WHEN I love Zach and decided to stay with him even though he's dating Joven back then— I got no problem about holding on to our relationship and waiting for him to come with me when he got a chance.Ayos lang sa akin ang lahat basta nandiyan si Zach. Basta sinasagot niya ako sa tuwing magsasabi ako ng 'I love you' sa kaniya— hangga't sinasabi niyang mas mahal niya ako kaysa kay Joven.I was selfish.Again.If someone would ask me the 'why' of my decision in staying with Zach as his other woman— silly as it may sound— but I only got one answer: Nagmahal lang ako.Yes. Love can be this addicting and cruel. When others were saying 'All is fair in love and war' — I know for a fact that love would never be fair. There were people who would have love easier and happier while there are people, like me, who would have it in the messed up way.It's nice to fall in love not until you have to face the reality that your love wouldn't be able to sail because it was wrong.My love for Zach was wron
THERE'S an art in letting go— it could be the art of selflessly loving someone; or the art of compromising; or the art of making a decision for universal gain. In short letting go in relationships is a very altruistic deed that a sinner like me couldn't do. But then again, I guess it also true that repentance comes to all kinds of people. No matter how big and worst your sin was, there would be a time that reality would smack you hard on your head and make you realize how wrong you were and how much damage you inflicted to the people around you. Repentance may come earlier before sins you did harvest the worst consequences; and repentance may also come too late that you're already paying the price of your sin. I guess, my repentance was the latter. It was too late for me to regret everything because the bad karma was now in front of me, grinning like a criminal and with a sharp knife to stab me. "Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless th
Zach's P.O.V. *** Decisions. Unless it is for business, I suck on making them. People will say — you know things when you got older. You gain wisdom and become better in decision-making. Sadly. I was living this life for almost three decades and yet decision-making and crossroads were still mysteries for me. I tend to weigh pros and cons in business to come up with an appealing solutions and options— but I figured out that I couldn't do the same thing in real life. Life is too complex to just base your decisions in pros and cons. It's not white or black. It got an endless possibilities and paths to take. As a human, we all strive to live not just to survive. And Ava made me feel how it was like to be alive. That's why I don't understand why I am standing here with Joven... "Are you okay, Honey?" Napabuntong hininga ako nang mag-iwas ng tingin sa akin si Ava. Ibinalik ko ang aking tingin kay Joven. "Yeah. I'm okay," I answered, holding her hand firmly to stop myself from runn
"Wupewt!" "Eba!" Nanlaki ang mga mata ng batang babae sa itinawag sa kaniya ng kaibigan. "Hindi nga Eba ang pangalan ko!" Malalaki ang bawat hakbang na nilapitan niya ang batang lalaki na nakaupo sa swing. Bakas sa nakabusangot niyang mukha ang inis dahil sa maling pagtawag sa kaniyang pangalan ng kaibigan. "Mali rin naman 'yung tawag mo sa akin a!" ingos ng batang lalaki bago nginisian ang kalalapit lang na kaibigan. "Dapat kasi masabi mo muna 'yung pangalan ko nang— Aw!" Humagikgik ang batang babae dahil sa pagdaing ng kaibigan matapos niya 'tong sipain sa paa. Naupo siya sa katabing swing bago tinanggal ang pagkakatali ng hanggang baywang niyang buhok. Nagpunas pa siya ng pawis dahil sa buong maghapong paglalaro ng habulan sa mga kalaro niya. "Grabe! Ang sakit no'n, Eba!" "Hindi nga 'yan ang pangalan ko! Sisipain ulit kita Wupewt!" "Hindi rin Wupewt ang pangalan ko!" Masama ang tingin nila sa isa't isa at naubos ang ilang segundo sa pagtitigan na 'yon bago nagbuntong hining
LUCIA'S P.O.V. (Ava's mother) ••• "Ma, proud ka ba sa akin?" Natigilan ako sa paghaplos sa buhok ni Ava dahil sa tanong niyang iyon. Nakaupo ako sa kama niya habang ginawa niyang unan ang kandungan ko. Napatitig ako sa kaniya dahil sa tanong na 'yon. Nanatili naman siyang nakapikit habang mahigpit ang hawak sa kaliwa kong kamay na nasa ibabaw ng dibdib niya. Ito ang unang pagkakataon na itinanong sa akin 'to ng anak ko. Madalas kasi, hindi talaga siya nagkukwento sa akin hindi katulad ng ate niya. "Oo naman. Proud ako sa 'yo. Proud ako sa inyong magkakapatid," sabi ko bago hinalikan ang noo niya. Unti-unting dumilat ang mga mata niya at nagtagpo ang mga tingin namin. "Ava? May problema ba?" Pero umiling lang siya bago pinilit na ngumiti kahit na ba nanggigilid sa mga mata niya ang luha. Bilang ina, alam ko kung may mali o may problema ang anak ko. Nararamdaman ko 'yon. Kahit itanggi pa ni Ava, alam kong may dinadamdam siya at nararamdaman kong mabigat 'yon. "Alam mo namang p
Rodolfo's P.O.V.(Ava's father)•••"Starting from now, I'm no longer your father," tiim ang bagang na saad ko bago nag-iwas ng tingin sa kaniya."Papa..."Galit. Awa. Sakit.Galit ako kay Ava at sa ginawa niya sa kaniyang kapatid. Galit ako kay Nick at sa naging relasyon nila ng ikalawa kong anak.Naaawa ako sa sinapit ng panganay ko at ng apo ko. Hindi ko inakalang kailangan kong masaksihan ang pangyayaring 'yon— napakaraming dugo at wala akong nagawa nang tuluyang mawala ang apo ko.Higit sa lahat, masakit. Masakit para sa akin ang lahat ng ito. Hindi ko alam na hahantong sa ganito ang pamilya ko— na dadating ang nakaka-putanginang pangyayaring 'to sa pamilyang binuo, itinaguyod at pinrotektahan ko.Kahit saan ko tingnan, mas kailangan ako ni Agatha at hindi ko makita sa sarili kong patawarin si Ava sa nagawa niya.She could've stop herself from having an affair with that bastard if she values her sister! Putangina."Huwag mo na ulit akong tatawagin na papa, Ava. Wala ka nang karap
AGATHA'S P.O.V. *** Wala akong ibang gustong gawin after a sixteen-hour shift kun'di ang matulog at makapagpahinga. The hospital was busier yesterday and I think I wasn't able to even have a good dinner last night because of the patients I had to attend to. Sana maabutan ko ang asawa ko bago siya pumasok ng trabaho. I know, after I see his face, this fatigue and restless feeling will be a lot better. I heaved a deep sigh when silence greeted me when I entered the house. Oh, it's always like this. Since it was just six in the morning, everyone in the house was still asleep, specially that it's school vacation for my younger siblings. Naalala ko bigla si Ava. I had to ask her if she's really sure about taking STEM strand in SHS. I mean, hindi ko pa rin nakakalimutan 'yung madalas niyang sabihin sa akin noong nasa elementary siya— she said she wanted to be a writer. If that's the case, I don't think STEM was the strand that she should choose. I made a mental note about that. Tahimi
NICK'S P.O.V. *** "Ma, Pa, this is Nick— boyfriend ko po," I bowed my head in front of my girlfriend's parents. I readied the gentle smile when my gaze met the eyes of Agatha's father. Gaya ng inaasahan, masama ang tingin na ipinupukol sa akin ni Mr. Lazarte pero ayos lang 'yon. Alam kong kapag nakilala niya na ako, gagaan din ang pakikitungo niya sa akin. Kabaligtaran ni Mr. Lazarte, mas magaan ang naging pagtanggap sa akin ng nanay ni Agatha— sabi niya tawagin ko na lang daw siyang Tita Lucia. Well, Agatha decided to finally introduce me to her parents after three months of dating. Hindi naman ako tumanggi dahil mahal ko siya. Yes. After years of being a notorious playboy, someone came to finally take my heart and own me— body and soul. Masyado pang maaga para sa iba upang malaman kung para sa iyo ba ang isang tao sa loob ng tatlong buwan na relasyon. Pero kay Agatha ko lang naramdaman 'to. Isa pa, hindi na rin ako bumabata. I'm nearing my thirties and I'm actually planning t