Without Her (Edited/TagLish)

Final Chapter

It's now December 31 and in just a couple of hours to go and it's already year 2015.

Nandito pa rin kami sa Benguet kasama ang mga kamag-anak ni Emmy. Let me tell you a funny story when we arrived here last December 23.

It's Mark, Emmy's cousin, who first saw us and he was shocked to see that Emmy is with me.

"Oh my god, Emmy! Why you didn't tell us that you're with your boyfriend?!" Emmy didn't have the chance to explain that time because Mark ran away while shouting...

"Emmy is here with her first ever boy friend! Hooooraaayyyy!" Natawa na lang ako no'n pero si Emmy ay inis na inis sa pinsan niya.

Nang pumasok kami sa bahay ng Tita niya, lahat ng pinsan niya ay halatang sobrang saya na makita si Emmy. I guess, they really missed Emmy so much since it has been four years when the last time that she visited here.

"Hey, aren't you going to introduce your boy friend?" one of her cousins asked. Pinipigilan ko na lang ang matawa dahil naiinis na naman si Emmy.

"Oh come on, shut up! He's not my boy friend! Chris, meet my crazy cousins. This is Kuya Mark with his girl friend, Lyn. This is Jannette with her boyfriend, Troy. And this is Ella. Oh wait, where's Edel?" Emmy asked Ella.

"He's buying something for our Christmas party tomorrow," Ella answered. Nakatingin lang silang lahat sa akin kaya naman ngumiti ako sa kanila and greeted all of them.

"I thought, he's your boy friend, Ate," said by the little girl beside Emmy.

"Chloe Jasmine, you are too young to talk about that. Okay?" Emmy said. Mukhang lahat yata sa pamilya nina Emmy ay magaling mag-english. So that was the happening on the first day that we're here. Emmy's cousins kept on teasing us. But after that, we decided to set aside all those things.

We had our Christmas party on December 24. Emmy gave me a keychain with my name. I gave her a pair of pink flat shoes because her favorite color is pink.

Yesterday, we had tried the Strawberry picking experience in La Trinidad and it was so fun! Emmy kept on eating the strawberries that she had picked and she used to say, "Sooooo sweeetttt!"

"Hey, guys. Come here." Tinawag kami ni Ella kaya naman sabay kaming lahat na pumunta sa sala. Naka-abang kasi kaming lahat sa Veranda para sa fireworks display mamaya. Nasa iisang sofa lang kami nina Emmy habang magkatabi naman sa kabilang sofa sina Ella at Edel.

"What now, Ella? May sasabihin ka ba?" Emmy asked. Janette is already eating the macaroni salad made by Emmy. Chloe Jasmine is so busy with her chocolates.

"I have an announcement to make." Mark started to smile. Maybe he already has a clue to what Ella is about to say.

"What is it?" Jannette asked while still eating.

"Well," Ella raised her left hand and we noticed a silver ring in her ring finger.

"Edel just proposed to me. I am getting married." Bigla na lang napatayo si Emmy at talagang hindi na niya napigilan ang sumigaw.

"Oh my god! You're getting married! I am sooo happy for you!" I am just smiling while looking at them hugging each other. No'ng tapos na silang tumalon at magsigawan ay nagsalita ulit si Ella.

"And that will make each of you here to be part of my bridal entourage. Get it?"

"Of course!" Jannette exclaimed and then Ella looked at me. Akala ko kung ano ang sasabihin niya pero ngumiti ako when she said,

"I hope that you won't reject my invitation to make you as one of the groomsmen, Chris." Siyempre, pumayag na ako. This will be the first wedding that I'll attend to at alam kong magiging masaya 'yon dahil kasama naman doon si Emmy.