Enzo POV.
"I am sorry, Celine.." I whispered to myself as my tears streamed down my face.
I wiped my tears away and went over to SM North. I'm hoping Celine is still there.
Today's Celine's 19th birthday. Last year, I wanted to give her this gift, but she refused. It was actually a photoshopped family photo. I remembered her telling me that on her 18th birthday, if she would be able to give a chance to spend at least five minutes with her parents and take a photo, she will definitely grab the opportunity but since we weren't sure, I looked for someone who could photoshop the photo so they would appear to be a perfect happy family. Fortunately, it was perfect.
Hingal na hingal akong pumasok sa SM at tinanong ang Guard.
"Sir, na saan po 'yung book signing ni Ms. Celine G.?" I asked breathlessly.
"Nako, fan ka din ba niya? Haha"
"Dyaan lang iho, sa national book store." Dagdag niya.
"Salamat po!" Sabi ko saka nagmadaling tumakbo.
I was fortunate, the event almost ended, so I waited outside the national bookstore first. Seriously, there are a lot of people. Perhaps they didn't expect so much attendees, therefore it was hosted here.
The reporters passed in front of me. "Sa parking na lang tayo maghintay na ma-interview si Ms. Celine, doon naman nakaparking yung sasakyan niya." Aniya ng isang reporter sa kapwa niya reporter.
Kaya sinundan ko sila at nagbakasakaling makausap ko si Celine pero bago pako makalagpas ng national bookstore, a girl held my wrist. "Follow me" She said.
Hawak-hawak niya pa rin ang wrist ko habang sinusundan ko siya sa paglalakad. "Are you Celine's staff?" I asked.
"Oo." Malamig na sagot niya.
Pumasok kami sa loob ng national bookstore at dumeretso sa isang pribadong kwarto, na mga staff lang ang makakapasok. I noticed a woman standing with her back to us and talking on her smartphone as soon as we walked into the room. In the room, she was the only one.
"Babalik ako after 3 minutes dahil kailangan na namin umalis." Sabi sakin nung babaeng nagdala sakin dito saka umalis siya at sinara ang pinto.
The woman turned in my way as soon as the girl who brought me here closed the door. I admired her eyes sparkling like a diamonds, and her smile was like a sudden beam of sunlight illuminating the darkest corners of the room. It was Celine. As I remember Celine's first smile and sparkling eyes on our first day of class, tears welled up in my eyes. I missed her.
She smiled at me and hung up the call. "You are here." Sabi niya. "Uhm.. yeah"
"How are you?" She asked saka umupo. "As usual." Sagot ko.
"Oh, here. Please accept it. It was my gift." Sabi ko saka iniabot sakanya. "Buksan mo na lang yan kapag nakauwi ka na." Dagdag ko pa. Ngumiti naman siya.
"What about you? How are you?" Tanong ko. She looked at me with a beautiful smile and said, "I was completely fine."
"That's great." Sabi ko.
"Ms. Celine, we have to go." Biglang Sabi nu'ng babaeng naghatid sakin dito. Ang bilis naman ng three minutes. "Oh, okay, Katie. Susunod na ako" Sagot ni Celine. Tumayo siya at nagsimulang maglakad papalapit sa direksyon ko.
"May I know the reason, why did you publish the story of us in a book?" Tanong ko at natigilan siya sa paglalakad.
Tumingin siya sa mga mata ko. "Dahil alam kong posibleng hindi mo malaman kung gaano ako ka-desperadang mahalin mo noon. I know how much you hate reading books, that's why." Nakangiti niyang sagot.
"Even though I hate reading books, why did you publish it? Kasi kahit nakasulat pa sa libro, may chance pa ding malaman ko tungkol sa librong 'yon. Then, why did you decided to make it into a story? " I asked.
"I want to inspire people."
"I want everybody who read that book to understand how worthy they are, na hindi nila kailangang pilitin ang isang taong mahalin sila pabalik,"
"na hindi nila kailangang ipagsiksikan ang sarili nila sa mga taong patuloy gumagawa ng dahilan para iparamdam sakanila na hindi sila kailangan"
"dahil kahit na kailan, hindi deserve ng taong 'yon na maramdaman at maranasan 'yon."
"Celine, I'm sorry." Mga salitang nabigkas ko. Wala akong masabi dahil tama si Celine. Grabeng galit ang nararamdaman ko para sa sarili ko.
"Matagal na kitang pinatawad, Enzo"
"Pero hanggang do'n na lang siguro. Don't worry baka kapag nagkita ulit tayo at handa na akong kaibiganin ka ulit, gagawin ko" Sabi niya. Mga salitang walang kasiguraduhan, gaya ng ginawa ko sakanya noon. Naglakad siya papalapit sa pinto.
"I know na hindi na kayo gano'n naguusap nung Celine na nakilala mo a year ago. I found out that she was not the real Celine."
"She's Vanesa, our childhood friend"
"She explained that she was able to deceive you because she wished for you to love her as much as you loved me when we were young."
My eyes widden and look at her. "What?" Hindi ko alam kung tama pa ba 'yung mga naririnig ko. Hindi ko maintindihan lahat, gulong-gulo ako.
"I am the real Celine, Enzo"
"Nakalimutan kita dahil sa trauma at depresyon ko no'ng naghiwalay ang parents ko. Sabi ng Doctor, posibilidad daw 'yon lalo na kung sandali lang tayo nagkakilala."
"I'm sorry kung ngayon lang kita naalala, Ali."
Tuluyang pumatak ang luha ko. My chest tightened in reaction at what she said. My parents, my sister, Vanesa and my childhood first love are the only one who knows my nickname. I vividly remember now how younger Celine pronounced my nickname "Ali".
"Celine," Nanghihina kong sabi.
"I'm scared.." Dagdag ko.
She smiled. "Nice meeting you again, Ali. Thank you for the wonderful memories." Sambit niya at saka tuluyang umalis.
"I don't know how I'm going to start again without you.."
"I am sorry." I whispered to myself.
The end.
YOU ARE READING
Book of Memories 2019: Enzo and Celine
Short Story"How I wish, I was the girl you loved, Enzo." - Celine This story is about two bestfriends who unexpectedly fell in love with each other. Celine fell in love with Enzo unexpectedly, but Enzo rejects to date because of a childhood friend who pr...
