"Ang saya mo." Puna ko kay Chances na nakangiti habang pinapanood ang mga anak naming naglalaro ng pambatang kotse na de-baterya.
"Ang saya nila e." Dahilan niya. Nakahawak ako sa kanyang manipis na bewang, hinigpitan ko ang paghawak do'n. Humilig naman siya sa balikat ko kaya amoy na amoy ko ang bango ng buhok niya. Bangong hinahanap-hanap ko palagi.
"Masayahin na sila mula noon pa. Pero iba 'yong saya nila ngayon na nandito ka, Chan." I told her.
"I'm happy, Zacc." She murmured. "Thank you. Hindi ka sumuko."
"Bakit ko naman susukuan 'yong babaeng hiningi ko sa langit? Pinangakuan kita no'ng pakasalan kita e. At palagi akong humihiling sa Kanya ng himala, Chan. Kasi kahit sinabi ng mundong wala ka na, alam ng puso ko ang totoo. Hindi kita susukuan. Kahit ano'ng mangyari, mahal ko."
"I love you, Zacc." Bulong niya saka ako niyakap. "Wait. Talking about the wedding. I've checked our photos. Hinanap ko 'yong video coverage. I can't find it."
"Gusto mong panoorin?" Nae-excite na tanong ko.
"Oo sana. Titingnan ko lang kung kasing ganda nga ako sa nakikita ko sa picture." Tumatawang tugon niya na nagpakunot ng noo ko.
"Tsk. Ano ba namang dahilan 'yan Chan? Maganda ka naman palagi e."
"Ikaw lang ang nagagandahan sa'kin." Giit niya pa. Tsk.
"Ako lang? Binalak ka ngang agawin sa'kin ng pinsan ko at nang... Sa-ack na 'yon. Tss."
"Hala siya. Oo na. Maganda na ako. Matahimik ka lang, mister kong seloso. Wag na natin silang pag-usapan para hindi masira ang mood mo. Ang gwapo mo pa naman ngayon. Tara na. Panoorin natin 'yong wedding video please." Malambing na sabi niyang kahit sino ay hindi siya magawang hindian. Pero siyempre, ninakawan ko muna siya ng halik.
"Napakalandi mo talaga, Zaccharias. Tss."
"Haha. I love youuuuu."
Napailing nalang siyang sumunod sa'kin. Hawak-kamay kaming naglalakad papunta sa garage. Nasa bahay kasi namin lahat ng wedding-souvenirs, itinago ko sila sa isang vault sa bahay. Yong wedding pictures na tinutukoy niya kanina, nakita niya 'yon malamang sa kopya ng wedding album namin na naka'y mama. Tinext ko si mama na aalis kami ni Chanchan bago tuluyang nagmaneho palabas ng bahay.
"Wohooooo." Sigaw ko sa video sabay hugot ng malalim na hininga. Same-day edit wedding video ang unang pinanood namin ni Chances.
"Kalma dude, she'll be just yours." Nakangising tugon ni Arlo.
The screen switched to showing the hotel of the beautiful resort. After a few more clips of the people important to us, some nature and sceneries, the screen displayed the most beautiful face I've seen my whole life. My angel, my wife in white.
"Mrs. Harrison. Besh! Ang sarap pakinggan." Tili ni Lendon. Nakakatawa, ipapanood ko 'to kay Lendon. Hindi pa siya baritono dito o. Haha. At dahil siya nga si Chances, pinalo niya ang kaibigan niya saka tumawa ng malakas.
"Ang bayolente nito. Totoo naman talaga. Sobrang bagay. Ang swerte-swerte mo besssshy!"
"That must be Lendon, right?" Chances commented who's leaning her body on me while I hugged her.
"Yes babe. Yang isa pang kasama niyo na tumatawa lang, siya si Anelyn. You call her Neng or Aneng."
Nagpatuloy kami sa panonood nang may mapansin siya.
"Lendon is a gay? But why do I see something in the way he looks at Aneng?" She commented which made me smile.
"He isn't really one. Maybe, he was. But babe, you won't believe me, they're married now."
"What?" Nanlaki ang mga mata niya dahil hindi siya makapaniwala. "Wow! Woah. I am so happy right now, Zacc. I feel like I should've been there when they got wedded though. But I am really happy for them."
"They actually called the other day. Do you like to see them? We can meet them if you want."
Lumapad ang ngiti niya pero habang nakatitig siya sa'kin, unti-unting nawala ang ngiting 'yon na ipinagtaka ko.
"Babe?"
"Wag nalang muna. Baka madamay pa sila sa gulo, diba?"
She's right. There should be less people involve, as much as possible.Kinuha ko ang kamay niya para iparating na sumasang-ayon ako sa kanya.
Dahan-dahang bumukas ang floral curtain at tumambad ulit sa screen ang napakaperpektong mukha ni Chances. I remembered everything exactly that moment. It's still so vivid. When I saw her in white walking down the aisle towards me, I told myself that she will only be mine. I knew by then that I love her. So I was selfish and in love enough not to fake the wedding as planned. Habang naglalakad siya papalapit sa'kin, lumuluha siya at titig na titig naman ako sa kanya. At that moment, I thought she cried because of Isaac. Maybe, I am still right.
"We are good actors, Zacc. Look at you. You're not even blinking while watching me walk towards you."
"I wasn't acting. I was already in love with you that day, Chances." Pag-amin ko.
"I wish I could remember what I felt when I was at that moment. Umiiyak ba ako sa saya? Tingnan mo 'ko sa video, para akong timang." Aniya pa at humagalpak sa tawa.
"Lola."tawag ko kay Lola Carmella sabay yakap rito. "I will always be grateful of this day."
"Zacc, apo, ingatan mo ang prinsesa ko."
"Lola." Pabulong na anas ni Chances. Namuo ng diretso ang butil ng luha sa mga mata niya. Pinasandal ko ulit si Chances sa dibdib ko matapos punasan ang pisngi niya.
"Babe. You have the most beautiful name and the most beautiful heart among everyone I know."I began my vows to her. "My life was more than a chaos. But you came and shed light on it."
"Chances, you reminded me that while I'm still able to breathe and wake up every morning, I still have many chances to rewrite my life. Someone told me that I'll soon get tired of the pain from the past and I will begin a new chapter with the one I will learn to love again. When I met you, Chances, I didn't want a chapter. I wanted a new book. So here I am now, eventually rewriting it along with the beautiful promises of hope, love and chances... of you."
Chances cried again in the video. Iyak na nakikita ko sa tuwing magkahalo ang saya at lungkot sa puso niya.
"Baby, I will never promise to be the perfect husband because I know no one can ever become one. But from this day forward, I promise, I will be the reason for your musical laughter and your precious smiles. Along the way, there will definitely be struggles but I promise to be the one staying by your side, to wipe those tears away from your beautiful eyes and paint back the shine in them. I love you, sunshine."
Bumilis ang pintig ng puso ko na para bang ibinalik ako ng pagkakataon sa mismong sandaling 'yon. Ang unang pagkakataong inamin ko sa kanya ang nararamdaman ko.
"I love you, Chances."
"Zacchary Harrison." She uttered my name beautifully and then she gave out a sad smile.
"It doesn't matter if you came as a nightmare or a beautiful dream in my life because either way, I still can't believe that you're real, that you are really just mine. I'm sorry babe but I am really not going to give you the most beautiful promises, sa tigas ba naman ng ulo mo at sa sobrang kulit mo."
Napangiti kaming pareho habang dumadaloy sa mga pisngi namin ang luha.
"Well, my in-a-few-minutes-to-be-husband, I will never get tired chastising you if you'll let sweats dry off your body, or if you won't eat on time for working hard, or if you risk your life just to save me. I never will be a chef but I will cook for you the best meals for a lifetime. Never will I become a secretary but I will always stay with you, managing your time and preparing everything you will need. So if you're the pilot, I'm not going to be a stewardess babe. I'm going to be the airplane. I will go wherever way you will. I'll stay with you in good times and I will always be with you in bad times."
She did. Through the bad times when we were together, she stayed.
"Zacc, I will always be grateful of that day you shouted to the world that I said yes when I actually didn't... because you have given me a beautiful chance to love a beautiful soul, to love the beautiful you. I love you, Zacc."
"Parang totoo." Bulong niya.
"Ang alin?"
"Yong sinabi ko. Pakiramdam ko sinabi ko ang mga 'yon sa araw ng kasal kasi iyon ang totoong nararamdaman ko." Paliwanag niya.
"Babe, I want you to know that I am the happiest when I am with you." Wika ko sa kanya habang hinahaplos ko ang buhok niya. "Chan, mahal na mahal kita."
"I love you, Zacc."
Kasunod na pinanood namin after the SDE wedding video ay isang video na kinuha ni Mirana.
"Babe. Zacc. May good news kami sa'yo. Gumising ka na, please. Ang dami naming naghihintay na makita ulit ang ngiti mo at marinig ang boses mong miss na miss ko." Nagpipigil lang si Chances ng hagulhol. "Nandito si mama mo, si Anne at Lendon, si Nana, si Arlo..." She eventually sobbed and hugged me. "Babe, nandito ako... ako at ang baby natin."
"Gumising ka na mahal ko."Pinunasan niya ang pisngi niya at nagpatuloy sa pagkukwento. "Anong gusto mong ipangalan sa anak natin? Kapag lalaki siya babe, gusto ko Zacchary din ang pangalan niya."
Huli naming pinanood ang video coverage no'ng 25th birthday ko. Chances exhibited her paintings of me, the 25 faces of Zacchary. Ito 'yong video na paulit-ulit kong pinapanood no'ng magising akong wala na siya.
"Your friends have explained that this painting in the middle was bought at an art fair that you and your husband went to. Why do you include that in the exhibit and gave the artist a chance to be discovered?"one guy asked which I think is a blogger.
"This painting is another perfect picture of the Zacchary Harrison in my life. When I first laid my eyes on this masterpiece, I saw him. You can see, it's all a chaos but it's so beautiful. I love my husband even when he's a total stranger to me. I saw all his weaknesses and flaws but they were still so beautiful. This painting is like him; a chaos, a beautiful chaos I will always love."
"Hope Geraldino." Nakangiting bulong niya. "I am so happy she married Sac."
Oh. Kaya pala pamilyar ang pangalan ng asawa ng Guerrero na 'yon. Kaya pala mukhang magkakilala sila ni Chances nong mag-usap sila sa isla.
"They deserve each other."
"Like we do, Chan." I agreed.
"No." She pouted before giving me a sad smile. "You are so good that sometimes I'd think I don't deserve you."
"Come on, babe."
"It's true. But I love you. That should be an enough reason to never leave, right?" Tanong niyang nagpabilis ng pintig ng puso ko.
"Yes. That and because you promised. Don't ever leave me again, Chances."
"Yes, Zacc. Never again."
That's a promise that I want her to grant, I want her to keep. And to make sure she can't break that promise and my heart, I sealed it with a kiss.