Anakin, I Remember

Chapter 22

I remember that night.

Nanginginig na binuksan ko ang convo namin ni Anakin. Another train of messages was revealed to me like a gift getting unwrapped.

October 2030. Same year. Same month. Same day.

Wala na akong inaksayang minuto. I scrolled up again as fast as I could. Nang marating ko ang pinakaunang paragraph ng kanyang mensahe ay nagsimula na akong magbasa. I paid attention to every word. My heart was like a ticking time bomb.

Alexander Anakin Garleo

October 12, 2030
Good morning, Hattie. It's past 1 AM here in the Philippines as of the moment. It's probably around 3 AM there in Australia right now.

Today, I woke up so early because I thought I would want you to be the first person to know about my plan. Even my parents don't know about it yet. Informing them is the first thing I'm gonna do later when the sun is up and they are awake because you cannot just expect me to knock on their bedroom door right at the very moment.

Winona Hatrisse, you're my first love.

Hindi man kita naging girlfriend, sa 'yo ko unang naramdaman ang ibig sabihin ng salitang 'yon.

Kagaya ng palagi kong sinasabi, there's a lot of things that you've made me realize. Maraming beses mo akong napatawa, napangiti. Marami-raming beses din kitang napanaginipan. At sa mga panaginip na 'yon, ikaw at ako lang. Masaya tayo.

Magkahawak-kamay.

I never got the chance to tell you this...

But you're the first person I imagined building a family with, to be honest.

I've learned so much from you. Kagaya ng kahalagahan ng paghihintay. Minsan mo na nga ring nasabi sa akin na worth it ang paghihintay sa bagay na nakalaan sa 'yo. Matamis ang bunga kapag hinintay mo itong mahinog at hindi ka nagmadaling sungkitin ito.

And now? Guess what? She's here. Dumating na siya.

Ang tagal niya na palang nakarating. Hindi lang ako naghahanap or maybe... sa isang bagay lang kasi ako nakatingin.

Today, I am going to ask my beloved Mary Kyle's hand in marriage. Ilang beses ko na itong napag-isipan, Hattie. I know I'm not going to make one of the biggest mistakes of my life by marrying her.

I tried to go out with her because I saw something special in her, and as time went by, I got to know her more.

Hattie, Mary Kyle is an amazing person. She's a beautiful woman like you. She's softhearted. Mapagmahal na anak din kagaya mo. She's understanding. She's so patient with me. She loves me and takes good care of me. She's too kind to the point na noong umpisa, iniiyakan niya pa 'yong ex-boyfriend niyang ang sarap lang burahin sa mundong ito.

I remember the night before the first day of the ALE, I was so close to breaking down because for some reason, nagawa kong kuwestyunin ang sarili kong kakayahan. Pakiramdam ko, hindi ko kaya. Pakiramdam ko, hindi ako makakapasa kasi parang sasabog na 'yong ulo ko sa dami ng information na kailangan kong i-take in. Nakakatawa lang kasi at the last minute pa talaga ako nag-doubt sa sarili ko.

But you know what? Mary Kyle was there, Hattie. She accompanied me. Magkasama kaming nag-review sa condo unit ko. She cooked for the two of us and we took a break from reviewing to eat together.