I first met her sa Razon's Sport Center. She was a part of the women's volleyball team and she's a rookie like me.
She wasn't those ordinary college girls who likes to wear dresses and make up everyday. Mas mukha pa nga syang lalaki sakin, pero she was really a head turner.
She had this charm that would make boys, and even girls, want her. Kahit ba di sya mag make-up, she would still look gorgeous especially with those perfect eyebrows and pointy nose.
She was very shy at first, pero when you get to be friends with her, sobrang ingay at bully nya.
She can notice those little imperfections that you have and she would laugh at it until you get pissed off.
But above all of those, she's the sweetest girl that I've ever met... and it made me fall in love with her...
***
February 9, 2013
"You'll watch?" She asked
"Of course! Kaya galingan mo ah." I said then messed her hair.
"Tsk! Sige na, tawag na ako. Make sure na manonood ka talaga ah... hahanapin kita sa crowd." She warned.
"Yes boss! Mamaya ma-surprise ka pa eh." I smirked.
"Huh? What do you mean?" She asked.
"Wala. Ingat kayo ah! Good luck sa game!" I said then hugged her one last time before she leaves.
"Thank you!!" She said then left.
***
DLSU vs ADMU
"Number 8! Ara Galaaaaang!!!"
I think I'm more nervous than she is. Eh Ateneo ba naman kalaban mo, but I believe that they can do this! Syempre nanonood ako eh.. okay ang hangin ko. Stop na.
While watching the game, bigla naman lumapit sakin si Billie Capistrano, yung court side reporter ng La Salle.
"Hi Thomas! Pwede ka bang mainterview?" She asked.
"Sure. Sure." I said.
"I'm just gonna ask you kung anong masasabi mo sa game and some more stuff, okay?" She said and I nodded.
The staff signaled us, then the interview started.
"Hi Thomas! So, kwinento mo samin na first time mong manood ng UAAP volleyball game live!" I nodded in agreement.
"So, sa dinami daming UAAP volleyball games ng Lady Spikers noh, why this game?" She asked.
"Uhh kasi it's Ateneo-La Salle and I know it's very special game pag Ateneo-La Salle and I know it's gonna be a close one, so yun. Ito yung game na gusto kong panoorin talaga." I answered. Oo na, I'm conyo na.
"May friends ka ba sa Lady Spikers? At sino naman ang ina-idolize mo?" She asked again.
"Uhh I know Aby Maraño, but yung idol ko talaga si Aruh Guhlung." I answered. Hahaha I'm sure magugulat sya dahil dito.
(A;N: you can watch the interview sa may multimedia 😊)
After few more questions nag pasalamat na din si Billie and bumalik na ako sa upuan ko.
"But yung idol ko talaga si Aruh Guhlung." Jeron teased.
Sabi ko na nga ba at pag tatawanan nila yung pag sasalita ko.
"Pwede bang tigilan nyo ako?"
"Bakit kasi ganun ka mag salita? Napaka conyo mo bro!"
"I was nervous, okay? Kaya ganun yung pagsasalita ko." I answered. Tumigil naman sila sa kakakulit at bumalik na sa panonood.
After more than 2 hours of not breathing properly, finally! Nakuha ng La Salle yung win! I'm so proud of her and of course the whole team.
After singing our school's hymn, pumunta na kami nila Jeron sa dugout to congratulate the ladies.
Pag karating na pag karating namin sa dug out, sya agad ang hinanap ng mga mata ko.
Agad ko naman syang nakita at madaling pumunta sakanya para yakapin sya.
"Congrats idol!!" I said while hugging her.
"Thank you!!" She said then let go of the hug.
She was smiling widely until I think she remembered something thats why she suddenly glared at me.
"Oh, what's wrong?" I asked.
"Sira ulo ka talaga!!" She whined at nag simulang paluin yung braso ko.
"Huy! What's your problem?"
"Yung interview mo! Yan tuloy, sabog notifications ko. They're starting to pair us up. May ship name pa nga tayo eh." She explained while frowning.
Wala akong nasabi sa gulat ko. Pini-pair kami? Ship name?
"Hashtag ThomAra!!!!" Bigla naman sumigaw sila Mika sa likod.
ThomAra? That's cute.
"Cute naman eh." I said.
"Che! Bahala ka na nga." She frowned pero bigla nalang tumawa. Baliw diba?
***
After that interview, palagi ng sabog yung notifications ko. It's all because of these 'ThomAra Shippers'.
I must admit na ang cute lang nila pero parang ang unfair namin sakanila cause ang alam nila ay di kami mag kakilala ni Ara pero what they didn't know is that, mag MU kami.
Yup. MU. We like each other. I wanted to court her pero sabi ni Ara na hindi pa sya ready and focus muna sa studies. Okay naman ako sa situation namin.
More than friends, less than lovers.
***
After a few months of Ara and her teammates winning the '3 peat champions' title, medyo di na kami ganun nag uusap. Syempre, we're busy with our own academics and malapit na din kasi ang finals exam.
Minsan nalang kami makapag bond together. Tapos ang mga text namin ay mostly 'good morning' and 'goodnight' nalang.
Iba-iba na din ang nakakasama namin everyday. Ako, nakakasama ko si Arra San Agustin cause mag partner kami sa isang report.
Arra is very different from Ara. On how they dress pa nga lang is very different na.
Si Arra din kasi is very mahinhin. Sya yung babaeng nag babagay sa katatagang 'dream girl'. She's very smart, mabait at pretty.
I'm not saying that Ara is not smart, pretty or mabait. It's just that, girly girl kasi si Arra compared to Vic... para di malito.
And as moments without Vic passes by, naattach na ako kay Arra. Which led me to courting her.
I was the happiest man nung pinayagan nya akong manligaw until...
"Thomas.." lumingon ako nung may tumawag sakin.
"Ara?"
"Kamusta ka na?" She asked.
"Okay naman. Ikaw? Kamusta na?" I asked happily.
"Okay lang din. Long time no see ah? Busy?" She asked.
"Medyo eh."
"Ahh. By the way, congrats nga pala sainyo ni Arra!" She said then smiled. It was a sad smile, I'm sure.
I didn't say anything. I just stared at her eyes who were tempting to let tears go.
"Ah sige, Thom. Mauuna na ako." She said then was about to leave when I grabbed her arm.
"Ars, let me explain."
"No, its okay. You don't have to. I understand naman eh. Siguro nga, tama sila. These feelings are just infatuation. It's not serious." She said then a tear fell from her eyes.
"Ars, that's not true. Minahal talaga kita."
"Sige, let's say that you did, pero your feelings for me isn't enough for you to stay and wait."
"Ara, I'm sorry. Akala ko it's over. Akala ko na-basted na ako. Akala ko ayaw mo na cause naging busy ka na."
"Basted?! Thomas, bakit kita babastedin kung gusto din kita? I told you to wait. I was very busy cause I had to attend classes that I missed nung season. Akala ko maiintindihan mo kasi athlete ka din."
"Naiintindihan kita pero.."
"Pero mas mahal mo na si Arra."
"Ara.. I'm sorry."
Tiningnan nya lang ako at nag punas ng luha. Hahawakan ko pa sana yung kamay nya pero bigla nalang syang tumakbo palayo.
What have I done...
***
Sabihin nyo nang gago ako pero tinuloy ko parin yung panliligaw ko kay Arra dahil mahal ko rin sya at hindi nag tagal ay sinagot nya din ako.
I was very happy nung sinagot ako ni Arra pero I still felt incomplete. I know that I should forget about Ara cause that would be unfair for Arra pero I just can't.
***
"Oo na malapit na ako!" Sagot ko kay Jeron at in-end yung call.
Ito ako ngayon tumatakbo pauwi dahil kay Jeron. May ipapakita daw kasi sya. Ewan ko ba dun at kailangan pang personal na ipakita, pwede naman i-send sa messenger.
"Oh andito na ako. Ano ba yun?" Tanong ko kay Jeron.
"Nabalitaan namin na may nalilink kay VSG ngayon..."
Tiningnan ko lang sya, signaling him to continue.
"Si Bang Pineda ng Adamson women's volleyball team."
women's????
"Babae?!?" I asked in shock.
"Oo, babae. Nabali yung ka-MU este ex ka-MU mo." Jeron said then chuckled.
"Ito lang ba sasabihin mo at pinapunta mo pa ako dito??" I said irritatedly.
"Meron pa! May update na sa kanilang dalawa." He said at binigay yung phone nya.
Just with those 2 words and that 'baby' having 6 y's, nasira ang buong mundo ko. Kahit may Arra na ako, sobrang sakit parin talaga na malaman na may nag mamayari na ng puso nya.
"Bumalik ba yung pag mamahal mo sakanya?" Tanong ni Jeron sakin.
"Hindi naman nawala eh."
***
Tumagal kami ni Arra ng 2 years pero natapos din yun. It was a mutual decision because she wanted to focus on her acting career and I wanted to focus on my basketball career pero we remained as friends.
As for Ara and her girlfriend, strong pa din sila until now. I believe, malapit na din ang 2nd year anniversary nila.
Sobrang sakit para sakin yun, pero I'm very thankful dahil andyan yung mga ThomAra shippers para isupport parin kami kahit alam nilang impossible na mangyari 'kami'.
Di nila alam kung gaano nila ako namomotivate pag nag ttweet sila sakin ng "Kaya mo yan, Dad! Makukuha mo din si Mom!" kahit alam kong nag jjoke lang sila.
After my break up with Arra, hindi na ako nakipag date sa iba. Naging si Thomas Torres nalang ako who's secretly support my idol, Ara Galang.
***
April 27, 2016
Finals Game 2 ngayon ng volleyball. Happy ako at naka pasok ang La Salle sa finals. Happy ako at nakita ko si Ara na naka pasok ng finals after suffering that injury last season.
Dapat hindi talaga ako manonood ng live ngayon kasi baka mag kagulo sila Ara at Bang lalo na't alam ni Bang na meron kaming past ni Ara.
Pero mapilit ang mga ThomAra babies ko, and hindi ko din sila kayang tiisin. Kailangan din nila maging masaya, kahit paminsan minsan lang.
During the game, tuwing nakaka score si Ara, I clap my hands or sometimes fist bump with the air to show na, kahit papano, I'm still very proud of her achievements.
Nung nanonood ako, bigla nalang may lumapit sakin na mga fans na may dalang "VSG" na mga balloons.
Of course alam kong Victonara Salas Galang ang ibig sabihin nun pero nag kunyare nalang akong hindi ko alam para hindi sila makahalata.
Tinanong nila kung pwede bang picturan ako habang hawak yun. Pumayag naman ako kahit hiyang hiya na ako kasi I'm catching some attention from the other crowds.
Nag thank you naman sila sakin after ako picturan. Pag kaupo ko, tinatawan ako ni Jeron.
"Oh anong nakakatawa?" I asked.
"Pulang pula ka Thommy! Hahahaha." Sabi ni Jeron at tumawa ulit.
"Manood ka na nga lang!" I said at sinuntok sya sa braso.
***
Unfortunately, hindi nanalo ang Lady Spikers so they have to face the ALE again in a do-or-die match. Ako ata ang malas ngayon.
Nagulat naman ako ng biglang nag salita si Jeron.
"Thom, gusto ka nyang makausap." Jeron said at dinala na ako sa dug out.
Pag pasok ko sa dug out, nakita ko syang naka lean sa wall, spacing out. Naka jersey pa sya, so I think di pa sya nakakapag ligo.
"Ara.." bigla naman syang napatingin sakin. Napaka blank nung tingin nya.
"Thomas.." gusto ko na syang yakapin. Sobra ko syang namiss.
"Tawag mo daw ako.." I said at kinamot ang batok ko, as a sign of embarrassment.
"Pwede ba tayong magusap?" She asked. Nagulat naman ako sa tono ng boses nya. Napaka soft ng boses nya.
"Sige." I said at lumapit sakanya.
Pag kalapit na pag kalapit ko, bigla nya naman akong niyakap ng mahigpit. Niyakap ko din sya pabalik. Ramdam na ramdam ko yung pag kamiss namin sa isa't isa.
"I miss you, Thom." Sabi nya and I think she's crying. I felt my shoulders wet kasi.
"I miss you too, Ars. So much." I said while rubbing her back.
Napabitaw sya sakin pero hindi natanggal ang tinginan namin.
"Ars, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for letting you go. Maniwala ka man or hindi, sobrang kitang minahal nun, at hanggang ngayon mahal parin kita. Kahit naging kami ni Arra, ikaw parin ang nilalaman ng puso ko. I'm really sorry, Ars. Sana mapatawad mo ako." I said while crying.
"Mahal din kita, Thomas. Hindi naman nawala yun eh. Nasaktan ako at nagalit sayo, pero never kitang hindi minahal. Hanggang ngayon ikaw parin ang nilalaman ng puso ko." She sobbed then hugged me again.
"We'll work this out, okay? I promise you this time, mag iintay na ako sayo. Titiisin ko lahat. I love you so much, Ara Galang."
"Thank you, Thomas. I love you too so much."
"I promise you that we'll make ThomAra real. This time, no more hopia na. Okay?"
Follow me on twitter @tctxvsg :))