With the melodic interlude in between, DJ RC paused again as if letting the words he had just read sink in first before reading the next line.
"Kahit na bawal, we still met. Madalas kami sa isang lugar na kung saan tanaw namin ang buong siyudad at kalangitan. We spent our time together up there to free ourselves from the chains of reality. The twinkling lights giving us the serenity we almost never had anymore.
Pero sabi nga nila walang sekretong 'di nabubunyag. Nalaman ng mga magulang ko ang pasikretong paglabas namin kaya pinatigil ako sa pag-aaral kahit na nasa gitna na kami ng school year. I was grounded for months. And I'll never get to go outside nor get a hold of my phone until we stop our 'stupid' relationship.
Yah, they called our relationship stupid. My feelings felt invalidated ever since.
Ace, kept on ringing our doorbell for those months. He often cry out my name pero hindi ko man lang siya matanaw. Araw-araw niya iyong ginagawa. Maaraw man o umuulan. Ringing the door bell, banging the gates, begging for me. And I hated it. I hated that I can't do anything to help him out there. Tanging pag-iyak lang ang nagawa ko. Every time my parents came in to my room to check up on me, I couldn't even look at them in the eyes. Masakit kasi isipin na 'yong mga magulang mo mismong nagkakait sa kaligayahan mo.
Kaya ang ginagawa ko ay hinihintay ko nalang ang pagdating ni Ace bawat araw. I was holding onto hearing his voice. Ang inisip ko dati hangga't naririnig ko ang boses niya, hindi ako bibitiw.
At alam kong hindi rin siya bibitaw.
But so I thought.
Suddenly, he stopped coming. I no longer heard his voice calling out for me. Bigla siyang naglaho. And I was damn worried na sinubukan kong tumakas ng ilang beses but all those times I failed. Wala naman akong balak na tumigil, nagbabakasakaling isa sa mga attempts ko ay maging successful. But at the night of my last attempt, my Dad caught me and finally said to me, 'You already have a good life, Rain. Siya, wala. So if you want him to have a better life, let him go and grow. Prove himself without you. Kaya niya naman siguro 'yon, diba? Kasi kung hindi ka titigil you know we won't stay idly. You do know a few words from us can ruin someone's future.'
I don't think I need to elaborate how I felt hearing those words. That very night I agreed to be brought to Canada. No questions asked. I said eyes with my face soaked in tears.
And I had never heard from him again. Nor did I bother to contact him. Sa tuwing gusto kong hanapin siya kahit sa facebook man lang ay lagi kong naririnig ang sinabi ng Dad ko that night and I'm scared for him. If the only way for him to continue his dream, prove himself, and gain back his family's reputation was for me to get out of the way, then I'm willing to sacrifice.
Pagkatapos nitong lahat, siguro naman pwede na ulit kami."
“10 years passed. Ito ang unang pagkakataon kong umuwi ng Pilipinas mula nang pumunta ako ng Canada. This happened just three days ago. It was a clan gathering. Siyempre excited ako. Sampung taon din ako sa ibang bansa at hindi naman maitatanggi na iba pa rin kapag kasama mo ang pamilya mo sa sarili mong bansa.
Noong nandoon na kami, halos mapudpod ang heels ko kakalipat lipat sa sobrang dami ng binati ko. It was tiring, yes, but was super fun. Kamusta dito, kamusta doon. Siguro kung hindi naman ako namalagi sa ibang bansa, this kind of occassion would bore me lalo na at pwede ko naman dalawin sa kani-kanilang villa ang karamihan sa mga narito. But since I have been away for a decade from these people, it felt great greeting and catching up a bit with every single one in the room.
Kasama ko sila Mom at Dad, tinatanong kung sino 'yong kakatapos ko lang kausapin kasi nakalimutan ko talaga ang pangalan nito nang may pamilyar na mukha akong nakita.
Her Side Of The Story
Start from the beginning
