Intemporel

Invisible

"ARRA! SAN AGUSTIN! WAIT LANG." Ara watched the love of her life chase his, with observative eyes.

Hingal na hingal ito.

Normal sa isang taong nagmamahal ang masaktan lalo na at kung ang hinahabol mo ay may hinahabol na iba.

Normal na mag-isip ng kapintasan ng minamahal ng minamahal mo, para sabihing posible pa at may pag-asa pa ang salitang "kayo". 

Normal naman talaga na hilingin na sana di na lang naabutan ng mahal mo ang minamahal nya.Kase baka sa ganun, baka ilaan siya sayo ng tadhana. 

But Ara isn't like that.

Bagamat nasasaktan, mas nag-aalala pa ito sa hinihingal na binata kesa sa puso niyang, band aid na lang siguro ang bumubuhay. 

Pinagmasdan ni Ara ang pag-ngiti ng binata at pagbigay nito ng bouquet ng bulaklak at isang babasagin na regalong hugis puso kay Arra.

Ngunit, ibinalik lang ito ni Arra sa binata. Ara watched Arra mouth the words, "I'm sorry. I can't accept this."

Ikinalungkot ito ng binata, at ang mga luha ay unti unting namuo.

Tinalikuran ni Arra ang wasak na binata.

Marahil dahil sa mga narinig, unting unting kumakalas ang paghawak ng sawi sa hawak na bulaklak at babasaging regalo. Kaya naman ito'y nabagsak at nawasak, sa milyong piraso.

Imbis na matuwa sa pagkasawi ng binata sa pangliligaw kay Arra, Ara remained still, watching him drop on his knees to pick up the broken pieces and the scattered roses.

The heart can be selfish, and selfless, and that's where the problem begins.

Kung ang iba masyadong nagiging makasarili sa paghanap ng pag-ibig, life mission na ata ni Ara ang pagiging altruistic.

She closed her eyes, and heaved a heavy sigh. Although her mind forced her to stay where she was, her feet were unstoppable.

She walked towards the kneeling lover, smiled once he laid eyes on her, and in a mellifluous voice, she uttered the words, not even a martyr of love would.

"Ako na mag-aayos neto. I'll pick up these broken pieces," Ara paused, 'til Im bleeding, wishing that will make you mine. She thought to herself.

"Go and chase her."

The man before her nodded, tugged his shirt towards his bulging red eyes, and eventually walked to chase Arra.

Not even a word of thanks to Ara.

Ara stared at the scattered glass pieces and roses. But she couldn't stop herself from reading the pieces of paper scattered. These are probably what the heart-shaped glass contained.

She picked them up one by one, sa lahat ng papel, ay nakasaad ang pagmamahal ng binata kay Arra.

Oo, unting unting nawawalan ng dikit ang band-aid sa puso ni Ara ngunit pinagpatuloy pa din niya ang pag-basa hanggang sa mabasa niya ang kahulihulihang mensahe:

"It has always been you and it will always be you Arra. Mahal kita, wala ng iba."

Selfless. Selfless ang pagmamahal ni Ara sa binata. Ngunit nasasaktan pa rin ito ng sobra. Kaya naman ng bumibigat na ang pakiramdam niya, hinawakan nito ang kaliwang bahagi ng dibdib, at kinausap ang sarili.

"Keep beating. Please keep beating."

Ilang segundong katahimikan ang lumpias, hanggang basagin ito ng isa pang binata.

"You can't ask anything broken to keep functioning." An unknown voice called out to her.

Ara looked up to see a figure of a well-built man, with chinky eyes.

The figure offered his hands to Ara, implying her to stand up. Once Ara stood still, the figure gently dropped his knees to the floor, picking up the broken pieces and the scattered roses.

Ara watched with unblinking eyes.

"The thing is, we keep forcing ourselves beyond the limit." The figure seamlessly stated, not even throwing a glance at Ara.

He looked up, and he stared at Ara's eyes. Although they're full of tears, the man clearly sees Ara's soul. He has, for the past almost four years.

"You can't ask it to keep on beating when you choose to abuse it. It's not as masochistic as you are. You can't ask it to keep on beating most especially when even the bandages and band aids that support it no longer hold it firm. Why not give it a rest, especially when it deserves it."

He cut his eye contact and continued picking up the mess someone else had done.

Once he finished compiling them into one area, he stood up, gently wiping his pants.

He faced Ara.

"Give it a rest. Instead of fixing someone else's, and offering yours, let others fix you too. Understand, someone is definitely willing to take you into his arms. Fixed or broken, he won't love you any less."

The figure took three seconds to stare at Ara's eyes genuinely, and eventually stepped back to walk away.

However, even before doing so, he let out his final thoughts.

"I know how it feels to be unnoticed by someone you love. I definitely know how it feels to be invisible, And Ara" He paused.

"I know you love him, but please know the difference of someone who needs fixing and someone who wants it. He needs it, but he doesn't want it. His heart will remain with Arra, we both know that. We both know how much Jeron loves Arra."

The figure walked away.

Ara was left trying to comprehend the scene before her.

All was silent until-

"Thomas Torres." Ara turned back only to see Mika.

"His name is Thomas Torres. Wake up Ara, you deserve so much more." With that Mika walked away as well, leaving Ara confused.

She knows that she loves Jeron despite making her feel invisible, but at the same time, she's in awe how a stranger in Thomas Torres's form could take all the pain away in an instant, and make her feel that she's the only persona he sees every minute of every day.

Ara sighed, and left a lingering thought.

"I'll fix myself first, then maybe, just maybe, I could take the feeling of being invisible away from you, Thomas."

She smiled, and thanked God for a verse like Romans 8:18: The pain that you've been feeling, can't compare to the joy that's coming.

-End-

Note: Another "spur of the moment" one shot.  Forgive me.

Corny and sorry sa inconsistencies between the transition from Tagalog to English. (Di ko po mapanindigan haha ✌)