Enchanted

Special Chapter : A Dream, A Vision, A Memory

Special Chapter: A Dream, A Vision, A Memory

"Pwede nga ba talagang magkaroon nang happy ending ang katulad ko?"

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"Bakit ba yung mga tulad natin hindi pwedeng magkaroon ng happy ending, ha Val?"

Minsan yun din yung pinagtatakahan ko, bakit lahat ng gusto ng mga lalaki sa babae wala sa mga tulad namin?

"Kasi Val, feeling ko wala ng hangganan ang buhay ko dahil wala siya. Ang sweet sweet niya pa nga eh. Binilhan pa niya ako ng flowers, hindi niya yun ginagawa sa iba niyang Exes. Tapos sabi niya, magbabakasyon lang siya sa Palawan. And pagbalik niya ng 2 months, sabi niya ayaw na niya saakin. At nararamdaman daw niya na hindi ko na raw siya mahal. And ang mas masakit pa doon kasama niya pa yung bago niyang babae."

Val just stared at her friend as if she was crazy. "Was that man blind or what? You are a precious jem. He should feel bad about that! And nararamdaman na hindi mo siya mahal?! That's totally insane! Palagi mo ngang kinukwento saakin yung lalaking yun eh! Sinasabi mo na ang sweet niya, hinahatid ka pa sa school, ipinakilala mo pa sa parents mo, blah blah blah. And that's what he said?!! And who is that new girl he's with?! Is she a hoe? More experienced than you? Was she beautiful? Matapang??"

Her friend dabbed her handkerchief in her eyes and blew her nose. She shook her head at her and released a hoarse, dry laugh. She appeared to be laughing at her question.

"You're really going to laugh at this?! Really?!"

Her friend seemed amused but when her laughter subsided, the sad look returned from her eyes.

"Val, about your question..."

"Yeah? What's so funny about that anyway? Was the girl ugly? If that's what you' re talking about then--"

"No! I mean- Ugghh!! That's not what I meant!"

"Then what is it?" Val asked, annoyed by her answer. Nevertheless, she was happy that some of the sadness vanished away from her face. Masaya siya nang kaunti doon. She looked like her own self again.

"N-no the girl was not ugly. I was just.. a bit surprised... by his uhm... Taste in girls."

"Ha! I knew it! Panget siya noh?! Don' t worry about that gan--

"Stop that Val!"

"Yeah sorry..." She mumbled sheepishly.

She looked a bit irritated at her but calmed down. "As I was saying, hindi siya panget but the girl was... I don't know, she was pretty in that quiet sort of way."

She suddenly became aware of what was the problem, because she said, "No. Y-you don't need to, I understand perfectly."

Her friend held her hand to stop her. "N-no I-I just need to get it out of my chest sometimes." She breathed deeply, as If she was to tell a dark secret.

"Nung nakita ko yung babaeng pinalit niya saakin, Gosh! I was immediately surprised! The girl was sweet, caring, tender, and a bit of fire in her. She was like a fucking heroine from those crappy romance novels, Val. Teacher siya para sa mga bata sa isang public school, and plano din pala niya magpatayo nang bakery. And she also loves plants. She said about her grandmother about having a rose garden in their backyard, and she also eats organic food. Gosh naman! I was trying to hold my tears back then. They were so happy. He always looked at her as if he was her world and-and-" She started sobbing again.

The world started to spin around her. She also tried holding her tears back. "And?" She prompted.

"And I fucking hate her! I don't hate her because she stole my boyfriend. No, I hate her because of who she is. Mabait, Maganda, sweet. Lahat ng mga bagay na hindi ako. Volunteer pa siya sa isang animal center for Fuck's sake! All boys like women like her . She-She looked so innocent there." Her voice broke. "And so brave.. And beautiful when she talked to us about Human rights. He.. He was so in awe of her. Parang siya yung mundo niya. Hindi katulad ng mga tingin na binibigay niya saakin. Mine was just lust and desire. Her? He looked at her as if hindi siya makapaniwalang totoo siya, as If he was her world." Her friend was silent after that.

She also felt moved at what her friend said. She could't blame her. She was witnessing herself true love at it's finest. And the sad part? The man was once her boyfriend. Minsan unfair talaga ang buhay.

"That's why I was jealous of her you know." Her friend continued. Medyo nagulat siya, hindi niya kasi alam na may sasabihin pa siya.

"Nagselos ako sa kanyang mabait na ugali, her quiet beauty, at sa mga babaeng katulad niya. And lastly, her innocence. Ang kainosentehan niya na matagal nang nawala saakin. Her determination to make something happen. It's beautiful you know? When you still have that kind of innocence. Not tainted by the harsh realities of this world. Ang mga babaeng katulad niya bagay sa mga lalaking guwapo, mayaman. Isang dahilan din dahil iniwan niya ako is my possessiveness. Kapag lalaki ang naging seloso at possessive, tingin sakanya, sweet and caring. Pang-erotica yung ganoong story, Pang- Fifty Shades of Grey yon. Pag babae ang ganoon, stalker ex, selosa, at clingy, sasabihin sakanya too obsessive. Ginagawan yung babae bilang kontrabida, bitch, tapos namamatay rin sa huli. And where does that leave us?" Mapakla na tumawa yung kaibigan niya.

Val could also figure it out.

"Because women like us are liberated, promiscuous, ganito na? Ang mga lalaking ganyan, hanggang fling lang tayo. Sa mga storyang ganito, tayo ang mga main bitch, queen bee na maraming alipin, the sluts, kontrabida, bad girl. Tayo yung mga obsessive fans, mga bitter ex, women that someone married cheats his wife from, stalker ex, and all that. Tayo mga side chapter o extra lang, pampagulo lang tayo sa story, and disapear from the story when the main character finds their happy ending, and never to be seen again."

Nakatatak ang lahat ng sinabi ng kaibigan ni Val sa utak niya. How could she not? When all her friend said are true. She was, and always a liberated woman. She knows her needs, and she is not afraid to quench it. Hindi naman siya natakot sa sinabi nang kaibigan, mas bumukas lang ang utak niya sa kaalaman na ang mga babaeng katulad niya, walang happy ending. No strings, no expectations, it's totally better this way.

Patuloy pa rin na nagsasalita ang kaibigan na parang linalabas na niya lahat ng saloobin niya, lahat ng kinikimkim na lungkot, galit, at ang pag-asa na meron pa ring magmamahal sa katulad niya.

"Masama ba Val? Masama ba na umasa ako na may magmamahal saakin? Yung lalaking genuine sa feelings niya, yung lalaking kayang ilabas ang emosyon niya? Walang Alpha-male tendencies, walang macho bullshit, at totoong Love? Meron ba? Kasi Val, pagod na pagod na talaga ako eh, hindi ko na alam kung saan ko siya hahanapin, palagi nalang ako nadi-disappoint." Her friend slumped her shoulders, na parang buhat niya lahat ng problema sa mundo. She felt a wave of pity for her friend. She looked lost. Hopeless. But she also felt an underlying wave of anger to the person who caused her friend such pain.

Finally, Val stood determinedly and stared at her hopeless friend. "Stop being whiny and fix yourself. He doesn't own you. Don't let him control your life. Hindi ka side character, you are the whole shitting book. Make your own story and forget him. This time, you are the heroine in your own story. You may think you are the side character in someone else's story, but you are the heroine in your OWN story. So fix yourself. You won't change just because of one man. Many are better than him. Because we are the Bitches. And Bitches always win."

There was a tiny hint of smile on her friend's lips. "Nice girls rule the battle." She said quietly, remembering the old days.

"Yeah." Val replied. "But Bad Bitches-- I mean Queens rule the war."

"Long live the Queens."

"You're right."

"Yeah."

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