The Love of Jedidiah | COMPLETED

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

SASSA

Mas maaga akong nagising kay Jedidiah. Narito kami ngayon sa resort nila sa Boracay. We've got a week to enjoy it here. Si Jed ang nagplano nito. Nagiging clingy na talaga sya which is...in a greater part, gusto ko naman. And besides, I'm loving it here. Payapa at walang istorbo.

Naupo ako sa folding chair na dala ko while staring at the sun making its way heavenwards. Kailangan ko rin siguro ito dahil sa susunod na buwan ay kailangan kong bumalik ng California. Para 'yon sa pagsasalin sa 'kin ng mga property ni Todd, ang asawa ko.

Actually, hindi naman katandaan si Todd. He was just fourteen years older than me noong natapak ako ng America. Okay naman sya noong una, I thought he was the one to erase my bitter memories pero hindi rin nagtagal ay naging malupit sya. Sobrang seloso at hindi dumaan ang isang araw na hindi nya ako sasaktan ng pisikal. Tiniis ko na lang. All of it are in the past now. Even though Jedidiah caused me pain to death I have realized that's he's still the one I need all this time. I have anxieties but I believe in Jedidiah. I know he can do it.

"You left me." A familiar baritone voice came.

"I didn't. Do you want me to?" I joked as I looked at him. He pouted.

"You know what I mean." Naupo sya sa buhangin sa tabi ko.

"Sobrang lamig pala rito kapag umaga." Ani ko.

"Here, come sit beside me. The sand is warm. And also...I brought something." He showed me a photo album.

I wondered happily kaya agad akong naupo sa tabi nya and he was right, the sand is warm. I took the photo album from him. It has a hard maroon cover with an engraved names of ours. I slowly opened it. The first photo is me sitting in a stone-made chair.

"I remember this. Second year high school ako nito. Why do you have this picture of me?" Nagtataka kong tanong.

"I'd been stalking you. Second year high school pa lang tayo ay crush na crush na kita. You were so simple and so innocent it intimidated me." He awkwardly chuckled.

"Huh? Bakit naman?"

"It was just...I didn't know where to start. Hindi ko alam kung paano kita liligawan. Which was a luck of me during our third year because we became classmates." Nakangiti nyang paliwanag.

I kept scanning the pages. Ang dami kong pictures sa kanya. Noong mga panahon na ito ay hindi ko alam na may gwapong stalker pala ako. I wasn't even aware that somebody was taking pictures of me.

"Yes, we were classmates. And you intentionally befriended me, right?" Tinaasan ko sya ng isang kilay.

"Uhh...well, in a way. But it wasn't like...uhh...ang hirap i-explain." Napakamot sya sa ulo.

"You'd been a good friend, though. Bago mo 'ko niligawan." I said as I stare at our photo. This was the day when I told him I love him, too. He looks genuinely happy here.

Lahat ng litrato ay natatandaan ko. Monthsaries, anniversaries and all special moments we had spent together. There's nothing to be forgotten. I sincerely looked happy in all of these photos in front of me it started melting my heart even more.

"How come I don't know you have these?" I asked not turning my gaze at him.

"It's supposed to be a gift." He sighed.

"A gift?" Tuluyan na akong lumingon sa kanya.

"Yeah...for our fourth anniversary. You know what date it is today?"

Napaisip ako sa date ngayon. It's the eighth of October today. Kinilabutan ako sa naisip ko. This was the date of our anniversary. Hinilot ko ang sentido ko. Bigla yata akong nahilo sa naisip ko. Naiilang akong natawa.