HER
We've just arrived at Maldives, specifically at Island Club Punta Fuego.
Napag-usapan namin na magrest muna at magsettle ng mga luggage before we go out and explore the Island Resort. We're just taking our time at hindi kami nagmamadali because we have the whole week to enjoy this place naman.
And since ako lang yung single sa barkada, and the rest of them has their wives and husbands, mag-isa lang ako sa room at sila with their partners.
Ang saya diba?
"Besh, keri mo ba talaga mag-isa dito? Pwede naman kitang samahan." sabi ni Ella.
"Besh, nakaya ko nga ng limang taon mag-isa, ngayon pa kaya? Tsaka samahan mo nalang si Jovito sa kwarto niyo! Duwag pa naman yun!" sagot ko naman sakanya at natawa.
"Hala siya! Humugot ka pa! O siya, puntahan ko nga lang dun si Jovito," paalam niya na sinang-ayunan ko naman.
Pag-alis ni Ella, binitawan ko muna ang mga hawak kong damit at inilapag iyon sa kama. Lumabas ako dito sa balcony at saka pinagmasdan ang nakakapigil hiningang tanawin ng beach at papalapit na sunset.
"Baby ko, ano bang meron dyan sa tinitignan mo? Kanina ka pa tulala." I told him while we're having our date in the rooftop. Nakasandal ako sakanya habang nakayakap siya mula sa likod ko at nakapatong ang baba niya sa balikat ko.
"Ay, sorry babe. It's the sunset." sabi niya at napatingin naman ako doon. Maganda naman talaga.
"Alam mo ba, ito yung pinaka-inaabangan ko araw araw. Simula bata pa ako, gustong gusto ko na 'to, kasi bukod sa nakikita ko yung iba't ibang kulay ng ulap, habang tumatagal, mas lalong lumalalim ang pag tingin ko dito. Parang sa'yo," sabi niya at saka ako tinignan at hinalikan sa pisngi.
Hinarap ko naman siya at pinisil ang pisngi niya. "Makasingit lang tayo eh noh." tawa ko at natawa din siya.
Kinuha niya at kamay ko at saka ito hinalikan at dinala sa pisngi niya. "It's true my love." sabi niya at tiningnan ako sa mata.
The kind of look that could make me melt inside.
The kind of look that makes me feel like I'm the luckiest woman in the world.
Grabe lang, Lord.
Ang pogi at nakakainlove lang lalo yung boyfriend ko. Parang araw araw champion ako dito eh.
Dinala ko ang kamay ko sa buhok niya at sinuklay yun.
"Do you wanna know why?" he asked and I nodded.
"Because for me, it reminds me that endings could be beautiful too. Don't get me wrong, I love the sunrise, it's a reminder of another chance, that no matter how bad yesterday has been, you can still give it another try. But with the sunset, it's not just that, I can also see myself with it. Most times of my life have been spent in the dark, baby. But you know, no matter how bad everything may seem, I always tend to make it beautiful. I can also see hope by that. And of course, I'm like the clouds and you're the sun in the sunset." he said and kissed my forehead.
"You light up my world and make it colorful, beautiful. And you gave my life a meaning." sabi niya and just like that, I felt so overwhelmed with love and happiness with this man.
I'm just wondering, wherever he is right now, is he still looking up to the sunset?
Or maybe he already forgot.
HIM
I leaned towards the railings of my balcony while watching the sunset.
Today is just another day.
I don't know why but it somehow feels familiar.
Looking up to the sunset brings back a lot of memories.
I heaved a sigh and just appreciated everything that I see around me.
Hanggang kailan, Kiefer?
HER
It's nighttime already at nagkayayaan na ang barkada mag-dinner, tapos by later we'll have a bonfire by the beach.
Pagkatapos namin magdinner, hindi na kami umakyat at nagtungo nalang sa sand at tsaka gumawa ng bonfire ang boys, kaming mga girls naman, inayos namin yung mga sapin, food and drinks.
When everyone's already settled, umupo na kami.
"Okay guys, so okay naman na lahat, why don't we play a game?" excited na tanong ni Den at sinang-ayunan naman kaagad ng barkada.
"Sige, so yung naisip kong first game, is called 'the best and the worst' this is about the life experiences, sasabihin niyo yung the best experiences and the worst experiences in your life so far, best comes to best and worst comes to worst, dali!" sabi niya at nag-isip naman kami agad.
Si Lau yung nagpresintang mauna.
"I think the best experience I've had so far was when I got married to Von, of course, and the worst is that I get to do the wife duties which are the household chores that I'm not really familiar of." sabi niya at natawa naman kami dun.
"It's okay, hon. You're doing great," sabi ni Von at hinalikan siya sa ulo. Kinilig kami doon at yung boys naman inasar na sila.
"Okay since Lau go first, Von goes the second," sabi ni Amy.
"I don't share this much, but I think the best thing that ever happened to me wasn't the marriage, it's the moment that I fell inlove with Lau because from then, my life just got better each and everyday." kwento niya.
"And you started to have feelings!" sabi ni Den at natawa naman kami.
Well, totoo naman. Sobrang cold naman talaga ng personality ni Von dati, but not after he met Lau.
"Yeah yeah, and the worst, is when I lost my bestfriend five years ago," sabi niya that made us all silent.
Minsan lang mag-ganito si Von but once he does this you'll know it's real.
"Okay, si Ella naman!" turo ni Den na halatang medyo umiwas doon sa topic.
Siguro naiilang sila dahil nandito ako.
They kept on talking and sharing pero tahimik na ako. Napaisip nalang ako sa sinabi ni Von.
Here comes again the 'what if he stayed' thoughts of mine.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice na tapos na pala silang lahat at ako nalang.
"The best experience so far was the Season 76 Championship, cinderella run that made history on the whole UAAP. Kasi for me, it was really the turning point of my life. That experience was really the one who made me become who I am today. It's like my roots talaga, na siya yung main reason bakit nangyayari sakin lahat ng 'to, lahat ng successand career ko sa buhay." sabi ko at para naman silang naiiyak.
"Yung worst, si Kiefer parin," I honestly told them and they got a bit shocked.
Maybe they weren't expecting that, I wasn't either.
But this has to get out of my chest.
"Kiefer, he was my everything, you all know that, I was ready..., I was ready for him, that anytime by then when he's gonna ask me that question I know I'm gonna say yes. I was actually slowly practicing on how to be a good wife for him na nga eh. By cooking and other stuffs. But shit happened..." I told them and tears came running through my face.
"Nasaktan lang naman ako eh. Pero bakit ganun? Ako na yung nadurog siya pa yung sumuko? Papatawarin ko naman siya... 'yun nga lang masakit pa. Kinailangan ko lang ng oras... kaya lang parang kasalanan ko pa na nasaktan ako at nanghingi ako ng pahinga kasi nawala siya." I broke down. Pati sila, tumutulo na rin yung ilang luha.
Nagsilapitan sila sakin at niyakap ako.
"I'm sorry." someone suddenly spoke behind me that made all of us froze.
***
