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Chapter Thirty-seven
Huling Na-update:
2024-09-03 12:51:15Kaugnay na kabanata
The Groomless Bride The Groomless Bride
"Anak... Cassy... Tama na.” Nagpipigil ng iyak si Mama. “Please. Don't do this to yourself.” Parang kanina lang, ang saya-saya niya nang una akong makita suot ang wedding gown ko. Nagniningning ang mga mata niya. It was a reflection of the happiness she was feeling. Kabaliktaran sa nakikita ko ngayon. Kahit walang luha, her eyes were swollen red. Pati na rin ilong niya. I didn't want to make her feel that way. Pinipigilan ko na lang ang umiyak sa harap nilang lahat dahil hiyang-hiya ako. Wala naman akong ginawang mali pero kinakain ako ng sobrang hiya. I was biting my lower lip so they wouldn't see it shaking. Konting-konti na lang at tutulo na ang luha ko. Pero huwag muna ngayon please. Huwag sa harap ni Mama. "Mama... Give me more time. Maghihintay pa ako. Darating siya. How could he not? This is our wedding." I managed to say in one go pero halos hindi ako makahinga pagkatapos. Nakikita ko ang mga kotse ng mga bisita kong isa-isang nagsi-alisan. From a distance, I watched h
Huling Na-update : 2022-11-21The Groomless Bride Chapter One
A WEEK BEFORE THE WEDDING… My cheeks were numb from smiling. There were stressful cloudy days concerning the planning part but now, I can't help but feel the warm heat from the rays of the sun. Mainit nga dito pero napakalinaw naman ng langit. Just like how I feel now that finally, after three long years, I will be Mrs. Tan. Alam kong hindi dito nagtatapos ang istorya namin but I want to enjoy the happy ending of the chapter. We encountered challenges but we made it through... together. It wasn't that long ago when he secretly sent me those letters. It was too cheesy and I can still clearly recall Ellie's forceful smile whenever she'd see me wonder dreamily who was my secret admirer... but I'm such a romantic fool who believed in love and who deeply appreciates feelings conveyed through written words. I opened my drawer and my eyes were immediately drawn to our wedding invitation. It was so simple. This was the least stressful part of the planning. Nagkasundo kami ni Jake to keep
Huling Na-update : 2022-12-08The Groomless Bride Chapter Two
"Ellie." My eyes started to water at nanginginig na din ang boses ko. "Hindi pwede. Hindi niya pwedeng makita ang anak ko!” "Yan din ang unang pumasok sa utak ko nang makita ko ang hayop na iyon Cass... But we always knew this was a possibility, right? Ano na nga ba? Anong plano mo? "I-" Ano nga bang magagawa ko? Ano bang gusto kong mangyari? All I know is our path can't cross right now. "I don't want to see him." Punong-puno ng takot ang buong systema ko. Hindi ko na talaga alam. Tama na iyong ako ang nasaktan. Tama na iyong ako ang iniwan. I won't let the same thing happen to my son. "Alam ko Cass. Wag kang mag-alala. You have my full support pero-" she rolled her eyes nang marinig ang phone niya na nagri-ring. She took a glimpse at the caller bago sinagot ito sa harap ko. "Yes?" walang ganang sagot nito. She sighed a soundless one and answered the phone again. "Yes, Sir?" Ellie corrected as she made faces while the other line was probably talking. Siguro ay si Troy ang kausap ni
Huling Na-update : 2022-12-08The Groomless Bride Chapter Three
"Oh, crap, Ellie! You scared the shit out of me." "Huy, don't say bad words uy baka marinig iyan ni Baby Jeremy. Ano ba." Muntik na akong masamid sa sinasabi ni Ellie as I held back my laughter, "Excuse me, nabigla lang ako at ikaw itong hindi makontrol ang bunganga pag kaharap yung bata no. Malapit na namin i-donate sa charity laman ng swear jar, thanks to dear aunt Ellie's contribution." Ellie pretended not to hear anything and continues to write some work-related stuff in her notebook. "Hmmm... Kailangan baguhin ang schedule sa Tuesday, magco-coincide sa meeting niya." she got a bit busy for awhile then began talking to me again. "Kamusta na ang cute little baby boy na si Jeremy?" Bahagya akong napailing sa sinabi niya. Naalala ko kasi ang reaction ng anak ko tuwing sinasabi niya iyan. "You know he hates it when you call him that. He’s growing up na talaga." "But I love it! Kahit sixteen na siya o kahit ako ay maging lola na, Jeremy will always be my first inaanak and therefore
Huling Na-update : 2022-12-08The Groomless Bride Chapter Four
"Mimi!" Agad na sinalubong ako ng anak ko while planting little kisses on my face. I tickled him kaya naman lumayo ito habang tumatawa. Aw. His laugh is like music in my ear. Bagay na kahit kailan ay hinding hindi ko pagsasawaan. "Little man, why are you still awake?" I placed my hands on my waist. 10 pm na kasi at dapat, kaninang alas otso pa ito natulog. "Mimi, my bed is very big without you." he pouted his lips while talking. I just wanna pinch his cheeks and kiss him pero pinigilan ko ang sarili ko. I want him to know that staying late is not going to make a good habit. "Mimi." he hugged my legs while saying Mimi over and over again. "Alam mo ba anong oras na?" I said with a serious look on my face. Naka-pout pa rin siya and slowly shook his head. "Mimi... I don't know how to read time using the clock." Gusto kong tumawa but just bit my inner cheeks instead. "Well, I'll tell you then. It's so late and all kids your age are now asleep. Next time, if Mimi comes home late, you go
Huling Na-update : 2022-12-08The Groomless Bride Chapter Five
"Mimi, I thought it was your day off." napalingon ako sa anak kong naniningkit pa ang mata dahil kakabangon pa lang mula sa kama."Yes, baby but there's just something I have to finish today." I smiled at him. Hopefully, matatapos na nga lahat. The uncertainty, the question marks... sana mapalitan na iyon ng tuldok.I kissed my son before going to the restaurant address that Jake texted. I was familiar with the area but not with the place kaya napagdesisyonan kong umalis ng mas maaga. He left me at the altar and I couldn’t even make him wait.I felt so pathetic. Magsisinungaling ako kapag sinabi kong di ako kinakabahan. I've never seen him for years and the last time we did, I was a piece of a hopelessly hopeful fool. Pero pumapasok din sa isip ko. Ba't naman ako kakabahan? If in the first place, wala naman akong ginawang mali?God knows how much I tried. Kahit masyado nang magulo na ang utak at buhay ko, I still managed to keep my life going. At ngayon, I will prove to that man na hi
Huling Na-update : 2024-07-21The Groomless Bride Chapter Six
"Sure na ba ‘yan? Baka end of this chapter tapos, start of something new pala."I heaved a sigh. "No. It’s not that, Ellie. For me, tapos na talaga. I don’t want to think of it anymore. I gave myself what I thought I needed, a closure. Iyon lang iyon at iyon na ‘yun.” I glimpsed at Jeremy who was busy picking toys. Ang laki-laki ng ngiti niya habang tinitingnan ng malapitan ang laruang sasakyan.He beamed as he showed it to me. Nagpapa-cute pa para magpabili. I nodded kaya nilagay niya iyon sa basket.He deserves it."Matagal na naman talagang tapos. Parang sentence na kulang ng tuldok. I officially ended everything with a period. That's what I just did.""Teka... Asan na ba si Jeremy?" lumingon ako ulit sa kung saan ko nakita si Jeremy kanina. He was just there a while ago!Nilibot ng mata ko ang paligid to check if he's around pero nahirapan akong makita siya. I can feel the rapid beating of my heart "Ellie..." I'm aware of the tears forming in my eyes. Naglakad-lakad ako sa paligid
Huling Na-update : 2024-07-21The Groomless Bride Chapter Seven
A GLIMPSE OF ELLIE’S POINT OF VIEW"You’re not going to tell anyone about this. Lalong-lalo na si Jake."Agad na sabi ko nang makapasok na si Troy sa sasakyan. Tiningnan niya ako na para bang hindi makapaniwalang diretso akong nagsalita. Akala niya ba ay makikipag-kwentuhan pa ako sa kanya? O sasama for a drive?Wow ha. Bati na ba ulit kami?Besides, wala ako dito bilang sekretarya niya. Andito ako bilang bestfriend ni Cass.Napalingon ako sa direksyon niya na agad ko namang pinagsisihan dahil nakatingin din pala siya sa akin. His stare lingered on me for a few more seconds bago siya umiwas.Well, fuck, this is awkward lalo na at hindi maganda ang kalabasan ng huli naming pag-uusap.Hindi man lang siya nagsasalita kaya napasimangot na ako. Gusto ko na talagang lumabas! Naka-on naman ang aircon, ang lamig na nga pero bakit parang hindi ako makahinga sa sobrang sikip? Hindi nga ako naka-seatbelt pero nakakasakal."Troy, hindi mo naman sasabihin sa kanya diba?" Tanong ko ulit, this time,
Huling Na-update : 2024-07-22
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The Groomless Bride Chapter Thirty-seven
“Baby, I have something to tell you.”Jeremy pouted as he moved closer. Ilang araw ko ding pinag-isipan kung paano sasabihin sa anak ko ang kondisyon niya. He knows something wasn’t right. Palagi niya akong tinatanong kung okay lang ako dahil masyado daw akong tahimik. Masyado kasing malalim ang iniisip ko because I don’t want him to panic. Ang ending tuloy, I’m causing him to worry.“I’m not a baby anymore, Mommy.”“Oh. Ngayon na gusto mong sabihin na hindi ka na baby, ayaw mo nang mag-Mimi sa akin.” I teased. “I have something to tell you but let’s wait for your Dad.”“Why do we have to wait for him?” “Because he also has something to tell you.”Saktong nag-ring naman ang doorbell. I opened the door and as expected, Jake was standing there. Kung anong tapang niya nung hinarap niya ang mga magulang ko, today was the opposite. Kahit nakangiti ay hindi niya maitago ang kaba. Eto talagang si Jacob ay si Jeremy lang ang kahinaan.“You arrived just in time. We were talking about you.”“R
The Groomless Bride Chapter Thirty-six
“What do you mean Jeremy’s sick?” Papa said.Mama was so speechless that she couldn’t even speak. Kahit ako nay nahihirapang i-explain ang sitwasyon. I am so tempted to call Jake and let him do the explaining. He knows this disease more and he knows what can be done. Baka alam niya kung paano pakalmahin ang mga magulang ko because if it’s only me… hindi ko alam.“Not my apo.” Mama finally said something.Jeremy is taking a nap upstairs. I told Rina na huwag muna siyang pababain dahil kailangan naming mag-usap nina Mama at Papa.“Is this the reason bakit sinugod siya sa hospital?”“Yes. We’ll have him checked with a specialist immediately and see the options for treatment.”“And do we have an idea what are the options?” Tanong ni Papa.“Hindi ako sigurado, Pa. I… I only knew about this now at kahit ako, wala masyadong alam tungkol dito. I will do my own research but..” I held my breath. Wala sa plano kong hindi sabihin sa kanila ito but it’s so hard to keep this a secret. Hindi ko kayan
The Groomless Bride Chapter Thirty-five
I meant what I said. Still, I shouldn’t have said it.Nung niyakap ako ni Jake, napagtanto kong kahit na anong galit ko sa kanya, I missed him. Ano bang nangyari nung may sakit siya? While I was hurting, was he hurting too? Of course, he was. He wouldn’t be crying this much if he wasn’t. We could’ve been there for each other. Kung sana, hindi ako tumigil sa pagtatanong kung kamusta na siya, there could’ve been an us.“I won’t. I promise.” Bulong niya sa akin. “I’ll be here for you always, Cass. For you and Jeremy.”It was what I needed to hear. Hindi ko kayang mag-isa ito.I could feel the longing with his stare. His thumb continuously softly brushes my cheek. “I… I lo-”Napahinto kami pareho nung mag-ring ang phone ko. I swiftly moved away in a panic lalo na nung makita ko ang pangalan ni Ivan sa screen. I looked at Jake but he was looking away. I hesitated if I should answer the call, pero hindi ba mas lalong magiging mali kung hindi ko sasagutin? “Hello?” I finally answered.“Hi,
The Groomless Bride Chapter Thirty-four
“What?” I don’t know if it was loud enough for Jake to hear dahil kahit ako, hindi ko marinig ang sarili kong boses. What he said played in my mind again and I refuse to believe it. I changed my mind. “Don’t say it again.”I needed to leave here. Kailangan kong lumayo sa kanya. Whatever it was that I was feeling… It hurts so much that I feel numb.“Cass.”“Stay away from me.” I closed my eyes before I ended up breaking down.“Cass, I’m sorry.”“Sige nga.” I challenged him. “What are you sorry for? Because my son is sick? O baka naman dahil sa ginawa mo sa akin noon. Are you sorry for hurting me? Are you sorry I had to go through so much because you left me?”“I didn’t want to leave you.”“But you did, Jake.” I paused while I catch my breath. Nanginginig ako dahil sa sobrang lungkot at galit. “Am I supposed to feel guilty now dahil iniwan mo ko? Don’t say it was because of me because I would’ve wanted to be there. In sickness and in health, Jacob. I was ready to make the promise.”“I wa
The Groomless Bride Chapter Thirty-three
It was so stupid of me to let my guards down, but I’m really glad I have him here. It was comforting to know that someone who knows my pain is by my side.I brought myself back to reality when my phone started ringing.Ivan’s name popped on the screen. Lumayo ako kay Jake and took a second to breathe.“Hello. Ivan?”“How are you? Is everything all right? I was calling you and Ellie but no one’s answering. May nangyari ba.”I looked at Jake pero na kay Jeremy na ang attention niya. He was combing Jeremy’s hair.“I’m sorry. May nangyari lang. Inaasikaso kasi namin ngayon si Jeremy.”“Why? What happened” He sounded so worried sick. I can imagine Ivan, with a furrow in his forehead and a worried look on his face. “Okay lang ba siya?”I nodded my head, “Yes, he's fine. Medyo nahirapan lang siyang huminga kanina but he's now sleeping…” “What?” He gasped. “Is he okay? What did the doctor say?”“They are still running some tests.”I am so dizzy. Naubos ata lahat ng lakas ko kanina.“How abou
The Groomless Bride Chapter Thirty-two
“Baby... Baby... Are you okay?" Natatarantang tanong ko. I combed his hair and then cupped his cheeks. His lips parted as he breathed heavily, gasping for air.My hand started shaking so badly that I couldn’t touch him anymore.“Ellie!” Hindi ko na alam kung anong gagawin ko. I searched for something that I can use para paypayan siya. Binigyan naman ako ni Ellie galing sa bag niya at nanginginig na inabot niya sa akin iyon. “Ellie, can you call for an ambulance?”I watched as my son clutched his chest. He closed his eyes and his hand that was holding me tightly lost strength. “Jeremy. Jeremy.” I tapped his cheeks. “Listen to Mommy. Jeremy.”Hinihingal pa rin si Jeremy habang papunta kami sa pinakalapit na hospital. Thakfully, mayroong ten minutes away lang. Hawak-hawak ko ang kamay ni Jeremy. Wala pa rin siyang sinasabi but I could feel his hand holding me. I should be the one calming my son pero parang ako pa tuloy ang kumukuha ng lakas mula sa kanya.Medyo masakitin si Jeremy but it
The Groomless Bride Chapter Thirty-one
“May gusto ka bang pasalubong?” Jake sounded a lot more cheerful than his usual tone. In my head, I already called this ‘Jake’s Daddy Voice’. The one he exclusively uses for Jeremy. I was holding my laugh at first dahil never ko pa siyang narinig magsalita that way but as time passed by, I got used to it. In fact, I appreciate everything he does for Jeremy, conscious or not. As long as he's keeping his word, I’m willing to let go of the past for Jeremy’s sake. Babalik kasi si Jake sa abroad, just for a week. Matagal na nga siguro dapat siyang umalis. He’d ask me, “Cass, would it be fine if I leave for work?” It’s for work and I know this arrangement. From day one, alam kong he wouldn’t be around every day for the whole year. I’d tell him, “Yeah, sure. Wala namang problema. You tell me when’s your flight and when you plan to come back and see Jake, you can also tell me. So, we can make an arrangement.” And what? We had that conversation every week hanggang sa napagtanto kong, it wa
The Groomless Bride Chapter Thirty
“Mimi! Mimi! Mimi, wake up ka na.”Gising na ako but I couldn’t open my eyes. Alam na alam ng katawan ko that it’s the weekend and it’s asking for more sleep. My son, on the other hand, is asking for more playtime.I peeked at his excited face, already full of that young energy. I feel so old most especially when I can’t keep up with his excitement. I smiled, "Yes, sweetie. I know, but can you let your Mom sleep for a little while?" Agad naman siyang ngumuso at mukhang malapit nang magtampo. I touched his cheek, "Then we can do anything you want after. Ipagluluto din kita ng kahit na anong gusto mo."“Okay. I’ll let my Mom sleep but cook a lot of corned beef for me, Mimi.”“See. You can call me Mom naman pala or Mommy. Why do you insist on calling me Mimi?” I laughed.Jeremy shrugged. For him, I’ll always be his Mimi. “I don’t know. I like Mimi more. See you in the kitchen! Love you!”Imbes na matulog ulit ako ay pinilit ko na lang bumangon. Ayan, nahawa na nga yata ako sa energy niya
The Groomless Bride Chapter Twenty-nine
It was almost a new feeling of relief when I woke up in the morning. Walang pinagbago but I felt so much better. A lot better than yesterday.I remember the feeling of being sick almost to the point of feeling numb and my head was spinning I felt so dizzy. Ni hindi ko na nga maalala kung nakapagpaalam ba ako sa anak ko. My memory was still a bit blurry.I fixed myself in front of the mirror. Ang gulo-gulo ng buhok ko at pati ang mukha kong kahit naka-recover na sa lagnat ay nangangailangan pa rin ng ayos.I freshened up before heading to Jeremy's room, almost a habit. Naalala ko na lang na wala pala siya dito."Good morning po, Ma'am!""Good morning, Rina. Wala pa si Jeremy?"Mukh
