To my greatest love,

Aris, how are you? Are you happy with your life right now? If you'll asked me about mine. I am happy. I did have a daughter, I acquired our dream, I adopted a child and I name her Calise Alora. Gusto ko na lumaki siyang may mabuti at matapang na puso kagaya mo. She kept on asking me if when she'll meet her mom. Hindi ko alam ang isasagot ko, Aris. Kasi hindi ko rin alam kung kailan kita muling makikita, mahal ko. I plan to buy the lot on Baguio, but someone bought it already. Walang sinabi kung sino ang nakabili. Sayang nga lang at hindi ako. Gusto ko pa namang magtayo ng bahay doon, kasi napakarami nating ala-ala sa lugar na iyon. Ala-ala sa oras ng kasiyahan at kalungkutan.

Hindi ko alam hanggang kailan ako magsusulat ng liham para sa'yo. Siguro, hindi ko talaga kayang hindi magsulat ng mga nararamdaman ko at ng mga nangyari sa buhay ko. Balang araw gusto ko itong ipabasa sa'yo, mahal ko. Until now, I still rooting for my prayer's to be answered that one day, like what you said, we'll meet in the place where it all started.

- Colin

***

Third Day,

We prepared a blanket, and we place the food there. Kinuha ni Aris ang camera ko na nakalapag sa kumot at kumuha siya ng mga litrato. Masaya siyang nakangiti habang kumukuha ng mga litrato. What a beautiful scenery to witness. Lumingon siya sa 'kin at pumusisyon para kunan ako nang litrato kaya kinuha ko rin ang cellphone sa bulsa ng pants ko para gamiting panakip ng mukha ko at ni ready ang camera roon para kunan din siya nang litrato.

She's wearing a printed flower dress, nakatali ang buhok niya. Ang isang kamay niya ay nakawahak sa camera ang isa naman ay ginamit niyang pantukod. I heard a click from the camera she's holding, so it was also the time that I captured her with that position.

Pagkatapos ay kumuha siya ng isang chichirya at agad na kinain ito. Napangiti nalang ako ng wala sa oras.

"Mauubos mo ba iyan?" Agad na napasimangot si Aris sa tanong ko.

"Kukunin ko bai to kung alam kong hindi ko mauubos?" prankang tanong niya pabalik sa'kin.

I thought if someone throw you a question throw them back an answer, but I just received another question.

"Hindi kasi halata na mauubos mo iyan, e," pang-aasar ko sa kanya.

I saw how she rolled her eyes on me, feels like I will be able to witness how Angel Aris will be gone huh.

"Talk to yourself, Tongco."

Natawa ako ng marahan sa sinagot niya.

"Okay, Lopez," I teased.

"Cut it, Tongco. Why don't we reminisce our yesterday's then?" She asked while looking at me with her beautiful pair of eyes.

"Bakit mo nga ba ako binangga no'ng panahon na 'yon?" Pagbibirong tanong ko sa kanya.

"Pasensya na, lutang kasi ako no'ng mga panahon na 'yon. Ang daming tumatakbo sa isipan ko na hindi ko na alam kung alin ang uunahin ko. Hindi ko sinadyang banggain ka, pero hindi ko din akalain na doon na pala magsisimula ang lahat." She's smiling from ear to ear while remembering our first encounter.

"It was the encounter of a woman once a stranger to me, that turns out to be someone who'll I never forget." I uttered while looking at her meaningfully.

"Kakaiba talaga 'pag nag e-english ka, Tongco at ang seryoso mo." She slightly chuckled.

Even her laughter I memorize.

"Aris, do you believe that every kismet happened in your life had a beautiful reason?" I asked her.

She slightly nodded as an answer to my question before she turned her face to me.

"First, I thought it doesn't have any reasons. Akala ko parusa lang sa atin iyon kasi makasal-anan tayo. Ilang taon ko iyang pinaniniwalaan, but His sufficient grace showed me that my slant isn't right. Far from being right. I slowly accept the fact that no matter how scariest and painful that circumstances I had become. He has a reason that sooner I'll understand.

"Like what happened to me and my father. I thought I'd forever have this feeling of not liking him because he had never been a father to me. I didn't feel that he had become a father to me . . . not until that night. That night, I talked to him, to my father. For how many years I asked God, 'when?' When is the time He'll let me have a father and daughter talk with my dad? That day, I wanted to stop praying for it to happen, but guess what? He answered my prayer on that day. God has such a beautiful way of moving in our lives."

This woman . . . she really didn't fail to caress my heart everytime she say something.

Parang may humaplos sa puso ko nang maalala ko ang araw na iyon. I remembered that day-the day she and her father reconciled, all with Christia's help.

"Kahit sa ganitong paraan man lang . . . masuklian ko ang ginawa niya para sa 'kin." I suddely remembered what Christia said to me on that night.

Iyon din ang araw kung saan pinili naming tapusin ng maayos ang namamagitan sa amin dati.

***

Fourth Day

Umagang-umaga ay binulabog ako ni Aris sa kwartong tinutuluyan ko. The sun didn't rise yet, but this woman just woke me up. It's still 5 a.m. in the morning.

"Tongco, tara na kasi, minsan lang ako manyayang makipag hiking, e," she stated.

She's outside in my room and keep on knocking. I just smile because of her cuteness. Mukhang nakanguso na ito ngayon.

"Tongco, bahala ka, iiwan na kita, mauuna na ako." Tsaka ko hindi narinig ang boses niya, kaya agad kong sinuot ang t-shirt ko at dali-dali kong kinuha ang sapatos ko at agad akong tumakbo papunta sa pintuan ng kwartong tinutuluyan ko at binuksan ito.

"Lop-" I didn't finish my words when she suddenly hugged me.

I dropped my shoes because I lose a grip on it. She hugged me . . . it feels home.

"Hindi mo talaga ako matitiis." Natatawang aniya pagkatapos kumalas ng yakap sa'kin.

"Of course, it's you, Lopez. Let me wear my shoes first," I say.

After I wear my shoes, we immediately went outside.

Pareho kaming naglalakad na dalawa. Nauuna siya sa 'kin kaya nakikita ko kung gaano siya kasaya. I get camera and capture her walking gracefully. Bigla siyang lumingon sa'kin na nakangiti kaya kinuha ko ang pagkakataon na iyon na kunan siya ng litrato.

"Ang tagal mong maglakad, kaya naman pala." She rolled her eyes; it makes me chuckled lightly.

"Best view is you, Lopez," I whispered.

I run towards her so we can hike together. I surprised her by putting my elbow on her shoulder. I grin after seeing her reaction.

Cute.

Nagpatuloy kami sa paglalakad na dalawa. May mga minuto na tumitigil kami dahil hinihingal siya. Nakikita kong pagod na siya, pero mas pinili niyang magpatuloy.

"Are you tired, love?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Kaunting hingal lang, pero ayos lang ako. Hindi ako madaling mapagod."

Tsaka siya nagpatuloy sa paglalakad at nauna na sa'kin. I video herself walking, I want to give her a video present in her birthday, seven days. I still have seven days to do it.

"Ang bagal mo, Tongco, gusto kong makita ang sunrise." Nakangusong saad ni Aris.

Why is every gesture she makes still beautiful?

"Bibilisan ko na, ma'am," sambit ko at sinundan na siya.

Nasa likuran niya ako, at habang naglalakad kami, may nakita akong isang bulalak. It's a forget me not flower. I picked it before I continue walking. Malapit na naming marating ang tuktok. Nakikita ko na rin na malapit na pagsilang ng araw.

Mas binilisan ni Aris ang paglalakad at gano'n din ang ginawa ko. Hawak hawak ko pa rin ang camera ko at patuloy siyang kinukunan. Such a beautiful scenery to witness in the morning.

As we reach the high peak of the cliff, it's also the time that the sun rises. Aris raise her right hand as if she's holding the sun in her hand. She's smiling while doing it, so I immediately took a picture of her in that scene. It turns out into a silhouette one.

Ang ganda-ganda ng mga ngiti niya. Pagkatapos nang ginawa ni Aris ay umupo siya sa damuhan at gano'n din ang ginawa ko.

I see how the sun is shining brightly in front of us. I stare at Aris, who's looking at the sun with a beautiful smile plastered on her lips. It's such an unforgettable scene, breathtakingly beautiful.

What is life really like, Sol?" She asked while looking at the sun which rises already. "I'm making myself a fool. To know that when you rise, it's another beginning, but the fact that you still set, another ending."

Nanatili ang mga titig ko sa kanya habang siya ay seryosong nagsasalita.

"It's confronting knowing that when you rise,
I still have a chance to live.
But seeing you lose your light,
I started to grieve. "

The reflection of the sun, kiss on her, so I didn't hesitate to take the beautiful scene in front of me. Dahil sa ginawa kong iyon ay napatingin siya sa'kin at ngumiti. Hindi ako nag aksaya ng segundo at kinunan muli siya nang litrato.

You're breathtakingly beautiful as the sun, love.

"Another ending, sol,
but this is your rule,
or maybe a role,
to let us remember our soul."

Now I understand every word she uttered. It's a poem.

"Our soul, which has birth,
the parallel of death.
Remind us that when you rise, we still breathe,
In the time your light sets, there is no rebirth."

As she said those words, an unfamiliar feeling reach my heart. It crashes me for some reason.

"Sol is me,
Sol is we,
We start and we end
Now it answers my question: life is something we can't extend
once we meet our end."

Iyon ang mga huling salitang sinambit niya bago siya tumingin at ngumiti sa'kin.

"Bakit gan'yan ka makatingin?" Natatawang tanong ni Aris.

"You wrote that poem?" I asked her.

She nods at me. "Yup, I wrote that, and I wanted to speak that poem if I saw the sun rise. I titled that poem, 'The Life of Sol.' For some reason, it reminded me of our life. We rise and we set in a time we don't know when."

Titig titig siya sa haring araw na nasa aming harapan. I suddenly remembered the flowers I picked lately, I get it from my back and handed it to her. She stares at it and glance at me after.

"Why are you giving me this flower?" She asked me with a curiosity written all over her face.

"You know what flower that is?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's a Scorpion grasses flower, its scientific name was Myosotis. It is also known as forget me not if I'm not mistaken," she retorted, and it makes me smile.

"Well . . . I know this is kinda funny, but I gave you that flower to remember my love for you, that it will never fade. Well, they say that, when you give someone these tiny blooms, it represents a promise that you will always remember them and will keep them in your thoughts," I uttered and sneer lightly of my cheesyness.

"Salamat, Tongco," pagsambit niya. "Maybe that's why this flower is named 'Forget Me Not' for some reason, because you want that person to forget you and your memories, but at the same time you cannot let them. Every angle and every place you went with him/her, you were reminded of their presence. The presence you longed for.

"Dahil pinangako nila sa'yo, sa oras na binigay nila ang ganitong bulaklak sa importanteng tao sa buhay nila, ay parang sinasabi na rin nila na tanggap na nila hanggang dito nalang, na wala na, tapos na, pero kailan man ay hindi ka mawawala sa puso nila, mananatili ka doon." Tsaka siya ngumiti sa'kin at niyakap ako na siyang ikinagulat ko ng marahan. "Thank you, Tongco, for freeing me and promising not to forget me regardless of how many months, years, or decades pass."