The Other Half of a Song

Chapter 8: Regina

May 24, 1953

"Is the luggage bag already in the trunk?" I heard Mom asked Mang Toto, our driver. They were outside preparing for our departure. That day, I was going back to America, I'll be staying there for another year to finish my degree in Music. But I was in no way ready to go back.

I was in no way ready to be separated from him again, not after what he just confessed the night before.

After he confessed, I was rendered speechless. I didn't know what to say. I just stared at him dumbfounded!

"It's alright!" I remember him chuckling, trying to mask the pain he might have felt for not hearing a response from me. "It's already late. I should head home now." He said before leaving me there on the swing in our front porch.

I wanted to make him stay. I wanted to stay something. I wanted to tell him that I am truly, madly, deeply in love with him too. But I was frozen in place. I felt stupid!

That morning after Sunday mass, I tried to contact him, I even went over their house to talk to him. But Tita Isabel told me Paeng left early. She didn't know where he went.

So, there I was in my room, still waiting for him to call over from his window.

But from where I was, I could see that the room was empty. I looked at the clock and saw that it was already 2 P.M. We need to leave already to catch my flight.

I took one last glance at his window. Still empty. With a heavy heart, I walked out of my room, locked the door and went downstairs.

"Are you ready to go?" I heard Dad asked me as I reached the front porch. But I was looking at the swing, remembering the night before. "You OK, darling?"

"Yeah, I am. Let's go." I replied with a forced smile.

As soon as my parents and I got inside the car, Mang Toto started up the engine and drove off. We continued down the path Paeng and I usually take to go to school. When we passed by the narra tree, I saw Paeng sitting on the ground.

When he spotted us, he immediately stood up and waved. He was far away but I can see he was saying something but Mang Toto already drove past him so I didn't catch what he was saying. He ran to catch up with us but he was too slow. "Mang Toto, wait!" I exclaimed and Mang Toto stopped abruptly.

I opened the car door, got off, and ran towards Paeng, hugging him when I reached him. As soon as I did, I felt hot tears drop down my cheeks. I didn't notice I was already crying. "I thought I will not see you again before I go back. I thought I won't be able to say good bye."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I just left you there. I'm sorry I did not drop by to say good bye. I'm so sorry." He apologized, tears also falling already from his eyes. But I wasn't able to say anything and just shook my head.

"It would hurt me if I really was not able to say good bye. It would hurt me if I won't be able to see you before you go back. I'm glad I saw you. I'm glad I'll be able to say good bye."

I let go of Paeng and said, "And I'm glad I'll be able to say this to you before I go back."

I looked up at him, straight in his eyes, and took his hands, "When I left for America, I felt empty, it's like I left a part of me here. And when I saw you again after all those years, I felt complete. I felt at home. There, I knew, I left my heart with you. I am truly, madly, deeply in love with you, Paeng."

Upon hearing my response, Paeng laid his head back down, and raised his arms up in the sky. "Thank you, Lord!" he shouted to the sky, "Ina loves me too!" and I laughed. He was so happy, he kept punching the air and jumping high!

He then hugged me and spun me in the air. And I silently wished I was not leaving him; I wished was not going back to America that day.

When he put me down, he saw tears were falling down my cheeks and wiped them. "Hey, I know it's going to be tough. We'll be miles apart again but we've made it through three years, what's another year, right?" and I nodded.

"I'm going to miss you. Heck, I'm already missing you now. Is that even possible?" he chuckled but I can see tears in his eyes too. "We'll continue to write letters to each other, right? And when you come back home, I'll pick you up, this time I'll make sure I do."

"Yeah, we'll do that." I was finally able to say something.

"This is not good bye." And I nodded at him

"This is just see you later. See you again soon. I love you." Paeng said.

"See you again soon. I love you." And I replied.

He hugged me tight and I hugged him back.

That moment, I wanted so much for time to stop. I wanted time and all the other things to disappear so that it was just Paeng and I at that moment.

"I'm going to miss you. I know I've said it already but I just want you to know that I'll be thinking about you. You'll be in my mind every second, every minute, and every hour of every day until the day we meet again."

"And you'll be in mine too." I hugged him even tighter.

We were in this state when Mom tapped my shoulder and I let go of Paeng. But he continued to hold my hand.

"I'm sorry, honey, but we need to go." She said showing me her wristwatch that says 2:45 P.M.

My flight was at around 6. We needed to be at the airport an hour before it and Marilag is two-hours away from the airport.

I looked at Paeng and he looked back at me while nodding. "You have to go. Have a safe flight, Ina. I promise I'll keep on writing."

Mom took my other hand and we started walking back to the car while I slowly let go of Paeng's hand.

I kept my eyes on him as we walked away from him. I kept my eyes on him as we entered the car. I still continued to look at Paeng until our car drove off and got too far away from him.

It's going to be a long year of waiting for us to be reunited again, but I'm also going to take my chances.