"I'm so happy for you bez. Hindi ako makapaniwala na kayo rin pala ni Cliff in the end." Nandito kami ni Katy sa may pavilion at kumakain. Sobrang dami naming dapat pagkwentuhan. "Remember nung nagdare tayo para lang magpropose ka kay Cliff? Sobrang problemado ka pa nun. My god, I can't believe it's been years. Ang dami na talagang nangyari." Tumawa si Katy as if wala ng bukas. "And I wasn't expecting him to contact me and asking for my help. He is so into you. Hindi talaga ako makapaniwala, bez. Ikaw na talaga." Pang-aasar nya.
Nilagyan nya ng red wine ang wine glass namin at iniabot sa'kin ang isa. "Cheers to that bez!"
"Ang daldal mo pa din talaga bez." Uminom ako ng konting wine. Napangiti ako sa mga sinabi ni Katy. Sino bang mag-aakalang magiging ganito ang lahat. Hindi mo talaga alam ang mangyayari hanggang mangyari na lang. Biglang bumalik sa isip ko lahat, yung araw na patay na patay ako kay Cliff pero hindi nya ako kilala. Hanggang magkakilala kami sa gazebo sa likuran ng school. Tapos napagkamalan nyang magkapatid kami. Nagkasakitan kami pero mas nasaktan ko sya. Hindi ko inaasahan na ang dream guy ko noong simula palang, boyfriend ko na ngayon.
"At natatandaan mo pa yung nagstalk ka kay Cliff at nakita mo sya with his first love? So epic." Lagay lang sya ng lagay ng wine at inis-straight ang inom.
Naalala ko talaga na para akong siraulo dahil pinakinggan ko silang dalawa habang nag-uusap just to find out na magpinsan pala sila. "Nakakahiya pala talaga ko dati. Ganun ba ko kapatay na patay sa kanya?" Napailing na lang ako habang nakangiti. Sobrang nakakahiya talaga ng mga pinaggagawa ko dati. Pero kung hindi ko naman yung ginawa malamang hindi kami magkakakilala. On the second thought, baka magkakakilala pa din kami dahil kay tita Leticia. Sobrang liit lang talaga ng mundo. Ano ba 'tong mga iniisip ko.
Napatingin ako sa may garden at napansin kong nakatingin sa'kin si Cliff. He smiled then he winked at me. Okay, my heart skipped a little. Ngumiti lang din ako. Tatawagin ko sana sya para lumapit pero may kumausap sa kanyang isang matandang lalaki. For sure business ang pag-uusapan nila. Ang mayayaman talaga napakabusiness minded. Sana lang talaga masaya sila.
Napansin kong naubos na ni Katy ang red wine na dapat ay para sa'min dalawa. Hindi pa nakuntento at ininom ang wine sa glass ko.
"Hey, Katy enough!" hinawakan ko sya sa kamay at napansin kong may singsing sya. "Oh my gosh. Is this a wedding ring? You're married?" I was balled over and disappointed.
Hinigit nya yung kamay nya sa'kin at nakita kong pinunasan nya ang mga luha nya.
"My goodness Katy, you really are." Tumayo ako at nikayap ko sya. "Bakit hindi mo sinabi sa'kin? Akala ko ba hindi kayo nagkatuluyan?"
Tinanggal ni Katy yung pagkakayakap ko sa kanya. I mean I was trying to congratulate her. Bumalik na lang ako sa upuan ko at tiningan ko sya.
"Anong nangyari? I can see you're not happy." Ang ineexpect ko kasing reaction ni Katy sa pagtatanong ko kung married na sya eh sisigaw sya ng malakas at ipagmamalaki sa'kin ang singsing nya. Ikukwento ang proposal thing and the like.
"I told you hindi kami nagkatuluyan. I was forced to marry a guy na first time ko lang nakita." Hindi na napigilan ni Katy na umiyak. "I don't know my parents anymore. Dati sabi nila sa'kin 'you can have what you want, just make sure you have what you need'. Pero nung nalaman nilang hindi mayaman si Boyd pinaghiwalay nila kami. We didn't have money before, pero totoo palang nababago ng pera ang tao." Hindi ko alam ang sasabihin. Akala ko masaya si Katy dahil kitang-kita ko sa mga mata nya kung gano sya kasaya na magsasama sila ng boyfriend nya. Hindi ko alam na ganito pala ang nangyari sa kanya.
"What happened to your baby?" naiilang akong itanong kasi hindi ko alam kung nabuhay ba yung bata talaga o hindi.
"He's fine. Pero pinalabas ng parents ko na kapatid ko si Matthew. Kahit si Boyd walang alam. Mabuti na lang daw at kamukha ko yung bata." Medyo tumigil yung pag-iyak ni Katy at ngumiti ito. "Oh my gosh bez, kelan ka pa natutong mag-ayos. Kaya pala kanina ko pa iniisip kung anong nagbago sa'yo." Tumawa sya while checking me out. She's crazy. Kanina lang naiyak sya tapos ngayon naman nangiti na naman sya.
"I'm sorry to hear that bez. But at least you didn't lose your baby. Hindi sya ipinamigay ng parents ko." Tumango lang sya na nakatingin pa rin sa'kin. "OMG bez lahat naman tayo nagbabago no! Ikaw nga din nagbago. Alam mo bang isang malaking whale ang ineexpect kong makikita ko." Sinakyan ko na lang yung sinimulan nya para naman makalimutan nya yung mga nangyari sa kanya.
"Sobra ka! Anong whale ang pinagsasabi mo dyan!!" hinampas nya ako ng malakas at nagtawanan kami. Namiss ko ang tawanan namin na ganito. Matagal din bago ako tumawa ulit ng ganito.
"Ehem! Ladies." Hindi namin napansin na lumapit na pala si Cliff dahil busy kami sa pagkukwentuhan ni Katy.
"Ayoko sanang sirain ang reunion nyo but this pretty lady here needs to be home before midnight or I'll be dead." Tumatawang sabi ni Cliff habang umakbay sa'kin.
"Ow, I see. That's fine to me really. Magkikita din naman tayo sa school." Nahihiyang sabi ni Katy na parang hindi makatingin sa'min at hindi ko alam kung bakit.
"No way! Babalik ka sa school? I mean for real?" tuwang-tuwa ako na babalik ang bestfriend ko sa school. Like the old days.
"Parang ayaw mo ata. Siguro may iba ka ng friends no?" she rolled her eyes.
"Syempre masaya akong babalik ka no! Sana lang talaga magkaklase tayo." Tumayo ako at kinuha ko yung gamit ko.
"Alam ko namang kelangan mo ko dahil wala kang makakasundo sa academy na yun." Tumawa sya ng malakas pero hindi ako sumagot at tumingin lang ako sa kanya. "No way Torrence! May kaibigan ka na dun?" parang disappointed sya.
"Yes. But they are different. Magugustuhan mo din sila. Siguro sa una hindi, pero for sure matutuwa ka sa kanila." I said frantically.
"They are? This is too much. At hindi lang pala isa. I really need to meet your new friends. Baka kung anong klaseng mga tao sila." Napahawak sya sa ulo nya na sobrang OA. As if naman pipili ako ng mga kaibigan na sosyalera at maarte. Big no no to me.
"We really need to go Katy and see you tomorrow." Nagbeso na kaming dalawa. "I'll call you when I get home."
"I really missed you bez." Niyakap nya ko ng mahigpit. Namiss ko din naman sya ng sobra. Loka talaga 'tong babaeng 'to. Humarap sya kay Cliff at iniabot ang kamay nya dito then nagshake hands sila.
"Congrats Cliff. I'm so happy for both of you."
"Thanks to you Katy. I owe you one." At niyakap nya si Katy.
"I think that's too much! Girlfriend's here hello!" I waved my hand pero syempre pajoke lang naman. Ayun nagtawanan kaming tatlo. This is the one of the best days of my life. I'll treasure this moment forever.
***********************************
PENELOPE'S POV (New character)
I can't believe I'm here again but this time I'm not alone. I'm with the most handsome guy I've ever met. I know that's overinflated, you can't blame me. We're inlove. The cold breeze brushes through my skin as we watch the sunset.
"I really love this place." I said with a huge smile on my face as I talk to my guy beside me.
"Obviously, that's written all over your face princess." He chuckled. "Parang nakita ko na nga 'tong lugar na 'to but I can't remember when."
"I don't think so. We met in Switzerland and you've been there for so long, you told me that and I'm not that old to forget!" I snapped back as I remove my sandals. "Wanna play?"
"No! Not a good idea!" he ignored me and turns his back on me.
"You're going nowhere mister!" I ran after him and dragged him into the water.
"Okay, you win!" he said while taking his shirt off. Oh, what a great view. I'm starting to drool here. Just kidding. I've seen better before but this one is way way better.
"Are you checking me out princess?" he smirked as he splashed the water onto my face.
"Hey, I'm not prepared you egregious creature!" this is what we always do back in Switzerland. We always hang out and do whatever we want to do until one day, we woke up longing for one another. That's so cheesy I know.
Oh by the way I'm Penelope Svanotzky, 19 years old. We just came back from Switzerland. I think I already mentioned that. Don't bother to ask, English is not my first language okay. I can speak Tagalog and Francais too.
"What's that?" me pointing to something in the water. "Is that a bottle?" I was about to get it when Rence stopped me. "Fine. Get it for me, will you?" I said while crossing my arms.
His jaw dropped a little as I told him what to do. "You're a bratt!" He cusses as he gets into the water.
I give him a peck on the cheek as he handed me the bottle. "No way! This is a message in the bottle." I said, flabbergasted. I grabbed the bottle and remove its cap. "It's a letter." I opened the letter and we read it together.
It's been two years since you disappeared. Life goes on as they always say. Marami ng nangyari, marami ng nagbago sa buhay ko at sa buhay ng mga taong nagmamahal sa'yo.
I'm in third year college, konti na lang at makakatapos na din. I'm still hoping na bago ako makatapos babalik ka. Babalik ka at sabay nating tutuparin ang mga pangarap natin sa buhay. Pero paano kung hindi ka na talaga bumalik?
Yung mga panahong nawala ka may isang tao namang kahit minsan hindi nawala sa tabi ko. Sya na ngayon ang presindente ng company nila. Despite of his busy schedule may time pa rin sya sa'kin. I'm talking to your brother Cliff. I still love you Tonsi, pero kung wala ka na talaga sana bigyan mo ako ng sign. Ayokong magmahal ulit tapos bigla kang babalik. Ayoko ng masaktan at ayoko ding makasakit.
Pero ngayon nandito na ako sa pagkakataong hahayaan ko namang sumaya ulit yung sarili ko. Matagal kong pinigilan yung sarili kong magmahal ulit sa paghihintay sa pagbabalik mo. Lahat kami hindi sumuko, hindi nawawalan ng pag-asa. Sine-celebrate namin ang birthday mo at palagi ka naming pinagpe-pray. Kung nasan ka man ngayon Tonsi sana maramdaman mo na naghintay ako sa'yo sa mahabang panahon pero hindi ka dumating.
Hanggang ngayon ipinapahanap ka pa din nila tita pero hindi ka nila makita. Sabi nila mahirap daw talagang makita ang taong ayaw magpakita. Pero hindi ka naman nagtatago di ba? At bakit mo naman ako pagtataguan? Handa ko ng harapin ang buhay ng mag-isa. Tutuparin ko ang mga pangarap ko kahit wala ka. Habang buhay kong ite-treasure lahat ng happy moments natin. Hinding-hindi yun mawawala.
"This is so romantic and deplorable at the same time. I hope this won't happen to us." I told him while wiping my teary eyes.
"It's getting late. We need to go. Get your things." He looked me in the eyes. I really hate it when I can't read his mind. He is so mysterious and that's making him so unique. He turned his back on me without saying anything.
That's it? Maybe he's tired. Why did I bring him here in the first place? Oh great, I can't really remember. I just followed him to my dismay.