Wattpad Must-Read Stories by Filipino Authors

11. Six Degrees of Separation (Hers and His) by JhingBautista

Author's Own Blurb:

Dalawang libro ito pero I counted them as one.  Parehong walang blurb pero kailangan silang basahin both.  Unahin ang Hers version para mas lalong ma-feel ang His version.  Pero kung lalaki ka, I guess the His version would be better for you na unahin..

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Six degrees of separation!  Ha!  More of 360 degrees.  Ganyan dapat kalayo or higit pa ang pagdistansiya ko sa likhang ito. 

The fact na wala itong blurb kahit na short novel naman ito should have been a sign that I should have not touched it even with a ten-feet pole.  I really shouldn't have.  Really.  Pero dahil  matigas  ang ulo ko at oblivious sa mga signs na binabato sa akin ng mundo, ito ang napala ko: Hurt so deep it felt good.

Let's backtrack for a moment, shall we?  

Para sa mga nagbabasa nitong collection of book reviews ko,  I'm sure you are quite familiar with my history with JhingBautista.  Siya ang source ko ng Hoy Chua! by erinedizon.  After that one, I moved on from her.  Karamihan kasi sa mga likha na nakita ko at first glance sa list of works niya ay one shots and that time I wanted to read mas mahahabang mga likha.  Binalikan ko siya today dahil na rin sa rekomendasyon ni FMharru .  She's an avid fan of JhingBautista (Seriously, Ms. Jhing, she is.  Her RL proves it.  Kahit i-check mo pa.)  No.  FMharru did not recommend these two sa akin. I chose them all on my own.  Nagmamarunong ako eh.  Ayan tuloy.  Kung sana eh naging masunurin akong bata and read the long list she gave me of stories I MUST try I don't have this dilemma.

Don't get me wrong guys.  Everything went well for these works.  Wala sila dito sa listahan ko if otherwise.  Pero everything did not go well for me.  Especially, with my heart.  Langhiya naman. Sa dinami-dami ng sinulat niya (this writer is a very prolific one.  Eight pages long ang list of works niya), ito pa talaga ang napagdiskitahan ko.  The ones that would break my heart and stomp on the remains.  Pero masochist 'ata yata ako. Alam ko nang it would hurt after kong matapos ang Hers version.  Sumige pa rin ako .  I read the His version.  And I died.  Yup.  Zombie na itong nagsusulat nito.  I died a painful death.  But I don't regret any of it.  Nope.  I don't. Kahit bayaran mo pa ako to unread (umm, mali ang paggamit ko ng salitang ito ngayon pero I can't think of another word)  them, wala.  Hindi ko tatanggapin(I lurve money.  That was difficult to type.).  Masokista na kung masokista.  It was a good hurt anyway.

Okay, done na akong magreklamo.  Let's get to the review proper.  If may reklamo ka pa ring makasalubong mamaya, ipagpatawad.

Bibilisan ko lang ang technical parts ng review ko.  You know, about the execution thingy.  Actually, isa lang naman ang masasabi ko about this -- the execution, especially the tone of writing, is absolutely perfect for me.  Special mention dito ang first and last chapter of both books.  Beautifully written ang dalawang chapters --the words used, the descriptions, haaay, 6 degrees indeed.  Mas mainam na ikaw mismo ang magbasa ng mga 'yon para maintindihan mo what I am trying to say here.  And the chapters in between, full of feelings.  For the females who have their hearts broken before, it isn't possible for you to not relate with the girl.  Imposible  talaga.  As for the guy version, again if you are a female who had your heart broken before, may mga sandaling masasabi mong 'buti nga sa'yong shunga ka' sa lalaki but at the same time, maaawa ka din.  Haaay.  Love is a really messy affair. That's a truth na pinukpok ng mga librong ito sa akin.

And, unto the main point of this article...

I have said before na I'm a sucker for happy endings and these two books definitely do not fit the bill.  Kung ikaw ay katulad ko, sinasabi ko sa'yo, layuan mo na 'to.  'Yon nga lang, if you do that, get ready for the regrets you'll feel.  Confused ka na ba?  Ako din.  Confused, hurt, dazed, and in a perpetual state of 'why-are-you-doing-this-to-me-Ms. Jhing?-why?' 

The story started (Hers version) with a line from one of The Script's song "Breakeven".  I love that song.  And that song is a sign of what is to come.  A broken love story.  I was prepared for that.  May 'separation' nga sa title, eh.  Pero nothing could have prepared me for the ending.  Tada!  Broken love story pa din.  Well, okay lang.  Forever the optimist, I read the His version.  And I prepared for a different ending.  Tada!  Pakshet!  Broken pa din.  Langhiya ( I want to use a different word pero I can't bring myself to include a mother into my curses.  So, let's settle with this  and imagine me saying that with all the feels in the world.)!  Fiction pa rin 'to, 'di ba?  Hindi naman 'to biography, 'di ba?  This is a world where anything could happen and a Hollywood chick flick ending is not only possible but expected.  Eh bakit ganito ang ending?!  Grrr…

I tried so hard to think of a better ending.  Of a way to bring them back together.  Pero, habang ginagawa ko 'yon, I felt guilty.  And I stopped.  I felt guilty kasi  feelingko, minamaliit ko ang mga nangyari, ang mga naramdaman ng mga characters.  Na, if I insist for the ending that I wanted, I would be cheating myself.  And then and there, na-realize ko that JhingBautista is one AWESOME and sneaky bitch.  Hep! Hep! Hep! Prrrft!  I meant that in a good way!  Huwag n'yo akong bigyan ng virtual umbag.  

Gaano ba kadalas ang pagkakataon na nagbibigay ka ng mga exemptions sa type of endings you want?  Hindi madalas mangyari, 'di ba?  Para sa akin, may dalawang bahagi ang kuwento that would make or break it.  Ito ay ang simula at ang wakas.  May mga librong nagsimula na maganda tapos pangit ang ending.  And vice versa.  Sa dalawa, in my opinion, ang ending ang real  deal breaker.  Minsan kasi may mga kuwentong pangit ang simula pero maganda ang ending at you'll get out of the reading experience feeling satisfied. Pero  if ang ending ang pangit, kahit maganda ang simula, nakakalimutan mo na 'pag nabuwisit ka sa ending.  Now, these books have shit for ending and that's why I love it!  And that's why JhingBautista is one sneaky yet awesome bitch.  She made me agree with her ending kahit ayaw ko sa kanila, in principle.

Sa mga readers na nagbabantay ng mga book reviews ko (why do you even do it when 50% of my write-up is made up of my rants? But, hey, thanks a lot!), DAPAT NINYO ITONG BASAHIN.  Yes.  Capslock talaga dapat.  I know wala akong ibang tinalakay dito kundi ang ending talaga pero 'yon talaga ang nagdala ng buong dalawang kuwento.  If I say more kasi, maikukuwento ko nang lahat.  I can't promise matatapos mo silang masaya ka.  Huwag ka nang umasa , dear.  These two are painful to read and think about.  I swear hanggang ngayon, nagngingitngit pa rin ako .  At naiiyak.  At nabubuwisit.  Sarap sampalin ng babae baka sakaling matauhan.  Sarap namang i-garote ng lalaki. Shit mo.  Nagpatiwakal ka na lang sana.  See?  I'm still affected.  At the same time, nalulungkot ako for them.  I hoped for a different ending pero I know it wasn't meant to be.  These two books are like precautionary tales for all of us.  Pero, sa larangan nga ba ng pag-ibig, may puwang ang precautionary tales?  I don't think so.  Pero, I hope, the things that happened to them won't happen to me, to you, or even, to my worst enemy.  I hope all of our love stories, kahit maging gaano man ka komplikado at masalimuot, won't be like theirs na full of regrets and longings.  Seriously, kahit ano basta huwag lang regrets of their kind.  Hindi ko kakayanin.

For FMharru, I'm sorry hindi kita sinunod.  I paved my own rocky path.  I hope hindi ka magalit.

Dear Ms. Jhing,

Why did you do this to me?  Why?  Seriously, anong kasalanang nagawa ko sa'yo para parusahan mo ako ng ganito?  Paki-explain.  Love you.

Taos pusong nagmamahal,

Domino

I can't promise to be as big  a fan like Fmarrhu at tadtarin ang RL ko ng mga likha mo. I think being your fan won't be good for my heart.  Medyo lalampa-lampa 'yan sa mga masasakit na bagay, eh.  Toddler ang age niyan.  Mababa ang tolerance for pain and discomfort.  Pero, I promise to check out ang mga nasa list na binigay sa akin ni Fmarrhu once maka-recover na ako sa mga likha mong ito.  Would it be weird for me to thank you for hurting me?  Maybe it would, pero I will still go ahead and say it.  Thank you for the hurt.  It was kinda good.  And, now, I sound creepy.  Hahahaha.  Pero seriously.  Thank you.  Thank you for giving voice to all the hurts we feel, felt, and would feel because of love.  I know, mahirap isulat ang mga ito.  I'm sure some of your tears have fried some of your keyboard wires habang tina-type mo ito.  Pero, know this, we got you.  And most of us won't be able to stay away from you and your way with words.