Chasing Sunsets

Chapter 34:

♪♪ The rest of the world was black and white, we were in screaming color...

Nagising ako sa tunog ng doorbell.

Sino naman kaya yun? Ang aga naman masyado. I freshen up a bit a bathroom at saka dali-daling bumaba at binuksan ang pinto.

"Good morning, love." Bungad sa akin ni Nikos na may isang malawak na ngiti. He was wearing a sando and board shorts. I smiled back then he pulled me in for a hug.

One month na kaming together. Can you believe it?

"Bakit ka nandito?" I asked, breaking away from him. "Ang agap ha."

"Come here. Sumunod ka sakin." And so I did.

He led me to the back of his red pickup truck. Mayroong mga small pots dun na may mga rose na bago pa lang lumalaki.

"Anong gagawin mo dyan? Nagpapaorder ka na ba ng halaman?"

"Baliw ka talaga!" Tumatawang sabi pagkatapos ay ginulo ang buhok ko. "Ipagtatanim kita ng rose garden."

"Seryoso?" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko.

"Uh-huh." Sagot nya.

"Wow!" I was speechless.

"Here. Para sayo." He handed me three red roses.

"Thanks! They're beautiful. Saan mo sila nakuha?"

"Syempre tinanim ko." Proud na sagot nya. "Tara, ilipat na natin sila. Napakaplain naman kasi ng garden mo, puro damo lang."

"Aba, nanglait ka pa. Ikaw na muna, magshashower lang ako. Ang aga mo naman kasi."

"Sige samahan na kita." Naglolokong sabi nya. Hinampas ko nga nung rose na bigay nya. "Perv!"

"Oww! Easy babe, I was joking." Natatawang sagot nya. "Sige na, maligo ka na. Sisimulan ko na to."

"Babe my ass! Baduy mo, dyan ka na nga." Pagpapaalam ko sa kanya habang naglalakad papasok ng bahay.

"As if you don't like it. You're blushing kaya!" Pahabol pa nya.

"Che!" I said, closing the door.

I looked at the mirror as soon as I got in the bathroom.

You're really blushing, Serene.

*****

Ginawa ko sya ng snack bago ako bumalik sa kanya.

Paglabas ko ng bahay, madami na syang nailipat na roses.

"Ano namang nakain mo at naisipan mo yan?" Tanong ko sa kanya.

"I know you love flowers pero ayaw mong gumagastos ako para sa mga bulaklak kaya ipagtatanim na lang kita." Sabi nya habang naghuhukay. Pawis na pawis sya at medyo madungis na rin but still, he looks like he's gotten straight out from a lifestyle magazine. "Para may lifetime supply ka ng roses na galing sa puso, dugo, at pawis ko." Natatawang sabi nya.

"Baliw ka talaga! Pumunta ka na nga dito, kumain ka muna."

"I don't wanna be just the guy who brings you flowers from time to time. I wanna be the guy who will plant you a lifetime of them–both literally and figuratively." Sabi nya habang lumalapit sa 'kin. Naka-smirk pa ang loko. Umupo sya sa tabi ko.

"Wait lang nga. Bakit ang romantic mo? Tinuturuan ka ba talaga ni Jon ng mga ganyan salitaan?"

"With you, it comes naturally, love." He said seriously. He started eating. I was quietly watching him. He was so beautiful.

"Nikos, have you ever been in love?" I asked, all of a sudden. Ang swerte ko kasi sa kanya. Or more like blessed. I wonder kung may iba pa syang babaeng minahal before me.

"I'm in love with you." He answered.

"I know, but before me?"

"Why did you ask?" Nagtatakang tanong nya.

"Basta. 'Di ba I've been open about my past. You've been open too pero minsan ang mysterious mo pa rin."

"Okay." He looked at me. "Before you, I've been in love once."

"Anong pangalan nya?"

"Ann ang pangalan nya. Ann Quandour, ring any bells?"

Oh my God.

"The actress?!" Gulat na tanong ko. "She's like soooo pretty!"

"Tingnan mo, fangirl ka pa ata nya." Natatawang sabi nya.

"Niloloko mo ba ko? 'Di ko ineexpect na sya! Gosh, keep talking!"

"Okay. Basta wag kang magseselos ha?" Biro nya. I rolled my eyes jokingly as an answer. Bakit naman ako magseselos?

"Seryoso ako, Serene. Wag kang magseselos."

"Okay, okay. Kwento na." Sagot ko sa kanya. Bigla akong kinabahan.

"She was the only thing that shined in my darkest days." He kept talking. The rhythm of my heartbeat suddenly changed. He spoke of her in a poetic way. Maybe he really did love her. "Magkaibigan kami simula nung bata pa kami. When my mother died, I pushed everyone away but she stayed. She stayed through it all. We fell in love but it didn't work out. She didn't love me the way I loved her siguro. We decided that we're friends trying to be more than friends. The rest was history. That was 5 years ago pa."

"That cuts deep, Nikos." I said.

"It did cut deep. Natatandaan mo nung umalis ako for two weeks?" I nodded. "May isa pa akong pinuntahan nun. I attended her wedding."

I kept silent. I was waiting for him to talk.

"I used run to her whatever happens, you know. Even after we broke up. Out of habit siguro. Sa kanya rin kita laging kinikwento. When I met you, when we became friends, when I fell for you. I said goodbye to her one last time on her wedding day. That day, I have never been happier for the both of us. She got to marry the love of her life. I got the courage to say that I want to spend my life with you."

Wow. That was a whole lot of history. She really meant a lot to him, I'm sure of that. Pero hindi ako pwedeng mainggit. I can't erase that past from him. Afterall, we all have that one person na tatatak sa atin. Our first loves. Si Dustin para sa akin, si Ann para sa kanya.

Somehow, that was good. We met the better versions of each other. We've learned enough from our past kaya alam kong we can make this relationship work.

"Uy, sabi ko naman sayo wag kang magseselos." Sabi nya sa akin. Hindi ko napansin na napatulala pala ako.

"Don't worry, love. I love you more than I ever loved anybody else." He assured me. And that's what all I ever wanted, assurance. "I can only plant a rose garden for you."