After Everything (UP Series #1)

AE 47

Chapter 47

I was so excited because after so many months of waiting… finally, I already got my passport and visa. I can freely visit Adam whenever I want.

Nag-isip agad ako kung kailan siya pwedeng bisitahin. Gusto ko sana ay iyong hindi niya alam para masurprise ko siya. This past few months kasi, palagi kapag umuuwi siya rito sa pilipinas, lagi na lang siya ang may pasurprise. Ngayon na nakuha ko na ang passport ko, gusto kong ako naman ang bumawi sa kanya.

I was in the middle of my thought when my hand accidentally touched the necklace Adam gave me last December, on my birthday. Huli niyang uwi ay noong nakaraang buwan at taon. Araw bago ang mismong kaarawan ko. We planned to attend the remaining days of simbang gabi together. 

Exactly on my birthday, we decided to visit the famous Pailaw sa Taal at the same time, to attend simbang gabi na rin sa Taal Church. Kasama naming pareho ang pamilya namin pati na rin ang pamilya nina Bricks at GF.

It was my first time to visit Taal Church, same with my family while for Adam’s family, it wasn’t their first time. Sabi niya ay naka ilang beses na raw silang nagsimba rito. Pero dahil nagkaroon nga ng tinatawag na Pailaw sa Taal at hindi pa kami nakakasimba rito ng magkasama, I decided to spend my birthday night here with my love ones.

I was so amazed the first time my eyes laid to Taal Basilica Church. I already seen a lot of pictures of Taal Church on the internet but I’m still amused, and it was really different when you saw it personally. It was huge like what they said, the largest Catholic Church in the Philippines and Asia. Unang tingin mo pa lang, mamamangha ka na kaagad lalo na ngayong gabi. It was so incredible how they preserved the structural features and Spanish feel inside and out. Kahit narenovate na, naroon pa rin ang mga importanteng detalye.

The most noticeable features outside the church were the twenty-four classical columns in pairs and lined up two rows of six on top of the other. The façade has five doors including the main door and ten windows. Each door consists of two windows above, while the edifice is topped with a triangular roof and gable on each side, and one in the center. On the left side was the bell tower.

The location of the Church is picturesque. Perched on an elevated patch of land in the center of town, the Taal Church dominates the Taal landscapes and there’s no way one can escape it.

After the mass, we went to Taal Park where the Pailaw is located. Marami mang tao, mas naging maganda iyon dahil mas lalong nabuhay ang paligid. Hindi pa man ako nakakababa at nanatiling nakatayo sa may taas ng hagdanan, namangha na agad ako sa mga nakakaakit na ilaw na nakasabit.

I totally couldn’t contain my smile as we walks on the stairs down to the scintillating lights. Pagkababang pagkababa namin, sementadong daan na napapalibutan ng LED lights ang bumungad. Maraming tao ang naroon para magpicture.

Ngayong nakaharap ako sa mismong Park, nasa kaliwang part ko nakatayo ang mataas na Christmas tree surrounded with enchanting Christmas lights. Katabi ng Christmas tree ay ang apat na letrang nakatayo which is the word, ‘TAAL’ kung saan napapalibutan din ito ng green na LED lights.

Adam immediately pulled me to letter A beside the letter L, while he went to another letter A beside the letter T. His hand is still intertwined with mine.

“Kendra, take a picture of us,” Adam said with a wide smile.

“Okay,” Kendra responded as she positioned herself together with her DSLR camera to get a nice angle.

I ready myself and smiled at the camera when Kendra started to count till three. Nakailang take pa siya bago kami pinakawalan.

“Let me see. Baka pangit,” Adam smirked teasingly and went closer to his sister. Masama naman siyang tiningnan ni Kendra bago ipinakita ang mga picture na kinuhanan niya. Na-curious ako kaya lumapit din sa dalawa.