Be The Bride

IKA-KAWHAA'G TULO

FAVOR..

Days passed fastly. It’s as if time want me to decide quickly.

Hinatid ako ni Randolf sa building ng apartment ko. Alam ko, he’s trying so hard to pretend na okay lang siya kahit ang totoo nasasaktan na siya dahil sa akin.

“We promised to be honest with each other right? You told me that I can be always truthful to you.”

“Yes, I said that,” he answered.

“I, I can’t do this Ran. Lagi ka nalang nasasaktan sa relasyon nato. I think we should br--”

“Don’t." He cut me off mid-sentence. “Kaya ko Karen. I can bare with it, until the day you learn to love me back.”

I am in loss of words. Hindi ko na alam ano ang sasabihin sa kanya.

“I love him Ran.”

It’s as if he got struck by lightning. I saw him stilled.

Napasandal siya sa upuan ng kotse niya.

“I don’t care. Just don’t go to him, don’t come back to him, don’t marry him. It’s okay, just be my girlfriend.”

“You’re hurting yourself," I said.

“It’s okay. Pain is better than seeing you with him.”

Oh God, what should I do to him?

After saying goodbye, pumasok na ako sa building at pumunta sa apartment ko. At napahinto ako nung sa labas, andun si Klara nag-aantay sa pagdating ko.

Nagkatinginan kami.

Alam ko gusto niya akong kausapin. I already expected this.

“Do you wanna come in?” I asked.

Tumango siya kaya binuksan ko ang apartment door ko, at pumasok kami pareho.

“Juice? Coffee?”

“Juice,” sagot niya.

Kumuha ako sa ref ng juice pati cookies para sa kanya.

“Thanks,” sabi niya.

Nakaupo kami sa sofa, magkaharap sa isa’t isa.

“Ayoko talaga sanang gawin to. But I’m desperate," panimula niya.

Tahimik lang ako at hinayaan lang siyang magsalita.

“Our wedding is just weeks away. And Khy, he’s.. he’s wavering.”

“You shouldn’t have chose WWM. You set this up. You chose me as your wedding maker, and you triggered me, us, by choosing the exact wedding plans that we had," sabi ko na may panunumbat.

She’s intently listening to me.

“You had us met. Again. How did you even know about my dream wedding?”

“Khy kept a note of all those things in his wallet. I accidentally saw it. Your name is there. Your picture is there. And all the dreams you dreamt together are all there. His keeping it in his wallet until now.”

“What would you even get by triggering us?”

“Assurance I guess. Hindi pa kita nakikita, nagseselos na ako. And that jealousy worsen when I met you. I’m so jealous kaya gusto kong ma-assure ang sarili ko, na kahit magkita kayo, na kahit magsama kayo, even if I remind you of your wedding, wala na lang yun kay Khy.”

She took a sip on her juice.

“Or maybe confirmation ang hinahanap ko. I don’t know.”

“I’m sorry Klara..”

“If you’re really sorry, can I ask a favor?”

I don’t know why, pero bigla akong kinabahan. I’m scared, of what favor she is going to ask.

“A-ano yun?” I asked anyway.

“Don’t meet him anymore.”

Natigilan ako.

“Please? I know Khy will not stop unless you make him do so. Sa’yo lang siya makikinig. Ikaw lang paniniwalaan niya, kaya please? Make him stop. I love him Karen. I love him so much. And more than anything else, I want to marry him.”

I stared at her.

“I want to be selfish Klara,” I said truthfully.

And her tears flowed.

Hinawakan niya ang dalawa kong kamay and begged.

“Please Karen.. please.. I can’t live without him. He’s my everything.”

Pinunasan ko ang mga luha niya.

“Don’t beg. He’s still your man Klara. Prove to me that he’s your man. Don’t beg.”

Iyak siya ng iyak.

“He’s also my everything Klara.”

“Please.. please Karen.. please? Nagmamakaawa ako..”

She’s crying hard and begging, at napaiyak na rin ako. I hugged her.

She’s a woman. And I’m a woman too. I felt her pain of begging someone just to make her man stay. How could I not empathize?

“Please Karen, promise me. Promise me..”

Napalunok ako, then napalunok ako ulit. What she’s asking is too hard for me. Too hard. But even if I think it’s hard, while crying, I answered her,

“I promise.”

Can I? Can I keep my promise?

No to meeting Khy, no to seeing him, hearing him, no to touching him forever. Kaya ko ba?

Just by the thought of it, it’s already killing me.

Ghad, why do I love Khyree Jared this much?

“Just.. give me a day with him," sabi ko.

She’s still crying while she nodded her head.

A day with him, one last day. And after that, say hello to a life without Khyree Jared.

Kakayanin ko ba?