Flashback to 8 years ago...
Sarah and Gerald spent as much time as they can together that summer. They had one dance class together and namangha si Gerald sa angking galing ni Sarah. Her moves could be likened to a professional dancer. Habang si Gerald naman, hirap sa simula makisabay sa steps. Medyo hiphop and jazz ang background ng dance instructor nila and both Sarah and Gerald enjoyed the class. At one point, they were partnered together and Sarah couldn’t help but feel conscious whenever they would have to be in close proximity or do some steps that required a lot of touching and lifting. Napansin ni Gerald na madalas, umiiwas ng tingin si Sarah sa kanya. Nang minsang binuhat niya si Sarah by the waist, Gerald noticed how slim she was and impulsively said, “Sexy ka pala Sa...”
Sarah ignored him and pretended to stumble...”Ay peklat!” Napatawa na lang si Gerald...
During break time, they would usually take out their food and eat under the tree by the lake. It became their spot. Some days, they just sat beside each other quietly, especially when Sarah was deep in thought. Some days, kulitan naman sila. Sarah was funny when she would let loose. No, she didn’t tell jokes but her innocence and candidness were naturally ...kakaiba.
One time, Gerald asked her about her ideal date and at first she described how she dreamed it to be until she became so conscious and waved the bottle of water she was holding at him causing him to get wet.
She even joked “Sorry na, umi-istyle lang ako para mapunasan kita!” This made him laugh even more.
It didn’t seem that she was being forward..in fact, napakamahiyain niya and non-assuming. He liked that he can be herself around her. One time, he didn’t realize that he had been talking about basketball for an hour and Sarah, who has never in her life watched a game of basketball, was listening intently. It was so sweet...a simple gesture that meant a lot to him.
As the camp had separate areas for boys and girls, Gerald would, at times, break curfew and sneak in the girls’ area to spend more time with Sarah. They would spread a blanket and look at the stars. For him, he was imagining the endless possibilities. The future looked hopeful somewhat with her around. Was he in love? He was not sure. But this feeling is something that he has never felt towards anyone in the past.
Sarah, on the otherhand, dreaded the day she had to go back home. The six weeks seemed to be crawling by so fast. She was confused. There was genuine happiness as she enjoyed dance and singing but she somehow felt like it was all for nothing and she couldn’t relax as much as she could. On the otherhand, there was Gerald. He seemed to care a lot about her and she valued his friendship. But she was afraid that she might feel too much for him and a heartbreak is something that she can’t deal with right now.
One night under the stars, Gerald knew something was more amiss than before with Sarah. Feeling helpless and unable to help her, Gerald slowly inched his left hand towards hers and held it lightly. When she didn’t remove it, he boldly took it in his, held it with both hands in his lap, and looked at her. She looked back, taken aback by Gerald’s gesture and while holding her gaze, Gerald brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.
Gerald said, “ Sa, alam ko, there’s so much na gumugulo sa isip mo ngayon. It’s not lost on me na marami kang iniisip about the choices that you’ll make. Gusto ko Masaya ka...whatever it may be. It will break my heart to see you hurt and sad. At kung hindi pwede na unahin mo ang happiness mo, remember that I’ll always be here for you. I’ll try to make you a little bit happy even if the situation is not ...ideal. I will never lose hope for you though. I...I..”
Ninenerbyos at kung ano pa ang masabi ng binata, biglang sumabat si Sarah, “Ge, thank you. Na-appreciate ko talaga yung friendship. You don’t know how hard it is for me. Parang i’m being pulled in two directions. I love my dad but I want to love myself too and ang sakit na I can’t do both and I have to choose. Pasensiya na kung minsan, tumatahimik ako at di ko ma-share yung pakiramdam ko...baka kase magsawa ka sa problems ko na parang wala naman solutions...hay!” Napabuntong hininga si Sarah..
“Basta Sarah, I’ll always be here for you..”
At the end of the six weeks, all the camp participants had to join a Grand Finale Show, which showcased their talents. Towards the end of the show, the staff decided to make Sarah’s number one of last. It was nearing evening then and she came out of the stage wearing a black strappy gown. Her hair was held up and the lights dimmed, except for a single strobe light focused on her. It was nearing evening and Gerald was seated by the left side of the stage, seemingly transfixed at the vision in front of him.
She sang “ The Last Time” so beautifully, feeling every word and every note.
And he thought of some random guy in the future that Sarah might sing that song to.
And for the first time, he felt afraid.
It was at that moment, when she sang the last note, when he realized he was in love.
Author's note: (Repost) hi everyone! thanks for reading my FF again. I obviously took some stuff from the movies and in real life and made it part of the story. Wala namang malisya but because (1.) i'm really not a writer so i need a lot of help thinking of possible dialogues/scenes, and (2.) sometimes when i watch vids/clips of Sa/Ge, I imagine a background story for it. So, credit to the writer of WLADWY (for the "Ay, Peklat!" line )and to Sasa's natural wit (for the scene I borrowed sa SGL Yacht date). Lastly, Sarah's rendition of Last Time is also one of my fave! So, please play it as you read that part where she sings it. thanks again!!
