Chapter 28 | Years

M A T H

"Dri, bakit gising ka pa?" I was back to reality when my girlfriend noticed me.

I patted her head na nakasandal sa aking dibdib.

"Just thinking. Go back to sleep," I kissed her on the forehead.

She's Arzyl Viray. Nagkakilala kami sa unibersidad noong na sa college ako. Med student siya habang ako'y na sa engineering. Malayo ang agwat ng aming kurso ngunit ipinagtagpo kami sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon.

I honestly didn't want to get into a relationship while I was in college. I made her an exception at naging madali naman sa amin ang relasyon sapagkat pareho kami kung mag-isip sa lahat ng bagay.

I could still remember the first time we met. She was scanning the school's bulletin board, ako pala ang hinahanap. Andri ang pagsabi niya sa pangalan kong Andrei. Kaya ngayon, ginawa niya na lamang na Dri ang aking nickname.

Nahiya pa siya sa akin noon sapagkat crush raw niya ako mula sa mga asaran. Hindi ko alam kung anong pumasok sa kokote ko at nilapitan ko siya. Hanggang sa nagtuloy-tuloy at naging close kami.

She proved me many things, showed me the side of the world that I didn't know existed. I courted her after a year of our friendship. I wanted to take everything slowly but surely.

I said before, if I were to fall in love again, it would have to be someone I could fight with. I must love the person I can be proud of. I must love the woman I am sure of... and si Arzyl iyon.

I learned to lower my pride because of her. I promised to make her feel my love because she first made me feel that way. Siguro, kaya rin kami tumagal ng limang taon ngayon ay dahil nagkakasundo kami. Hindi kami nagkasasawaan. Mahal namin ang isa't isa.

I thought back then, I would be unlucky when I, again, fell in love but I wasn't. I was lucky because I met Arzyl.

Every night, I would always look back at our past experiences as a couple. I wanted to reiterate in my brain how lucky I was because of her. Over and over again, I sealed in my heart that I loved her.

I unconsciously fell asleep after the deep thinking.

I woke up to the smell of cooking. I looked at the time on my phone. Seconds later, I got up and took a quick shower. When I got out of our room, I went straight to the kitchen.

I really enjoy every time Azryl cooks me breakfast. I could only imagine us in the future, being like this, with our kids.

"Gising na pala ang Math wizard!" aniya nang nakita ako.

Agad ko siyang niyakap mula sa likod. I smelled her neck, I kissed her ear and I hugged her tightly.

"Aga-aga nanlalambing. May ginawa kang kasalanan, 'no?" she joked.

Natawa ako. Ganoon ba 'yon?

"Hindi ako ganoon, excuse me," I said.
I knew she didn't want me to watch her cook.

"Oo sige na. Doon ka na muna," pinalayas niya ako sa kusina.

When we finished breakfast, I took her to the hospital where she was staying. I told her that I couldn't catch up with her later because I was going to my family's dinner. Doon namin makikita ang bagong mapapangasawa ni kuya.

he wanted to break up with his cheating wife. Matagal na iyong issue sa mag-asawa kaya hindi ko rin masisisi si kuya kung napagod na siya rito... but there were things to consider, not just his feelings.

Gusto niyang makipag-divorce habang si ate Rial naman ay ayaw. Mayroon na silang dalawang anak. Kahit ako ay tutol sa desisyong ito ni kuya.

That's the greatest sacrifice of being a parent, dapat mong ikonsidera ang lahat ng bagay. A wrong decision would affect everyone. Sa kagustuhan mong bigyan ng magandang buhay ang iba, nakalilimutan mo na ang sarili mong nawawala.

I salute my brother for staying strong, it just happened that the emotion he had been keeping exploded out.

Noong una ay ako dapat ang irereto ni lolo at papa doon sa babaeng iyon pero umayaw ako dahil mayroon na akong minamahal. And then, out of nowhere, si kuya na lang ang nag-presinta.

My grandfather tried brainwashing me yet not even a single reason made me say yes. It was a hard talk with my grandfather. I saw lolo's disappointment towards me pero hindi ko na iyon problema.

I already planned my future with the woman I was with today.

An accident occurred on my project so I arrived late at the said restaurant.

Natauhan ako nang napansin ang tatay ni... Lierre. Halata ang kanyang pagtanda dulot ng mga taong lumipas. Bakit siya ang nandito? Siya ba ang ama ng fiancé ni kuya? Pero iisa lang naman ang kanyang babaeng anak at si Lierre iyon. Pwera na lang kung si Kye, 'di ba?

On second thought, I was wishing na sana si Kye nga. Nang nakita ko si kuya papalapit sa amin upang magpaalam na pupunta sila sa mall ng fiancé niya, napagtanto ko na si Lierre nga.

Matagal kaming nagkatitigan. Hindi ko iyon sinasadya. She changed, physically. Tumangkad siya't mas lalong kumurba ang katawan. She looked like a real lady. Hindi ako nagkamali noon na lalo siyang gaganda kapag lumaki.

I was surprised to know she agreed on this matter. Knowing her, she would never obey his father even when the great flood would happen again.

For the next hour, I busied myself on eating, conversing with the oldies and texting Arzyl.

After I ate, my grandfather ordered me to call the two. Sinunod ko iyon. Lumabas ako upang pumunta sa loob ng mall. Inakala kong mahihirapan pa ako sa paghahanap ngunit hindi. Sa exit ng mall, naabutan ko sina Lierre at kuya na may pinag-uusapan, mukhang seryoso.

Maya-maya pa'y tumakbo na si kuya papasok sa mall at naiwan si Lierre. She was all smiles as my brother ran away.

"Saan pupunta si kuya?" I asked as I approached her.

Nilingon niya ako nang wala ng emusyon sa mukha. She looked innocent, hindi tulad noon na makikita agad ng isang tao ang magaspang niyang ugali.

"He's going to talk with his wife," she answered.

I was quite surprised. Alam niya agad ang issue ni kuya sa asawa nito.

"Hinahanap ka na. Tara," niyaya ko nasiya dahil wala na kaming pag-uusapan pa.

Tahimik kami hanggang sa narating na ang restaurant.

"Oh? Na saan si Siñon? Nilibre ka niya ng mga bagay?" his father asked her nang makabalik kami.

Umupo ako sa tabi nito. Lierre remained standing.

"Yes. He's with his wife. I let him talk with her. May pamilya na pala siya, hindi ninyo sinabi. I don't want to marry him, tito, tita, lolo," she said, straight to the point.

There, ayan ang kilala kong Lierre.

"I don't want his family be ruined. Ayaw ko," she bravely declared.

Naintindihan ko iyon.

"That's so thoughtful of you, hija," mama said.

"We understand, "papa also said.

Nagkaroon ng munting katahimikan nang nagsalita si tito.

"So, is the merging postponed?" he asked with humor.

Well, obviously. Sinong pakakasalan ni Lierre sa amin kung itutuloy, 'di ba?

Lolo laughed a bit, "No, ayaw kong itigil ang merging dahil kahit walang merging na magaganap, ipipilit ko pa rin itong anak mo na ipakasal sa apo ko," aniya.

Okay, what?

"Hindi ko nga alam kung bakit si Siñon ang nagpresinta. Guess he was just too broken these days kaya na-carried away. Good thing you did the right thing, hija," dagdag pa ni lolo.

Mukhang alam ko na kung saan hahantong itong sinasabi niya.

Hahantong ito sa ayaw ko.

"Gusto talaga kita para kay Andrei. Iyon ang totoo. I am happy that my dreams are coming true," he said with joy.

Gusto kong sumigaw na hindi. Na bawal.

"Noon pa lang ay bagay na kayo ng apo ko. I can't wait for the wedding," he said na sinang-ayunan nina mama't papa.

What the hell?

Alam nilang lahat ang relasyon ko kay Arzyl. Bakit nila ako nirereto ngayon? Pinagsabihan ko na si lolo na huwag ako, na ibang pinsan ko na lang ngunit ako na naman ang nakita.

I was about to say something when Lierre spoke, making us all speechless.

"Woah, wait right there po," natatawa niyang utas, tila ba napikon na sa usapang ito.

"I don't want this marriage with anyone. It's not right that you decide who is for me just because you want to," #he strongly said while looking at us.

"Minah-"

"No, dad. Obviously, our company can be saved by my brothers. Stop putting me into this because it sucks and disgusting," she didn't let her father talk.

Ito ang ugali niyang hindi nagpapatalo. The only difference was that her words became sharper and rational. She wasn't shouting yet her piercing words cut through our skins.

"I am not anyone's fantasy so stop dreaming things with me involved," she harshly said to my grandfather.

She confidently stood up for herself. Her view in life changed in a beautiful matter... and I was silently happy for her... because that was what I asked for years ago.