7200 (Short Story)

Day four

5760.

White and blue flowers. Calm blue sea. Warm and relaxing breeze.

Itinaas ni Caleb ang aking belo at mabagal na lumapit para sa isang mainit na halik. My tear immediately fall.

I said yes when he asked me yesterday.

Naubos ang aming maghapon kahapon para sa gagawing kasal. He wanted to do it as soon as possible.

Kaya naman napagdesisyunan namin kahapon ang isang beach wedding. With few of our friends and relatives. Pareho kaming wala nang magulang. My mom died in cancer. My dad died when he couldn't take the sadness of my mom passing.

Ang mga magulang naman ni Caleb ay hindi niya nakilala. He was raised by his grandmother, who died when he was sixteen.

Rinig ang takong ni Mia nang lumapit ito sa akin. I tore my eyes from the beach at tipid na ngumiti sa kanya.

Maaga siyang sumunod dito sa Palawan para tulungan ako. We didn't hire any professionals for our wedding. We wanted it to be private and unforgettable.

Dahan dahan kong hinubad ang aking roba. I saw my reflection on the mirror. My lips are pale and my eyes look so weak and tired.

Inalalayan ako ni Mia sa bathtub nang makuntento siya sa gustong timpla ng init noon.

The warm water hugged my skin. I can't believe I'm getting married. To Caleb!

"I can't believe this." si Mia. Para bang nababasa niya ang nasa isip ko. Tipid akong ngumiti.

"I thought you'll leave him quietly after a week, but now you're marrying him?" Nagtataka at may bahid na pag-aalalang tinig. She gently massaged my head with shampoo.

Napapikit ako doon. "How couldn't I?"

"I'm just worried, Ands... I think it's a bit..." sumingit ako, "unfair?"

I know. It is unfair on his side, pero paano ako tatanggi kahapon nang unahan ako ng aking damdamin? Who would say no to his dramatic wish?

And I love him. Ano pa bang rason ang kailangan para tumanggi sa kanya?

Nang humiwalay siya sa halik ay hindi agad ako nakabawi. Malabo ang tingin ko sa kanya dahil sa mga luha.

People are clapping. I also heard a few cries. Kahit ang hikbi ni Mia ay hindi nakatakas sa akin. She smiled at me.

Caleb picked me up from the ground. Humiyaw ang mga tao sa kanyang ginawa. I chuckled. Ang ulo ay inihiga ko sa kanyang leeg.

I closed my eyes, hearing people cheering and clapping. Alam kong dumiretso si Caleb sa loob ng bahay.

He opened the door of our room while kissing me. The way he tilt his head for a deeper kiss made me crazy.

Humiwalay lamang ito nang ibinaba ako sa kama. Nakahiga ako doon, siya ay nasa aking gilid, ang mga kamay niya ay nakatukod sa mga gilid ko. Magkadikit pa rin ang aming mga noo. Parehong hingal sa malalim na halik.

"I love you," he whispered.

I leaned in for another kiss. "I love you too... so much."

Hinawakan ko ang kanyang leeg dahil sa intensasyon ng aming halik. Sa sobrang sabik ay halos hilahin ko na ang kanyang kuwelyo.

He chuckled at my violent move. Sinimangutan ko lamang. "Not so fast, baby."

Umiling ako at muling dumikit para sa halik. Our kiss got deeper. Ang mga kamay ay naging balisa dahil sa init na nararamdaman.

I waited for this for so long. Noon ay sa panaginip ko lang ito nararating. Now it's true. I am married to Caleb Medina. I am now Leighandra Acosta Medina. The wife of a successful engineer.

I married the man of my dreams. The man I loved for years. The man I couldn't think will be mine.

Itinaas ko ang kaliwang kamay kung nasaan ang aking singsing. Kuminang ang batong naroon.

I smiled. Ang katabi ko ay mahimbing na natutulog. His hand is on my naked stomach. Umusog ako at inalis ang pagitan sa aming dalawa.

Ang hintuturo ko ay pinasadahan ko mula sa kanyang noo, matangos na ilong, at mapupulang labi.

Natukso akong halikan iyon kaya naman ginawa ko. I am his wife now anyway.

I pecked his lips. Nang makalayo sa kanyang mukha ay hindi siya gumalaw. I kissed him again. Hihiwalay na sana ako but his hand went on the back of my head, trying to stop me for moving away.

He kissed me back. Nang matapos ay sumilay ang ngisi sa kanyang labi. His lips are red nang dilaan niya iyon.

I bit mine. Nahuli niya ako!

When he opened his eyes, it was menacing and dangerous. Like his usual stare.

"You're addicted, aren't you?" Panunukso nito. His hand went from my stomach to my lower back. He pulled me closer to him. Napahawak ako sa hubad niyang dibdib.

I shake my head, trying to piss him off. Pero tumawa lang ito at hinalikan muli ako.

We were happy the whole day. Except at night, where I was screaming and crying in pain.