Kerby's POV
"Kerby Anak"
Napalingon ako sa biglang tumawag sakin. "T-tito" gulat na tawag ko rin pabalik. I'm heading to the game room when he suddenly appears. "Bakit po?" Tanong ko.
"Can I talk to you?" He said kaya naman tumango ako agad. Nauna na itong naglakad at napansin ko na sa Garden ang punta nito. Pagkalabas namin ay naupo lang ito sa isang bench at tumingin sa langit. Marami rami rin ang stars ngayon. Masarap mag star gazing. "How much do you love my daughter?" He started. Napatingin ako dito agad. Alam ko na kung ano ang patutunguhan nito.
"To be honest Tito, I don't know" seryosong sabi ko kaya agad itong napalingon sa akin.
"What the? Anong klasen-" he was about to burst when I cut him.
"I can't measure it in numbers Tito. I couldn't say hundred percent because I think it's better to say, I'm willing to do everything for her. I might not know how much I love her but I do know how to treat her the way that she deserves. In my situation right now, all I can offer is myself, but I can assure you that I can make myself better to deserve her and to fight for what we have. For me, love is so broad, it's not just about doing silly things together, being happy together or the sparks that you both have with each other. Love also means fulfillment, contentment, having to make it work together. Most especially it is peace. I'm at peace whenever I'm with her, I hope she feels the same. So I couldn't answer your question Tito, but can I just prove it to you?" I said as I pull up a tiny box from my pants. "I bought if for a good price, but it's not that expensive because it's not branded or made from whatever kind of materials, but it's from my heart. I work hard to earn money that I can use to buy it. It's not yet an engagement ring Tito, it's just a promise ring. Because I wanted to promise her that in the right time, I would marry her." Mahabang litanya ko. Nanatili lang itong nakatitig sa akin at tila sinusuri ako.
"But you were engaged to your last relationship right?" Sabi nito pagkaraan makabawi.
"I was, because I thought it was her that I'm gonna spend the rest of my life with, but things changed. I'm not sure if you're also aware of what happened but I just don't wanna mention it to look like a victim. I just take it as it is, because I'm doing great now and I think those are just a part of my past. A lesson learned, a chapter closed and a finished book." Tumango tango ito na tila ba satisfied sa naging sagot ko. Damn it! My hearts pounding, I just hope that I will not collapse
"I know I'm not perfect, that's why I'm scared that my daughter get all the karma that I owned from my past mistakes. So please, if you can't love her, if you can't take care of her, you can bring her back home. That's all I want hija. And with that being said, I'm giving you my blessing. Just prove it, because I might not in the age of taking revenge, but her cousins could." natatawang sabi nito bago tapikin ang balikat ko at pumasok ng muli sa loob ng villa.
Naiwan akong tulala, is that it? Hindi niya ako itataboy cause I caused too much trouble? Damn! Thank God!
"Babe! Jeez! What are you doing here? I'm looking for a while now and yet nandito ka lang, you don't even bother to answer my calls? I saw Dad went here, did you guys tal-" she fired a lot of questions but I just cut her with a hug. "H-hey what's wrong? Why are you crying? Did daddy said something?" Nag aalalang tanong nito at pilit na kumakawala upang matitigan ako.
"Wala, I'm just happy that's all" umiiyak na sabi ko. Damn these tears!
After that conversation to Tito Walter, I made a way to talk to Tita Dianna but Tito Walter already told her my plans so she just said "Go for it" and right now, we're at the pool area. Tapos na kaming kumain at nagkakasayahan na ang lahat. Some of us are singing in the Karaoke and the others are swimming. Humahanap nalang ako ng timing dahil hindi ko alam kung paano ieexecute ito.
"Lalla, sing us a song. Miss na namin angelic voice mo" Kuya Walter said.
"Oo nga te, para rin kay Kerby diba Kerbs?" Paul said.
"No. Wala ako sa mood" she said then crossed her arms.
"Babe c'mon kantahan mo na kami" pagpapacute ko dito pero inirapan lang ako. Sabi niya kasi hindi daw pala kami bati dahil naalala niya na galit siya sakin kanina.
"Hala, may LQ ata sila e" Clara teased kaya pinaningkitan niya ito ng mata.
"Then si Kerby pala ang dapat na kumanta, suyuin niya pala dapat si Lalla" Ate Levi wink at me kaya napakunot ang noo ko. Nginuso naman nito si kuya William at nginuso naman nito si Tito. Marahan namang tumango si Tito na tila nakasabwat niya na ang dalawa. Oh shoot! I'm not prepared.
"She's not into singing" masungit na saad pa ni Irish. Ilang sandali pa ay naisipan ki ng tumayo. Agad itong napalingon sa akin.
"For you Babe, I'll sing" I said with full of confidence. "Mika pa play nung Christmas Tree ni V" sabi ko kaya agad naman niya itong hinanap.
"Ate Kerby w-wala po ata" nag aalangan na sabi nito kaya napalunok ako.
"Hoven diba you tuned in the guitar earlier? Nasan na?" Ate Levi sign me to calm down. Tumango naman ako. Agad na kinuha ni Hoven ang guitar at inabot sakin.
"Yun oh full pack may paharana" Kuya William teased.
"Shh stop na guys kakanta na siya" Clara said and hush everyone.
Napatingin lang ako kay Irish na kasalukuyang pinagmamasdan ako. I gave her a smile as I started plucking the guitar. "Hmmmm" I hummed and I saw a small smile formed in her face. She's blushing.
"In this moment
I see you
It always comes around as I believed"
Singing those lines makes my heart pound as I remember the first time we saw each other... in the clinic.
"When the rain stops
You shine on me
Your light's the only thing that keeps the cold out"
Who would have thought that I would fall for this girl, we don't even notice each other when we were at school. Not until the universe decided to cross our paths once again.
"Moon in the summer night
Whispering of the stars
They're singing like Christmas trees for us"
That chapter was painful, but it's all worth it.
"So I'll tell you
A million tiny things that
You have never known
It all gets tangled up inside
And I'll tell you
A million little reasons
I'm falling for your eyes
I just want to be where you are
It's such a strange thing to do
Sometimes I don't understand you
But it always brings me back
To where you are"
I gave the guitar to Hoven and luckily he can play the chords of it. I reach Irish's hand andpull her in the center of everyone.
"So I'll tell you
A million tiny things that
You have never known
It all gets tangled up inside
And I'll tell you
A million little reasons
I'm falling for your eyes
I just want to be where you are"
I continued singing while gently pulling the box in my pants. Napatutop ito sa kanyang bibig as she noticed the box that I pulled out.
"Babe..." she utter. Ngumiti lang ako dito at unti unting lumuhod. Her eyes went big as she look to the people around us.
"I'll tell you how much you mean to me, by offering this ring as a promise that I'll love you forever. Would you accept it as an answer that you'll wait and trust me in the process of being the better version of myself for the both of us? Then I can put you the right ring after that" I asked. I don't know if I asked her right because I don't know how to express myself even tho I practiced it many times. I'm fucking nervous right now.
"Of course babe!" Then she hugged me and pulled me with a kiss.
I'm still in shock when I heard some fireworks. God!that makes the moment perfect!
____________________________________
There's nothing wrong about giving yourself a chance to love again.
BINABASA MO ANG
Abstract
RomanceThat time, I'm not even asking for love, or wishing for it. I'm not even thinking about it, and yet, you came like an uninvited guest, who made me feel the roller-coaster emotion. You made me the happiest person when I get to know you, then you made...
