Nevertheless | ✓

98:

98. SEVEN YEARS AFTER

Ilang beses akong bumuntong hininga sa sobrang kaba habang nakatitig sa malalamig niyang mga mata. Pilit kong pinapakalma ang sarili dahil tila lalabas na ang puso ko sa mabilis nitong pagtibok.

"Celestine, do you take Seviro to be your lawfully wedded husband, promising to love and cherish, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?" Saad ng pari habang mataman akong nakatitig kay Seviro na ngayon ay bakas na sa mga mata ang saya. Humigpit ang hawak niya sa kamay ko habang hinihintay ang sagot.

“I do,” sinsero kong saad dahilan para tumulo ang mga luha niyang mabilis ko namang pinunasan.

I can see how happy he is while staring at me. After seven years of being together, his love never ends. Hindi niya pinakitang nagsasawa siya sa ugali ko, hindi niya pinaramdam sa aking unti-unting nawawala ang nararamdaman niya dahil habang tumatagal ay mas lalo pa niyang pinararamdaman sa akin kung gaano siya kasaya kapag kasama ako. Hindi siya nabigong ipakita kung gaano niya ako kamahal.

Hindi ko man aminin, talagang mahal na mahal ko na rin ang lalaking ‘to.

I can’t seem to leave this man anymore.

Never again.

“Seviro, do you take Celestine to be your lawfully wedded wife, promising to love and cherish, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?"

“I do,” mabilis niyang saad na ikinangiti ko.

“Celestine, do you take Seviro to be your partner in life and to share a path of life with; equal in love, embraced as a mirror for your true self, promising to honor and cherish him, through good times and bad, until death do you part?"

“I do.”

“Seviro, do you take Celestine to be your partner in life and to share a path of life with; equal in love, embraced as a mirror for your true self, promising to honor and cherish her, through good times and bad, until death do you part?"

“I do.”

“Do you Celestine, take Seviro to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until deáth do you part?"

Tumulo ang mga luha ko sa sayang nararamdaman habang nakatingin sa kaniya bago sumagot, “I do.”

“Do you Seviro, take Celestine to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until deáth do you part?"

“Even deáth can’t do us apart,” seryosong aniya kaya nagtawanan ang lahat ng narito. Alam kong biro niya lang iyon para mabawasan ang kabang nararamdaman niya ngayon dahil bakas ang panginginig ng mga kamay niya habang hawak ko siya. Maging ako ay natawa.

“I do.”

“Do you, Celestine-“

“Can we fast forward to the kíssing scene?” Putol ni Seviro sa Pari kaya mahina ko itong hinámpas. Muling nagtawanan ang tao pero seryoso lang ang mukha nito.

Tumikhim ang pari bago muling magsalita, “Do you Celestine, choose Seviro to be your partner in life, to support and respect him in his successes and as well his failures, to care for him in síckness and in health, to nurture him, and to grow with him throughout the seasons of your life together?"

“I do.”

Huminga nang malalim ang pari bago tumingin kay Sevi dahil tila inaasahan nanaman nitong sisingit nanaman ito sa sasabihin niya, “Do you Seviro-“

“I do choose Celestine to be my partner in life, to support and respect her in her successes and as well her failures, to care for her in síckness and in health, to nurture her, and to grow with her throughout the seasons of my life together,” pagtatapos niya sa sinasabi ng pari.

“Ikaw na lang kaya ang magpari sa kasal niyo,” sarkastikong saad ng pari kaya bumalot ng katatawanan ang buong simbahan.

Maraming tao ang dumalo katulad noon kaya halos mapuno na ang simbahan. Puno rin ng midya ang labas kaya kalat na kalat ang kasal namin ni Seviro.

“Sorry, I’m just nervous,” tumikhim si Sevi, “Anyway, move on.”

“Sigurado ka?” Paninigurado ng pari kaya tumango ito. Sinenyasan ko rin si Sevi na manahimik na para matapos na agad ang kasal dahil masiyado ring mabigat ang gown na suot ko.

Sumenyas ang pari sa ring bearer na agad namang lumapit. Dinasalan niya ang mga singsing bago ipagpatuloy ang seremonya ng kasal.

Nanginginig na kinuha ni Sevi ang singsing at ang kamay ko habang sinserong nakatitig sa akin.

“I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness,” unti-unti niyang ikinabit ang singsing sa akin, “As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day. This ring is a token of my love. I marry you with this ring, with all that I have and all that I am,” napangiti ako nang tuluyan itong masuot sa akin. Siya ang pumili nito dahil gusto kong sa kaniya mismo ang pumili ng singsing para sa kasal namin.

Kinuha ko rin ang singsing at ang kamay niya bago magsalita, “Seviro, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always that you are surrounded by my enduring love,” natawa ako nang muli siyang maluha dahil tila siya pa ang babae sa aming dalawa. “With my body, I thee worship. With my heart, I thee cherish. Would all that I am, I give unto you. Would all that I have, I share with you. From this day until forever done. With this ring, I thee wed.”

He kissed the back of my hand as I finished saying my line, “I love you,” he mouthed sincerely and I smiled in response.

"And now, by the power vested in me, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife…” the Priest smiled at me then Sevi, “Seviro, you may kiss your bride."

Unti-unting itinaas ni Sevi ang belo ko at mataman muna akong tinitigan bago nito inilapit ang mukha. Napapikit ako nang maramdaman ang malalim niyang paghinga pero hindi pa man tuluyang nagdadampi ang mga labi namin ay natigilan kami sa biglaang sumigaw.

“Stop the wedding! Sevi is only mine!”

Nabalot ng kaniyang maliit na boses ang buong simbahan.

“He’s mine!” Ilang beses itong pumadyak habang nakakuyom ang kamao at masamang nakatingin sa amin ang asul niyang mata. Tila bagong gising lamang ang isang ‘to at naalimpungatan.

“I’m the only one who has the right to marry my dad!” Muling sigaw ng tatlong taong gulang naming anak.