#NewClassicRTMC

Chapter 35
Proposal

Palubog na ang araw nang makabalik kami sa resort mula sa aming island hopping. We all felt tired and burned out after swimming and doing water activities. I wanted to take a long rest. However, they told me that there would be an intimate dinner party for Jirro. Sasalubungin namin ang kanyang kaarawan nang magkakasama.

"Doon na tayo sa kuwarto namin ni Jirro maligo at magpalit ng damit," aya ni Cloé sa amin ni Zendaya habang naglalakad pabalik sa mga villa.

Nilingon ni Zendaya si Isaiah upang magpaalam habang ako naman ay tumingin din kay Ike. He just nodded at me with a smile on his face and ruffled my hair gently.

The guys let us all be together to prepare ourselves for the party. Pagkakuha ko ng aking damit na isusuot sa villa ni Ike at pati na rin ang aking ibang gamit ay lumipat na ako sa kabilang villa. Nandoon na si Zendaya nang dumating ako at nauna nang maligo sa amin si Cloé.

"Iyan ba ang isusuot mo?" tanong ni Zendaya nang inilapag ko sa kama ang casual dress na napili ko.

Tinanguan ko siya at ngumiti. "Ayos na siguro 'to, no?"

"Of course. I'm sure it'll look great on you," she assured me.

"Ikaw ba?" balik ko sa kanya ng tanong.

"Isaiah got me this dress," she answered and showed me a pretty light yellow dress with a very intricate design. "Isn't too much? Tingin ko kasi ay masyadong maganda at agaw pansin ang disenyo nitong damit."

She pouted her lips while examining her dress carefully.

I couldn't deny that her dress seemed like she's attending a wedding as a bridesmaid. My dress looked really plain when compared to hers, but I was sure Zendaya would be able to carry it well.

"I'm sure Isaiah just wants you to have the best," I told her.

Her eyes widened a little, and then a smile slowly crept on her lips. "Hmm... He really does..."

Just by saying that, she was already convinced to wear the dress without any inhibitions. Pagkalabas ni Cloé sa banyo ay si Zendaya ang sumunod naligo.

"Aleena..." Cloé whispered my name and went closer. "Tagalan mo maligo mamaya, ah?"

Medyo napakunot ang aking noo sa bilin ni Cloé. "Bakit?" nagtataka kong tanong.

"We need to buy our time for Isaiah's surprise," she explained quietly. "Baka kasi mag-aya na siyang lumabas kapag natapos tayong lahat mag-ayos."

"Surprise?" Mas lalo akong naguluhan.

Napabuntonghininga siya. "Mukhang hindi na naman nagsabi sa 'yo si Ike."

"Ano ba 'yon?"

"Isaiah's going to do a surprise proposal for Zendaya."

My eyes shot wide open. "Proposal?!"

"Shh..." Cloé leaned closer. "Baka marinig tayo ni Zendaya. Ayon talaga ang dahilan kung bakit pumunta pa rito para sa birthday ni Jirro. We were just planning to have an intimate dinner but Isaiah asked for our help. He wants the place of his proposal to be memorable."

Unti-unti kong napagtanto ang lahat. Naalala ko rin ang sinabi sa akin ni Auntie Divina na iyong nagbook ng dalawa pang premium villas ay may binabalak na surprise. I couldn't believe that I forgot about it. It didn't cross my mind until Cloé mentioned it.

"He even asked Ike to help him prepare some of the things because he's already here in Roxas," dagdag niya pa.

Muli akong napaisip. Hindi ko alam kung kailan kumilos si Ike upang maghanda para sa surprise. He was always with me except for that one morning when he didn't come to our house. He didn't tell me where he went, and I also didn't ask him. Siguro ay lumabas siya noon dahil may inutos sa kanya si Isaiah.

I pursed my lips while trying to make guesses. It was still hard for me to grasp what was going on his mind. But if there's one thing I learned about him, based on the truth I just discovered, Ike tends to act more than to speak. He didn't care even if people would misunderstand him for keeping his silence.

In my opinion, it made Ike even more trustworthy.

Kaya naman upang hindi masayang ang paghahanda ng lahat. Sinunod ko ang inutos sa akin ni Cloé. Halos isang oras mahigit din ang itinagal ko sa banyo. I took that opportunity to use the jacuzzi and relax my body from the tiring activities we did. Pagkalabas ko ay inaayusan ni Cloé si Zendaya.

"Ayos lang ba talagang ayos na ayos ako?" nahihiyang tanong ni Zendaya. "It's Jirro's birthday. The spotlight should be on him... or you."

"And this is also our last night here. It's okay for us to dress up," Cloé tried to reassure her. "Mag-aayos din naman ako at ganoon na rin si Aleena, 'di ba?"

Tiningnan ako ni Zendaya sa salamin kaya naman ngumiti ako at nakisakay sa sinasabi ni Cloé upang hindi siya makapansin na mayroon kaming itinatago. Napahinga ako nang maluwag nang nakumbinsi naman siya.

Gaya ng sabi ni Cloé, pagkatapos ayusan si Zendaya ay nag-ayos na rin kaming dalawa. Mukha kaming dadayo pa sa Puerto Princesa upang maranasan ang nightlife doon. Pinipigilan kong matawa habang pinapanood si Cloé na halatang binabagalan ang pag-aayos sa sarili.

Patapos na ako nang biglang umilaw ang aking cellphone. Sinilip ko iyon at binasa agad ang text ni Ike.

From: Ike
Are you all dressed up?

Agad akong nagtipa ng reply.

To: Ike
Yup. Kayo ba?

From: Ike
We're also done. Labas na kayo in ten minutes.

To: Ike
Okay. Sasabihin ko sa kanila.

Pasimple kong pinasa kay Cloé ang aking cellphone upang mabasa niya ang mensahe ni Ike. She nodded silently. Binilisan niya rin bahagya ang pag-aayos at nang matapos ay tiningnan niya ang kanyang camera bago nag-ayang lumabas.

Nagtungo kami papunta sa dalamsipagan sa labas lamang ng mga villa. There was a band equipment set up on the sand. Holding the instruments were Ike, Jirro, and Sic, while Isaiah was right in the middle with a microphone.

Despite being in the center, my eyes drifted on Ike with his electric guitar. He was wearing a summer ash-colored polo with short sleeves. It was printed with white vectors of palm leaves. At least half of its buttons were also unfastened, revealing his chest.

He was already being so handsome and that's why the moment he started playing, it took my breath away. It was the first time I watched him play as a member of New Classic live. It was hard to believe that they were performing in Roxas—a place where I grew up and spent my whole life.

Remember that night at the park
Under the moon and the stars
You were sitting in the dark
Trying to tend your wounds and scars

When Isaiah began singing, I tore my eyes away from Ike to watch him. His voice sounds so good live. It has a lot of soul in it. Its color and tone are addicting to the ears.

Curious about her reaction, I turned to Zendaya beside me. Her lips were parted in awe. Tears were pooled in her eyes as she stared at the man she loves. Her lips also began trembling. She was getting really emotional.

Nahagip din ng tingin ko si Cloé na vinivideohan ang nangyayari. Although she seemed serious about doing a great job, she was also smiling while witnessing this romantic episode.

This is just the start of our story
It's not yet the end
I'll hold you close forever
We'll walk this road together

I'll wipe your tears away
And I'll never let your heart astray
So why don't you smile for me?
Will you smile for me for the rest of our life?

I listened to New Classic songs, and I didn't know why the song felt like it was connected to one of their old songs—Smile. Halos medyo magkatono rin sila.

Nagpapatuloy pa sa pagtutog ang banda nang humakbang palapit si Isaiah kay Zendaya. Binitiwan niya ang microphone habang may kinukuha sa kanyang bulsa.

Lumayo ako sa kanilang dalawa. I wanted to give them space because it's an important moment for the both of them.

While the other New Classic members continued playing their instruments, it made everything even more romantic. It's like a film where there's a fitting background music for a specific scene. I couldn't take my eyes off them, especially when Isaiah knelt down on one knee while holding a ring.

Napatakip si Zendaya sa kanyang bibig. Kahit hindi sa akin nagpo-propose si Isaiah ay hindi ko maiwasang gayahin ang reaksyon ni Zendaya. It was so heartwarming. I couldn't help but feel touched.

"My very own fangirl and girlfriend," Isaiah spoke with soft but clear voice. "You are there for me since day one. Now, it's my turn to stay by your side; a place where I belong."

Tears were already streaming down Zendaya's face. I bit my lip because I was also feeling very emotional.

"I know that we're still a bit young and you want to focus on your career more, but I want this ring to remind you that I can always be your home; that I'm willing to wait no matter how long; that you are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with," he carried on with his speech. "From being your idol and your boyfriend, can I be your fiancé?"

"You're more than just that, Isaiah..." Zendaya cried out of happiness. "You are everything to me."

Isaiah's lips parted, and then licked his lower lip. I could tell that he was trying to compose himself. "I-is that a yes?"

Zendaya pursed her lips as she nodded. "I will never say no."

Mabilis na pinadausdos ni Isaiah ang singsing kay Zendaya. He enveloped her with a tight hug and kissed her forehead. I could see his mouth whispering 'I love you and thank you' to her.

Tumitigil na rin sa pagtugtog ang banda. We all cheered for the newly engaged couple. At the same time, fireworks started giving color to the dark sky. I looked up to watch it in awe, while big hands crawled on my tummy to pull me closer.

Nang tumama ang aking likuran sa katawan ni Ike ay sinubukan ko siyang lingunin. He was watching his friends with a genuine smile on his face. He looked so happy for them. Ibinaba ko ang tingin ko sa kanyang mga kamay na magkasalikop upang mayakap ako nang maayos.

I placed my hands on top of his and rested my head on his arm, while we watched Zendaya and Isaiah cherished their moment together until Sic decided to open his mouth.

"Wala ba kayong mairereto sa akin diyan?" panira ni Sic na dahilan kung bakit kami natawa mula sa pagiging emosyonal. "I think I really need a girlfriend now."

"That idiot," natatawang bulong ni Ike.

After congratulating the two for being engaged, we also sang a birthday song for Jirro. It was such a memorable night. Alam kong hindi lang ako ang nakaramdam no'n. We were all happy. We all wished that the day wouldn't come to an end.

And so, once we were back in our rooms, that precious moment was still lingering in me. Even when the celebration ended past midnight, I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about Isaiah's proposal to Zendaya.

I wondered when it started to cross their minds that they're ready to commit themselves and tie the knot. What are the signs that you're ready for marriage? How do you know when it's finally the right time to say I do?

"What are you thinking?"

Nilingon ko si Ike na nahiga na sa aking tabi. Bagong ligo siya at nakasuot na ng pantulog.

"Mukhang malalim ang iniisip mo," puna niya.

Lumapit siya sa akin. Nakasandal ako sa headboard ng kama at ganoon din ang kanyang ginawa. Ang kanyang braso pinaunan niya sa akin.

Unlike before, I'm already comfortable being so close to him. Hindi na ako nahihiya. Alam niya na ang lahat sa akin. Wala na akong dapat itago pa.

"Iniisip ko lang iyong proposal ni Isaiah," sagot ko. "Did he write that song for Zendaya?"

"He did," Ike replied. "Kanina nga lang kami nagpractice. It's a good thing thag we managed to pull it off without making mistakes."

"Ang galing ninyo kaya! Parang ilang weeks na kayong nagre-rehearse para doon," puri ko. "At saka ang ganda rin pala talaga ng boses ni Isaiah, no? I love his voice color. I'm sure he can also sing RnBs well. Bagay sa boses niya."

Natahimik si Ike. Kuryoso ko siyang nilingon. His lips were in a grim line. The way he looked at me made me feel like I just said something wrong and out of the line.

"You really like him, huh?" he bitterly asked.

"Oo naman. He's a great singer and also a kind friend," walang pag-aalinlangan kong sagot.

Ike's jaw clenched. "He's already engaged."

Napakunot naman ang aking noo. "Alam ko," sabi ko. "I was there when he proposed to Zendaya."

"I'm just reminding you," he reasoned out.

Because he was acting weird and unusual, I slipped away from his hold to get a better look of him. Mas lalo siyang napasimangot nang lumayo ako sa kanya. Seeing him in a bad mood, I pouted as I was feeling guilty. Naalala ko tuloy iyong panahong pinakilala niya sa akin si Isaiah sa private studio ng New Classic. Mukha rin siyang medyo nagsusungit noon.

"Nagseselos ka ba kay Isaiah?" I carefully asked him.

For a fleeting moment, he looked caught off guard, but then he rolled his eyes at me. "So what if I am?"

My lips parted. He didn't even try to deny it. He straight up admitted that he was really jealous of Isaiah.

"Bakit?" kuryoso kong tanong at itinagilid ang aking ulo upang tingnan siya nang maayos.

I found it a bit ridiculous that he was jealous of his friend, but I also didn't want to invalidate his feelings. I had no idea what his reasons were so I wanted to know why.

"Because I love you," he simply answered without going around the bush.

There was a loud bang in my chest. The beating of my heart was like a bass drum continuously being hit. I didn't know if Ike heard that, though, but the sound was ringing in my ears.

Marahan akong hinila ni Ike pabalik sa kanyang bisig. Pinaulo niya ako sa kanyang dibdib habang nakayakap siya sa akin. I bit my lower lip when I could feel and hear his heart also beating hard and loud like mine. Our hearts were in sync.

"One day, when you're ready, I will also propose to you," he quietly said while intertwining our hands together. "I'm going to marry you and build a family with you. I will do everything to make it happen."

Ngumuso ako ulit bahagya. "Paano mo naman nasabi na ako ang babaeng papakasalan mo?"

"It's simple." His embrace tightened. "Whenever I think about my future, it's always with you."