Never shall we sink, too.

V

1 year 3 months ago.

P O N G G A Y

"So Bea really will not attend your wedding Ponggs?" Ate Ly asked me while sipping her cosmopolitan drink. We are here in Tiammy's VIP bar for my bridal shower.

"No. Nagsabi na sya saakin ate, wala na pong chance. Besides ako naghatid sakanya sa airport. Nandun den si Pia and si.. Jho. We all saw Bea's flight took off."

She's there, Jhoana, she's on her third beer. We all feel that she wants to drink more. But she can't. She's sitting with Nico, who is now chatting with Keifer, golf stuff.

We haven't heard from Pia, but as per Tiammy she was obviously crying herself to sleep for the past 2 months. She's getting better for the past few weeks, tho. She started seeing her friends outside the volleyball community.

"What happened between Jho and Bea?"

"I asked her that night mismo, she said that Bea confessed to her. Pero di daw sya nakapagsalita kasi sila na ni Nico at that time, di nya daw alam kung anong sasabihin nya. Ang gusto nya lang daw magpaalam sa 'beh' nya. Di nya daw ineexpect na ganon sasabihin ni Bea." Deanna said as she was roommates with Jho. Jema wasn't able to join because of prior commitments with her friends.

"Nobody really said anything to Bea? "Ate Den asked. They all shook their head no. "Don't you think that we are being unfair for Bea?"

"Baket Ate, is she being fair to us?" Jho butted in. "We didn't know that she is already leaving until 3 days before her flight, we didn't know that she won't be using her final year, that we clearly agreed to use. We didn't know that she will not attend to Ponggay's wedding. We didn't know that she and Pia already broke up. We-we didn't know that she... she... she was still in love with me. I didn't know! Tell me Ate, is she being fair?! To us?! To me?!"

Nico came to our table, she asked Ly what happened, she mouthed "Bea". Nico is a good guy. He knows that Jho still haven't moved on from the fact that Bea confessed her feelings to her, days before she disappeared like a bubble. But he was there, he stayed with Jho.

"Love, do you want to go home?" Nico asked and she nodded.

"Ponggs, sorry I didn't mean to ruin your party. I just miss her." Jho apologized before leaving.

"It's okay Jho, I miss her too. We miss her. See you on friday ha?"

"I will. Una na kami. Thanks Ponggs." They went home.

Friday came, my wedding day. The wedding went okay, we are all happy, as we are trying to forget the fact that Bea isn't there. Nobody's hoping for her to arrive, I made it perfectly clear.

She. Will. Not. Show. Up.

We had fun at the reception, we laughed, we smiled at the pictures, we danced. But you can still feel that there is... empty space, that only she, can fill.

We enjoyed our honeymoon to South Korea, courtesy of her, Bea.

--

1 year later after the wedding, an envelope was sent to our home. It was 2 tickets. My heart pounded cause we had an agreement, before that she will buy me tickets to US so we can meet. But to my disappointment, it was tickets to Japan. Not to US, as I was hoping.

A letter was attached to it. "Happy wedding anniversary. -Bea". I smiled and ran to Kobe to show the gift. We went to Japan one month after that.

Last week, I asked ate Ly to our home for some help.

"What if 'hey Bea. How are you? Kami okay lang naman walang bago except the fact that Jho is now ENGAGED?! Oh and BTW, you are invited to their wedding on January!'" Ate Ly suggested.

She was the only person that knows that I have her email, besides my husband.

"Ate! Seryoso na nga. Eto na nga ba ang sinasabi ko eh kay Jho eh. Sabi ko naman sakanya wala na akong contact sakanya."

"Eh baket pinilit pa den nya?"

"Di daw sya naniniwala."

"Eh baket ka pumayag?"

"Eh kasi..."

"Gusto mo den syang pauwiin." Ate Ly finished my sentence.

"Di mo ba sya na mi-miss ate?" I asked her.

"Na-mi-miss syempre. Baby besh ko yun." I just looked at the empty box at my laptop when Ate Ly snatched it from me. "Okay. Amina, what are your ideas ba?"

"Wala nga ate eh. Sige na nga yung iyo na lang."

"Sira ulo ka. Nagbibiro lang ako. Hmm. What if eto..." she started typing. Hoping that we can get a response.

Unfortunately, no Bea attended the second wedding from the Lady Eagles. I can't hate her, she's my best friend.

--

After 1 year, a lot changed. I mean A LOT!! Let me break it down to you:

Me and Kobe, Jho and Nico are happily married. We have been trying to conceive but no luck for both us.

Ate Den and LA are engaged. But still no date on the wedding. When I found that out, I was like "com'on, Ate Den naunahan pa namin kayo ni Jho".

Ate Ly and Keifer broke up. He messed up again, this time, Ate Ly didn't give her another chance.

Mika and Jerome broke up too. He cheated with someone he worked with in a movie.

In that case, Mika and Ate Ly got together. Right?! Right?! A lot were also shocked, including me, but they are the MikaSa for crying out loud. #TeamBabe.

Deanna and Jema broke up. Deanna went to states to study for her Master's degree. Jema and Fhen got back together. They are happy, besides the fact that Fhen cheated again, once. Other than that, no other mishap.

Oh, Ate Jia and Miguel got engaged too. But they broke off the wedding cause Miguel got someone pregnant from a one night stand. It was a birthday party of their captain, who is known for being "babaero". He invited a lot of pretty girls. There were drinks, one way led to another, Miguel ended up in bed, naked with someone else. Not Jia, but someone else. I didn't know what Jia was thinking why she let Miguel went to the party, in the first place. Maybe the trust that they built over the years.

Jia was miserable for 6 months from the incident. Miguel was trying to get her to talk to him, but she was so insistent that she don't want anything to do with him. Since Miguel is from a family of respected business family, they arranged the marriage to the girl that he got pregnant. They migrated to Canada to start their family.

Despite of all these, there is one change that I'm still waiting to happen.

Bea being here in the Philippines. For good.