Malik
For a few days, it seemed like nothing changed. I was still weak but thankfully the pain was gone. The doctors still could not find the cause.
I already felt bad for Sari because she would come to see me after a long day at work, chat with me about her day, sleep at the extra bed, then get up early to head home to change before heading to the office.
"Punta na akong office ha? Dapat mamaya magaling ka na," she would bid before she left.
"Sarimanok, pahinga ka na lang sa house niyo later. Pagod ka na eh. Saan ka nakakita ng sarimanok na ganyan kalaki ang eyebags?!"
She made a face. "Ayoko. Hindi din ako makakatulog sa pagaalala."
"Noks, I'm worried lang. Baka maaksidente ka sa pagod tapos nagdadrive."
So, she begged her parents to shuttle her around temporarily. "Ayan. Sana ma-konsensya ka na ang dami mo na inaabala." Then, she hugged me and whispered, "Joke lang. Please get better na."
It was unspoken — but I knew she was also thinking about whether I would recover from this. After all, the Datu did not make it past the age I am now.
That night, I dreamt I was floating. In the clouds, I found two women, who looked familiar but I could not place. I focused on the one who wore such colorful clothing and bore some resemblance to Sari.
"Bakit narito ka pa, Malikdem? Kailangan mong bumalik. Alagaan mo si Sari, ipangako mo," said the other.
"Pangako po. Pero... ano po bang nangyayari sa akin?"
"Isinasaayos lamang ng Tadhana ang mga bagay."
The colorful being then held out her hand.
I waited for her to speak.
"Salamat sa pagpapaligaya sa aking anak."
My eyes widened. It WAS Sari's mother. Her other mother. Her — whatever, alam niyo na yun.
She started singing and immediately I felt better.
I felt rested and then felt like I was floating again.
*
When I opened my eyes, I saw my family around me.
"Anak, kamusta ka na?"
"I'm good, Ma. Medyo pagod lang."
"You scared us for a minute there," my father said, telling me I fell unconscious again but the doctors have cleared me now.
I turned to the other figure to my right, holding my hand looking worried. "Excuse me, Miss. Bakit mo hawak yung kamay ko? Baka magselos yung gelpren ko."
"Wh - what? Malik, it's me. Sari. Hindi mo ba ako nakikilala?"
I couldn't keep up the act. "Kilala! Ikaw ang pinakamamahal kong manok!"
"Oh god. Oh god! You jerk! Babatukan kita if you weren't here! Uuuggghhhh! You're soooo annoying!"
I laughed. "Sorry. Sorry na. I'm sorry, Noks."
"Here I was, sobrang worried tapos... tapos... bwiset ka talaga."
I cupped her face. "Sorry na. I... don't know. I woke up feeling really light and happy, especially when I saw you."
My parents cleared their throats.
"Ay Ma! Pa! Girlfriend ko pala, si Sari."
"Girlfriend?! Sinagot na ba kita?"
"Ah ganun ba?" To my parents, "Ay hindi ko pa pala girlfriend. Soon-to-be daughter-in-law niyo po."
"Malik!" Sari reprimanded.
"Mother of my children?"
"Ano ka ba!"
"Fiiiineeeeee! Ma, Pa. Matagal niyo na pong kilala si Sari but ngayon ko lang po siya ipapakilala na love of my life."
That shut her up. But, by the way she was looking at me, I could tell I made her very happy.
"Anak, hindi kaya keso yung naisaksak sa'yo imbes na gamot?"
*
I wish we could share that things with Ms. Essa got better but it didn't. If any, it got worse because nowadays, even Sari drew her ire.
It got so bad that we eventually decided to both leave the company. I was offered the VP position I had been aiming for in another company, while Sari joined a company that offered her an equivalent position and compensation AND allowed her to come to work in whatever hair color she wished.
Our new companies also held business in the same building.
When our house was built, something we had been investing on for a time now, she turned to me and said, "Alam mo? We never really made us official. Nanligaw ka lang and then we started building this house."
"Huwag mo sabihing ngayon mo ko babasted-in?" I asked incredulously.
She laughed but stayed away and for a moment I was terrified. "Malik?"
"Noks?"
"I have something to tell you."
She was silent for awhile. "God, Noks mahihimatay yata ako sa takot. What is it?"
She blushed, fidgeted before finally saying, "I'm pregnant."
My jaw dropped. "You're ... you... I..."
"Hoy, kung hindi ka sure, sinasabi ko na, ikaw ang ama ng sisiw ko."
I grinned widely and closed the gap to give her a kiss.
I remembered that night a few weeks back when we celebrated her birthday and decided it was time for us to experience what we had seen from those visions.
Two words: Masarap nga.
"Alam mo, ang daya mo eh. Ako dapat yung may news na sasabihin pero tinalo mo na naman ako," I complained in jest.
"What? Ano yun, Malik?"
"You know, naisip ko din yun na we never made us official... so I thought..."
I stepped back a bit, then knelt. "My darling Sarimanok, we had a bad start in our previous life and we weren't exactly sweet when we started this one. But, in both lifetimes, I know that I've always been in love with you and am the best person when I know you love me too. I was wondering if you'd mind sharing the rest of this life, and any other future reincarnation we might be given, with me?"
Pulling out the ring, a center stone of yellow diamond surrounded with stones of all the colors of the rainbow, I formally asked, "Sari, will you marry me?"
She beamed and shed tears of joy. "Yes! Yes! Of course, I'd marry you."
Finally, a happy ever after.
P.S. She only threatened to leave me once.
Our first baby was a girl who I nicknamed Ina, short for Inahing Manok kasi ayaw niyang tawagin kong Hen. Pero pumayag si Sari because it was to honor her enchanted mother and her mother here on Earth.
Our second baby was going to be a boy. "Noks! Di ba ang roosters ang tawag Tandang?"
"You are not calling our child that!"
I grinned sheepishly. "Siyempre hindi! Pero naisip ko paano kung 'Cock-'"
"I'm leaving you, I swear I'm leaving you!"
"Noks!!!! Joke lang! Joke lang!!!!"
Buti na lang nadadaan sa kiss yun. (Siyempre hindi lang kiss! Oooopppsssss censored na yun guys.)
THE END
—
Gagawan ko ba ito ng outtake? 🤣
