Defying Gravity

Chapter 20

DEFYING GRAVITY
CHAPTER 20

-Wakas-

It is the third night nang mauwi ang katawan ni Adamson dito. Nang makita ko ang kabaong, di na akmo tumigil sa pagiyak. Para nga akong kinagat ng bubuyog sa mata eh.

Andito kami sa bahay niya. Tatlong araw na rin akong walang tulog, walang kain, walang ligo. Wala na akong pake kung ano ang hitsura ko.

All I want to do right now is to mourn infront of my future husband's coffin. Ito yung kinatatakutan ko eh, yung may mamamatay sa mga mahal ko sa buhay. This is so much worse, my life died.

"Co-condolence" nabigla ako sa nagsalita-si Carter.

"Why are you here? I thought you're in-" di ko natapos na sabi.

"I am well. I'm sorry for being a douche bag, Zy. I was just blinded by my love for you before. Gusto ko akin ka lang but then narealize ko na di pala tama. Kasi sa kahit anong angulo mo siya titignan, mali talaga ang ibigin ka" sabi niya.

"I-I'm glad you came to your senses." sabi ko. I look at Adamson's coffin. Hi babe. Look at us now! We are okay. I wish you were here. I cried at such thought. I really don't know how, baby. I don't really know how to move on.

"Zymith, sometimes, God allows someone to bid you goodbye so that mas matuunan mo pa nang pansin ang mas mahalagang bagay" sabi ni Carter.

"He is the most important person to me, Carter. I gave all my time to him. I even gave my heart to him. Isn't that enough?" sagot ko. Di na siya nagsalita pa. Binaling ko ang tingin ko sa kabaong. May sundalo na nakabantay sa kilid ng kabaong niya. How he died? a shot on his chest.

Nasa chapel ako nang may lumapit sa akin na sundalo. "I'm sorry for your loss" sabi niya.

Di ko magawang sumagot. Iyak lang ako ng iyak. Masakit eh. Parang ayaw kong tanggapin ang katotohanan.

"I am one of his close friend. I-I am the one he saved." sabi pa niya. I look at him in the eye. I can tell that he's about to cry.

"He died in combat. He catched that bullet for me kasi alam niya na may baby ako" sabi niya. I cried even more. How could he do that? How could he be still nice to someone in the midst of death?

"Before kami sumabak sa giyera, pinakita niya ako sa picture mo. Sabi pa nga niya ang cute mo raw matulog. Nakasandal ka sa shoulder niya habang naka nganga. Nasa Poker kayo nun. He snap that photo kasi nanibighani na siya sayo." kuwento niya. I stopped crying to listen to his story.

"He told me na ikaw lang ang babaeng minahal niya nang ganun. I ask him about his last letter. He told me he was writing for you." sabi niya.

"Bakit ako? Bakit hindi ang family niya?" tanong ko, nagbabakasakaling may kasagutan.

"His family knows his fate. Ikaw ang sinulatan niya kasi alam niyang di ka pa ready if ever mangyayari ito"

I cried again. I am hella not ready, Adamson. Why do you have to leave so soon?

"He told me that when this time comes, I should be the one who'll tell you this. Well, I owe him my life." sabi niya tsaka umiyak. "Captain Gamboa is such a great comrade. He wanted me to give you this" tugon pa niya at inabot ang isang sunflower necklace.

Hinawakan ko ang necklace ko. Lumapit ako sa coffin to see his face. He is still handsome and he looks so peaceful sleeping. I hope you are just sleeping so that when you wake up, we'll live our own fairytale, darling.

...

The most hateful day has come. Ililibing na si Adamson. I am stuck between burying our memories together with him and live my life or holding unto hope that someday, somewhere, we'll meet again and this time, no one can tear us apart.

"Zymith, you have to do the speech na" tugon ni tita Jaizel. Tumayo ako tsaka pumunta sa harap.

"Hi! Maybe you don't know me but I am Zymith. The soon to be mrs. Gamboa sana" I smiled bitterly.

"Adamson is such a giddy man. Abnormal to. Palaging may kalokohan na nakareserve sa utak. Pero kahit ganun siya, di niya ako niloko." sabi ko tsaka tumawa ng mahina.

"I am so lucky to have Adamson as my fiancé. I am not good at making speeches, I'm sorry. Babe," tumingin ako sa coffin. I bit my lower lip to stop my tears from falling. "Thank you for giving me happiness for a shot period of time. Thank you for always being my knight in shining combat boots. Thank you for always being a clown whenever I am visited by my anxiety. Thank you for not giving up on us. I don'tk now why do you have to leave so soon. I demand answers. Hintayin mo ako jan, Adamson ha? I will do my best to live, just as how you want me to. But when my time has come, meet me at the gates of heaven and there we'll say "I do" to each other. Okay baby?" I said as my tears ran down to my cheeks. Hinarap ko ang mga tao, they are crying too kaya napahagulhol ako. "Adamson wants me to sing a song, would you mind?" tanong ko pero umiling sila.

"In another life,
I would be your girl.
We'd keep all our promises
Be us against the world.

In another life,
I would make you stay.
So I don't have to say
You were the one that got away,
The one that got away"

I put the microphone down at tsaka ako bumagsak sa lupa. Inalalayan ako ni Dianne at Jason patungo sa upuan ko. Kinuha na ang flag sa coffin at pinaputok na ang mga baril. Matapos ibigay ang flag kina tito Adam, pinatayo na kami para sa last farewell. Lumapit ako nang lumapit hanggang sa di ko mapigilan at humagulhol ako habang yakap ang kabaong. Papa tapped my shoulder kaya dun ako yumakap sa kanya.

At habang binababa ang coffin, mas lalo akong umiyak. I cannot see him again.

Adamson, baby. I promise you that I'll never love anyone again. It will always be you, darling. Until my last breath, it will always be you. I will continue defying gravity until we meet again, my one and only knight in shining combat boots.