"Elize please.... please don't be in love with someone else" paulit-ulit kong dasal sa tuwing nakikita ko si Elize na masayang nakikipag-usap sa ibang lalaki. Kung alam lang nya na sa tuwing nakikita ko syang may kausap na iba nanggigigil ako sa inis at gustong-gusto ko ng pilipitin ang leeg ng kausap nya.
Nakatayo ako sa dulo ng altar at hindi ko mapigilan na magbalik-tanaw sa lahat ng nangyari sa amin ni Elize at kung papaano kami napunta dito. Maraming bagay ang nangyari at nakapagpabago sa buhay namin pero kung wala ang mga yon hindi din siguro kami aabot sa ganito. Hindi namin lubusang makikilala ang sarili namin at hindi namin malalaman kung ano talaga ang bagay na makakapagpasaya sa amin.
Noon sabi ko 'kung sana hindi ko yun gnawa baka nasa ganito na kami' pero hindi, mali, kasi ang mga bagay na iyon ang bunuo sa amin, sa pagkatao namin, at sa kwentong sinubaybayan ninyo.
Nang makita ko sya na suot ang puting gown na pinili namin para sa araw na ito hindi mapawi ang ngiti sa aking mga labi at habang nakikita ko syang papalapit papunta sa akin katabi ang anak namin hindi ko napigilan ang sarili kong mapaiyak.
'Ito, ito ang babaeng bumuo sa akin, ang babaeng pinaghirapan ko, iniyakan ko, pero sa huli balikan at babalikan ko. Dahil kung hindi dahil sa kanya hindi ko mararamdaman kung paano maging masaya.'
There is no such thing as instant happiness lahat ng bagay dumadaan sa hirap at pagsubok, pero sa huli alam mo na lahat ng bagay na pinaghirapan mo worth it.
In our life, you will come across a special person that makes you happy, supports you, and makes you a much better person than before; no matter what you do in life, make sure that you don't let that person go. Treasure her, love her, cherish her, because there's no person like her.
Hindi maialis ang ngiti ng mga tao sa amin, bakas sa mukha nila na masaya sila para sa amin, sabagay ilang taon na nga ba nilang hinintay to? Pero sa mga oras na ito wala akong pakialam sa kanila, hindi ko sila nakikta, dahil sa mga mata ko s Elize lang ang nakikita ko. Hindi ako naniniwala sa magical moment pero simula ng nagkaroon ng Elize sa buhay ko lahat na yata ng hindi ko inakala naranasan ko. At eto, sa araw na ito, sa mismong oras na ito, naranasan ko na naman ang bagay na hindi ko kailan man inakala ang 'magical moment' na ni sa panaginip hindi ko pinangarap pero eto nararanasan ko.
"Ready ka na ba talagang magpatali? Pwede ka pang umatras." Biro sa akin ni Elize nang kukunin ko na ang kamay nya sa mama nya at kay Jar.
"Kahit tutukan pa ko dito ng sampung armalite sigurado akong hinding-hindi ako aatras. Eto na eh, aatrasan ko pa ba?"
"Ikaw? Malay mo nagbago isip mo. Narealize mo na marami pang mas maganda, mas mabait, mas maalaga, yung mas sa akin na babae."
"Elize, kahit saan yata ako pumunta, kahit bali-baligtarin ko pa ang mundo wala ng babaeng hihigit pa sayo."
"Ahem! Ahem!"
Napatingin kami sa harap.
"Pwede na ba akong magsimula? Baka nakakaistorbo pa ko sa inyo."
"Hindi Father, magsimula na po kayo. Kating-kat na kong mapalitan ang apelyido ng babaeng ito." masiglang sabi ko.
Halata naman ang hiya sa mukha ni Elize. Si Father kasi, magsasabi na lang kailangan naka-mic pa.
Nagsimula na nga ang ceremony, hindi ko na ikukwento dahil alam kong mababagot lang kayo. Pumunta nalang tayo sa pagpapalitan namin ng vow, alam ko naman kasi na iyon din ang favorite part ninyo.
"Jed, we faced a lot of trials. And when I say A LOT, I really mean A LOT. Well, I know you know what I mean. But we surpassed it all. I'm sorry, I'm sorry for making everything hard for you and thank you for everything that you always do for me. You always think of my welfare without considering yours, so please sometimes if things are hard try to talk it out with me. I won't be so selfish, you know? I promise, I'll listen. I'll understand. I know that ths marriage is not the ending rather it is just the beginning but I know we can do everything as long as we have each other. Jed, I love you. I never hated you. I just missed you when I needed you the most and you were not there. But I know in the future there will be a lot of time for the both of us to spend. We won't miss each other because we will always be there for each other. I love you so much, love you as much as you love me. " She touched my face as she said those words.
I, Elize Montemayor, take you, Jared Villaflor,to be my lawfully wedded husband, my constant friend,my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you as long as we both shall live."
Those words na alam kong hindi nya pinaghandaan pero kusang lumabas sa bibig nya. Sapat na yun, sapat na yun para sa lahat ng nangyari.
"Trust. I know, Elize, I know. This was the biggest issue we had and I hope this won't be anymore because I'll do everything I can just to make you happy. I know I was once a big jerk but then you came into my life and evrything changed. You made me realize how crappy I was, how stupid I lived for the past years I still haven't met you and you made me change everything. Words won't be enough no matter how hard I try to express what I want to say, but I know I have forever to show you the thing I can't express. I regretted everything, but now I know all of it happened for a reason. I hope I love you will be enough as an assurance for now and that my love intensifies more and more each day but I know it's not. So I guess I'll just have to show it to you all my iife. But then, I'll say this I love you more and more each day Elize." I kissed her hand.
"I, Jared Villaflor , take you, the most beautiful Elize Montemayor ,to be my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend,my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you as long as we both shall live."
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"Lolo, Lola, is there really such thing as happy ending?"
Nagkatinginan kami ni Elize sa tanong ng apo namin, si Nicka, anak ni Jar.
"Happy ending? I guess there isn't one." sagot ko.
"Huh? Then does that mean that Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, and Belle never really had a happy ending?"
"Nicka, there is no such thing as happy ending." Singit ni Elize.
"Huh?"
"Yes, because once you found the happiness you are looking for it'll never end. Nothing ends it just restart and starts a new beginning."
Just like us. We once thought everything was over for us, little did we know that a new story is just about to begin with the both of us still in the lead. Years past, decades even, but we are still together fulfilling our vows to each other.
