It has already been a month since I have been engaged and still, hindi ko pa rin nasasabi kay Pare. Humahanap pa ko ng tymepo eh. I have been really busy kaya ganun. One night, nasa house lang ako, nagiisip nung mga things for the wedding. It’s a good thing wala akong scheduled major operations ngayon. Kung hindi, nabaliw na siguro ako. I was in my room, fixing things. Nang biglang may nag doorbell. So, I went down to see who it was. Syempre sobrang curious ako no. Medyo gabi na rin tapos bigla may pupunta sa house diba?! Tapos when I opened the door, I was a bit shocked when I saw who it was. It was Pare. “Oh, naligaw ka yata.” Yun na lang nasabi ko sa kanya. “Oo nga eh. Mali yata ko ng ikot ko dun sa may kanto.” Sabi niya tapos napasmile na lang ako, siya din eh, natuwa din yata siya sa joke niya. “So, hindi mo ba ko papapasukin?” sabi niya na nakatayo pa rin sa labas ng bahay ko. “Oh, sorry. I forgot, pasok ka.” Sabi ko, finally letting him inside. Masyado kasi ako nabigla sa pagbisita niya eh. We went straight to my room kasi nga ang dami ko pang ginagawa for the wedding. Oh my God! The wedding! Hindi ko pa nga pala nasasabi kay Pare yung tungkol sa wedding. Siguro eto na yung right time. Ah basta! Hahanap na lang ako ng timing para sabihin sa kanya. Ayun, iniwan ko muna yung mga ginagawa ko tapos tumambay kami sa may terrace sa may room ko, andun kami nakaupo sa couch sa labas under the moonlight, full moon pa nga eh. Kwentuhan, catching up with all the things that have been happening. He did most of the talking kasi nga iniisip ko pa yung speech ko kung paano ko sasabihin sa kanya na I’m getting married. Tapos biglang moment of silence. Naubusan na ng kwento. He just stared at the sky and looked at the stars, kung meron man. I laid my head on his shoulders. Grabe. Naiiyak ako! This could be the last time na ganto kami ni Pare. “So, how’s the baby?” ask ko, di ko na nakayanan yung silence eh “Okay naman. We’re having a girl.” Sabi niya na napasmile. He’s obviously happy about the baby. “So, when’s the big day?!” I asked him “Huh?!” he asked “Well, hindi ba kayo ikakasal?!” “For the sake of the kid?! No.” he said. “Huh?!” now I’m the one confused. “I mean, we already talked about it and we decided not to get married just for the kid. Kasi up to now, we’re still not sure kung kami ba talaga. I mean, we just don’t really click and what if our marriage won’t work, kawawa naman yung bata. Ayaw ko mangyari sa anak ko yun.” “We decided to you know just keep on going. Kung hindi mag work out we will remain good friends. We’d keep a healthy relationship the same as to the custody of the kid.” He said tapos silence ulit. I think this is the right time. Here it goes. Wish me luck. I took a big sigh, “Uhmm, Pare?!” sabi ko, pero hindi pa rin ako makatingin sa mata niya. Di ko kaya eh. “Bakit?!” ask niya sabay hawak sa kamay ko. Then I didn’t have to tell him kasi na feel niya yung engagement ring sa kamay ko. Then he just looked at me. Yung tingin niya parang hindi makapaniwala na hindi mo maintindihan. Grabe! Naiiyak na talaga ako! Ayan na! Feel ko na yung tears! Shiyet! “Is this what I think it is?!” he asked ulit, tapos yung boses nya parang trying to be happy na hindi mo maintindihan.I don’t know kung namalikmata lang ako or what pero parang I saw pain in his eyes when he was saying those words. “Uhmm, Pare.” Sabi ko then isa pang big sigh, “I’m getting married.” Finally nasabi ko din siya! “I know. Twinx told me.” Sabi niya then smiled at me. “Huh?! Paano naman nalaman ni Twinx?!” “Nagkasalubong daw sila ni doc sa mall and then yun, sinabi nga ni doc that you’re getting married nga daw.” Sabi niya. “Oh okay.” Yun na lang nasabi ko, tapos silence ulit. “Uhmm… Pare, can I ask you a favor?!” sabi ko sa kanya. “Huh?! What is it?! Anything. Alam mo naman na kahit ano basta para sa Pare ko eh.” Sabi niya “Would you like to be doc’s best man?!” I asked him nervously. “Huh?! Ako?! Bakit naman ako?! Diba yung best man yung best friend ng groom?!” sabi niya “Well, yeah kaya lang kasi we decided to switch. Yung maid of honor ko yung best niya from med school. Syempre kailangan ko pa ba pumili ng best man?! Hahanap pa ba ko ng iba?! Eh alam naman ng lahat ng nakakakilala sakin na hindi makokompleto yun kung wala yung pinakaimportanteng guy sa buhay ko eh.” Sabi ko sa kanya then I looked at him waiting for his answer. “Sure. Basta para sa’yo.” Sabi niya. “Thanks. Pare!” sabi ko then I hugged him. “Pare, congrats.” He said the he hugged back so tight. As if he never wanted to let me go. We stayed like that for a while. Then he whispered sa ears ko, “ I wish I had never let you go.” Naiyak na ko dun. Grabe. “Huh?!” I wana hear it again to be sure. “Wala.” Then with that I rested my head on his shoulder, his arms around me, keeping me warm as I silently cried in his arms.
