"Booook!" Leni screamed calling Jesse's name
"Langga? Leonor!" Risa woke her up
Leni woke up with tears in her eyes and gasping for air.
"What happened?" Risa asked
Leni looked at Risa and started to cry.
"Langga, what happened?" Risa asked her again
"Si Jess." Leni responded
"What do you mean? Anong si Jess?" Risa asked
"Napanaginipan ko siya at buhay siya." Leni replied
"Langga, I know it is hard to move on especially na minahal mo siya but please accept the reality na wala na siya. He died 12 years ago." Risa told her trying to calm her
"No ga. Buhay na buhay siya sa panaginip ko. He hugged me and alam na rin niya na nakita na ulit namin si Jorge." Leni said
"Okay. Ano ba exactly ang napanaginipan mo?" Risa asked
"Nagising ako sa isang katok sa pintuan at pagbukas ko, nakita ko si Jess at buhay na buhay siya. Sabi niya, hindi raw siya yung nilibing namin. Kung buhay si Jess, Risa, kaninong abo yung nasa kwintas namin ng mga bata?" Leni asked
Risa was silent and is listening to Leni.
"Sabi niya, gusto niyang mabuo yung pamilya namin lalo na ngayon na kumpleto na ang mga bata." Leni added
And then she continued
"Kaso hindi ko masabi sa kanya na engaged na tayo hanggang sa sinabi mo na pag-usapan nating tatlo but Jess left dahil hindi ako makapili between you two."
"And yung last part ng panaginip mo ay hinabol mo siya kaya ka nagsisigaw sa panaginip mo, tama?" Risa asked
Leni nodded as a response.
"You haven't moved on yet, no?" Risa asked again
Leni was unresponsive.
"Hindi ka pa nga nakakamove-on, Leonor. Ni hindi mo ako masagot. Hindi ka pa handang pakasalan ako." Risa told her
"Theresia, please maniwala ka. Mahal na mahal kita at handa akong pakasalan ka." Leni persuaded her
"No, Leonor. Maliwanag sa nangyayari ngayon na hindi ka pa handa. Naniniwala akong mahal mo ako pero hindi sapat ang pagmamahal na yun para piliin at pakasalan mo ako. Naiintindihan ko na sobrang minahal mo si Jess pero Leni, engaged tayo but you are still wearing your wedding ring. Sinabi mo rin noon na people will know if you are dating someone if you will not wear that necklace with Jesse's ashes pero you are still wearing them even though we are already engaged. Do you want me to keep going?" Risa said and tears fell from her eyes
Leni could not say a word because she can see that she hurt the woman that she loves.
"Until now, nandoon pa rin sa likod ng pintuan ninyo ang pants na huling sinuot ng namayapa mong asawa. Leonor, how will you say that you are ready to marry me if hindi mo ma let go yung asawa mo? I know that you cannot let go of the memories that you shared for 25 years but please, let the dead rest in peace! Dahil hindi matatahimik ang kaluluwa ng asawa mo kung iisipin mo lagi na buhay pa siya." Risa added
"Theresia, I'm so sorry." Leni apologized
"No, Leni. Kaya kong itago ang relasyon natin sa publiko but I cannot keep up with this bullshit. Ayokong makipag-kumpetensiya at makipag-agawan sa taong hindi na humihinga at nabubuhay." Risa said
Risa removed the engagement ring from her hands and gave it back to Leni.
"Keep this ring until you are ready to let go of your late husband at sana kapag handa ka na, pwede pa. I can't assure you that I will wait for you to move on, Leonor. Paalam sa ngayon." Risa said and she put on her clothes and made her way out of Leni's condo
The latter was not able to stop her because she was frozen in shock. It hurts her to see Risa walking away from her but what pierced her heart is seeing Risa being shattered into pieces because she cannot let go of her late husband. She looked at the engagement ring that she gave Risa 10 months ago and tears suddenly run down her cheeks.
A little while later, Jorge who was already awake and heard their conversation stormed inside her room.
When Jorge saw her, she immediately hugged her and Leni broke down in grief.
"She left me, anak. Wala na ang Mama Risa mo." Leni said in between whimpers
"Mama." was all that Jorge could say
The fourth Robredo girl could not find the right words to say so she just hugged her mom and made sure that her presence is felt because she knew that aside from words, the presence someone dear to Leni could help console her grieving heart.
Jorge would have wanted Risa to be her mom too but she could not force them together just because she want to especially if her mom is not yet ready to let go of her Papa.
When Leni was ready and was composed, she told Jorge about her dream.
FLASHBACK OF LENI'S DREAM
"Hindi mo na kailangan pang mamili, Leni dahil alam ko naman na nakahanap ka na ng taong magmamahal sa iyo at pupuno ng pagkukulang ko. Masaya ako na nahanap mo iyon kay Risa." Jess said
"Bok, alam mo na I have had enough love from you to last me a lifetime." Leni told him
"But you deserve to feel the love that will last you a lifetime for the second time around, Leni and this time, it is not from me. Masaya ako para sa inyo ni Risa." Jess told her
He stood up, leaned over and kissed Leni's forehead and embraced her.
"Paalam, Leni. Mahal na mahal ko kayo ng mga bata." Jess told him and made his way through the door leaving Leni who is already crying
END OF FLASHBACK
"Mama, I know how much you love Mama Risa but if you are not yet ready to let go of Papa, maiintindihan namin." Jorge told her
"Do you think Papa wants me to let him go?" Leni asked
"Mama, I cannot answer that but what I am sure of is that Papa wants you to experience the love that you had from him for the second time around but this time, it will be from the person that you love now." Jorge responded
YOU ARE READING
I CHOOSE YOU (sequel of The Fourth Robredo Daughter)
Fanfiction"May it be here or in another lifetime, I will always choose you." Published: July 2, 2022 ~~~~~~~~ DISCLAIMER: This story was written out of the writer's wide imagination. Names of people dead or alive were used for this story but it does not refle...
