As the Chains Fall

Chapter 50

This will be the last chapter before the epilogue.

Time stopped for me and everything in my surroundings froze in order to give space to the laptop screen I am staring at. I am watching a video of Eros and I, back when I was in tenth grade... and I cannot believe that it is here.

Ang tagal-tagal na nito.

"Your buttons," dinig ko ang mahina kong boses na nanggagaling doon sa video. Inaayos ko sa video ang butones ng kaniyang damit at halos mangatog ang tuhod ko sa kung paano niya ako tinitingnan doon.

I have never seen how he looks at me from a third person point of view. Ngayon ko iyon nakikita at naiintindihan ko na kung bakit sobra akong kinakabahan sa kaniya noon.

His stares are full of intensity and affection, and I cannot believe I am lucky enough to be on the receiving side of them. There are a lot of uncertainties in this life, but I could never, ever doubt Eros Jaireh's love for me.

He loves me, and there is no way I could question that after everything he has done to prove his loyalty. A love so pure, so intense, and so true... should never be doubted.

Noong mawala ako sa screen, hindi pa rin nagsisimula si Eros sa dapat niyang gawin. Nakatitig pa rin siya sa tao sa likod ng camera at alam ko na ako iyon. I remember this. Speech ang video na ito para sa kaniyang Spanish class.

"Start ka na." my voice reverberated.

It took a few seconds for him to get to remove his eyes on me. Kumakaripas ng takbo ang puso ko sa kasalukuyan, na para bang ako pa rin ang Sienna na tinititigan niya roon sa video.

Wala akong ibang gustong gawin kung hindi hanapin si Eros ngayon at yakapin siya. Sa simpleng tingin niya sa akin, ganito na. Nakapagtataka kung paano hindi napansin dati ng iilan niyang mga pinsan na mayroong kung ano sa aming dalawa, e ganito ka-grabe siya tumingin sa akin.

Nangilabot ako noong nagsimula na siyang magsalita sa video gamit ang wikang Espanyol. Mas naiintindihan ko na ito ngayon dahil sa pakikisama ko sa mga Escadejas, kinailangan kong aralin nang kaunti ang wika dahil madalas kung gamitin nila iyon.

The video ended when he went closer to turn off the camera. It froze when his face was in full view.

Nanatili akong nakatitig sa screen ng laptop kung saan nag-replay na ang video at naroroon na ulit ako sa frame kasama niya.

I remember him saying to me, that exact day and moments after recording this, that after two years and if I still like him then... if he could be my boyfriend. It has been more than two years, way past two years... and I love him more than I ever did before.

"What are you doing?" tanong ni Eros pagpasok niya sa kwarto ko rito sa Palacio del Escadejas. Agad akong umayos ng upo para hindi niya mapansin ang pagkalabog ng puso ko at paglalim ng hininga ko sa napanood.

Noong kumunot ang noo niya, alam ko nang napansin niya na at wala nang kwenta pa ang pagkukunwari ko. Pumwesto siya sa likod ko at hinawakan niya mula roon ang mga balikat ko.

"What's wrong? You okay?"

After placing a kiss on my shoulder blades, he glanced at his laptop in front of me.

"Oh," he muttered. "You found it."

"This is the only video here, Jaireh."

Iyon lang naman ang dahilan kung bakit ko ito nahanap. I saved a video of a puppy online that I thought was cute and I was looking for it through his video folder. That was when I saw the familiar thumbnail of this one.