Stay with Me

4 - Andie

"So tell me which is which or should I say who is who? I guess to make it easy for all of us why don't you introduce your partner and vice versa." Wika ni Kuya Boy.

Umayos ako ng upo sabay ngiti. "I'd like to introduce to you my partner, my honey Randy Benz. You can call him Andy... spelled A N D Y. He is 36 years old and working as a supervisor sa isang Airline company. He is a Mass communications graduate sa isang State university. He is a jack of all trades, he cooks, he paints, he writes stories. Your turn honey, gandahan mo ha." Pasa ko kay Andy nung wala na ako maisip.

"Kung ako si A N D Y, ipinakikilala ko sa inyo si A N D I E my other half. His real name is Andrew Macalma. He works as a supervisor sa isang BPO and is a graduate of accountancy from one of the most respected universities sa U-belt. He is 33 and he sings like Martin Nievera. And he is my everything," nagulat ako sa pagpapakilala ni Andy sa akin lalo na yung sinabi nya sa dulo. Pero mas nagulat ako ng biglang nagchant ang audience ng "Sample. Sample. Sample."

Nakita kong nakisabay na rin si Kuya Boy. So, I gave in to their chanting...

My morning starts to shine with teardrops in my eye
And here I am alone starting to realize..
That my day will be brighter if i can learn to hide
The feelings that I have for you keeps hurting me inside

Bumaling ako kay Andy hinawakan ang kamay nya at saka nagpatuloy.

But will you say that you love me and show me that you care
Say when you need me and I'll always be there
And if you go and leave me, this I swear is true
My love will always be with you

Palakpakan ang audience pati na rin si Kuya Boy, nakita ko rin na pinamumulahan ng mukha si Andy. Nagbablush ba ito?

"Aww that was so sweet. Look Andy is blushing. Do you like it when he sings to you?"

"Opo naman Kuya Boy. I must admit na kinikilig ako pag kinakantahan nya ako. Kahit dati pa when we were starting he would sing to me over the phone. At yun ang paraan nya ng panliligaw sa akin dati."

"Excuse me ikaw kaya ang nanligaw hahaha"

" Well yun lang yung asaran namin sa isat isa pero wala naman talagang klaro kung sino ang nanligaw kanino, kung may ligawan mang naganap. It was just a mutual decision na kame na when we felt na komportable na kame sa isat Isa."

" That's true pero nung naging kame na, Andy was like courting me everyday in our 12 years."

"So how did you two meet?" Si Kuya Boy

"Thru referral. Ha-ha. There is this someone na idinidate ko before na nagsabi sa akin if I am interested to meet someone who works for a singer na idol ko. So I asked kung kilala nya, he said naka chat nya lang daw. So sabi ko sige lets give it a try. So ayun nga I called Andy sa phone and I found him interesting kahit noon pa."

"And then iyon yung minsan na tawag naging every night na inaabot ng umaga. We would start around 11pm tapos matatapos kame around 3am or 4am kase may pasok sa work the following day. Tapos biglang naputol yung tawaganfor some reason, that's when I texted him " bakit parang namimiss kita" Dugtong ni Andy na sa tingin ko eh nakakampante na sa interview.

"Nung itext nya ako nun, alam ko na magki-click kame. So I asked him to meet me. So yun, the rest is history."

"Now that you said 'the rest is history', did it ever cross your mind na tatagal kayo ng ganito katagal... 12 years? Especially na ayon sa sabi sabi na sa kulturang male to male relationship and 10 years ay halos katumbas na ng 50 years sa heterosexual relationship." mahabang tanong sa amin.

Si Andy ang sumagot, "Nung una palang gusto ko ito na yung huli at sya na ang gusto kong kasamang tumanda. Pero ayaw ko pa rin mag expect. So naging laro na lang namin to beat our records like ako on the average ang relasyon sa akin tumatagal lang two months so we tried to beat that and we did. Sya on the average 6 months ang mga relasyon nya, so we aimed to go past 6 months and we did. Tapos we tried to beat my longest relationship na two years, then yun kanya na five years. We did it and look now 12 years and counting. It's like aiming for small goals in trying to fulfill our bigger goals. Tapos biruan namin after beating each goal eh 'tama na yun".

Nagtawanan kame sa studio.

"Let's go back to that first meeting. How was it? Pero before you answer the question we will pause for some reminders. we will be right back."