SLOWLY, THE huge double doors of the church opened. Kasabay ng mahinahon at kalmadong tugtog galing sa instrumento ay ang pagkabog nang malakas ng aking puso.
This was the day I always dreamt of. The man at the end of the aisle, waiting for me. Halos mapunit ang labi ko sa kakakagat noong magtama ang mga mata namin. Isaiah Augustus del Carmen, the man that I always wanted; the man that I always dreamt of.
Never in my wildest dream did I expect to have him love me the way he did. Since when we were kids, he was this cold and aloof boy who did not want to mingle with anyone. He liked to play alone and by himself. Silence was his home, and I was a woman holding a megaphone. I wanted to talk, I wanted to scream and shout, I wanted to hum when I was bored, and I wanted to ask many questions when I was interested in you— he despised all of that, or so I thought.
Hindi ko kinakahiya na ako ang nanligaw kay August. Hell, we were in the 21st century, and we should normalize girls making moves. Kung hindi ka gagalaw, anong mapapala mo? Lalo pa kung sa una palang, wala ng interest ang lalaki sa 'yo? I would never sit in the corner waiting for any fairy godmother to intervene in my love life.
Kung gusto kita, magiging akin ka.
Napangiti ako no'ng kumunot ang noo ni August sa 'kin. However, when he noticed the smile that was etched on my face, nawala ang kulubot sa kaniyang mukha at napansin ko rin ang paghinga niya nang malalim. I would never get tired of telling people how beautiful my husband was— damn, that sounded so good. Knowing the man of my dreams was going to be my husband after this wedding.
No'ng inabot ako ni Daddy kay August, hindi ko mapigilang maiyak. This was it. I was marrying the man I loved.
"Take care of my daughter, August," Daddy said, looking stoic, but demanding.
No'ng sinabi ko kay Daddy na magpapakasal na kami ni August ay hindi agad siya pumayag. Ang sabi niya ay maaga pa. Para sa 'kin, this was long overdue. I wanted to marry this man after our first night together, hindi ko na siya hahayaang makawala pa.
"You have my words, sir,"
Napangiti ako dahil sa sinabi ni August.
Daddy breathed shakily. Halatang pinipigilan ang iyak.
"I am not telling you this because I am hoping for a bad thing to your marriage, but if you ever get tired of my daughter, if you ever fall out of love, bring her back to me," Daddy said, eyes bloodshot.
"That won't happen, sir,"
"Call me Papa,"
Augustus nodded and smiled, "That won't happen, Papa,"
Tumango si Daddy at hinayaan na ako na dalhin ni Augustus sa harap ng altar. Ang lakas nang kabog ng puso ko. I didn't know, but this felt so surreal.
In front of God, we promised our love to stay intact through the following years, despite the incoming battles and hardship, we promised to choose each other . . . always. I was fully aware that dark days would always show up and color our lives with bleak sadness and exhausting contempt, but we promised to be on each other's side as we faced those problems.
We exchanged vows. I couldn't help but smile when Augustus did not even pull out any paper to read for his vows. He just said it naturally, as if every word had engrained in his mind. He has been a genius ever since. Do'n ko siya naunang nagustuhan.
August looked at me with pure love in his eyes, "I promise to stand by your side, to support you in all your dreams and endeavors, and to love you unconditionally, even when we face challenges. I vow to cherish every moment with you, to respect and honor you, and to always communicate openly and honestly. With you, I have found my truest partner, my soulmate, and my best friend. Today, I give my heart, my love, and my unwavering commitment to create a lifetime of happiness and adventure together,"
Tears streamed down my face as I listened to him speak with so much sincerity and love. Mahal na mahal ko ang lalaking 'to at gagawin ko ang lahat maging masaya lang siya sa piling ko. I loved him more than anyone in my life. My friends told me that I loved him more than he loved me, and that was not good. But I did not care. Augustus loved me enough to make me happy and content.
I told my vow as well with a piece of paper. I wasn't good at memorization, at hindi rin ako magaling sa impromptu. I giggled shyly when I was struggling to open the folded paper. Nakatingin lang si August sa 'kin gamit ang seryosong mga mata.
I cleared my throat before spilling my vow, "With every beat of my heart, I promised to honor and cherish you, to be faithful and true, and to always be there for you, no matter what lies ahead. I vow to listen with an open heart, to communicate with honesty and respect, and to create a loving and nurturing home with you,"
My vow was just short. As I said, I was not good with words. Pinaghirapan ko pa 'yang isulat. The ceremony continued until everyone was clapping and the priest said the words that concluded this ceremony.
"I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss your bride," after those words rolled off the priest's lips, Augustus held my cheek and sealed our vows with a heated kiss.
I heard the clamor from people around us, their cheers and claps, hollers and shouts, and everything that celebrated our announcement. After our kiss, Augustus pressed his forehead against mine, breathing softly.
"I love you, my wife,"
I smiled and closed my eyes, "I love you, my husband,"
After that, he claimed my lips again. Mas naghiyawan ang mga tao sa kasal ko. Lahat masaya, lahat galak sa nangyayari. Halos hindi ko na matignan ang mga tao sa harap namin dahil nakatuon lang ang buong atensyon ko sa asawa ko.
Asawa ko . . . That sounded perfect on my lips. I loved it.
