The Ship and the Anchor

Leo's POV I am home at last. Time indeed flies so fast. It had been five years, simula noong nangyari ang lahat. I am proud of her because despite everything, she is still here - brave and strong. I witnessed all the struggles she'd been through. I was there, I tried my very best to ease the pain she was dealing with back then. Even if it was just temporary. I stayed, even though she kept saying that she was the reason for my fall. Yes, I fell. I fell in love with her. But we both knew. I knew that the fall she was talking about was different. It didn't matter to me, so I stayed because I wanted to be there for her. I wanted to help her so badly, but I knew I couldn't do anything. It was her fight, not mine. "Dude!" My sister shouted from downstairs. I'm in my bedroom. I didn't realize that I was here for thirty minutes already. They suddenly wanted to go to the beach right now. So I packed some of my clothes because I decided to swim later. Biglang bumukas yung pinto at nakita kong nakatayo ang kapatid ko. “Ano na?! Hindi ka pa lalabas?" pagalit niyang tanong. I sighed. Matagal ng tapos ang lahat pero nandito pa rin ako at inaalala ang mga nangyari noon. It was still fresh for me. The pain, the regrets and the guilt were still fresh. I could still feel it. "Lalabas na. Nandito na ba sila?" I asked. She narrowed her eyes like there was something suspicious about me. I looked at her curiously. “What?" tanong ko. Humakbang siya papunta sa akin. Noong nasa harap na niya ako at nakapamewang, bigla bigla siyang tumawa ng malakas. "What? Why are you laughing?" tanong ko at natatawa na rin dahil sa kanyang pagtawa. Her laugh was so contagious that I could't help but laugh too even though I didn't know what was funny. "Natagalan ka ba because you masturbate?" she asked as she stifled a laugh, a remnant of her contagious big voice of humor. What? Masturbate? I know my sister's mind wasn't as innocent and pure as she looked, but I still couldn't believe she just assumed that I did such a thing. "Ikaw huh, nandon siya sa baba kanina pa naghihintay at nandito ka gumawa ng kababalaghan! Pakasalan mo na kasi para hindi ka na mag-isang... you know—" She continued laughing, and I casted a grimace. Dinamay niya pa siya. Dahil lang sa natagalan ako ng thirty minutes? Iyon na ang ginawa ko? What a mind! "Stop it. Stop laughing! I didn't masturbate, and I will never marry her just because of that. I will marry her because of love and not because of lust," I said. "Alright. Alright, masyado kang defensive," sabi niya, natatawa pa rin. Tinignan niya yung dadalhin kong mga gamit at napatingin siya sa akin. "You're going to swim? I thought you were coming because of the... you know, the plan," she eyed curiously. "Well, I changed my—" "What ?! You changed your mind?! I thought you loved her?! You're not going to do it?! You're backing out?! Why?!" she simultaneously said, cutting me off mid-sentence. I breathed deeply. Nag-a-assume na naman siya ng kung ano-ano. I went to her. I pat her shoulders and eyed her seriously. "Let me finish talking, sister," I patiently said. Hindi siya mumik, kaya nagpatuloy ako. "I changed my mind regarding swimming. Kung kanina, hindi sana ako maliligo, pero napagdesiyunan ko maliligo na lang din ako. I'm going to swim later," I emphasized. "Before, I didn't want to swim but I changed my mind. Alright? And about the plan, it's good that you suddenly planned for a beach trip right now. I think it's time to do it." She looked relieved now because of what I said to her. Damn, now I'm nervous. "Yeah, now is the time to perform the plan you've been planning your whole life since the day you met her." Her shoulders bumped mine as the side of her lips rose. Napangiti naman ako kahit ramdam ko na ang pagbilis nang pagtibok ng aking puso. I'm really nervous right now. I love her. I really do. I promised her back then, that no matter what happens, she will be my only love. My first and my last. Right now, I'm going to fulfill that promise. Our love story might not be as romantic as the other love stories I have read or witnessed, but this one is surely the one I will never forget in my entire life. I sounded so cheesy, even merely thinking about it, but hey I don't care. As we sail through the ocean of situations with unknown endings. Despite the storm we dealt with back then. Here we are, braver and stronger for the possible struggles that want to challenge our love for each other. In this life, she's the ship and I'm the anchor.