"FEDRICO, AMELIA C."
After 4 years, here I am, about to take my diploma. Pagkatapos na pagkatapos talaga ng graduation ceremony, magta-trabaho na ako. Haha! Kidding.
Tumayo na ako and naglakad paakyat sa stage. I am all smiles lalo na nang ibinigay na sa akin yung diploma ko. This is relieving. Para bang gusto ko nang magtatatalon dito sa stage sa saya dahil all my hard works and efforts had paid off.
Nang tumingin ako sa mga tao, may nakita akong isang pamilyar na mukha.
Sht. I can't be wrong..
My heart was beating thumpingly. I am filled with mixed emotions. It is overwhelming me.
Nginitian niya ako at hanggang sa makababa ako sa stage ay hindi ko mapigilang tumingin sa kanya.
Gosh. Baka kaya nag-iilusyon lang ako? Umupo na ako sa designated seat ko.
Oo, namamalikmata lang ako. Hindi siya 'yun. Kamukha lang siya ni Ice. Epekto lang siguro yun ng ilaw na nakatutok sa stage nang pababa ako.
Or baka nami-miss ko lang siya kaya i'm seeing a figment of him.
Ilang oras din lumipas at natapos na rin ang ceremony. Umakyat na ang iba sa stage para kumuha ng kani-kanilang mga litrato. Syempre, hindi naman ako magpapatalo. Nagpicture picture din kami nila Mama at Papa. Si Julian at Ernie, photographer namin. Si Jhealy, taga dala ng mga gamit ko at nila Mama. Oh diba, kompleto kami.
"Ate, kayo naman ni Papa!" sabi naman ni Julian. Pumwesto naman ako sa tabi ni Papa at naka-akap ako sa kanya.
Pagkatapos nun, ay tinignan ko yung photo namin sa camera.
"AMELIA FEDRICO." rinig kong sabi sa speaker.
"Oy ate, ikaw daw!" sabi ni Ernie ng malakas. Kaya lahat tuloy ng tao napatingin sa akin. Shems! Nasa gitna pa naman ako ng stage. Huhu! Leche ka Ernie! Nakakahiya!
Hindi ko maintindihan ang nararamdaman ko ngayon nang maalala ko yung boses mula speaker. It sounded so familiar yet so new.
Nakatutok na yung spotlight sa akin mula sa taas. Wtf! Ano ites?!
Nagsilayuan tuloy sa akin yung mga tao. Huhu! Ano ba nangyari?! Biglang pinatugtog yung kantang "Kiss Me" by Ed Sheeran. Naalala ko tuloy yung memory ko about sa kantang 'yan.
I saw a guy with a big bunch of flowers na humaharang sa mukha niya in the middle of the crowd and naglalalakad siya patungo sa stage.
Ano bang meron?
Umakyat yung lalaki sa stage at lumapit siya sa akin. Sino ba 'to? Nakakaloka ha! At nakakahiya! Lalo na't andito sila Papa.
Ay teka, asan ba sila? Hindi man lang nila ako hinila kasama nila. Baka hindi naman sa akin 'yan. Juicemiyo! Nawiwindang na ako! 〣( ºΔº )〣
Ibinaba niya mula sa mukha niya yung bunch of flowers..
HORSESHT!
Nalaglag ata yung puso ko mga bh3. Totoo ba 'tong nakikita ko ngayon?
My heart beats fast and slow at the same time. Erratically beating in short.
It's Ice. My warm Ice. My? Why do I still claim ownership of him? Eh, never ngang naging kami. Pero hindi sadness ang nagpe-prevail na feeling ko ngayon.
It was euphoria filling me in. I didn't thought these years na magpapakita pa siya sa akin. That he would come to me.
"Happy graduation, Am. Congrats!" he said at iniabot sa akin yung mga bulaklak.
Oh, how I miss his voice. That comforting voice.
Tinanggap ko naman yung flowers. He smiled at me. That heartmelting smile. I miss seeing that. How it always affects me in every way.
Kinuha niya yung mga kamay ko at hinawakan ito. "I'm back for you, Amelia. Wala nang sabit this time. Buo na ako ngayon and i'm ready to have you again. 'Yun ay kung you still want me to be part of your life." I could see the sincerity in his eyes. Eyes are windows to the soul, right?
I smiled, a tear leaving my eye. "I have waited for a long time for you to come back to me." I hugged him immediately. I miss this warmness I feel against his body. Yes. I did waited for him pero hindi ako nag expect na he'll come to me.
Ghad. Am i really doing this in front of this people?
He pulled away at hinawakan ang mukha ko. "Hilig mo nga talagang maghantay ng matagal. I'm sorry kung natagalan masyado." he chortled.
"It's okay. It was worth it." sagot ko. Wala na akong pakialam ngayon kung maraming nanunuod sa amin
"I really hope it would be even for the rest of your life."
Naguluhan ako sa sinabi niya. What is he talking about?
Parang may kinukuha siyang something sa backpocket niya.
As he took it out at iniharap niya ito sa akin, I felt a thrill running up my veins.
It was a small red velvet box.
He knelt down and I heard squeals and gasps among the crowd. Mas excited pa ata sila kesa sa akin. He opened it, revealing a diamond ring. Hindi naman siya malaking diamond stone. It's simple yet beautiful.
"For the years that passed by, alam ko na sa sarili ko na ikaw talaga ang babaeng mahal ko. This is not just a shallow feeling that i'm feeling, Amelia. The love i'm feeling towards you, makes me wanna marry you and spend the rest of my days with you. I want to come home from work, seeing that lovely face of yours. I wanted to wake up every morning, being enlightened by your smile and good morning kisses. I want to marry you not because I've hurted you before to pay for my mistakes but because I have always loved you with all that I am. I'd love to be married to you and to call you my wife. Would you love to marry me too, Amelia?" he said, his eyes dreamy looking at me.
I missed seeing those kind of eyes of him.
The feeling is so overwhelming that I am in tears right now. "Hindi pa nga nagiging tayo, you're making me marry you already." I said hugging the flowers to my chest.
"We don't need labels before Am. As long as we're both sure of what we feel for each other, sapat na yun. But now I want a label for us. Para alam na ng tao at sa mga mata ng Diyos na tayo na for the rest of our lives. Pero, kung ayaw mo, okay lang. Sayang naman ng 5 years." he said and itatago na sana yung box.
Nababaliw na ba siya?! Sinong binibiro niya! "Oh heck I won't put it to waste." I said as I pulled him to me and kiss him in a slow, passionate way.
He slowly pulled away, catching his breath. Lechong manok! I've never kissed someone like that before. In fact, i've never kissed anybody after what happened between us ni Ice. "Girl, you did miss me! So is it a yes? Will you marry me, Amelia Fedrico?" sabi niya, excitement evident in his handsome face.
I took a deep breath and smiled. "Yes. Of course, I will. I am ready to be your Mrs. Ice Gail Arci since the day I shared my egg pie with you." I answered.
I love what i'm feeling when I am with him. Ito yung bagay na gustong gusto kong nararamdaman araw-araw.
Nagpalakpakan yung mga taong nasa paligid namin.
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I love happy endings, you know. 😉 Kahit napaka melancholic ko, I want to make my stories ending in happy ones. ❤
