“I have been so fucking loyal to her but it is still not enough for her to stay! Not enough man! My loyalty is still not enough for her to stay by my side! Fucking bullshit!”

Pailing-iling ko lang na tinungga ang bote ng alak ko. If I were him, I would probably lost my sanity already dahil sa paulit-ulit na pag-iwan sa akin.

Pangalawang beses pa nga lang akong naiwan and I can’t compare it to his experience. But who cares? We have different level of sensitivity. Masyado lang matapang ang isang ‘to at talagang nagpapakamartir na sa pagmamahal.

Loyal nga kami, hindi naman sapat para manatili ang mga taong mahal namin. It made me question my worth and my loyalty. What else do they need for them to stay? Is love alone not enough to make them choose us over something? Is our loyalty not enough for them to be here? Damn it!

“Cheers to our broken hearts pare.”

“Cheers to our worth.”

🎵We were as one babe, for a moment in time.

And it seemed everlasting, that you would always be mine.

Now you want to be free, so I’m letting you fly.

Cause I know in my heart babe, our love will never die, no! 🎵

Pagkatapos naming pagbanggain ang mga bote ng alak namin ay walang pagdadalawang-isip na inubos namin ang mga laman nito. Kung hindi lang kami broken hearted iisipin kong nagpapaligsahan kami kung sino ang mauunang matumba eh.

🎵You’ll always be a part of me, and I’m part of you indefinitely.

Girl don’t out know you can’t escape me, oh darling cause you’ll always be my baby.

And we’ll linger on, time can’t erase the feeling this strong.

No way you’re never gonna shake me, oh darling cause you’ll always be my baby. 🎵

“Woah! Woah! Woah! Kung hindi ko lang naririnig ang music na ‘to ngayon at kung wala ng araw ngayon sa labas iisipin kong nagkakatuwaan lang kayo.”

Hindi ko na binigyang pansin pa ang nagsalita. Boses pa lang alam ko na kung sino.

“Dude…she left you again?” he ask Wencel.

Wencel drank his bottle of liquor before he answers Valmond. “No other than.”

“Man. A little bit of advice lang ha, I think you need to put a leash on her before it gets worst. Ikaw ang kulelat kapag hinayaan mo siyang palaging ganito.”

“How can I put a leash on her when in fact I can’t afford to hurt her.”

Pailing-iling na bumuntong hininga si Valmond na nakaupo na sa loob ng bar counter.

“Sabi ni James may ka-meeting ka. Bago sayo ‘yan ha.”

He just gave me a playful smirk before he get his self a drink. “A barbie wants to play with me. Who I am to turn her down, right?”

Typical Valmond.

“Anyway, back to the topic. Iniwanan ka rin ba kaya ka broken? Pinapatugtog mo lang ang kantang ‘yan kapag brokenhearted ka eh. Narealize na ba ng asawa mo na hindi ka gwapo?” umalingawngaw ang tawang pinakawalan ni Valmond sa loob ng bar. Halatang ginagawang joke ang kamiserablehan ko eh.

“Yeah. She found out who’s Brianna to me.”

“Bro, huwag ka ngang makipagsabayan kay Del Franco. Alam naman nating lahat na….wait, totoo?” Paninigurado niya ng makitang walang kahit na anong bakas ng kalokohan ang makikita sa mukha ko.

“That’s why I don’t want to feel that crazy four letter word called love. Ayokong maranasan kung anong nararanasan niyo ngayon.” Saad niya bago nakipag-inuman sa amin kahit hindi pa lumulubog ang araw. Dahilan kung bakit hindi siya nakapagbukas ng bar kinagabihan.

Weeks. Months. Years had passed but no Venus came back. I made Hephaestus successful to prove that I am not going to be crumbled down even if she turns her back on me. Not on my imagination. Not when I am outside my safe zone. But when I am alone, her beautiful face, her smiling face, her lustful face keeps on coming back even if I don’t want to remember her. She never really gave me a silent nights since she left.

Until one day, Zeus, who’s one of my close friends since she left me, bring a woman in my company. I didn’t know that she is the one Zeus recommended. I didn’t even imagine that she and Zeus will going to end up together! I thought si Claretine lang ang kawawa kasi nakahanap na ng bago si Zeus. Noong pinabili ko siya ng kape halos sumabog na siya ng dahil sa selos. I never thought na the same will going to happen to me.

I tried to have fun when she left me but I don’t know what’s happening to me because I can’t have fun with a woman ng hindi siya sumasagi sa isip ko. Kaya at the end, umuuwi na lang ako sa lungga ko at sinisikap na makaraos habang laman pa siya ng isip ko. Hindi alintana ang pagod huwag lang matulog ng nakasaludo pa ang sundalo.

The day we met again came.

Busy ako habang may tinetext sa phone. Papasok na sana ako sa elevator na para lang sa akin ng sabihin ng electrician na may inaayos pa sila at hindi pa pwedeng gamitin. Wala naman akong choice kundi ang sumakay sa regular elevator kesa naman gamitin ang hagdan papuntang eleventh floor. Hindi ko inaasahan na maaabutan ko ang mga kaibigan ko sa loob. Pero ang mas ikinagulat ko ay ang makitang hindi nagbabangayan si Zeus at Claretine habang nasa iisang lugar.

Nadagdagan pa kami ng may pumasok na naman na nga emoleyado. Hindi naman ako ‘yong tipo ng boss na ayaw makihalubilo sa nga empleyado kahit na may sarili akong elevator kaya kahit alam kong pagpapawisan ako, hindi na lang ako umalma pa. Pero hindi ko inaasahan ang susunod na makikita ko. At hindi ko nagustuhan ang closeness at ang pag-aalalang nakikita ko kay Zeus para sa kaniya. Hindi ko matanggap na wala man lang bakas ng kalungkutan at pangungulila sa mga mata niya habang nakatingin sa akin kanina.