Their Love Schemes

And then when everything had settled you set my heart in motion.

Hello!!! Sorry! Sorry! Late update. Peace! Nag-struggle ako eh. Hehe. Buti na lang andyan ang ever supportive and beautiful ates ko. Kaya naman I dedicate this chapter to Ate Cass and Ate Eli!!! Mwhmwh!!! O eto na, basa na!!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Mabibilang sa daliri kung ilang beses syang tumuntong ulit sa Angeles nang magpasiya siyang umalis 8yrs ago at pumuntang America. After that day, he never looked back. Raxen moved on and forgot his broken heart and left it in the place where he first learned to love. Raxen pursued his Masters Degree in the US, lived his bachelor life there fully, went out with many girls...simply put, he lived his life even everything inside him was screaming death.

Pero eto ang leksyon ng buhay...ang magpatuloy at magsimula ulit. After his studies abroad ay nagbalik siya sa Pilipinas and particularly stayed in Manila, where he bought a house at biya-biyahe lang siya pabalik sa probinsya kapag kailangan, like his older brother's wedding, his parents' anniversary, his nephew's Christening...that's basically it. Just family affairs lang, wala ng iba.

But now, here he is,  behind the wheel of his black Montero pabalik sa lugar kung saan maraming alaala. He smirked a little. He's 29 for crying out loud at nage-emo siya sa kalagitnaan ng NLEX.

Sa totoo lang matagal-tagal ang 8 years. Marami ang nangyari sa kanya. He had relationships after Cielo. He had a serious one when he was 25 pero di din tumagal dahil nawalan na lang siya ng gana. Dahil siguro may kulang. Di nya alam kung sa babae o sa kanya mismo. Kaya naman puro flings na lang siya. Matagal na siguro ang 3 months sa bawat babaeng nakikilala niya. But he's turning 30 already and his family's been nagging him about settling down. And it irked him. Natatandaan pa niya ang huling pag-uusap nila ng Kuya Sean niya.

"So going back to Angeles means...?"

"Means business, kuya." he pointed out.

"Hindi dahil balak mo nang magpakasal?" asar nito sa kapatid.

"Ha? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well...Baka lang kako si Cielo ang dahilan---"

"Darn it! Ialis niyo sa equation si Cielo. Para kang si Papa." maktol nito.

"Whatever you say bro. But let me remind you. Tumatanda ka na. Aba' y baka maunahan ka pa ni Gave ah." tukoy nito sa anak.

"Ewan ko sa inyo. Tantanan niyo ko." He said and walked out on his older brother. Narinig pa niya ang tawa nito pagkapinid ng pintuan ng office nito. Napailing na lamang siya. Hindi na ata maaalis sa pamilya niya si Cielo dahil aminin man niya o hindi, the lady had been a very big part of their happy family.

Makalipas ang ilang sandali ay nasa Dau na siya. The ride wasn't that long but he felt tired all of a sudden.

Half an hour later ay may pamilyar na bahay siyang nadaanan. A spanish house. It never changed. It's as if the time that went by gave the house its character. At ang mga bakod na yun, simbolo din ng bakod na tinayo ni Cielo sa gilid ng puso nya. Na sya namang pinanhik para makapasok sa loob nito...

And the memories, as what they always tell, came rushing in....

--------------

8 years ago, still. Even if they'd understood, it isn't as easy as it could get.

"Kiss! Kiss!"

Sigawan ang buong team sa dug out. Finals ng basketball championship kung saan magkalaban ang matinding magkaribal na eskwelahan sa Angeles: HAU vs AUF.