Her Broken Vow ✔

HBV 21: Forward

Aaron

I heard the music playing on the background, it is solemn and peaceful that would make anybody be at ease.

I stood here in the entrance trying to compress my tears. I stared down my clothing, pormal na pormal katulad ng kahilingan niya.

Dahan dahan akong naglakad sa gitna ng maraming tao. Dati lang ay ayaw kong tumapak sa ganitong lugar dahil naaalala ko siya.

Naaalala ko ang kaniyang mga pangako,
Mga pangakong hindi sinasad'yang mapako.

But look at me now, I am once again walking slowly down the aisle while looking straight ahead.

Dinig ko ang tinig ng mga taong kasama namin sa mahalagang araw na ito, may ilang nagbubulungan at ilang nag-uusap.

Ang iba naman ay tahimik na lamang habang naghihintay sa susunod na mangyayari.

Nakita ko ang aming anak sa harapan katabi ng kaniyang ina. They resemble each other's soft features, napakagandang pagmasdan ng aking mag ina.

It never crossed my heart and mind that eventually, it will all end in this way. I never thought that this is possible and would actually happen in my life.

Tandang tanda ko pa ang mga katagang binitawan namin sa isa't isa nung araw ng kasal namin ilang taon na ang nakalipas...

''to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part,"

Habang nakatingin ako sakaniya ngayon ay mas nagiging emosyonal ang aking kalooban. I feel so damn grateful that I met my loving wife.

This is our fate.

From the start this was meant to happen.

Now, there's this unexplainable thing inside my heart. Once I reached the end of the altar, I directly went on her side.

My Joanna...

She looks so pretty wearing a white dress. She's the loveliest person that I have met. Sadly, I wasn't able to see that before.

I looked at our daughter with tears in her eyes,

"D-daddy..." She softly caressed my left cheek, I held her hand too.

"I love you, Sofia." I told her and kissed her forehead.

And again, I looked at my wife and this time I smiled.

I started whispering words to her.

"You fought a long way, mahal. You may rest now."

Anim na buwan na ang nakalipas... my wife's battle became our battle. Lumaban siya para sa aming pamilya niya.

I saw how she tried everyday na kahit sobra na siyang nasasaktan pumapayag pa rin siya na magpagamot para mabuhay pa ng isang araw.

It pains me to see her in that state, na kung kailan malinaw na ang lahat at handa na kaming magsimula muli tsaka may hahadlang sa amin.

Our daughter had to cope up with the vast changes as well, it took her a day or two but then she accepted things easily and stayed by Joanna's side until that day.

Because of the treatments, my wife's body rapidly changed. Awang awa ako sa asawa ko... ang sakit makitang sa bawat araw na nagdadaan ay mas lalo siyang nasasaktan dahil hindi na tinatanggap ng katawan niya ang mga gamot.

It one tough decision we both had to make.

We have decided to stop the treatments and live our life to the fullest. I did my best to be the best husband para manlang makabawi sa mga kagaguhan ko. Ni hindi man lang ako naging mabuti sakaniya noong bumalik siya, hindi ko man lang pinakinggan kung anong nais niyang sabihin...

I didn't give her the chance.

Now, I suffer because of my own foolishness but Joanna didn't want that, she told me that I should learn to let go of negative emotions and that holding on will only make me miserable.

Kahit sa huling sandali, kapakanan ko pa rin ang iniisip niya. She told stories to Sofia about us before our daughter came kahit na hirap na siyang magsalita, pinipilit niyang sulitin ang natitirang oras niya.

"A-are you mad at me, a-anak?" Joanna softly asked our daughter while suppressing her tears.

"No po mommy! I'm not mad po, I'm thankful nga po eh kasi I got to meet you po my very kind and beautiful mommy!"

Joanna spent her full time with us that day, she even didn't want to sleep early. She wanted to bond and so we did.

Nagk'wentuhan kami at nagtawanan na parang wala kaming problemang kinakaharap. We made Joanna happy and comfortable, Sofia never let go of her mother's hand and I never left her side.

It was strange because Joanna didn't want to rest that day and she keep telling us to just enjoy things and be happy.

"Aaron, y-you can love again. I'll b-be glad to see you love another woman again. Move forward, mahal." She told me that night as if she's saying her final goodbye.

That day, I cried while my wife and daughter was asleep. I cried my heart out and I just can't stop crying. It truly hurts.

The next day, I woke up and saw her peacefully sleeping on the other side of our bed with a small smile plastered on her face.

She's gone.

"D-daddy, why d-did mommy had to go first?" Sofia asked me while quietly sobbing.

I hugged my daughter while I answered her question.

"Because someone needed an angel and had chose your mother."

Maybe she came back in order to fulfill her dreams with us. She became our angel. And now that she did fulfill her dreams, she can already rest peacefully.

"B-but we only h-had a short time..." My daughter said in a soft voice.

"Your mother's always with us, Sofia. She'll always be alive in our heart and memories." I said and gave her my reassuring smile.

Sofia nodded with a small smile and looked at the coffin beside her.

"I love you, mommy. P-please be happy, r-run free."

"I love you, m-my wife. Thank you for all your sacrifices. You'll always be remembered."

Fin.

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