I'll Hold On To You

Waltz

Let this be the moment that we will cherish and let it last in our hearts until eternity's or our destiny's end... -- Florence Joyce

xxxxxx

[Relaina]

Tumugtog na ang musika at doon na nag-umpisa ang sayaw. At nakita ko na lang ang sarili kong kumikilos nang kusa – na hindi inaalis ang tingin sa dance partner ko.

This could be one of the weirdest feelings for me... ever. Pero... heto na 'yon, eh. Nandito na 'to. Bahala na kung ano ang mangyayari pagkatapos nito.

[Now playing "When Love Finds You" by Vince Gill]

** Love sure is something no one can explain
It can bring you such joy, it can bring you pain
And with every emotion, love puts us through
There's nothing you can say, when love finds you**

As soon as it started playing, we let our bodies do the rest. We let ourselves move according to the beat of the music as we danced one of the most romantic dances of all time.

Pero sa bawat pagkilos na ginagawa ko, hindi ko alam kung bakit mas napagtutuunan ko pa ng pansin ang nararamdaman ko imbes na ang mga kilos ko – kung tama pa ba o nagkakamali na pala ako. Kaya lang, iyon nga. Wala sa mga kilos ko ang focus ko.

Ang lahat ng iyon, naroon na sa lalaking kasayaw ko at tinitingnan ko nang mga sandaling iyon.

** Love is the power that makes your heart beat
It can make you move mountains, make you drop to your knees
When it finally hits you, you won't know what to do
There's nothin' you can say, when love finds you**

It all felt surreal at the moment... just like in a fairytale-like ball. I would've laughed at myself. Pero hindi ko magawa.

All I wanted at the moment was to cherish the beautiful moment – that precious event. I knew it was getting really weird with those words coming from me. Pero iyon na ang konkretong deskripsyon na naisip ko, eh. And it was the truth.

The truth that I guessed I'd only keep there in my heart right after this.

Geez! What was going on with me? Bakit bigla akong nag-drama?

** Give it all you can give it, when your love comes around
If you put your heart in it, then it won't let you down
You'll find out it's true, baby, someday when love finds you**

We danced like there was no one around them. We danced like it was just us in our own little world together. Parang noong mga panahong naroon lang kami sa practice area kami, iyong kaming dalawa lang talaga na kumikilos sa saliw ng musika.

I could've vomited at those terms I used to describe it. But I couldn't find it in my heart to do so. Parang hindi kasi tama, eh.

**And when you least expect it, it will finally come true
There's nothing you can say when love finds you**

Wala talaga akong napapansin sa paligid ko. Basta ang atensyon ko, naroon lang sa sayaw at sa ka-partner kong si Brent. Hindi ko matukoy ang tunay nitong nararamdaman sa expression nito sa mga sandaling iyon. Somehow, it felt like he sealed off his emotions, just for that moment so that no one would ever knew what he was really thinking.

Ewan ko ba pero ganoon talaga ang nararamdaman ko. But that would be ridiculous, right? Why would he do something like sealing his emotions?

** Give it all you can give it, when your love comes around
If you put your heart in it, then it won't let you down
You'll find out it's true, baby, someday when love finds you**

Then again, I guessed I shouldn't care about those thoughts at that moment. What was important for me was that I could enjoy this one event. After all...

...this will be the last time...

It was the truth and I knew that. But why does it feel like the truth itself stung?

May karapatan ba akong maramdaman iyon? This was crazy! Totally insane!

**You'll find out it's true, baby, someday when love finds you...**

Isa sa rules ni Ma'am Castro, kailangang patapusin namin ang buong kanta sa routine na ginawa namin. And no cuts should be made to the song.

So our 'court trial', as I called it, finally ended after dancing a waltz for more than four minutes dahil iyon ang duration ng kanta. Pero pakiramdam ko talaga na parang katumbas ng mahigit apat na oras ang apat na minutong lumipas.

My reason for me to feel that? My heart was beating unusually fast na para bang sampung demonyo't kabayo ang humabol sa akin. Naramdaman ko lang nang husto iyon dahil sa huling step sa waltz na kailangang i-dip ng lalaki nang bahagya ang ka-partner nitong babae.

And that was exactly what Brent did to me before the music ended. I nearly forgot how to breathe as our eyes met.

Woah! Ano na ba 'tong nangyayari sa akin? Bakit parang lumalala pa yata ang lahat sa akin dahil dito?

Applause sa paligid ang narinig ko na nagpagising na rin sa para bang natutulog at cloudy kong isipan. Heck! Bakit ba nagiging ganito na ang pinag-iisip ko? Swiftly but gently, Brent lifted me up and helped me compose myself.

With a smile – albeit mine was something forced, we faced our audience and bowed. Pero sa totoo lang, ang sarap lang paghahambalusin ang mga kaklase kong iyon. Kung makangisi't makasipol, ang tindi. Para lang bang nakanood ang mga ito ng isang pelikula sa premiere night kung makapalakpak pa.

"Bagay na bagay na talaga kayong dalawa!"

Ano?

"Dagdagan pa ang sweet moments ninyo!"

Huwag na!

"Aiyee! Kinilig naman ako sa inyong dalawa!"

Eeww lang? Kinilig? Baka kinilabutan.

"Nakaka-in love naman kayo! Nainggit tuloy ako."

Bulag yata ang nagsabi n'on o may saltik lang talaga sa utak. At wala namang dapat ikainggit, 'no?

Sa anunsyo na rin ni Ma'am Castro, pinababa na kmai nito mula sa stage. Thank you talaga, Ma'am! Makakahinga na rin ako ng maluwang, sa wakas. Seriously, I felt so cramped.

'Cramped? Ang sabihin mo, malapit ka nang mag-hyperventilate. O baka naman lumala pa ang palpitations ng puso mo.'

None of the above! Tapos ang istorya!

Now would you shut up and let me rest, brain?

Hay lang talaga... Malapit na akong ma-praning. I swear! Kaunting-kaunti na lang...

Pero isa na lang ang tumimo sa isipan ko after all that. This was the end... the conclusion...

At least sa truce namin ni Brent.

To be honest... hindi ko na alam kung ano pa ba ang dapat kong maramdaman nang maisip ko iyon.

Sheesh! This was really getting way out of hand.