CACOPHOBIA
"You know what, hindi mo ikinaganda 'yang makapal mong kilay," my girlfriend said that makes the girl infront of her burst into anger.
"How dare you! Napakasama talaga ng ugali mo," the girl replied with her teary eyes. Alam kong napahiya ito dahil maraming tao ang nakarinig.
"I don't care. I'm just concern but i didn't know na ikasasama ko pa pala," she seriously said. I noticed that her lips becomes dry kaya paulit-ulit niya itong binabasa gamit ang dila.
Mabilis ko naman siyang hinila paalis sa lugar na 'yon dahil alam ko na ang susunod na mangyayari sa kaniya.
They said I'm very stupid for keeping a girl like Althea. Ganda lamang daw ang habol ko sa kaniya. But despite of all insults and hurtful words, I still stay with her. I don't care about what other's think about us.
One day, while we're walking at the entrance of the church she immediately stopped. Parang nandidiring tiningnan niya ang matandang nasa gilid ng pintuan.
Nakita ko naman kung paano manlambot ang mukha ng matanda. Maybe, she also felt that my girlfriend disgusts her. But I didn't mind it. Mas inisip ko pa rin ang nararamdaman ni Althea.
"Are you okay?" I worriedly asked her.
"Can we go to the restroom for awhile, hon? Para akong masusuka no'ng makita ko 'yong pulubi," she replied.
Nakita ko naman ang paglingon sa amin ng mga dumadaan dahil sa sinabi niya. Alam kong hindi rin sila natuwa sa narinig at kung nakamamatay lamang ang tingin ay wala na si Althea sa mundo.
I sigh heavily before I nodded at her.
Gusto kong magalit. Gusto ko siyang sumbatan but everytime na maiisip ko ang mararamdaman niya, ako lang rin ang nasasaktan. I really love, Althea. I'm willing to accept and embrace all her imperfections.
"Hindi ka pa ba natatauhan, Ryle? Maganda lang 'yang girlfriend mo pero 'yong ugali napakasama!" Andrei said, one of classmates, dahilan para mag-init ang ulo ko at suntukin siya.
"Gago ka! Wala kang alam!"
"Bakit Ryle, natikman mo na ba si Althea kaya hindi mo maiwan-iwanan?" natatawa niyang saad habang dumudugo ang labi.
Hindi ko na napigilan ang aking sarili at muli ko siyang sinugod bago pinaulanan ng mga suntok.
Ganoon madalas ang scenario. Napapaaway ako dahil sa girlfriend ko but i never told it to her. Ayoko ng dagdagan pa ang mga masasakit na salitang natatanggap niya sa ibang tao.
Mas maaatim ko pang ako na lang ang makarinig ng mga insulto nila kaysa ang taong mahal ko.
"Kaya mo pa ba, Ryle? Look at you. You look so stressed," my sister commented when she saw me.
"I-I love her, ate. I want to stay beside her kahit siya pa ang may pinakamasamang ugali sa lahat."
"Pero naaapektuhan ka niya. Your studies. Your personality. You. The whole you. Hindi na kita makilala. You're tolerating her, Ryle," she replied kaya mariin akong napapikit.
"I love her. It doesn't matter kung anong mangyari sa akin basta nasa tabi niya lang ako."
Althea has a cacophobia. It is irrational, excessive and unjustified fear of ugliness, covering both people and objects or ugly elements. Kaya madalas na nanunuyo ang labi at nagsusuka siya sa tuwing may mga bagay o taong panget sa kanyang paningin.
They find her having a bad attitude but the truth is she's just being honest and she just voice out what she was saw. They easily judge her without knowing her situation.
"Hon, I'm not feeling well. My head aches. Ang sakit niya sa mata. Can you throw that picture for me, please?"
My heart aches. Muli na naman niyang nakita 'yon. At katulad ng dati, she still hates it especially the person in the picture.
She was pertaining to the frame beside my table. Labag man sa loob ay mabilis ko 'yong itinapon sa basurahan.
I stared at her and my tears started to fall. She's now peacefully sleeping while I'm silently crying.
The person in the picture was me. Four years ago, an ugly man fall inlove with girl who has a phobia to an ugly things and person like me. I undergone plastic surgery just to become perfect in her eyes.
I hug her tight. I'm really deeply inlove with this woman to the point na handa akong masaktan ng paulit-ulit makasama lang siya.
Ang sakit lang na kailangan ko pang magpalit ng itsura para mahalin niya.