Fit Her Shoe [Gottfred & Lorin]

Kabanata 3

    Gone. Really gone was the man I had fallen in love with. Actually, a part of me had hoped there was still the tiniest Gottfred I had known that was left in him, but reality had left me in screeching pain. Right now, one thing I was certain about, without a shadow of a doubt, and that was, I did not know him anymore at all.

    Alas nuebe ng umaga kinabukasan nang magising ako sa sunod-sunod na katok sa pintuan at sa mga pagtawag ni Calianna sa akin. Pikit pa ang isang mata ko nang bumangon sa kama. And I hoped I had not woken up yet. Kasi sa panaginip ko ay pumasok daw si Gottfred sa kuwartong ito, tinabihan ako, at saka mahigpit na niyakap sa mga bisig niya. And also in that dream, he told me that he loved me. That as long as there were stars in the sky, his promises would never die.

    Weirdly, that dream felt so real. Hinaplos ko ang mga braso at saka kinilabutan, nahihibang na rin talaga siguro ako na nararamdaman ko ‘yong init ng yakap niya sa balat ko, gayundin na para bang hinalikan niya ako sa noo ko. Or perhaps, that dream was just too vivid I could almost feel it, had me believing it really happened.

    “Lorin!” Calianna called again that had me snapping back to the present.

    Pababa na sana ako sa kama para pagbuksan siya ng pintuan nang mapansin ko iyong nakapatong sa unan sa tabi ko. With furrowed forehead and while squinting my eyes to see better, I reached out and picked the what seemed like a note under a small Tiffany blue box.

    Lorin,

    It’s the engagement ring. Wear it. We do not want other people finding out loopholes.

    I expelled a deep breath at what I had read. Matabang na napangiti na lang din ako habang binubuksan ang kahon. A beautiful, princess-cut diamond ring was sitting inside.

    A ring that was supposed to be for my sister, I bitterly thought.

    “Lorin?” muling pagtawag ni Calianna.

    Mabilis na isinuot ko ang singsing tulad ng gusto ni Gottfred, tapos ay bumaba na sa kama, at saka dali-daling pinagbuksan ng pintuan si Calianna. 

    “Kailangan mo nang bilisan, Lorin! Anong oras na!” pagmamadali niya.

    Calianna held me at my wrist and led me to the living room where there was no sign of Gottfred and Sage anywhere. Instead, I noticed plenty designer paper bags strewn across the center table.

    Nilingon ko si Calianna, nagtatanong ang mga mata sa kaniya.

    “‘Yan daw ‘yong susuotin mo,” sagot niya.

    My heart sank again. Ni ang pagpili ng wedding dress ay hindi ko rin mararanasan. I wanted my gown traditional, made of white chiffon fabric, with beautiful, long veil, and a cathedral type of train that would almost cover the length of the whole church. Pero hanggang pangarap na lang talaga ‘yon dahil heto nga, ni hindi rin kami sa simbahan ikakasal.