25
Unti unting nag iinit ang sulok ng mga mata niya pagkarinig sa mga sinabi nito. Maybe it was too much. Maybe she was too tired. Too tired of thinking too much these past few days. Kaya naman hindi niya napigilan ang emosyon niya pagkarinig dito.
He wants me back. He want us in his life.
Ang sarap pakinggan. After everything that happened, nasabi pa din nito na gusto siya nito. And she felt so low and so humbled. How could he do it? How could he want her despite everything? Pagkatapos ng lahat ng pasakit na naranasan nito.
Pero hindi pa pala doon natatapos ang lahat, dahil lumapit ito sa kanya at kinuha ang mga kamy niya at sa panggigilalas niya, lumuhod ito sa harap niya. Hindi niya alam ang irereact. At halos hindi niya makapaniwalaan na si Michael ay gagawin ang bagay na ginagawa nito ngayon. Hindi niya inakalang makakaya nitong magpakumbaba ng ganito. And it breaks her heart that he could do that for her. The high and mighty Michael Villegas knelt down in front of her. And she knew that it is not something that she could be proud of dahil alam niyang habang buhay niyang iisipin ang itsura nito habang nakaluhod sa harapan niya. It would haunt her and she would regret it. Dahil hindi masaya na makita ang isang Michael Villegas sa ganyang sitwasyon.
At unti unting nalusaw ang lahat ng galit niya dito na ilang taon niyang tinago sa puso niya. Unti unting nalusaw ang anumang takot na nararamdaman niya. Because she’d rather feel all those pain and all those fears and she’d rather all all the insults than see him like this.
So hurt and so…broken.
At ang pinakamasakit pa, siya lahat ang may kagagawan ng sakit na nararanasan nito.
How could she be so heartless and so unfeeling towards him?
“Raice…” He said with a shaky voice. Naramdaman niya ang unti unting pag iinit ng mga mata niya. Then her eyes turned blurry with tears.
“Please…” At tumulo ang luha nito. The pain in his eyes is too much. Kahit hindi na ito magsalita, kitang kita niya ang sakit na naramdaman nito. And it’s too much to bear. Hindi niya alam kung paano nito nakayanan pero siya, hindi niya kayang tingnan ito na nasasaktan katulad ngayon. Kahit hindi iito magsalita, alam niya na sobrang nasasaktan na ito. And she wanted to whacked her head.
Akala niya nawala na ang pagmamahal niya dito. Akala niya nakapag move on na siya. Akala niya, kaya na niyang mabuhay na wala ito. That her life is now okay.
“I have never stopped loving you. Even for a second.” Tuluyan nang tumulo ang mga luha niya.
“Pinilit kong bitawan ka kasi ayaw kong ipilit ang sarili ko sa’yo pero ang hirap.” Garalgal ang boses na sabi nito.
“Mike…” She wanted him to stop. Ayaw na niyang marinig ang mga sasabihin nito dahil mas lalo siyang nasasaktan. Pakiramdam niya dinudukot ang puso niya.
Hinawakan niya ng mahigpit ang kamay nito na nakahawak sa kamay niya and he squeezed back her hand. Parehong hilam sa luha ang mga mata nila. Yes despite their blurred vision, kitang kita ang pagmamahal nila sa bawat isa. Pagmamahal na pinilit nilang tinikis sa mahabang panahon.
“Gagawin ko ang lahat…” But she stopped him from saying anything more.
“Stop! Stop Mike.” Yumuko siya dito ang pinahid ang mga luha nito. She remembered how much she loved this guy. How attracted she was to him, the first time she saw him looking so gorgeous kahit na natapunan niya ito ng inumin.
She remembered how she grinned in front of the mirror kapag naaalala niya na asawa na siya nito. Just the thought of them being married make her heart jump.
Paano niyang nakalimutan ang lahat ng yun? Paano niyang nakalimutan kung gaano sila kasaya sa isa’t isa? How could she have forgotten how good they were for each other?
Bakit mas pinili niya ang pangarap kaysa dito?
At ngayong narrating na niya ang pangarap niya? Masaya na ba siya?
Siguro oo, dahil sa anak nila. But she is not totally happy. She’s just pretending to be happy. Just convincing herself that what she truly feels is happiness kahit na alam niyang may kulang sa kaligayahan niya. Nakalimutan niya ang kasayahan nadarama noong sila pa ni Michael. During the few weeks of their marriage, when she thought of nothing but their love. Kinalimutan niya dahil alam niyang hindi na niya pwedeng makamit ang kaligayahang yun kapag wala ito. So she settled for something that she could reach.
Pero ngayon…
She looked at him tenderly, still wiping her tears.
“Can we just…can we just be together without any of us sacrificing anything? Without any conditions? Pwede bang magmahalan tayo dahil mahal natin ang isa’t isa at hindi dahil sa kung ano pa mang rason? Can we do that, kahit ngayon lang?” Maiiyak na sabi niya habang nakayuko sa asawa niya. Ohh.. how it feels so good to acknowledged that fact. That she is still his wife. That he still belongs to her.
At hindi na niya napigilan ang nararamdaman niya. She lowered herself para magkapantay sila and then she closed the gap and kissed her husband. The one she promised to spend the rest of life with.
At nakalimutan niya ang lahat. Nakalimutan niya na may fiancée siya. After more than five years since she run away from their Manhattan mansion. She listened to her heart.
And the moment that their lips touched, she felt freedom.
She have forgotten time and space. She have forgetten that she is engaged.
The only important thing is she’s with the man she love.
