The (not so) Sweet Serendipity

22.3

He just looked at me, seryoso na siya. "Kasi Meng. Hindi ko alam kung anong sinabi ni Louise sayo at bakit niya sinabi yun. Pero I broke up with her. I've been ending it since last week pa."

Natawa ako. Tapos tumingin ako sakanya, ang seryoso ng itsura niya. Tapos natawa ulit ako. I can see Richard's face really confused but I can't stop laughing.

"Bakit ka tawang tawa? May nakakatawa ba sa sinabi ko?"

Tinaas ko kamay ko as if to say teka lang kasi I'm still laughing so hard I can't talk properly. So he just sat there, waiting for me to compose myself, and still so confused. When I finally somehow got it together, in between laughs I said. "Tangina, Chard. You got me there. That's a good one ah."

Hindi nag bago itsura niya. Para ngang lalo lang siyang nalito. "What are you saying?"

"Gago ka ba. Anong gusto mong ireact ko? Tigilan mo nga ako." Medyo natatawa pa rin ako. Gusto niya siguro akong hulihin kung pinaniwalaan ko ba yung mga chismis na nag break na sila. Too smart for you, Chard. "It's okay, congratulations okay. I'm happy for you. I'll even attend your wedding if you'll invite me, just let me know in advance. Huwag yung masyadong short notice ha."

"Didn't you understand what I just said? There is no wedding. I ended it with Louise. And the only wedding you're allowed to attend to is ours."

Ako naman yung nalilito. Anong pinagsasabi nito? I'm sure dumating si Louise dito nung isang araw, she had a ring on her finger, Kenneth can even testify to it. "That's not possible. She was here just yesterday. Gusto mo tawagan ko pa si Kenneth just to prove it to you?"

"No, here ka lang. Akin lang attention mo." He grabbed my phone and threw it to the other sofa so I wouldn't be able to reach it. I just watched my phone fly towards the other sofa and look at Richard in disbelief. Nababaliw na ata 'to.

"What the hell is happening to you? Nagpapaalam ka ba sakin? You know you don't have to do that. May kanya kanya na tayong buhay. Ngayon ka pa ba mag woworry sa sasabihin ko?" I am still oh so confused at this point. Bakit ba ayaw niya pang aminin sakin na ikakasal na siya.

"Menggay, can you focus? I don't know why Louise would come here and say that to you, okay. But I am here telling you now, there is no wedding, I did not propose, and there is no more Louise in my life. Ikaw ang gusto ko. It has always been you. Naging duwag ako before, pero ngayon pinagsisisihan ko na lahat nang naging decision ko. Nagpakain ako sa pride ko and I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry for everything."

Natatawa pa rin ako, hindi ko talaga siya maseryoso ngayon. I can still see clearly that ring on Louise's finger in my head. "Pinagtitripan mo ba ako, Richard? She was sitting right there." I pointed to the couch on my upper right side where my phone now was. "And she told me clearly, I couldn't have misheard it. You proposed to her. She showed me the ring too. What are you saying?"

Richard closed his eyes, I think he's getting really impatient now, and grabbed both my hands, faced me and moved closer to me. "Meng, I don't know why she said that. She's lying. It's not true."

Tinanggal ko yung mga kamay ko sa kamay niya. "So what you're saying is nag effort pa talaga siya to get herself a ring just so she can come here and tell me na engaged na kayo? Who in their right minds will do that? Chard, tama na, joke's over. I must say nakakatawa siya kanina pero not anymore."

"I don't know. Maybe she's desperate or hurt or jealous. People do crazy things when they get jealous."

"I think that's a bit overboard naman. Right now, you're the one that sounds crazy to me."

"Well cause it's true. Nababaliw nako. Matagal na, ever since I thought of marrying Louise. All I could think of was you. Everyday, walang mintis. I literally went crazy, Meng. My heart and soul wouldn't allow me to marry anyone else but ---." Okay this is getting absurd.

"Chard, stop it. If kinakabahan ka lang for marriage life, stop it. Matagal na tayong tapos. Stop using me as an excuse."

"Meng. I love you. I'm sorry if it took me this long to see that it was always you. I can admit now I never really stopped loving you."

"Are you hearing yourself right now?" I held his face and gave hus head a little shake to make him understand, baka maalog yung utak nito. Maybe he was just getting cold feet and I guess this was normal. "I understand you are taking a big step in your life and in your relationship with Louise." I can see in his face extreme annoyance when I said this, but I went on, "It's normal to feel like this. I think you're just nervous."

He freed himself and started to stand up to prove his point. "No, meng. All along, I thought you had a boyfriend, that we have both moved on. But when I learned that you were single again and that I was having all these thoughts, I took it as a sign. This is our second chance Menggay." He bent down to me and was hugging me now. "Ito yung matagal na nating hinihintay na second chance. Lets grab it."

I felt so bad for him. He's losing it. "Chard. It's okay. We have both moved on. Me being single doesn't mean a second chance for us. You are overthinking too much. There is no second chance. It's no longer our story. Ours ended years ago, remember? It's now yours and Louise's. I think it's time you go to your fiancé. Baka hinahanap ka na nun."

He hugged me tighter. Oh my gosh. Are you going to cry, Richard? "Meng. Stop denying me. Nakipag break na nga ako kay Louise. Wala nang Louise. Hindi kami engaged at hindi kami ikakasal. Please believe me. I want to make it right."

"Chard, if you're having second thoughts about this, ako na nagsasabi sayo. Wala nang tayo. Wala ka nang babalikan dito. You made the right choice. Marry Louise. Be happy."

"No! Ikaw lang gusto ko. I will never be happy with her. Only you can make me happy and no one else." I think he was crying now but I couldn't see his face since he won't let go of me.

Hay, what have I done. I made him question his decisions on marrying Louise, did I lead him on or anything. Hassle nang sakit na 'to naman o.

"I think you need to go home. Just sleep this off first. You'll feel better."

"Ano ba kailangan kong gawin para maniwala ka sakin na wala na nga kami. I didn't propose to her, I broke up with her. There is no wedding. I want to fix what we had."

Inalis ko na sarili ko sa hug because I want to make sure he's listening. Okay so he wasn't crying yet pala. I crossed my arms. Nakakapagod na ha. "Okay, Chard. Let's say, I believe you. Okay, break na kayo and walang kasal. Diba, that's what you're saying?" He just nodded his head. "O, now. What do you want to happen? What do you want me to say? Ano bang gusto mo?"

He was just quiet so I kept on going. "Diba? Do you see now where you're getting at? Gets mo na ako?"

He's just looking at me. This time, I think he's really about to cry. So I went back to a softer tone, hindi na yung lawyer voice ko. "Chard. It's okay, I'm not mad. I'm trying to understand you lang, at the same time make you understand me also. You might be pressured lang or something."

He took a deep breath and went, "Okay, fine. So what if gusto kong mangyari is to have you back? What if what I'm saying is, I want Menggay. I want us back." Natawa lang ako and was about to say something, pero seryoso talaga siya and kept going, "What if ligawan kita? Starting today. I'll prove to you that what I'm saying right now is the truth. I'll win your heart again."

I rubbed my temples now. I have to be honest if he said this maybe three years ago, I would be over the moon. But wow, it has been so long, so much has happened and now this. I was so over this conversation. I don't know why he's still going with this. "Chard, wala na ngang tayo. Tapos na yun. Matagal na. Si Louise na nga and ikaw ang pinag uusapan natin dito."

He just shook his head and put both his hands on his waist. He was still standing. "I'll show you. I'm serious and I'll prove it. Do you want me to kiss you right now just to prove my point?"

Tumayo rin ako. "O, sige nga. Kiss me. Para matapos na."

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To be continued....