Again

42 - Stand By Me

Almost A Year After....

Hello, love!

Hi Den! Si Shiela 'to!

Hi Shiela! Why do you have Ysay's phone? Ahm, is she busy?

Ah, wala ba siya diyan? I thought may dinner date kayo kasi kanina pa siyang 2pm umalis. Naiwan na nga niya phone niya sa pagmamadali.

Yeah, we're supposed to eat together pero fifteen minutes na lang tapos na break ko!

Ganun ba? Eh sabi niya kasi dinner date.

Sige, I'll wait for her na lang. Thanks, bye!

Ok, bye!

Calling the attention of Ms. Dennise Lazaro. Please proceed to 10th floor. Thank you!

She heard that voice-over as soon as she dropped her call. She went to the said floor and approached the nurse's station.

Hi, I'm Dennise. Someone paged me? medyo iritado niyang tanong. Kanina pa siya nagugutom at kanina pa rin niya hindi makontak si Alyssa.

After their talk with her mom, everything went smoothly for Dennise and Alyssa. Para bang ang pakikipag-uusap nilang iyon sa mommy niya ang nagtuldok sa masakit at malungkot na chapter ng buhay nila. At tulad ng ibang hindi pangkaraniwang istorya, pakiramdam ni Dennise, papunta na sila sa puntong "and they'll gonna live happily ever after".

Well, not quite.

It seems that Alyssa will really gonna wait for her to finish her studies and be a licensed doctor bago siya yayain nitong magpakasal.

Or not? her one side of conscience butted in.

She will! kontra agad naman niya sa sarili. Alyssa will definitely marry her, yun nga lang, mukhang matagal pa.

But Dennise couldn't wait anymore. Not for anything else, pero sa tingin niya, bakit kailangan pang patagalin kung doon din naman pupunta? She was sure since day one that Alyssa will be her forever. Inulan man siya ng pagsubok, hindi natinag ang pagmamahal niya dito. Nagawa niyang tanggapin ang pagkamuhi ng kanyang mga magulang dahil sa pagmamahal niya sa babae. Her patience and faith on Alyssa's love were even tested many times, and still, they are together. She's eager to marry Alyssa not because she's afraid na baka bumaling pa sa iba ang pagmamahal nito. She wanted to marry her now, as in now or the next few days, to officially seal their love with each other. Kahit naman unconventional ang relasyon nila, Dennise still believes that marriage will bind them together, officially, in the eyes of the world and God, that getting married will put everything in its right perspective. And of course, it will give her the right to call Alyssa hers, and hers alone.

Bihirang-bihira na nagkakatampuhan sila. Hindi man sila magkasundo, maliliit na bagay lang, tulad ng saan sila kakain o saan sila papasyal kapag wala siyang pasok o duty sa ospital. Theirs was almost a perfect relationship, sabi nga ng mga magulang nila.

There were times na nararamdaman pa rin nila ang selos sa isa't isa. Si Luis na pinakaseselosan ni Alyssa ay tumungo na sa Amerika tulad ng ipinangako nito nang makausap nito ang girlfriend niya. She learned about his decision only a day before he left kaya wala na siyang chance para pigilan pa ito. In a way, though, okay na rin ang nangyari. Hindi na niya kailangan pang maipit sa gitna para hindi masaktan ang mga taong mahal niya. Luis is a dear friend, pero walang alinlangan niyang tatalikuran ang pagkakaibigan nila kung ito ang magiging mitsa ng pagsasama nila ni Alyssa.