Oneshot

Her paintings

"Wow, ang galing mo talagang mag paint" pag-puri ko sa kanya habang hanga na hanga sa ginagawa niyang painting. Makikita mo na talaga sa mata niyang kumukutitap na hilig at gusto niya ang pag-pipinta.

"Salamat" sagot niya at saka ngumiti sakin at bumalik na sa pagpipinta niya, "Ang gwapo niya no?" sabi nito habang nag-dadagdag ng details sa pinipinta niya "He looks so innocent. To the point that if you look at him, the first thought that will come to your mind is to protect him at all costs." she said again as she smiled brightly.

She always wear that smile whenever she paints him.

Siya ulit? Siya na naman? Bakit palagi nalang siya? Bakit siya parin?"

"Pano ako?" that's the only thoughts coming out of my mind whenever I see her painting him. All over and over again.

"You might be wondering who is he, hm?" sabi niya na ikina-pula ng tenga ko, hala masyado bang halata?

"Ah... oo, masyado bang halata haha, sorry" sagot ko sabay napakamot sa batok. "Gusto ko din sana itanong kaso baka sabihin mo masyado akong nangengelam" nahihiyang sagot ko. "Liam, right?" she asked, I nodded. "You've been with me since day one, so ba't ka pa nahihiya?" sabi niya sabay tawa ng mahina, ang ganda niya.

"Ih, basta" sagot ko at sumandal sa tabing pader ng kinakaupuan ko, nasa garden kami ngayon. "Kenneth. He's name is kenneth, my beloved fiance." sagot niya sabay higop sa tsaa niya. "I love him, so much." dagdag niya na ikinawala ng ngiti ko. Masakit.

"Gusto mo ba malaman pano kami nagkakilala?"

Ayoko na, hindi ko na kaya. Please, not again janice. Sobrang sakit na.

"We met at the luneta park, nagbabike ako non kasi nagrenta ako ng bike don para mag-ikot ikot. And guess what? He's actually a tourist na nag-punta sa luneta para lang makita yung dancing fountain, weird right? Imbis na yung structure ni Jose Rizal tingnan niya, yung dancing fountain pa talaga. Paliko ako non nung nabangga ko siya, nagvlovlog siya during that time"

Panimula niya, wala naman akong sinabing ikwento mo, pero bakit mo pa din tinuloy?

"Nabasag ko phone niya, kasi sa bukod na nabangga ko siya. Tumilapon din phone niya, so tragic aren't it? I managed to buy him a new one na same sa phone niya. Afford ko naman kasi, but the fact na ako pumilit sa kanya na ako bibili ng bago niyang phone kasi ayaw niya at nakakahiya daw kasi siya may kasalanan dahil di siya nakatingin at nagpapy attention sa surrounding niya. He's... so pure. He actually look so worried while we're buying his new phone, he look so cute back there, maybe that's the reason why I liked him. You know, I like cute and weird things at the same time."

I know.

"After the incident, we become friends. We have a lot of things in common, we both like cats, we both like reading books, watching any kind of movies. We both like to stay at home and watch movie instead of going out. But we love travelling at the same time."

Tama na

"He doesn't know that I like him all those times. The only thing he knows is that I like being friends with him."

"I confessed  that I like him while I'm drunk. Well... the next day was very unexpected, because he literally came to my condo to personally talk with me about that matter. He also confessed."

My heart sank. Even though I already heard this story hundreds of times now. Parang dinudurog parin yung puso ko.

"He asked  if he can court me, I told him he doesn't need to since we like each other anyways. But he insisted. He's the standard."

I clenched both my teeth and my fist, fighting the urge to cry. I can't cry right now. Never.

"I enjoyed his way of courting me, so it lasted for 2 months. He seems like that he enjoyed it either." she smiled again giggling "Our love is... unbreakable. I can say that because it really was. My dad arranged my marriage with his business partner's only son, since I'm also his only daughter, they arranged our marriage. But the fact that his business partner's son is gay... I'm so blessed. So... we really ended up together, it feels like destiny is telling us that we are really meant for each other."

"Is... that so?" I replied as I bitterly smiled, I can say she's telling the truth.

"After 5 years of our marriage, nabuntis ako sa panganay namin. We're so happy"

She said, right... hindi lang siya yung pinipinta niya. Minsan may kasama tong baby na buhat-buhat niya.

"He proposed to me right away after knowing na buntis ako. Biglaan yon, wala pa ngang singsing e. Kaya gumawa nalang siya ng paper ring" sabi niya, tumingin siya sakin at pinakita yung paper ring sa ring finger niya, sabay ngiti. 

I know that too. But... it still hurts. How can you only think about him? Pano ako?

"We happily planned our wedding, lahat planado na. It took us almost 4 months to prepare. Gusto kasi ni dad magrande, dad evantually liked kenneth. Parehas kasi silang business minded tapos nagcollab pa sila sa isang business. I'm so happy witnessing dad and kenneth being so close. Dati kasi ayaw talaga sakanya ni dad."

I carefully listened to her, even tho it hurts. And even tho I know it already.

"5 days before our wedding... he died."

I expected this, but I'm still surprised.

"I... also lost our child."

I'm...still totally speechless, her expression always changing after talking about her love one's death.

"I... I'm sorry.." I said and looked at her, her tears coming out of her eyes as she wipe it off but it keeps flowing. I handed her my handkerchief at kinuha niya naman ito at pinunas sa mga luha niya. 

I can't handle witnessing her cry, all over and over again, day by day because of it. 

"Salamat" she says as someone walked in

"Sir, the patient needs to take her medicines now" the nurse says, "Yes, sure." I replied.

I watched the nurse give her medication as she left us alone again. 

"See you again tomorrow I guess?" I said to her as I caressed her hair "Oh? Liam? Anong ginagawa mo dito? Did you came here to visit me again?" she replied happily as she stood up and hugged me. Ah, she remembers me now.

"Yes, but you seem to be too busy to your painting to the point you didn't feel my presence" I replied "Aww, I'm sorry. You know i do this for work right? Hehe did you liked it?" she asked, I smiled and nodded. "Yes, very much."

She finally remembered me again, her husband.

The only time and the only chance I have for her to remember me is for her to take her medications. She doesn't remember me at all, unless she takes her medicines.    

Masakit pero kakayanin ko para sa pinaka minamahal kong asawa kahit alam ko, alam kong hinding hindi ko matutumbasan yung pagmamahal niya kay kenneth. Palagi, araw-araw, minu-minuto, segu-segundo ko siyang mamahalin, kahit saang lupalop kami mapunta. SIya at siya parin.

"She might forget me, she might forget our memories, she might forget who am I to her life, she might forget how we loved each other. But I will never. I will never forget how I love her, who she is to my life, and how special and precious she is to me."

-wormie. 8/28/23.