I Meant It When I Said, 'I Do.'

I Meant It When I Said, 'I Do.' - FINAL CHAPTER

Nagtatakang bumaba si Veronica mula sa silid. And there was this lady. Kahit matagal na panahon na ang nakakaraan, kilala pa rin niya ito. Pamilyar sa kanya ang tayo nito, ang buhok, ang mukha nito.

"T-Tita Sandra?"

Tumango ito. "Naaalala mo pa pala ako, hija."

"Akala ko nasa Australia kayo." Lumapit siya rito't niyakap ito ng mahigpit.

Hindi ito gumanti ng yakap. Nakatingin lang ito sa kanya.

"May problema ho ba?" aniyang binitiwan ito.

"It's about my son..." bumakas ang lungkot sa mukha nito. Pakiramdam niya'y hinahalukay ang laman-loob niya habang nakatingin sa mata ng kaharap.

"He's going through tough times again," dagdag nito.

Bakit? Dahil ba sa pagbubuntis ni Bianca? Masyado bang maselan ang kalagayan nito?

"We all are going through hard times Tita.. I'm sure, Earl will recover from it."

"Do you really mean it, Veronica? Do you care even just a little about my son?"

Ngumiti siya ng mapait. "Even if I did, it won't mean anything to him Tita. The best thing I can do now is leave him and let him live the life he really wants."

"All he ever wanted is to be with you."

Natigilan siya at napatitig sa kaharap.

"No offence meant but I never wanted you to be my son's wife."

Pakiramdam niya'y namilog ang ulo sa narinig. "That's okay Tita. I'm not his wife now... I never was."

"It's not that you're not good for him. It's because he considers you his life that he can barely live without you. I should know, besides the fact that I'm his mother, I saw him slowly dying when you left him five years ago. It took him a lot to move on. Alam ko kung gaano kasakit dahil buong buhay ko, patuloy akong umaasa sa pagmamahal na hindi kailanman naging akin. I hated you for hurting my son... and I wanted you to stay out of his life."

Nakagat ni Veronica ang labi para pigilan ang nag-uumalpas na emosyon. Humulagpos ang luhang pinipigilan niya. Why does it have to hurt? Wala na sila ni Earl hindi ba? She doesn't have to care what his mom would say. Dahil iyon naman talaga ang gagawin niya—ang magpakalayo-layo ng tuluyan.

"That won't be a problem, Tita. I'm leaving him for good."

Akala niya'y aalis na ito pero nagpatuloy ito na tila walang narinig. "I want him to stop hurting. I want him to be happy again. To hear him laugh. To see him live his life again. And it would do no good if you'd go away. So," hinawakan nito ang dalawang kamay niya. Nagbago ang ekspresyon ng mukha nito. Naroroon ang lungkot at pagpapakumbaba. "I'm begging you to stay. Please stay. I can't bear to watch him wasting his life again. Kahit hindi mo na siya mahalin... just stay with him."

"Tita, do you know how much I love your son?" aniyang pigil ang paghikbi nang muling maramdaman ang pag-ibig na matagal niyang inalagaan sa dibdib na ngayo'y pilit niyang binabaon sa limot. "Do you know how much painful it is for me to leave? Ayokong iwan siya. Pero pagod na akong masaktan, Tita. He loved me before. But he hated me so much now."

"He tried to hate you... but he failed."

Matagal bago rumihistro iyon sa utak niya. Nagugulumihang napatitig siya sa kaharap.

"So, you love him still? Will it be enough to make you stay?"

"He doesn't want me, Tita. He has Bianca already and they're going to have a baby. Where would I be?"