'Why do we even have to do this list? We're not anywhere near dying, Mahal! A bucket list is something you make before you kick the bucket, di ba?! Are you not telling me something here?"
Maine was on the verge of tears. She and Alden have been arguing over doing a bucket list for the past week, and she is getting scared that Alden might be keeping something from her.
"Nobody's dying mahal, relax. Maybe let's not call it that, let's just call it the list. Things you'd want to do, things you'd never thought you would be able to do, but would really dare to do."
Alden held Maine's hands to comfort her, knowing she was getting frustrated with this argument.
"Mahal, the fact that I've been in this business for three years now and do stuff that I never imagined I would be able to do is more than makes the list!"
"Well, then what else would you want to do if you weren't in this business? Just five, mahal, let's each list five things we want to do."
Maine stared at her and tried to read her boyfriend's eyes on how serious he was. Sighing heavily, she squeezed Alden's hand and touched his face.
"Ok. It seems you're really keen about this, so here goes. Promise not to laugh?"
Alden looked at her and smiled fondly at the girl who has never ceased to amaze him since that day he first saw her on screen.
"I will never laugh at things that you want to do. Besides, I said we'll both do a list, so let's tell one after another, are you fine with that?"
Maine held her boyfriend's face and closed in for a peck on his lips. She smiled at him as she pinched his cheeks.
"Fine, mahal. I'll go first."
She thought for a while and said "Skydive."
Alden's eyes widened at what he heard her say. "Seriously?!"
"O, akala ko ba no laughing?! Ayoko na nga!"
"Mahal, I didn't laugh. I was just surprised. Aren't you scared? That ride at EK back then freaked you out tapos you want to skydive?"
Maine smirked at him and said after a few seconds "Well, I was hoping that's part of your list, too, so we can do it together. Then I won't freak out."
Alden laughed softly and brushed a strand of hair from his girlfriend's face.
"Well, of course. That'll be on my list, too. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, Mahal."
"So that's one. I'll go again? Since skydiving is both on our list now."
"Go ahead, what's next on your list?"
Maine and Alden then took turns telling the rest of things in their list. Maine wanted to swim with sharks, something that Alden found a little too dangerous but then agreed to also make it part of his list. Alden wanted to climb Annapurna, which is a rather difficult climb though not as tough as Everest.
"Mahal naman, can't we just go diving instead?" Maine pouted at him, though she knows his passion for climbing mountains.
"It's part of my list Mahal, something I'd really want to do. I'm not going to ask you to join me because I know it's not something you'd want to do. But this one is just for me, ok? We don't know if I'd even be able to do it, but yeah, I just have to include that."
She nodded and resigned to the fact that they do not have to do all things in their list together.
"Ok, next on my list is to experience the best laksa ever."
Alden laughed at this because he knows she is always on the lookout for the best laksa, but he also understands her passion for food. Restaurants that they've been to are always eager to know how their food fared when she is around - a good feedback and recommendation by Maine Mendoza will surely bring in more patrons.
They now both have three on their list. They got silent as they were lost in their thoughts as to what would be next on their list. Maine spoke first.
"I want to establish a foundation, for underprivileged kids. Send them to school, give them scholarships, ensure that their education is taken cared of until they graduate."
Alden smiled at this for he was thinking almost the same thing.
"And I will build a school for your foundation."
"Really mahal? Wow, that would be great! Maybe we can start that in a few years? The foundation and the school?"
"Of course mahal."
As they were on the last to complete each of their list, Maine knows she wanted nothing else on her list but to spend the rest of her life with Alden. Yet she didn't want to put pressure on him, even though she knows that he would want the same thing too. She opted for an easier thing to add to her list.
"So here's the last one for me, my fifth. I want to ... "
"Wait mahal, can I just go first?"
"Huh? Uhm, well, ok..."
"This last thing on my list may be far-fetched but if I am able to do this one, the rest on my list will just be easy."
Maine suddenly felt nervous, her mind racing to what she thinks he will say next.
"Mahal, you were right to say that we shouldn't call this a bucket list, for I wouldn't want it to be a list of things that I would want to do before we kick the bucket. I want this list to be the start of everything else that we will be doing together for the rest of our lives. So, the last thing that I would want, and need to do, is to have you as my wife."
He pulled out a ring from his pocket and held out his hand to Maine.
"Mahal, will you ...l
"Wait! Stop!"
Alden froze at how Maine sort of freaked out. He was trembling, for fear that all of a sudden she will turn him down and forget everything that they have been talking about doing together.
"Oh God, sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound that way. Mahal please, I love you, I was just thinking that, the last on my list, is ... to have you as my husband."
It was all that Alden needed to hear. He took her in his arms and kissed her as if wanting to blend themselves as one. As they broke off for air, Maine held on tightly and laughed gently.
"So, when do we start doing those on our lists?"
"How about we begin with the last one?"
***
AMACon 3 Prompt 24
The five things in Maine's and Alden's bucket list.
11 September 2016
