If Kalyeserye Was A Drama

Paalam Na Aking Mahal (1)

Nidora stood behind the living room window and stared at Anselmo for the longest time. It was hard to see him through the vines that crawled up the walls of the mansion and the moon as the only light outside, but she did. It was selfish, she realized, to have him stand there and wait when she could've opened the door and said hi.

"Nidora!" Anselmo shouted, making Nidora's heart skip a beat and her eyes land on the wooden door. "Nidora! Alam kong naririnig mo ako! Parang awa mo na lumabas ka na. Nidora!"

"Sino ba yang nasa labas?" Miguel said, his voice low as he came bounding down the steps with a cigar hanging off the corner of his mouth. He stood behind Nidora and wrapped his arms around her. "Mahal, kilala mo ba siya?"

"Maghahating gabi na, bakit gising ka pa?"

"Wala ka kasi sa tabi ko."

Nidora forced a smile on her face and turned to give him a quick peck on his cheek. "Aakyat din ako mamaya."

Drawing in a breath, Miguel cupped Nidora's face with his hands, his thumbs brushing against her cheeks as his eyes darted against hers. "Wag kang magpatagal."

Nidora nodded and leaned in to press a kiss on his lips. "Pangako," she said quietly. "O, siya, maaga ka pa bukas. Paalisin ko lang bisita natin sa labas."

"Kilala mo ba siya?"

"Dating manggagawa ni mama sa palayan."

Miguel looked over Nidora's shoulder to stare at the man outside of their home, a look of annoyance strewn across his face as the man kept yelling for his fiance to come out. "Sigurado ka bang kaya mo siyang kausapin magisa? Pwede naman ako--"

"Kaya ko, Miguel."

Narrowing his eyes at Nidora, Miguel studied her for a brief moment, questions suddenly barring his mind because of how Nidora was acting. He chalked it up to the tire she must've felt after a long day of jumping from one plantation to another, and decided to let it go. "Nandito lang ako kapag kailangan mo ako."

"Alam ko," she said. "Sige na, maaga ka pa bukas. Ayokong magaway nanaman tayo dahil kulang yang tulog mo."

Miguel chuckled and pulled her to his chest before saying goodbye. "Paalisin mo na siya, Nidora," he called out as he disappeared into their room. "Kung hindi yung buong baranggay ang magpapaalis sa kanya."

"NIDORA!"

Closing her eyes, Nidora drew in a deep breath to calm down the nerves that wracked her body. Kaya ko 'to she thought to herself as she moved one foot in front of the other and crossed the small distance to the door.

"Nido-- "

"Tulog na mga tao, Anselmo," she said as she stepped out the door, hoping and praying that she looked calm despite the fact that she felt like her heart was going to beat itself right out of her chest any second. To say his name after so many months felt  foreign to her that she chanted it over and over again in her head. "Anong ginagawa mo dito?"

"Anong ginagawa ko dito?!" He asked, stunned. So much so that all he could do was shake his head as he threw his hands up in the air. " Naghintay ako, Nidora! At noong hindi ka nagpakita, hinanap kita! Tapos malalalaman ko na lang sa dyaryo na ikakasal ka na pala?!"

"Anselmo- "

"Nidora, wag," he said, shaking his head. "Hayaan mo munang tapusin ko yung gusto kong sabihin bago ka magsalita. Kasi natatakot ako na pagnarinig ko boses mo, makakalimutan ko kung bakit pumunta pa ako dito."

"Ans--"

"Nidora. Ngayon lang. Parang awa mo na. Patapusin mo muna ako," he said, cutting her off as he looked off to the side, right past the towering trees and towards the plantation that reminded him of that fateful afternoon all those years ago. "Nangako tayong dalawa na kahit anong mangyari, na kahit sinong pumigil, ikaw at ako sa huli. Natatandaan mo ba yun?"