Kwentuhan tayo!

Ang kwento ni Lolo

She stared back at him with tears on her face. She was biting her lips trying to fight back the urge to scream.

She wanted to curse. To scream. The pain feels is like a saw scraping against her skin, tearing every flesh, vein and bone in its wake.

Her heart's broken. Again. And she couldn't believe that she went back in his arms. Again. Crying.

Anong pagpapakatanga to Dei? she asked herself as more tears relentlessly flow down her cheeks.

'Ang sakit sakit na sobra. But I don't even know why I came back. Bakit nga ba?' she heaved, her shoulder shaking as she cried more.

'Bakit ganon? Ang sakit sakit na eh - sobra naman yata sya 'Lo.'

'I mean - tinanggap ko siya ulit pero...'

The old man smiled as he gently pats her back, trying to comfort her.

'Alam mo Dei apo, ganyan talaga kapag mahal mo yung tao.'

He held her hand and squeezed it gently.

'Lahat ng bagay, masakit man o magulo, naiintindihan mo man o hindi... lahat yun tatanggapin mo.'

'Pero 'Lo! Sobra naman yata yun? Paano nagawa sa'kin un ni Jay? Sabi nila kapag mahal mo di ba hindi mo sasaktan?'

He smiled sadly.

'Dyan kayo nagkakamaling mga kabataan tungkol sa konsepto ng pag ibig.'

The old man looked at the girl and reached out to wipe her tears away.

'Sa pag ibig... kahit na gaano mo kamahal ang isang tao hindi mo maiiwasang masaktan ito.'

'Ano hong ibig nyong sabihin?'

'Apo... ito ang lagi mong tatandaan ha? Sa pag ibig... the more na minamahal mo, mas lalong malaki ang tyansang masaktan mo siya.'

She sniffed her nose and completely wiped her tears away. She's now all ears.

'Kapag sobra ang pagmamahal na ibinibigay mo, baka naman malunod na sya. Baka masakal na siya. Baka... di nya makayanan.'

'Eh di ba 'Lo wala namang masama dun?'

'Walang masama sa pagmamahal apo... pero lahat ng bagay, kapag sumobra, masama.'

He looked away and she saw something in his eyes. It was as if he was remembering something.

Something of a happy yet... painful memory.

Her lolo was like her father. She grew up with him and her lola.

All those years he was always happy and makulit. He would always threw jokes at her and her lola and he would always make fun of the people around.

And to see him teary-eyed made her wonder what happened.

'Alam mo ba nung mag boypren, gerlpren palang kami ng lola mo, ilang beses kaming naghiwalay.'

'Maraming beses kaming nag aaway dahil sa mga kung anu-anong bagay.'

He shook his head and let a single tear escape. He wiped it immediately and chuckled.

'Pero mahal na mahal namin ang isa't isa.'

'Sobra.'

She waited for him to continue and when he didn't, she took the courage to ask him what happened.

Her heart was pounding at her chest because it took him minutes before he gave her an answer.

Kung anu-ano ng pumasok sa isip nya.

'We loved each other so much we lost sight of who we really are. Nakalimutan na rin naming mahalin ang mga sarili namin.'

'Hindi na namin alam kung sino at ano ba kami. Basta ang alam lang namin mahal namin ang isa't isa.'

'Lo...'

'I loved her so much I didn't know nasasakal na pala sya sa pagmamahal na yon.'

'She loved me too much hindi nya alam nalulunod na pala ako.'

'Lahat ng gagawin nya kahit trabaho tatanungin ko. Lahat ng lalaki pagseselosan ko.'

'Sya naman gusto nya akong gumawa ng mga bagay na, alam ko namang para sa ikabubuti ko, pero hindi naman kasi yun ang gusto ko.'

'Nakakapagod. Nakakasakal. Nakakasawa.'

'Ano po - asan na po siya ngayon 'Lo?'

'Wala na siya. It cost us our relationship.'

'Lolo...'

The old man looked at her and held her hands.

'Apo, ipangako mo sa akin na magiging matatag ka para sainyo ni Jay. Pero wag mong kakalimutan na kailangan ka rin ng sarili mo. Kailangan mo rin mahalin paminsan minsan ang sarili mo.'

'Masakit man ang mga away at salitang mabitawan nyo, nakakapagod man ang mga bagay na hahanapin nyo, basta't kilala nyo pa ang isa't isa... na kayo ay si Jay at Dei na nagmamahalan, lahat kaya nyong harapin.'

She smiled at him with tears flowing from her eyes.

But it was not because she's hurt or sad... but because she finally understood that love should not be tiring.

Love shouldn't be too much.

'Salamat po 'Lo! Salamat po sobra!'

She hugged him tightly and ran outside to where her car is.

She's going back.

To her home.

In his arms.

The old man turned and held an old picture frame. It was a picture of a couple, proudly posing as newly weds.

He smiled.

'But we made it back in each other's arms. Di ba Maine?'

'Kinaya namin ng lola mo... kayanin nyo rin ni Jay apo.' He whispered before closing his eyes