Change [Ricci Rivero, Completed]

Kabanata XXXIV

"Okay, so to start off, we'd like to have our 20 sunflowers first. As I read your wish, you'd stand up and dance with our birthday girl." explain ni Jastin as he starts the program. "Each of you would have different songs you'll dance to, personally chosen by Alex herself but hindi siya ang nagassign sa inyo kundi kami at ang ilang tao sa audience na navolunteer to do this with us and for Alex." dugtong pa niya. I'm starting to get ecstatic for the next moments since surprise pala ang songs sa bawat tao na isasayaw ako dito. "Are you ready for your 20 sunflowers, Alex?" tanong nito. "Hindi pwede malaman ang order ng lalaking sasayaw? Kinakabahan ako ah! Pero game na!"

Nagsimula na ang 20 dances and my first dance was my dad. Nakakaiyak yung message niya at habang nasayaw, nagiiyakan kami at naguusap. Sumunod naman si Kuya, Lolo, Tito, then Donny, the GA's, Tito Pao and the Rivero's na sinayaw ako from youngest to eldest. Even the tiniest Rivero, Riley, danced with me while saying such good words when I was dancing with him. "Achi, ang pretty pretty mo naman. Happy ka ba sa birthday mo?" he asked like a grown up. Never thought such question would come from a kid as young as Riley. "Oo naman, baby! Ikaw ba, happy ka?" tanong ko sa kanya pabalik. "Opo, pero mas masaya po si Sahia ko!"

"Talaga?" I asked, "Bakit?"

"Kasi ang ganda ganda niyo po tonight! Hehe!" bibo nitong sabi sa akin at nagpaalam na as the 2nd youngest replaces him. All of their wishes were so touching sa puso na I've never imagined in my life na I'd deserve people like them. I have the best guy friends and family members ever and I can't thank God enough for blessing me with such, as always.

As Jastin gives away the last sunflower for Prince and reading his wish for me, I am gutted and curious why Ricci isn't part of this. "Kuya, did I forget to send Ricci a memo na part siya ng 20 sunflowers?" I asked Prince. "I have no idea eh. Pero wag mo isipin ng too much. Enjoy this dance nalang muna, okay?" he said and dances with me through the song assigned sa kaniya. It was beautiful— All of the stars was playing as we move along.

"Okay and that's it for our 19th sunflower. Apprently, it should've been 20 sunflowers, but one rose dared to conquer the field and decided to stand out." Jastin said and my eyes grew wide and my jaw dropped in shock and anxiety.

"Like his wish for her, and I quote: Dear Alex, I could still remember the very first time I laid eyes on you, when you entered our room for our BusiMath class. Tanda mo pa ba nung nagbanta ka sakin and attempted to hit me because I was staring at you? That's when I knew you were different. The good kind of different. That same moment, out of all the people who were inside that class, you were like a rose in a field of sunflowers— you stood out."

Hindi parin lumalapit ang magbibigay nung rose na yun sakin but I knew there's only one person na hinamon ko kaagad the very first time I met him. It was Ricci. I closed my eyes ever so tightly, wishing this isn't a dream of any kind. Sana totoo at walang halong biro.

"You always hate it when you think you're not the same as others but little do you know, someone appreciates your uniqueness." I looked at Ricci this tine, who was looking down at his fingers, fidgeting and shy again. Tinuro ako ni Jean as she calls Ricci's attention too oara tumingin sa akin. Nung tumunghay siya, I pouted as he smiled widely back in return. I mouthed sa kanya "thank you." and he became bashful again and shy as he avoids my gaze. Naiiyak ako, I nevee expected something like this to happen, specially coming kay Ricci.

"I wish you won't be too hard on yourself, blaming it to be the root of your every failure. I wish you'd always be as strong as a lion and always keep fighting. Whatever happened between the both of us is already a thing of the past, and I wish you'd heal and learn from the lessons you gathered from that part of you life. I wish you happiness and the love you deserve kagaya ng lagi kong sinasabi sayo. Thank you for everything... Ricci." I was shedding tears already as Jastin finished reading Ricci's wish. Ricci stood up at nagkanchawan na silang lahat ng sobrang lalakas. Everyone brought their phones out and took footage of the upcoming final dance. when one of our song played. (play audio/attached vid ty!)

...You look so wonderful in your dress
I love your hair like that
The way it falls on the side of your neck
Down your shoulders and back...

"Ang galing gumawa ng eksena, Ricci ah." kanchaw ko sa kanya as he approaches me. "Eksena ka diyan. Like you, I want to stand out too. I want to be unique and different. I dared to be the only rose so that maaalala mo ako through this." he said. Inabot niya ang kamay niya sakin for the dance. Tinitigan ko lang yun and halos magdissolve ako sa thoughts ko. "Can I have this dance?" he asked as he gives me his hand. "Ofcourse, Ricci Paolo."

We are surrounded by all of these lies
And people who talk too much
You've got that kind of look in your eyes
As if no one knows anything but us

I rested my chin sa balikat niya and swayed along with the song. "Don't rest your chin sa shoulder ko. You always get drowsy when you do that." biro niya sakin. "Yeah, like it has some kind of  drug that puts me to sleep. I remember that." I pulled away sa pagkakatapong ng chin ko sa balikat niya and looked at my feet. Nahiya ako bigla when I mentioned it again. Baka nakamove on na yung tao.

And should this be the last thing I see
I want you to know it's enough for me
'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need

"Dont feel bad. I remember it too. I never forgot about it. It used to be so magical, diba? Umiirit pa nga ako noon when you do that eh." he laughed and and I covered my eyes. I remember so much from that part of our times together before. If its one of the things that made him smile, for me, its one of the moments that made me fall for him even more.

....You look so beautiful in this light
Your silhouette over me
The way it brings out the blue in your eyes
Is the Tenerife sea...

"Thanks for this, Ricci." I cried ever so softly kasi sobrang full ng heart ko ngayon. This moment is just so overwhelming and fullfilling at the same time. "For what, Alex?" he asked. "For this final dance. You didn't really have to." sabi ko sa kanya. "But I wanted to, kaya I'm here." he said and smiled at me, patting my head and my shoulder.

I looked down again and stared at my feet, trying to avoid his gaze. His eyes are so captivating, I'm afraid na if titigan ko, baka makulong ako at hindi na makalabas from there. "Why won't you look at me? Ayaw mo sakin?" he asked. I looked at him and he was pouting. I shut his pout with my index finger which made him smile than removed it. "Stop doing that, Alex."

I'm so in love, so in love
So in love, so in love

I laughed, ever so softly and looked at Ricci while this part of the song was playing. I tried to finally release grip pero what he did sa kamay kong hawak niya was hinigpitan niya at di pakawalan. "Ayoko pa. Lets finish the song please? Last nanaman ako eh."

"Ano pa paguusapan natin? Sira ka ba, ha? 3 minuto na tayo dito, oy." sabi ko sa kanya. "Eh ayoko pa eh, hayaan mo na ako." sabi niya sakin as he looks down, starting to feel shy and bashful nanaman. Hindi nanaman tumutunghay— hinintay ko pero di kaagad gawin, until he finally spoke up again.

"Hayaan mo akong bumawi ngayong oras na to para sa mga panahon na hindi ko nagawa to para sayo." nagulat ako sa sinabi niya at napanganga nalang ulit sa sobrang tuwa. Parang sasabog na ang puso ko. "Namiss ko 'to. Lahat ng 'to. Namiss ko nang gawin para sayo." he said habang nakatungo parin as the last seconds of the song was playing. I am in shock right now and all I ever got to do was rest my forehead sa dibdib niya at ngumiti. I missed this feeling, sobra pa sa sobra.

I won't ever trade this moment for something else in the world. I am blessed and kahit di niya sabihin and doesn't intend to do so, feeler na kung feeler, pero ramdam ko ang pagmamahal niyang tagos sa buto. Pagmamahal na di naman tila kailanman talaga naglaho.