Marrying Mr. Stranger

Chapter 8

I want to work on our marriage...

I tried to keep myself busy for the rest of the day ngunit paulit-ulit na lang ang mga katagang ito sa isip ko. 

Why the heck would Anton want to make our marriage more than what we intended it to be? I'm pretty sure he's up for another plan.

Natigil lamang ang pag-iisip ko ukol sa mga sinabi ni Anton nang sa wakas ay nabuksan ko rin ang aking lumang email address. May gusto sana kasi akong i-retrieve na files na in-upload ko noon sa account na ito bago ako makipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa. Yun yung mga panahong pinaplano ko pa lang ang Damarah Cosmetics dahil inisip ko sa simula pa lang na magtatrabaho lamang ako sa abroad para makakuha ng experience at idea sa itatayo kong negosyo pag-uwi.

Scroll down... scroll up...

Patuloy lang ako sa pag check ng files hanggang sa nakita ko nga ang hinahanap. Dinownload ko yun at isi-nave sa aking computer files.

Di agad ako nag log-out. Napansin kong may iilan pala akong natanggap na emails na di ko pa nabuksan. Madaming emails ang galing sa ads ngunit napatitig ako sa isang email. Binuksan ko iyon at binasa ang mensahe.

Dear Damarah,

I am very sorry for not being able to meet you at the airport. My flight from Toronto to Manila got delayed. I went to the departure area of NAIA to see if I could catch you but you weren't there. Nakalipad na ang eroplano mo paalis ng bansa. Please keep in touch. I will find you soon.

Sincerely,

Third

Of course, it's Third! I remember him!

I was having a hard time finishing my thesis in my final year in college when I joined forums online related to my research para magpatulong or kundi man ay upang may mapagsabihan ng aking pinagdadaanan sa thesis ko.

There, I met Third.

He's very knowledgeable sa topic ng thesis ko based on his replies sa queries ko roon kaya I asked if we can discuss it through email. Doon nagsimula ang aming pagkakaibigan online. Matiyaga niya akong tinulungan hanggang sa natapos ang aking thesis at naka-graduate.

We only contacted each other through emails. Di naman talaga madalas. Often, it's just three to four exchanges of emails per day. Naputol lamang ang communication namin nung napunta na ako sa abroad para mag trabaho at hindi ko na mabuksan ang email. I tried to reset the password ngunit di ako makatanggap ng verification code sa naka link na phone number dahil di yon gumagana sa labas ng Pinas.

Hanggang sa nakalimutan ko na rin iyon.

I read his other emails at unti-unting bumabalik sa aking alaala ang mga nangyari ng panahong iyon.

- Congratulations for being able to finish and defend your thesis! Sure na ba ang graduation? And when is it? -Third

- Thanks! Tapos na ang finals namin at thankfully, nakapasa! Our graduation will be in two weeks. Thank God matatapos na talaga ang lahat. And of course, thank you for helping me with my thesis. Your inputs were really great. - Damarah

- You're always welcome, Damarah. Also, I'll be coming back to the Philippines next month. Can we meet? -Third

- Of course! I'll be thrilled to meet you. I'd like to thank you personally too. - Damarah

- I'd love to meet you too. Sayang nga lang kasi di na ako makakaabot sa graduation mo. -Third

- It's okay. Will you be here for good na? - Damarah

- I think so. I'll be meeting the woman my parents arranged me to marry. And maybe after some time, we'll get married. :( -Third

- Uso pa ba ang arrange marriage sa panahon ngayon? That's so old school, man, and unfair. - Damarah

- I know, right? It frustrates me! Isn't marriage supposed to be between two people in love? - Third

- Yeah... Love is usually the reason people get married. Too bad you don't have much of a choice. I guess that's the bad side of having wealthy parents, huh? - Damarah

- It really sucks! What about you, do you like to get married someday to the one you love too? - Third

- Me? Getting married? For love? Over my dead body! Never! I want my peace forever. Love and marriage just ruin everything! - Damarah

- Why? What people did to you for you to hate love and marriage? -Third

- Trust me, you don't want to know. - Damarah

- If you don't mind, tell me. - Third

- Let's just say love made my mom miserable. And I don't want it to happen to me either. My life right now is just as miserable at ayoko nang dagdagan pa. So Love? Nope. Marriage? Never! - Damarah

- What if you meet someone and fall in love with that person, will you consider it? - Third

- No one's an exception, Third. I'd rather live alone and die in peace, than take a risk in love. - Damarah

- I wish I'm there with you. - Third

- Hey! Are you implying that I'm lonely? Yes, I'm alone but not lonely! - Damarah

- I didn't say that! I just want to be with you, that's all! We're friends, right? - Third

- Right! So see you in a month, then? - Damarah

- Yeah, looking forward to it. - Third

Indeed, Third was a good friend. He was very helpful, kind, had a sense of humor and was smart. We may never have met each other personally but I genuinely considered him as a friend. I remember I was really excited that we would be meeting finally.

Ngunit hindi nangyari yun...