“Ate Bei!” I shouted while rushing to where she is seated then hugged her tightly. Oh my God! I cannot believe I am actually looking at her right now. It has been 2 years.
“Hi Dans!” she greeted while hugging me back.
“Pasok na tayo sa lo—”
“No. Dito na lang tayo sa labas. Okay lang ba?” I nodded. I went in to order our food then went back to our table after a few minutes.
I settled on my seat as I stared at her. The Bea de Leon I am looking at right now is different from the Bea de Leon before. This woman in front of me is… bold.
“You still look the same, Dani.”
“And you look different.”
She just smiled at me. I’ve never thought I’m going to see BDL with blonde highlights. She looks hot wearing a black dress. Her nails are red while her lips are painted with a shade of maroon. Wow, she’s strangely familiar.
“Hey, do you mind if I smoke?” nilabas nya ang isang stick ng cigarrette sa box nito at sinindihan.
“I didn’t know that you smoke.” I smiled awkwardly.
“Sorry, a habit I adopted in the office due to stress. Alam mo naman sa states, sobrang stressful. Wag mo ko tularan ha?” She smiled widely.
I have so many questions in my mind right now. Two years of ghosting us and now she’s here smiling like nothing happened. But, what really happened? I really want to ask her the same question that I’ve been wanting to ask Kuya Thirdy.
“How are you, Dani? How is everyone?”
“We are great. Ate Mads and Ate Kat are now playing for the national team. I will be playing for creamline same as Deanna. Jules is focusing on beach volleyball. Vanie is the new team Captain of ALE.” I stopped and stared at her, “What have you been doing, Ate?”
She stared at me for a long time before she said, “Healing.”
3 years ago, everyone was delighted to the news that Thirdy Ravena and Bea de Leon were finally dating. Bakit hindi matutuwa? Everyone’s rooting for them. They were a great tandem, the A Team, the MVPs. Started in highschool but finally official after college. I witnessed everything to them. How Kuya Thirdy courted her and was turned down twice, how she finally opened up to Kuya Thirdy after season 81, and how they finally admitted that they were in love with each other. Sobrang ideal.
Parang ang saya umibig noon kapag nakikita ko si Mama at Papa, si Ate Ly and Manong tapos si Ate Bea and Kuya Thirdy. It felt like it is easy to love.
Until one day, we learned that Ate Bea quit on playing for Motolite and went out of the country. Kuya Thirdy joined the National Team and trained in Spain. Walang nagsalita sa kanila kung anong nangyari. Parang basta natapos. Walang kuwit, biglang tuldok.
“May itatanong ka Dani?” She’s now on her second stick of cigarette.
“Ate, anong nangyari sa inyo ni Kuya?” I bit my lip. I’m not sure if I have the rights to ask her, pero kung hindi ko itatanong ‘to patuloy akong guguluhin nito. After their break up, I looked at love differently – na hindi pala madali ang mag-mahal.
“We were all rooting for the both of you. Like finally, kayo na. Ang tagal naming hinintay eh, bakit biglang nawala? Minahal mo ba talaga ang Kuya ko?”
“Hindi ko lang minahal ang Kuya mo, Dani. Siya ang langit. Siya ang mundo.” She said while smiling and staring at the cars passing by. “What really happened? We fucked it up. Naniwala kasi kami sa inyong lahat eh, na ideal kami. Na we are perfect together, like nothing can break us apart. Kasi bakit nga naman kami masisira? Ang tagal naming hinintay yon. Yung finally kami na, officially together.”
She looked at me as she touched my hand. She was getting teary-eyed.
“I’m sorry Dani, hindi kami perfect ni Thirdy. Sa sobrang tiwala nyo sa aming dalawa nagulat kami pareho na di pala kami perfect. Na hindi pala totoo yung nakikita niyo. Nung una, sinubukan naming mag-live up sa expectations ng mga tao. Malaki utang na loob namin sa inyo eh, we wanted to thank you by trying to show to everyone that we are the ideal couple. Hanggang sa naging pagpapanggap. Hanggang yung pagpapanggap, naging sakit, at yung sakit naging paalam.”
What? “Did you even love each other?”
“We did.”
This is so frustrating. Then why break up? Why not be together? Ilang beses pa ba nila dapat masaktan?
“Minsan, we look at two people then we see their future na. Like they’re gonna be together, get married then have a family. We are rooting for them that we only want to see the good things for them. Kaya naiinis tayo pag di nangyayari yung gusto nating mangyari sa kanila. But we don’t own their lives, we cannot tell them what to do, we are just by standers.”
I suddenly felt guilty. I stopped believing in love after what happened to them. Kasi I thought they are gonna make it. They’re the end game. I was so frustrated of what happened that I forgot what they felt after.
“I’m sorry Ate Bei. Masyado namin kayong pinressure. We could just watch in silence pero –“
“Huy ano ka ba? Choice namin yun.”
“Ate, Wala na bang pag-asa kayo ni Kuya?”
She looked at me and smiled, “Pinipili ko pa rin siya araw-araw, Dani. Araw-araw.”
Sabi nga sa the Perks of being a Wallflower, we choose the love we think we deserve. If pinipili pa rin ni Ate Bea si Kuya sa kabila ng lahat, may pag-asa pa. Baka hindi pa nila panahon. Kapag dumating na yung panahon nila, panunuorin ko na lang sila ng tahimik.
“Dani!” I looked at the man who called me. Oh my god anong ginagawa ni Kuya dito? Napalingon ako sa babaeng nasa harapan ko na parang na-estatwa na.
“Pinasundo ka ni Mano—“ he stopped as Ate Bea turned her head to see him.
Panahon na ba nila, Lord? This time, can they make it?
“Hello, Thirdy. Long time.” She smiled genuinely.
“Hi Bea, welcome home.”
060419
hello, i'm not really a writer. i am just a fan who loves to see thirbea happy. i wrote this because i want to tell u guys that it's both fun and painful to ship thirbea but we should know our limits. there are lines that we should not cross. baka mamaya we are enjoying all the ganaps pero sila pala nagiging awkward na. that's all.
let's spread love 🖤
