My life did really change after she moved and living with us. Surely that the storm knocks on me and instantly vanished all the things that I had. When Joana started living with us my dad often goes home which he never does before. He would mostly spend his time to Joana and had a bonding together which he never did with me.
After Joana comes in our life everything changed including the relationship between me and my father. May kaagaw na ako sa oras ng aking ama. Everything was a competence between me and her.
“I would steal everything from you, including father,” Joana threatened me while I was doing my homework.
I angrily clenched my fist yet I didn’t show it to her. I composed myself first before turning to her, “You can’t steal my father from me. Remember? Sampid ka lang sa pamilyang ‘to. You’re the result of the mistakes he did before. MISTAKE,” I emphasized the word ‘mistake’ so that she should feel ashamed of herself.
“How dare you!” she then raised her hand ready to slap me but I immediately caught it and throw it away.
“Ang sakit no? Kahit sampalin mo pa ako ang sakit na mararamdaman ko ay panandalian lamang ‘di kagay sa’yo na dala-dala habang buhay. Cause truth hurts and reality slaps you so hard.”
That was just one of the petty fights that I had with her before. She then tried so hard to fit in with my life. Isa ‘yon sa mga masakit na salita na nabitawan ko sa kaniya. That she was the product of my father’s mistakes.
“It can’t wait. If you want to go to my parent's house right now then I can send the address to you just use the GPS on your car and it will lead you to your destination.”
“I’ll hang up now, bye.”
Pagkatapos ng kanilang tawag ay bumalik ako sa kusina para maghanda pang-umagahan ko. My stomach keeps on growling like there was a beast na animo’y hindi pa pinapakain.
“Busy ka pala then why are you here early in the morning when you should have gone to your first destination,” puna ko.
“I am not busy,” he answered.
“You told Joana that you were busy that’s why you couldn’t accompany her on whatever that is. Then you should also go to your destination.”
Binuksan ko ang ref at kinuha ang instant noodles na natira sa huling pang go-grocery ko. But even before I could put a hot water on it Reeve caught my hand and steal it from me.
“I don’t have any appointment. The only appointment I had today was to served you. I told Joana that I am busy so that she wouldn’t pester me.”
“Reeve is that you?” I even waved my hands in front of him.
“What?”
“Since when did you learned how to lie?” I just can’t believe that he lied to her just to be with me.
“Why? Can’t I lie now?” he chuckled.
“Hindi lang kapani-paniwala,” wala sa isip kong wika sa kaniya.
“Hey! What are you doing to my noodles!” When I noticed that he opened the trash can and throw my noodles away!
“I am throwing it away,” simpleng saad niya.
“Ehh… Gutom na ako! I want to eat my breakfast na! Good for you kung tapos ka nang kumain!” reklamo ko sa kaniya.
I jumped off to my position when his hands quickly has their way on my shoulders. Iginiya niya ako papunta sa dining table at pinaupo.
“Just stay put there cause I will cook food for us.”
Hindi na lang ako umangal pa at sinunod ang kaniyang sinabi. I watched him preparing the food for us. While watching him I couldn’t help but think about how lucky the girl he will marry someday. Reeve is a mysterious guy but when you get to know him you will know her other side.
I then remember, Gwyn. Reeve once loved her or ‘till now he still loves her. I don’t between the two cause I never mention it to him again but now that I think about it again does he fully recovered from the pain he had before? Masyado ata akong nawili sa tabi niya at nakalimutan na minsan niya palang minahal ang kaibigan ko.
Gwyn is the first love of Reeve. Then here goes this saying that mahirap pantayan ang unang pag-ibig. However, I am against that saying. First love never dies daw but I believe that first love will die and be forgotten if true love will come.
True love will bury the affection you have for your first love because for me it was the master of all. Your true love will make you feel the love that you didn’t feel with your first love. It was something greater than you imagine and something that you both deserved to feel.
That’s why many people believed that true love will come at the right time and the right place and you should let nature takes its place. True love for me is the product of patiently waiting.
“Food is ready. Go wash your hand and eat,” he announced.
He served the food he cook in the dining. It was tinola na manok na puno ng malunggay. Napingiwi agad ako nang makita ang napakaraming malunngay sa kaniyang niluto. I kinda expected it already that he will cook vegetables since he doesn’t want me to eat unhealthy foods but seeing too much malunggay in the tinola na manok ay parang ayaw ko ng kainin.
Among all the gulay I really hate to eat was malunggay.
“Ang daming malunggay naman niyan, Reeve,” reklamo ko agad sa kaniya. Pero imbis na mainis sa sinabi ko ay nginisian niya lang ako.
“Sinadya ko talaga ‘yan para sa’yo. Renaissa told me that you hate eating malunggay so niluto ko para kumain ka.”
Nilagyan niya ang mangkok ko ng tinolong manok at napakaraming sabaw siyempre hindi mawawala ang malunggay.
“Ayaw ko ng malunggay,” I pouted and nagged at him.
He strictly looked at me and put much more malunggay on my mangkok. Kaya naman ay napaangal ulit ako.
“Reeve! Stop it! Ang dami!”
“You know that there are a lot of benefits that you could eat from eating from it? So, you should learn to eat it. It will help you to nourished and protect your skin.”
“Okay fine, fine pero ito ang huling pagkakataon na nakakain ako nito.”
“Your wish, Ms. Vasquez.”
We started eating together and I was amazed by how good the food he cooks is. Ang sarap at swak sa panlasa ko. Hindi ako umimik habang kumakain dahil nilalasap ko kung gaano kasarap ang kaniyang niluto.
It was my first time eating his foods. For a boy like him I’m sure girs would really fall in line just to be with him. He really cooks well.
“How was it?” he asked as he was eating also.
“Ahh! It taste so good! Hindi ko akalain na marunong ka pala magluto!”
“Then I should come here often to cook for you.”
Natahimik ako bigla sa kaniyang sinabi. Ano daw? Madalas na siyang pupunta dito para paglutuan ako? Hindi ko ata maisip na a-araw-arawin niya ang pagpunta dito para lutuan ako. Ang swerte ko naman kung ganoon.
“You’re kidding right?”
“I don’t kid when it comes to you, Henzy.”
Napalunok ako bigla at iniwas ang mga tingin sa kaniya. Pinagpatuloy ko na lang ang aking pagkain at hindi na umimik pa. He was also eating his foods silently.
Habang tahimik kami na kumakain ay biglang pumasok sa isipan ko kung kamusta na ang kanilang relasyon na mag pinsan. I remember that they had a fight between them. Ayos na kaya silang dalawa?
“Reeve,” I called his attention.
“Hmm?”
“Can I asked you a question?”
“Go on.”
Tumikhim muna ako at inayos ang sarili. “Hows your relationship with your cousin, Christoph?” medyo nag a-alinlangan kong tanong.
“We’re fine. We have been long reconciled. After their wedding, I talked to both of them,” he honestly answered.
“I see…”
“Why do you ask?” he asked back.
“Wala lang. I just wanted to know if you have reconciled with him already. You’re both a family so the hate that you have been with each other shouldn’t last long.”
“I am not the type of people who hold grudges. I have long accepted the truth that Gwyn will never be with me that she will chose Christoph over me.”
I don’t know why but my heart aches all of a sudden. Hindi ko alam kung ang puso ko ay nasasaktan ba para kay Reeve dahil hindi siya pinili ni Gwyn o kung nasasaktan ito sa ibang paraan.
Truly heart is the strongest muscle of our body, kasi sa sobrang lakas nito ay hindi mo na ko-kontrol ang mga galaw niya. You can never predict its sudden movement. The next thing you knew you’re in love then after that hindi mo napapansin nasasaktan ka na pala.
“Why did you chose to let go of her instead of fighting your love for her?” tanong ko ulit sa kaniya. I wanted to know his answer why did he let go of Gwyn and be with other man than to be his side.
“Kasi hindi pinipilit ang pagmamahal. It should be given freely and in our case, I chose to let her go not because I don’t love her but because she couldn’t love me.”
“I can’t force her to love me. Even if I fight my love for her, we wouldn’t be a happy couple. She wouldn’t be happy with me, because she doesn’t love me. Even if Christoph hurts her, she still loves him, and the genuine smile she had, whenever she is with him, is priceless and I can’t compete with that,” he sincerely said.
“Then that’s it? You let her go easily.”
“Letting go is much better than holding on because if I had to fight my love for her, we would be miserable.”
“Don’t you regret your decision of letting Gwyn go?” hindi ko mapigilang magtanong ulit, “when you saw with your two eyes that she’s walking on the aisle with your cousin,” I added.
“I didn’t regret it. Mas magsisisi ako kung pinili ko ang mga bagay na hindi naman para sa akin. I am genuinely happy for the both of them. . I know that someday I can be with someone who has the same feeling with and I don’t need to compete with anyone.”
Hearing him saying those words is enough to describe that he was happy with his decision. He’s right. You can’t force someone to be with you kasi kung para sa’yo ang isang bagay kahit anong hadlang pa ‘yan ay babalik at babalik sa’yo. In his case she wasn't meant for him she was meant for someone else and he bravely accepts it.
“Are you over with her?” I carefully asked again.
“You finally asked again that question huh,” natatawang niyang sabi sa akin at kinain ang panghuling pagkain niya.
“Hmm.. Don’t answer if you are not ready.”
“Love is powerful. It can tear hearts in just a second however love can’t heal the broken hearts. The medicine to those people who were destroyed by love is acceptance. And I have long accepted it, Henzy I just didn’t realize it that’s why I lately recognized my feelings for you.”
“What?!” gulantang kong sabi ng marinig ang huli niyang sinabi.
R-recognized what? His feelings? Did I heard it right, right?
“What do you mean?” my hands were trembling from sudden nervousness.
“Henzy, Remember when I told you to wait for me?”
I nodded, “Y-yesss…”
“You don’t need to wait any longer for my response. I don’t want to miss the chance because sometimes too much waiting would lead me to a chance that I might miss and regret.”
“What do you mean?”
Ito na naman ang puso ko na napalakas ang tibok pero mas malala ngayon. Ang mga kamay ko ay nanginginig at hindi ko mapigilan na mapalunok nang ilang beses. This feeling is foreign to me cause I didn’t feel it before. It was Reeve who made me feel this way.
Pero sasabog ata ang puso ko sa mga katagang iniwan niya sa akin.
“I have something to confess,” seryoso niyang ani habang deretsong nakatingin sa aking mga mata. He held my trembling hand and held it tightly.
“I like you, Henzy and I mean it.”