Not a Coincidence | Juan GDL

Chapter 16: Good Things

Time flew by so fast, like a bullet train navigating around the interconnected cities of China or Korea. The only discrepancy of this simile statement is: A bullet train can be modified and stopped; while time can't be. It goes on, like how the sun rises and how it sets, each fleeting day.

In all honesty, I barely made it to my 3rd year due to heavy academic loads. Seems like time slowed done last year that the only thing I wished was to finish the last semester. The next thing I knew, I was already on the last monhs of my 4th year Biochemistry, and Juan being on his 5th year of playing for the University of the Philippines - Diliman.

Time was both a blessing and a curse.

Our eldest brother dropped the biggest bomb of the decade when he unexpectedly announced that he was going to marry during one of our family vacations. His wife was also a lawyer and guess what? They had the most complicated love story ever. I wouldn't want to narrate it. It would only give me headaches. Needless to say, they married during the end of my 3rd year.

"You want an honest remark, Justin? I thought Belle's going to marry sooner than you. I just didn't expect you really had the balls. I thought you're going to be a single Tito to my kids forever," Kuya Leo pestered during one of our get-togethers last year.

"Bakit naman ako ang mauuna, Kuya?" I asked, shaking my head. The thought of marriage has always been a dream. Settling down when everything's already been stable, having kids - it's a rosy dream.

"Among the three of us, you have the steadiest relationship. I didn't even know Justin had a girl. So, it's not questionable why I thought about it," he replied, matter-of-factly.

"Huwag mo nga ipasa sa'kin. Ikaw na ang susunod, Kuya!" I kidded and pointed at him.

"Oy! Don't get too ahead! Baka ma-jinx!" he shouted, really, really scared. Kuya Justin and I just laughed over Kuya Leo's antics.

"Belle's still going to attend med school. At akala ko ba matinik ka sa babae, Leo? Why are you acting like a scared cat now, huh?" Kuya Justin added fuel to the fire, and that made me laugh even more, over my brother's sullen expression.

I smiled upon remembering that memory from last year. It had been a peaceful year. Nothing major went against our ways. No one went against us. It was a year of development and blissful relationships. We were molded to become better persons, but we still have a long way to go.

It was odd that Dawn didn't bother us anymore after that little incident I had with her. Almost 2 years passed since she confronted me about Juan, but after that, there wasn't any of it. Within two years, everyone witnessed how she took the seat from her parents as she became the heiress of their company.

According to Juan, her parents stopped drawing Dawn and him towards each other. That was a relief, but something didn't sit with me well. It was like a prelude to something greater, or worse. As much as it bothered me, I tried to swat the idea away and focused on the good side of it.

"Hija, you're very, very beautiful and graceful. Your son is truly blessed, Bert," those were the first words I garnered from Tita Anna, Juan's mother. I clearly remembered how she looked at me that day with awe while Juan proudly held me by the waist beside him.

"I now understand why Juan's been more inspired lately," Tito Bert revealed.

It wasn't really new to me to receive compliments like that. I got it all the time when I was still a kid. Same opinion was given by Clarisse when we first met. I guess that's what you really get for having a long wavy brown hair, a bit of a fair skin, tall frame, slender body, rosy cheeks – something I got from Nanay because her lineage possessed those traits.