I spent the whole day in my room. Ate Betty and Ate Lacy tried to talk to me when they gave me food but I really didn't want to.
Umalis din naman sila after kong kumain and told me na tawagin ko lang sila kapag may kailangan ako. Hindi pa nagtetext o tumatawag si Steel, siguro'y hindi pa tapos ang competition. Ayoko ng ganito, dapat nando'n ako to support him pero siya rin naman kasi ang nagsabing dito na lang ako sa bahay.
Vivian... The girl's name. Sino ka nga ba talaga Vivian? And what's your role in Steel's life?
It's five in the afternoon when I decided to go out. Papasyal muna ako sa labas, kahit hindi ako marunong magsalita ng Frech. Maiintindihan naman siguro ng driver 'pag sinabi kong 'Eiffel Tower' ano?
"Ms. Flame, sa'n po kayo pupunta? Alam po ba ni Sir?" tanong ni Ate Lacy.
"No need. Wala naman siya tsaka uuwi rin ako agad, Ate. I'll be safe, don't worry," sagot ko.
"Miss, dalhin niyo na lang po ito para matrack namin kayo if ever maligaw kayo Ma'am. Sure kayong ayaw niyong magpasama?" Ate Betty asked and handed me a device.
"Hindi na po, okay lang po."
Sumakay ako sa taxi. Hindi ko maintindihan ang sinasabi ng driver. Sentence ba 'yon o question? Ah basta, sinagot ko na lang siya ng 'Eiffel Tower' tapos umandar naman na ang sasakyan. 'Yon naman pala e. At least nagkaintindihan din kami kahit papano.
Sunset na nang makarating ako ro'n. I took pictures of the tower. Buti na lang at summer ngayon dito. Kitang-kita ang kabuuan ng tower, dagdag pa rito ang violet sky. Ang ganda!
I walked around the tower. Since wala akong kasama at hindi ako marunong mag-French, nagsenti mode muna ako. I sat on one of the benches and plugged in my earphones. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the music.
And you come to me on a summer breeze
Keep me warm in your love then it softly leave
And it's me you need to show
How deep is your love
I opened my eyes when I felt someone looking at me. Ewan ko ba, bigla lang akong na-conscious. Nang makita ko kung ano ang nasa harap ko ay bigla na lang akong naiyak.
There he was, bended on his right knee, holding a box with a silver ring. Around him were people holding plackards forming a 'Will you marry me?' sign. I also saw a girl about my age wearing a red dress who was holding a trophy.
Napatayo ako habang umiiyak. I didn't know what to do. Ano bang dapat sabihin? I was caught off guard. Hindi ako prepared sa proposal ni Steel.
"Baby, I've been planning this before we even landed here. I've been so stressed in making the perfect formula of Le Parfum Valencia and this, the proposal. You were there when I made my own perfume. You were there when I was so down and helpless. You stayed with me when I was busy and had no time for you. You're always there. And now, I want you to be with me throughout this lifetime. I want you to be my wife and the mother of our kids. Flame Salazar, will you be my Mrs. Valencia?"
A cat got my tongue. There were no words to explain how happy I was. All I did was to cry and nod. And when he slowly put the ring on my finger, my heart jumped in glee. The time, the place, the person. Everything was perfect. Steel proposed to me in front of the Eiffel Tower in sunset.
"I love you baby," he whispered.
"I... I love you too." There, I said it.
He kissed my forehead and smiled. Tinawag niya palapit ang babaeng nakadress. "Baby, this is Vivian, my cousin. She was the one who organized this since I was too busy for the competition. And here, the trophy. We won, Flame. Our Le Parfum Valencia won first place. It's all because of you," sabi niya.
Vivian is his... what? "Pinsan mo?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko.
"Yeah, why?"
"Nagselos ako sa isang pinsan? Jusko Flame, napakabobo," bulong ko sa sarili ko.
"You felt jealous of Vivian? You serious, baby?" natatawang tanong ni Steel.
"Eh kasi, nakita kong tumatawag siya tapos lumayo ka. Malay ko ba kung kabit mo pala," sagot ko at humalukipkip.
"Stop overthinking." Pinitik niya ang noo ko. "Of course, I needed to go out. 'Pag nalaman mo e 'di hindi na surprise."
"Tse! Umiyak pa naman ako kay Jonathan tapos may surprise pala. I hate you!" sabi ko bago mag-pout. Wow, naaapply ko ang style ng bruha.
"Who the f*ck is Jonathan?" Dumilim ang aura ni Steel.
"Bahala ka. Ikaw naman ang mamatay sa kaseselos. Tara na, umuwi na tayo. Gutom na ako," sabi ko.
Habang pauwi'y tinitingnan ko lang ang mga pictures kanina. Steel hired a professional photographer and the angles of the pictures are really perfect.
"Vivian, sorry," sabi ko nang makarating kami sa bahay. Nagluto kasi sila ng dinner to celebrate Steel's success and our engagement.
Tse, sana pala 'di muna ako pumayag para nasayang lahat. Hahaha joke lang. Syempre, sino ba namang ayaw makasal sa isang Steel Valencia? Tapos sa Eiffel Tower pa nagpropose. Ang perfect lang.
"Hala, okay lang 'yon Ate Flame. Ito naman kasing si Kuya e, hindi man lang ako pinakilala. Pagkarating niyo kaya rito, gusto ko nang pumunta para mameet kita kaso ito, ayaw talaga. Malalaman mo raw 'yong plan e 'di ayon, k fine," sabi niya.
"Ate? Ilang taon ka na ba?" tanong ko at sumubo ng chicken.
"23 po. Mas bata ako ng one year sa'yo Ate. Pero same naman tayong pretty so I can't blame you kung nagselos ka man hahaha!"
"Ang cute mo kausap. Sana ganyan din si Steel. Lagi kasing seryoso 'to, kung hindi man, bumabanat naman ng cheesy lines," I commented.
"Seryoso sa'yo," sabi naman ng loko.
"Kita mo na? Ewan ko riyan. Hoy, aware ba si Tito Steven na nagpropose ka na? Mamaya pala ayaw no'n sa'kin tapos sumigaw ng 'Itigil ang kasal' ay jusko Steel, naistress ang bangs ko!"
"He knows. He wanted to go here but I stopped him. Baka siya pa ang magsabi sa'yo. He's more excited than me tss," Steel answered.
"Excited na raw magka-apo si Tito Steven, Ate Flame," sabi ni Vivian na naging dahilan para maubo kaming dalawa ni Steel.
"You're too young, Vivian. Why do you know those stuff?" medyo pagalit ang tono ni Steel.
"Apo lang, hindi sex. Oops," sabi naman ni Vivian bago takpan ang bibig.
I swear, ang pula-pula na ng mukha ko. Mas red na ako kaysa sa kamatis. Owemji ka talaga, Vivian!
"What time will you go home?" Steel asked and looked at Vivian.
"Home? Aha! You wish, Kuya. Dito ako matutulog, tabi kami ni Ate Flame, 'di ba Ate?" She turned to me.
"What? Flame will sleep..." Hindi na tinuloy ni Steel ang sasabihin nang bigla akong magsalita.
"Yes, baby girl. Tabi tayo matulog later. Kwentuhan mo 'ko ha?" bumaling ako kay Vivian saka ngumiti.
Steel's face was as red as mine. Tss, bahala ka. Hahaha.
Pagkatapos naming kumain ay dumiretso na kami ni Vivian sa room. Naligo muna ako at siya naman ay nag-update sa mga relatives daw nila about me and Steel.
"Ate Flame, ang ganda mo raw sabi ni Mama. Ang daming nagtatampo kay Kuya Steel, ba't daw hindi ka pinakilala. Haha gano'n naman kasi talaga si Kuya, he doesn't talk about his plans. Magugulat ka na lang, may achievement na. Like yung sa contest, walang may alam. Ikaw nga lang yata Ate e," pagkukwento ni Vivian.
"Vi, tell me more about your Kuya Steel. Kumusta siya as a child, high schooler, college?"
"No'ng bata kami, sweet 'yan si Kuya. Lagi siya sa bahay no'n Ate. Kami raw kasi maraming pagkain kaya lagi sila sa'min. Tapos ayon, he's so serious pero tumatawa naman minsan. Then no'ng high school, masipag siya Ate. He's an honor student since elementary kaya mataas ang expectations nila sa kanya."
"What about his mom? I mean, Tita Elena. I heard that she's the reason why Steel wanted to make his own perfume," said I.
"Yes Ate. 'Di ba nga, Kuya Steel is a year older than you pero I think, sabay lang kayong gumraduate ng college kasi one year siyang 'di nag-aral. High school graduation when Tita Elena passed away because of cancer. Hindi 'yon matanggap ni Kuya kaya one year pa bago siya nakamove-on. Tita's words really made Kuya who he is now."
I was saddened with what I heard. Steel really loves his mom, so much that he even stopped studying for a year because he couldn't accept her death.
"Tapos 'yon Ate, nagcollege na. BS Finance. Gano'n pa rin naman si Kuya, Summa Cum Laude. Tapos after graduation, siya na ang nagtayo ng VF. Ang strong nga ni Kuya e. Tsaka Ate, alam mo bang wala pang naging girlfriend si Kuya? Kaya super gulat ko talaga when he called me na pupunta kayo here tapos 'yong ring, 'yong surprise. Ayon." Vivian was the one behind everything. I just can't help but to feel guilty especially when I got jealous of her.
"Gano'n pala, so ako ang first niya? Siya rin ang first boyfriend ko e. Ay sorry nga pala sa pagseselos. Ewan, ang shunga lang. 'Di naman kasi nagsheshare masyado si Steel e," I told her.
"Ano ka ba, okay lang Ate. Tsaka kahit ako rin naman 'no, 'pag may ibang kausap ang bebe ko tapos 'di ko kilala. Ay nako!"
"You have a boyfriend?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko.
"Sa ganda kong 'to Ate? Feeling mo wala? My ghad. Si Kuya lang naman ang walang jowa sa'ming magpipinsan. Well, not anymore," sabi niya saka tumawa.
Marami pa kaming napagkwentuhan ni Vivian. Mostly about girly things, Steel, Paris, gano'n. Gabi na nang makatulog kami kaya for sure, tanghali na naman ako gigising.
Before I slept, I texted Carl and Jonathan the news. Hindi ko na hinintay ang reply ng mga bakla, I'm too tired. Bukas ko na lang sila bibigyan ng chika. Hmp, may lovelife din ako 'no. Kala ba nila sila lang? Tse!