"Yes. But you gotta understand. Clinging is bad,"Elise countered. "Parang nakakita ka ng isang bagay na nagustuhan mo dahil nagandahan ka roon. Sa halip na i-apreciate mo na lang ang ganda nito, hindi mo nilabanan ang kagustuhan mong bilhin ito para maging iyo. At dahil prized possession mo na iyon, panghahawakan mong mabuti. Magkakaroon ka na ng attachment dito. Baka nga magalit ka pa kapag nagasgasan ng ibang tao o mamantsahan." Huminga ito nang malalim at tumanaw sa playground. "Paano kapag nawala ang bagay na iyon sa'yo? Di ba masasaktan ka? You only set yourself up for pain and suffering when you cling to something. Walang pinagkaiba iyon sa buhay, Enrique. Maganda ang buhay. Gusto mong mabuhay. Pero wag mo itong ituring na bagay na pagmamay-ari mo. Don't get too attached to it. Get what you could get out of life. If circumstances permit that you get to live up to a hundred, okay, good. If I were to get another kidney transplant and my body doesn't reject it, thank God. If it were to fail like the first one, it's okay. I'm not gonna go bitchin' and say, "How dare You. This is my life, I own it. You don't have the right to make me suffer. You couldn't take my life away from me. It's mine." Do you get my point?" "I think I do." Her eyebrows raised, she nodded. "That's good." "But I still want you to hold onto life. Cling to it. Understand that life is all about pain and suffering. It's like that for a reason. But it's never to numb you out or make you wanna detach from it. It's to put your hope, faith and determination to test. Sometimes it's not enough that you hope things would get better. You gotta have hope coupled with a defiant attitude, not a passive one, not one that's grounded in some Buddhist belief system. Instead of saying "I want this life but You could take it back any time You feel like it." how about you tell God you want it and you would stop at nothing to keep it?"

That was the first night since he moved to his apartment that he had trouble sleeping. Kahit noong kapitbahay pa niya ang mag-asawang Santos ay hindi nangyari iyon. And it wasn't even because his new neighbor had the music turned up for the rest of the night. But because as soon as she turned the music off, he could hear her laughing and giggling as though she was just right in front of him. Pati na ang boses nito habang nagsasalita bagaman hindi na niya naiintindihan ang mga sinasabi nito. Kahit nasa loob na siya ng silid niya ay parang naririnig niya pa rin ang mga iyon. Covering his ears was totally out of the equation. So much for thinking he would get to enjoy a few days off before taking on another project. Mukhang biglang lumabo ang posibilidad na maging matahimik ang mundo niya sa mga susunod na araw.

"Juancho, do you believe that the essence of being a woman is being a mother?" Binawasan nito ang iced tea nito. "''Cause you couldn't bear a child." Tumango siya. Nabanggit na nya iyon dito noon. "No, infertility doesn't make someone less of a woman. It's all about what she has to offer as an individual." Napangiti sya. "Sa tingin mo?" "Yes. No particular set of attributes should define a woman. Just be you, Helga. You are a woman, a strong-willed, smart, hardworking, lovely woman." Pabiro syang umirap. "Nilibre lang kita, binobola-bola mo na ako." "Wala halo bola. Cross my heart, hope to die."

You could get out of that loop, Lucy. I could get you out if you'd let me. You know what to do. P.S. Nag-iwan ako ng ice cream.

READ THE COMPLETE CHAPTERS ON DREAME Paano mo malalaman na dapat nang sumuko at bitiwan ang pagmamahal mo sa isang tao? Sino ang susuko sa pag-ibig? Ikaw ba o siya? Si Ezekiel ay isang lalaki na sobrang mahilig sa babae at bar. Nagbago siya noong nakilala niya si Lauren. Kiel and Renren called each other on their real first name which is Ezekiel and Lauren that makes their bond more special. Pero . . . ang pagbabagong iyon ay panandalian lang pala. Bumalik siya sa dati noong bumalik ang una niyang minahal, si Ivy. Nagawa niyang lokohin si Lauren para kay Ivy. She gave him a chance. But she was hurt by Ezekiel for so many times and different situations. Will she be able to give him a countless chances? Or will she choose to give-up on him in order to protect herself from another pain? From pain, caused by Ezekiel. MARCH 10, 2019 © NYLARIZZA