DAISY
Hinatid ako ni Vincent sa bahay, at dahil ang lakas pa rin ng ulan, I invited him inside na hindi ko sana ginawa dahil mag-isa lang ako sa bahay. Nasa Canada na rin kasi si Mama kasama si Reynan at pamilya nito. Dapat sana ay kasama ko sila ngayon, umuwi lang kasi ako para um-attend sa kasal ni Charmaine. I am planning to stay only for a short vacation. Then, everything with Sir Onse happened—our friendship, our late-night talks, the way he leaned on me when things fell apart with Althea. It made me stay longer than I had planned. But then Althea came back. Ngayon, hindi ko na alam kung mananatili pa ba ako o aalis na lang. “Vincent magkape ka muna.” Tumango-tango lang si Vincent at ngumiti. I excused myself to freshen up, leaving him in the living room, where the comforting smell of coffee filled the space. As I showered, the cold water ran over me, mirroring the numbness I felt inside. I wished I could stay in the bathroom forever, letting the cold wash over me until my body was as numb as my heart. Kaya lang, nasa labas nga si Vincent, naghihintay sa akin, and I couldn’t leave him there for too long. I forced myself to get dressed and rejoin him. When I returned, Vincent was sitting on the couch, a cup of coffee in his hands. He looked up as I entered the room, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made me pause. I hesitated, then took a seat on the chair across him. There was a silence between us, broken only by the soft hum of the rain against the windows. “Thank you for bringing me home,” I said, offering him a small, polite smile. I didn’t want to give him the wrong impression, at ayaw ko rin na isipin niya na ungrateful ako. He smiled back at me—that warm, sweet smile I’d come to know so well. “It was nothing, Daisy. I wasn’t about to let you walk in the rain. Besides,” he added, his voice dropping slightly, “I wouldn’t want the woman I care about catching a cold.” Ang ayos ng pagkakaupo ko kanina. Comportable na ako, ngayon bumalik ang pagkailang ko. Hindi pa rin mawala sa isip ko ang sinabi niya kanina sa kotse na tumatak; hindi lang sa utak ko kundi pati na sa puso ko. "Vincent...” “Don’t worry, Daisy. Hindi naman kita minamadali. I am willing to wait; hanggang handa ka na buksan ang puso mo para sa iba.” There it was again—that feeling, that weight in the air between us. Vincent had been hinting at his feelings for months now, and I had always deflected, too wrapped up in my own feelings for Sir Onse to consider him. Imbes na sumagot ako, I looked down at my hands, twisting my fingers together. I didn’t want this conversation. Hindi ngayon na wasak pa ang puso ko. Ayaw kong maging katulad ko si Vincent, maging remedy or rebound. Vincent cleared his throat softly, drawing my attention back to him. He was still looking at me, his eyes soft, but there was something else there too—a determination. “Daisy,” he began, his voice steady. “I think you know how I feel about you, right? ” Napalunok ako. Paanong hindi ko malaman na may gusto nga siya sa akin. Panay paramdam niya, kahit hindi ko pinapansin. I didn’t respond. “I know you’ve been through a lot with Sir Onse,” he continued, his tone careful, like he was picking his words with precision. “But... Daisy, don’t you think it’s time to let go? To move on from him? He’s never going to love you the way you want him to.” Ayon, nasapol na naman ako. His words are sharp, direct, and brutally honest. Sumikip ang dibdib ko at parang maiiyak na naman. Pero maya maya, I looked up at him. I forced myself to meet Vincent’s gaze. His eyes were kind, but there was a sadness in them too, like he hated saying these things to me but knew they needed to be said. “I know you care about him. Kitang-kita ko sa mga mata mo, sa tuwing hinahatid o sinusundo ka niya,” Vincent continued, his voice softer, “but how long are you going to keep doing this to yourself? You deserve more, Daisy. You deserve someone who sees you.” I couldn’t look at him anymore. I stared at the floor, my hands trembling slightly. Everything he said was true, but admitting that out loud felt like ripping open a wound. “I... I just thought,” I whispered, my voice barely audible, “that if I stayed long enough... if I were there for him... maybe he’d see me differently.” Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko na hinayaan ko lang. “He won’t, Daisy, kasi may mahal siyang iba.” Nakagat ko naman ang labi ko, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. I had spent so long hoping, waiting, and convincing myself that if I could just be there for Sir Onse, if I could just show him how much I cared, maybe he’d realize I was the one he needed. And now, Althea had come back; my dreams had shattered. “I’m not trying to hurt you,” Vincent said softly, leaning forward in his chair, his gaze never leaving mine. “I just... I care about you, Daisy. And I hate seeing you like this. You deserve to be happy.” Tumayo si Vincent at umupo sa tabi ko, at saka marahan na hinaplos-halos ang kamay ko. “Let me make you happy, Daisy. Just... give me a chance.” Hindi pa rin ako makasagot. Pero napapaisip naman sa sinasabi niya. Hindi naman siguro masama kung bigyan ko nga siya ng pagkakataon o ang sarili ko. But could I? Could I let go of Sir Onse? The idea of us? It felt like losing a part of myself, like letting go of a dream I had held onto for so long. But what was that dream worth if it only ever brought me pain? I sighed softly, pulling my hand away from Vincent’s. “I don’t know, Vincent,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “Pero sige, I will give you a chance.”DAISY Matapos ang ilang linggong walang tulog at puro iyak, sa wakas, nabuksan na rin ang isip ko. Natauhan na ako. It was time to stop waiting for someone who would never love me. Time to stop living in the shadows of a love that was never mine to begin with. Masaya na siya kasama ang mahal niya, kaya ako, bukas na bukas na rin ang puso para sa iba at maging masaya kagaya niya. For the first time, I agreed to go on a date with Vincent. It was a small step, para sa tuluyang pagbubukas ng puso ko. Ngayon nga ay nakatayo ako sa harap ng salamin, getting ready for our first official date, and I couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. There was excitement, takot, at may pangamba. Oo, handa na nga akong buksan ang puso ko para kay Vincent, but no matter how hard I tried to push Sir Onse out of my mind, he remained there—like an uninvited guest who refused to leave. I sighed, shaking my head at my reflection. Tinapik-tapik ko ang noo ko para tuluyang mawala sa utak ko si Sir Ons
“Remedy? Or a rebound?!" Parang malakas na sampal na tumama sa mukha ko ang mga salitang ‘yon na nagpaparalisa sa buo kong katawan. Pati ang paghinga ko ay napigil ko. I couldn’t move, but humigpit naman ang pagkakahawak sa bote ng red wine na dala ko. “Now, you can't say anything, because deep down, you know it's true. Naging panakip butas mo ang Daisy na ‘yon!" Sa isang iglap, parang nawalan ng lakas ang kamay ko, at kusang dumulas ang bote na kanina ay mahigpit ang pagkakahawak ko. Huli na ng mahimasmasan ako, tuluyan nang bumagsak ang bote sa sahig at naglikha ng malakas na ingay. “Daisy!” Onse exclaimed, rushing toward me. He looked startled, almost guilty. Katulad ko, alam kong hindi niya inaasahan na mangyayari ang eksenang ‘to; hindi niya inaasahan na darating agad ako, at marinig ang pagtatalo nila na ako ang dahilan. Hindi ko na magawang salubungin ang mga mata niya—ang mga mata nila. Kaagad akong umiwas, yumukod, to pick up the broken pieces of the bottle that now lit
“Daisy.” I can’t help but smile, nang marinig ang boses ni Sir Onse, but instead of turning around to meet his gaze, I looked down at his hand resting on my arm. His touch was gentle, but my heart raced at the contact. Slowly, I pulled my arm away, as if the warmth between our skins was too much to bear. Saka ako naglakas loob na salubungin ang titig niya.Muli siyang humakbang palapit sa akin at inabot ang payong. "Why did you follow me, sir?" I asked softly, keeping my voice calm despite the chaotic beat of my heart. His brown eyes stared back at me, filled with questions, but I couldn't afford to let myself drown in them. Katulad ko, paminsan-minsan niya rin na tinitingnan si Vincent sa loob ng kotse. With a light push, I nudged him backward, creating space between us. A space that felt wider than the years of waiting for him to like me. I glanced toward the entrance of the building, hoping he'd understand where he needed to be."Go back to your condo," I said, wearing a fake sm
Wala na si Sir Onse sa harap ko, pero ang sakit dito sa puso ko, hindi pa rin nawawala. Ang bigat-bigat pa rin ng nararamdaman ko. Habang umaandar ang kotse ni Vincent, hindi ko mapigilang lingunin ulit si Sir Onse sa huling pagkakataon. Mula sa malabong salamin ng kotse, nakita ko ang paglapit sa kanya ni Althea na agad yumakap sa baywang niya. ‘Yong yakap na parang takot siyang mawala ulit ito. At si Sir Onse… he didn’t push her away. Hindi ko man nakikita ang expression ng mukha nila, pero sapat na ang nakikita ko, para isiksik ko sa utak ko na mahal na mahal nila ang isa’t-isa.Ramdam ko na naman ang mga luhang gustong pumatak, pero pinipigilan ko. Not now. Hindi habang katabi ko si Vincent na kahit hindi nagsasalita, alam kong ramdam niya na nasasaktan ako ngayon. Matalinong tao si Vincent, at sigurado akong hindi rin siya manhid para hindi mararamdaman ang paghihirap ng kalooban ko. Sikreto akong bumuntong-hininga. “Hindi ka dapat nasasaktan ng ganito, Daisy,” paulit-ulit kon
ONSEWalang pagsidlan ang saya na nararamdaman ko. Althea was finally back. Lahat ng sama ng loob, galit, agad nawala nang magkita kami. The relief of knowing she had chosen me after all the heartbreak was overwhelming. Kung ano man ang nabasag sa loob ko noon, agad-agad nabuo dahil sa pagbabalik niya. Sure, she had made a mistake—falling for another guy’s sweet words—but I convinced myself that it was just a slip moment of weakness. After all, Althea is younger than me, and that gap always made me a little insecure. I worried that one day she might get bored of me or fall for someone her age. Nangyari nga ‘yon. But now, none of that matters. She was back, and that’s all I needed. Sisiguraduhin ko na hindi na ulit siya hahanap ng iba.Katatapos nga lang namin mag-usap. At sabi niya darating siya. Gusto niya raw bumawi sa mga kasalanan na nagawa niya. Sa sobrang tuwa ko, nag-send ako ng message kay Daisy na pumunta rito sa condo ngayon at may mahalagang nangyari na kailangan naming e