naghiyawan ang audience. Ini-anggulo pa ang camera sa mga Pilipinong nagwawala sa gilid habang iwinagayway ang watawat. It was Joy's international competition, I wasn't with her, watching from miles away.
"Kuya, mas kabado ka pa kay Ate." Komento ni Che sa tabi ko. Buong pamilya kasi kaming nanonood. May kasama pa kaming kapitbahay. Wala ako doon physically but I support her from afar. Alam niya naman 'yun. Nagtitiwala ako sa kakayahan niya pero hindi ko maiwasang makaramdam ng kaba. Nakita ko kung gaano siya naghirap. Ayaw ko lang na hindi magbunga 'yun.
"Nauuna na si Ate!" Sigaw ni Che habang inaalog ang braso ni mama. Tahimik lang ako sa tabi. Hindi ako mapapanatag hangga't hindi pa tapos. Ganoon na lang ang gulat ng lahat nang bigla siyang tumawid mula sa linya niya. Nawala ang focus ng lahat sa laro.
"Woah." Komento ni Kuya habang nakatitig sa screen. I smiled inwardly. That's my Joy you're seeing.
Naging talk of the country siya dahil doon. May usapan kami na magkita sa airport pero pagkarating ko roon, sandamakmak na reporters na ang naghihintay. I had left no choice but to make an adjustment for her. "It's not what you think. It just happened that I couldn't ride a public—" I hushed her explanations by pulling her in a tight hug. I want nothing but her presence.
"I missed you... my home." Bulong niya.
Days passed after that. Everything happens in a blur. We celebrated our anniversary. Masayang-masaya ako nang mga araw na 'yun kaya hindi na ako nagulat nang sumunod na araw ay nagkaroon kami ng away ni Joy. She's not contacting me for past days. I tried to, pero kung hindi ako block, baka naka-ignore ako sa kanya. My messages were not delivering.
"Dre, tara inom!" Yaya ng mga kaibigan ko ng araw na 'yun. Pero hindi na naman ako sumama. Hindi ko alam kung kailan ulit pwedeng lumabas ng training center si Joy kaya halos araw-araw ako sa school nila. That night, I was lucky enough because she was there, walking on the streets. She looked sad... nandoon lang ako sa kabilang side, watching her from afar. Hindi lang ako nakatiis nang ma-realize ko na nakatawid na ako ng kalsada ay hawak ko na ang bag niya. She angrily shouted at me and I was too mad that I shouted at her back. I was so sorry for what I did. Kahit galit siya sa akin, hindi niya deserve na masigawan pabalik.
"Why did you follow?" Inis na tanong niya matapos akong sumunod sa kanya sa loob ng bus papuntang Batangas. Priorities, that's what I told her. It was always my love over another. I love her so much that it overpowers another feeling, kahit pa inis o tampo.
"Hindi ka na galit?" Tanong niya sa akin. How can I be mad when she is this cute?
"Ang alam ko lang, mahal na mahal kita."
Nahirapan akong sumakay ng bus ng araw na 'yun pero kahit ganoon, masaya ako. Masaya akong nakita siya.
"Pau, it's me." Saad niya sa kabilang linya, araw ng debut niya. I was worried... I saw her passed out in a video uploaded on the internet. Hindi ko siya mapuntahan. I asked how is she but she ignored my questions. "Let's meet." She didn't give me chance to talk again.
"Joy!" Sigaw ko nang makita siya. She was supposedly staying in the hospital right now but she's here... because of me. She hugged me tight, afraid to let go.
"I'm afraid to break up."
I sighed and look at her, eye to eye. "Let's get married."
