Exemplum (UNDER REVISION)

Make it Right

"i don't love you anymore, Triz." Ferds coldly said to his girlfriend, Triz.



kasalukuyan silang nasa Gesù. 9 pm na nang gabi kaya't halos silang dalawa nalang ang tao, or maybe not.

 

"n-no you don't mean that, Ferdinand. you do love me," umiiyak na saad ni Triz.

 

"i mean it, Beatriz." Triz cried even more.

"what's holding you back, huh, Ferds? what are you so afraid of!?" Triz asked quite loudly.

 

a man in his 90's was seated a few meters away from the couple, enough for him to hear what they're arguing about.

 

"nothing, Beatriz. let me go, please." Ferdinand begged Beatriz.

 

"no, Ferds. i know you too well. we've been together since second year high school. t-there's something wrong. please, Ferds." the young girl pleaded.

 

the man in his 90's who was currently eavesdropping to their conversation smiled bitterly.

"we can't be together, Beatriz. people doesn't want us to be together," the young man answered.

 

Beatriz shooked her head before trying to reach her boyfriend's hands.

 

"n-no, Ferdinand. what matters the most are the people in our circle, right!? t-that's what you've been telling me for the past 5 years!" Beatriz protested.

 

"let go, please, Triz. sinasaktan lang natin ang isa't isa." Ferdinand answered.

 

Beatriz felt tired. she knew she wouldn't win the argument. they became quiet.

 

the man in his 90's was staring at them, smiling bitterly with tears falling down from his eyes.

 

"w-would you be happy, Ferds?" the young woman asked.

 

"of course, i'll be, Beatriz." he answered with no hesitation.

 

Beatriz felt a pang in her chest. she calmed herself down before looking directly into the young man's eyes. surprisingly, she smiled. 

"i-i'm letting you go, Ferds." she whispered.

 

she didn't wait for her boyfriend to react. she hugged him.

"be happy," kumalas sa pagkakayakap si Ferdinand bago hinalikan ang noo ng kasintahan.

 

"i will," malungkot na ngumiti ang dalaga bago pinanood na tumalikod sakanya ang kasintahan. binaling nyang muli ang atensyon sa altar.

 

kung papanoorin nya pa ang kasintahan nyang lumabas ng simbahan ay hindi nya kakayanin. baka magmakaawa lang syang muli rito.

 

sa kalagitnaan ng paglalakad ng binata ay napatigil sya bago muling nilingon ang kasintahang tahimik na umiiyak habang nakatitig sa altar.

 

he snapped back to his senses when the man in his 90's approached them.

 

"your name's Ferdinand, 'no, hijo?" the old man asked.

 

"ah, yes, lolo." sagot ni Ferdinand bago umupo sa tabi ng lolo nang sumenyas itong tumabi sakanya.

 

"what's your full name, hijo?" the old man asked again.

 

"Ferdinand Bentley Capistrano de Leon po, lo." he answered. natigilan ang matanda.

 

"Bea de Leon's your grandma?" he asked the young man who's staring at his girlfriend- no. ex-girlfriend.

 

"yes po. she's my grandfather's sister po. my mom never got married to my father. kaya po de Leon pa'rin ang apilido ko," he answered.

 

"Loel de Leon's your grandfather?" the old man asked upon hearing the information the the young man gave him.

"yes po. daddy po sya ni mom,"

"your girlfriend, what's his name?" the old man asked once again.

 

"Alessia Beatriz Valdez Ravena po," the old man smiled bitterly upon hearing their names.

 

"i see. you broke up, huh?" he asked the young man. tears quickly fell from the young man's eyes.

 

"i'm scared, lolo. na what if hindi kami mag grow? mag work? what if mawala sakin si Triz? lolo, hindi ko kakayanin yon," he tried to laugh to lift the atmosphere a bit while wiping his tears.

"what are you so afraid of, young man?" the old man asked Ferdinand who's still wiping his tears.

"i'm afraid to end up like my lola Bea and her greatest love," agad na natigilan ang matanda ngunit ngumiti rin agad ito.

 

"you'll be each other's end game, Ferdinand." the old man gave Ferdinand a reassuring smile.

 

"s-should i take a risk, Lolo?" he asked.

 

"nakikita mo bang worth it ang babaeng mahal mo, Ferdinand?" balik na tanong nito sa binata.

 

tumango naman ang binata na ikinalaki ng ngiti ng matanda.

 

"go ahead, Ferdinand. take a risk. the both of you will last. i know," Ferdinand stood up with no hesitation before thanking the old man.

 

"thank you, lolo..?"

"thirdy,"

"thank you, lolo Thirdy." the young man smiled.

 

"go get your girl, Ferdinand. make things right this time." he smiled as he watched the young man approach the love of his life.

 

a tear escaped from the old man's eyes when he saw them hugging and crying.

 

'i miss you, my love.' he thought to himself as he continued to watch Ferdinand and Beatriz.

 

Ferdinand turned his gaze on the old man who was still seated meters away from them. he mothed, "thank you."

the old man waved to Ferdinand.

 

"kayo ang magkakatuluyan, alam ko." he whispered before standing up and slowly walked towards the exit of the church.

 

"dahil yon ang hiling namin ng mahal ko." he smiled bitterly as he disappeared.

before Ferdinand and Beatriz could leave the church, Ferdinand saw a card. probably dropped by the old man.

 

it was an old i.d from decades ago. '2019' was the year written on the i.d.

 

the couple gasped as they saw the name and a familiar face of a man that their grand parents would always tell them stories. the man of dream and love they were talking about. 

"Ferdinand.. Ferdinand C. Ravena III.."