AMACON 4: SERENDIPITOUS (30-Day Writing Challenge)

We Found Love In A Hopeless Place

AMACon 4: Serendipitous
Drabbles Day Seven: You're gonna suffer, but you're gonna be happy about it.

"Really, weddings are so overrated sometimes. I mean, hello, gagastos ka ng libo libong salapi for one day, tapos ano? Maghihiwalay din kayo! Sus, kung ako ang tatanungin, wag na uy! Jugjugan na lang, okay na yon! Bakit kailangan pa ng wedding wedding na yan? Sa TV na lang may forever these days no. Actually, kahit nga sa TV shows, walang forever!"

The ever pessimistic Maine was sitting at a bridal shop with her best friend Cai, who was busy browsing a thick bridal gown catalogue.

"Alam mo ikaw, Bes, ang nega mo talaga," Cai quipped as she flipped through the pages. "Ikaw, kapag biglang tinamaan ni Kupido at na-in love, wag na wag kang makatawag tawag sakin at maka-Bes I'm in love dyan ha!"

"Hay nako Bes. Hindi na mangyayari sakin yang in love in love na yan. Once is enough. Hinding hindi na ako ulit magpapakatanga."

Cai could only shake her head at her best friend. She couldn't blame her though, because the only guy her best friend ever loved cheated on her for months. But because she was so blinded by her love for him, she didn't realize she was being duped until she found him butt naked on top of another girl on his bed. Cai will forever swear off that asshole for hurting her best friend this badly.

"Okay Bes, I get your point. As a woman scorned, I won't take away your right to hate men and weddings. But as my best friend and maid of honor, pwedeng kumalma ka teh at maging masaya ka naman para saken please?" Cai became serious, and Maine immediately felt guilty for not considering her best friend's feelings.

"I'm sorry, Bes. Siguro, nagulat lang ako and you know, may konting bitterness because Jerald is taking you away from me!!! Bes!!! You're getting married!!!" Maine suddenly had her arms around her best friend's neck, but before they started crying, a boutique assistant approached them to tell them that Cai's fitting room was ready. She stood up abruptly, ecstatic about trying on the wedding gowns, and followed the assistant. Maine remained in her seat and took a deep breath before standing up and following them.

"For you, Bes. Only for you," she chants to herself as she followed them to the room, trying to reign in the anxiety that was coming from the flood of memories of a time when she herself tried on dresses. She paused for a second to calm herself down. "Oh this will be the longest six months of my life."

Two months in to Cai's wedding preparations and Maine was already having a nervous breakdown, but she had no choice but to fight through it for her best friend who was the only one there for her when she indeed had a nervous breakdown after witnessing her fiance's cheating first hand. The thought that Cai won't be able to spend as much time with her anymore in the future was not helping her case, so she made sure to accompany her in all her wedding related appointments and enjoyed every bit of it.

Four months in was when she realized that the preps were not affecting her anymore, but Cai got busy with work training people as she was to leave her job once she got married. So Maine was left with the tasks to do, but this time paired with RJ, the best man-- the soft spoken best friend of Jerald.

They've met already before but they never really got to talk to find out if they'd get along because Maine was not allowed to have male friends when she and Jake were still together. So this was really the only time she'd know him.

It would have been nice, but they butted heads through the whole thing.

"Ano ba naman RJ? Respeto naman sa oras ng iba! Late ka na naman o!" Maine complained as soon as a huffing RJ arrived at the flower shop. "Ano ba, bakit ka humihingal, tumakbo ka ba?"

RJ couldn't reply immediately, but as soon as he stopped huffing, he tried to explain.

"Ten minutes. Ten minutes lang ako na late. Sobrang traffic and because I respect you and your time, nagpark na nga lang ako dun sa end ng traffic and ran here."