Five minutes after his phone conversation with his wife, he still couldn’t believe that it happened. His greatest fear is slowly coming to life.
“Ge, okay ka lang ba? Si Sarah ba ’yung kausap mo?” Andi asked when she found him standing still beside his car.
He and his friend Andi had gone to a café, after work, to talk. Andi excused herself to go the wash room when Sarah called. After a few minutes of heated argument with her, he heard her say the words he feared the most – “Tama na. Pagod na ako. Let’s give each other some space.”
“I need to go home now,” he replied.
“Teka, sandali lang. Anong nangyari? Baka makatulong ako.”
“I need to go home now. I need to get away from you permanently. I’m sorry but the only help that you can give now is to stay away from me, too.”
He got in his car without throwing her a glance. He drove home and went straight to his room, their room now, without saying anything to anybody in their house. The moment he opened the door to their bedroom, his eyes locked on the framed picture of Sarah by the night stand. He sat on the bed and reached for it and stared at her face and smile for a long time. Then he got his phone and dialed her number.
“Babe, please talk to me. I don’t need space away from you. I want you. Please don’t do this to us. I love you so much. I will not stop calling you until you talk to me. I love you, Babe. I’ll call you again,” he said on the voicemail.
He held her picture again and stared at it. Then memories of than night he brought her home from their Batangas trip came to him.
The time he turned off the engine of his SUV, he has already made up his mind about talking to her parents.
“Okay ka lang Babe?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he simply answered.
He got all her stuff and together they entered her house.
“Mommy? Daddy? Nandito na po kami ni Ge,” she called out.
“O mga anak. Kamusta naman ang trip n’yo?” Mommy Divine asked.
“Okay naman po. Ah Mommy, nakapag-usap na po kami ni Ge,” she told her mom.
“Tita, nandito po ba si Tito ngayon? May gusto po sana akong sabihin sa inyo.”
Mommy Divine looked at Sarah, who obviously appears clueless of what Gerald wanted to say. Sensing that it was quite important, she quickly called out to Daddy Delfin.
“Daddy! Daddy, pasok ka muna dito at may sasabihin daw ang mga bata.”
The three settled in the living room while waiting for Daddy Delfin to arrive.
“Ano ba ang importanteng bagay na ‘yan at hindi makapaghintay?” her dad said when he came in.
“Umupo ka muna Daddy. Parang seryoso eh,” Mommy Divine said.
“Tito, nasabi na po ni Sarah sa akin ang tungkol sa pag-aaral n’ya sa Australia. Nalulungkot man po ako pero sinabi ko po sa kanya na hahayaan kong ituloy n’ya ‘yun. Pero sir, may hihilingin lang po sana ako.”
“Kung kaya naming ibigay, bakit naman hindi,” Daddy Delfin said.
He looked at Sarah and held her hand before continuing, “Since we only have a few months left to be together, gusto ko po sana to make the most out of it. Kung papayagan n’yo po sana ay magpapakasal kami sa lalong madaling panahon para po makasama ko s’ya hanggang makaalis po s’ya.”
Daddy Delfin and Mommy Divine looked at Sarah at the same time but she didn’t say anything.
“Hijo, sigurado ka ba d’yan sa desisyon mo?” Daddy Delfin asked.
“Anak, kung gusto mo lang naman na makasama si Sarah hanggang makaalis s’ya eh alam mo naman na welcome ka dito sa amin kahit anong oras at hindi rin naman namin kayo pinagbabawalan na pumunta s’ya doon sa inyo. Baka naman nabibigla ka lang,” Mommy Divine added.
“Tita, doon din naman po kami papunta, pinabilis ko lang po. At least din po magiging legal ang lahat. Hindi po magiging masama sa mga mata ng ibang tao kung magiging madalas ang pagtulog ko dito at s’ya doon sa akin.”
“Sa isang banda tama rin naman ‘yang naiisip mo,” Daddy Delfin replied. “Marami pa namang tsimoso dito sa lugar namin. Protektahan na lang rin natin si Sarah. Pero Doc, hindi kami ang dapat na tinatanong mo. Desisyon pa rin ni Sarah kung handa na ba s’ya o hindi.”
They all looked at her.
“Sinabi ko naman po kay Ge na handa akong magpakasal sa kanya anytime, anywhere. Handa na po akong maging asawa n’ya.”
“Kung ganun eh di tapos na ang usapan,” Daddy Delfin declared.
Gerald, because of too much happiness, got up and hugged her parents. “Maraming, maraming salamat po.”
“Walang anuman anak. Basta alagaan mo ang baby namin ha,” the tearing Daddy Delfin said.
Gerald settled back in his seat and said, “Makakaasa po kayo.”
“Kailan mo ba balak gawin ang kasal?” asked Mommy Divine.
“Sana po ay okay lang sa inyo kung civil wedding lang po muna at ‘yung church wedding ay sa pagbalik na lang po ni Sarah.”
“Okay lang sa amin kung okay lang kay Sarah,” replied Daddy Delfin.
“Wala pong problema sa akin,” she said.
“May kamag-anak po akong judge na pwedeng magkasal sa amin. Kahit po next week ay pwede n’ya kaming ikasal,” explained Gerald.
“Kayo ang bahala. Susuportahan namin kayo dito pero siguraduhin n’yo lang na ito ang gusto n’yo at ginusto n’yo ito para sa mga tamang rason,” Daddy Delfin said.
The conversation about the civil wedding continued until everything was settled.
He was interrupted from his reminiscing when he heard his phone beep. It was a message from Andi, which he didn’t even bother to read.
“Babe, I swear I’m gonna win you back. This is not the end of us. I will win you back,” he said to her picture.
Weeks have passed as he went on with his daily routine. He never failed to call her every single day, even if it means talking to her voicemail. And as he has promised himself and Sarah (he promised her through her picture), he stayed away from Andi.
“Babe, as much as I want to go to you now, you know I can’t. It will be 2 more months until my Fellowship is finished. I promise you, I will go there to you as soon as I am able to so I can personally get down on my knees and ask for your forgiveness. My life is so incomplete without you. Please wait for me, Babe. I will be there with you soon. I love you so much. Nothing has changed, hindi ko pa rin alam kung gaano kita kamahal. I’m going to sleep now. I’m hoping to see you in my dreams. I love you and always take care of yourself,” one of his messages said.
“I love you, too, Babe. I will wait for you,” she said to herself. It was the fifth time she has listened to this message – each time making her miss him more.
