Bulong ng Puso

Final Chapter

One year later...

"Come on Louise!" Binaltak ni Rhea ang kamay niya upang sapilitan siyang itayo sa kinauupuan. Pasigaw itong muling nagsalita, "what for are we here if you're gonna spend the evening sitting there!" Protesta nito.

She took a sip from the cocktail she's drinking bago sumagot, "ano?" pasigaw din niyang sagot. It was 12 midnight at malakas ang dagundong ng maharot na musika sa bar, halos hindi niya marinig ang kaibigan sa kabila ng malakas na tinig nito.

Inilapit nitong bahagya ang mukha sa kanyang tainga, "ang sabi ko, ang KJ mo!"

Natawa si Louise sa sinabi ng kaibigan. Hindi naman talaga siya mahilig mag bar, at wala siyang kabalak balak na pumasok sa lugar na iyon kung hindi lamang sa pagpipilit ni Rhea.

Rhea was her friend from San Francisco at katrabaho sa publishing house. Half Filipina ito at kahit pa laking Amerika ay matatas mag Tagalog.

Since her return to San Francisco a year ago, she and Rhea had grown much closer. Ito lamang ang naging hingahan at outlet niya noon ng kalungkutan.

Dalawang araw na ang nakalilipas ng dumating siya ng Pilipinas kasama si Rhea. For Rhea, it was only for a vacation, ngunit para sa kanya, it was a permanent move. Napangiti siya ng maisip ang dahilan ng pag uwi. Gael. She's finally ready to give her whole self to him again. She's healed her wounds and gained back the confidence to be happy again, as well as the confidence to make him happy.

Last year has been a difficult year for her. She lost her child and had to endure days and nights without the man she loves. God knows there were days that she thought she couldn't bear it and was very tempted to run back to him. But she did what she had to do, in order to find herself again...in order to be whole again.

Kumusta na kaya si Gael? Kung minsan ay natatakot siyang isiping maaaring nagbago ang damdamin nito sa kanya sa nakalipas na taon. Paano kung mayroon na itong iba? Ang tangi lamang niyang pinanghahawakan ay ang pangakong pag ibig nito sa kanya. She has faith in their love. Balak niyang puntahan ito sa makalawa upang sabihin ditong handa na siyang muling magsimula.

"Kung ayaw mong sumayaw, I guess I'll go alone then!" Muling sabi ng kaibigan at nakataas pa ang isang kamay na nagtungo sa dance floor.

Louise took another sip from her cocktail nang hindi sinasadyang mapatingin siya sa bandang kanan ng bar. Amidst the chaos and all the different faces in that bar, hinding hindi niya maipagkakamali ang mukhang iyon. Ilang ulit niyang ikinurap ang mga mata just to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.

Like the first time she saw him at the school campus some 8 years ago, it's as if her world spun in slow motion while she stared at his every little move. She felt her heartbeat intensify. God! How she missed him! Agad ang pamamasa ng kanyang mga mata. Tumayo siya sa kinauupuan upang lapitan ito. Ngunit hindi pa siya nakakahakbang ay nakita niya ang paglapit ng isang babae dito. She saw him smile broadly, the kind of smile she hasn't seen from him in a long time. He seemed to be enjoying the woman's company.

She slowly went back to her seat, ngunit ang mga mata niya ay nanatiling nakapako sa binata. Ramdam niya ang pagkirot ng puso sa nakikita. Did Gael forget about her? Does he have someone new in his life? At kung magkagayon man, mayroon ba siyang ibang dapat sisihin kundi ang kanyang sarili?

Sinenyasan niya ang waiter at umorder ng mas matapang na inumin. She would need a much stronger drink than a cocktail!

Gael inhaled sharply nang mamataan ang babae sa di kalayuan. Of all places that he'd expect to see her, the bar would be the least of them. Kilala niya si Louise, wala itong hilig sa mga ganitong lugar.