I CHOOSE YOU [FILIPINO]

PROLOGUE   I continuously reached Gelo pero hindi pa din talaga siya sumasagot! I am more afraid na baka kung anong nangyari sa kaniya than being mad at him.   Napaupo nalang ako sa sofa at wala sa sariling tinitigan ang pintuan ng condo unit namin. Praying that Gelo would come home now. Nakakatawa mang isipin pero sa kabila ng ginagawa nito sa akin ngayon hindi ko pa din siya kayang iwan.   I was pulled out of my reverie when my phone rang ng sunod-sunod. Gelo’s name flashed. I immediately answered it.   “G-Gelo?’ Maingat kong tawag sa kaniya. I couldn’t hear anything in his line maliban sa paghinga nitong malalalim. Natatakot ako.   Aaminin kong may mali ako dahil hindi ko maayos na inexplan sa kaniya ang lahat. Hand anaman akong kalimutan lahat eh, handa akong kalimutan lahat lahat basta ba ay titigil na siya at magsisimula ulit kami.   Handa ako sa ganoong set up. Kakayanin ko. Kakayanin ko kahit sobrang sakit basta magbalik lang kami.   “H-Hey…Where are you baby?” Naitakip ko nalang ang likuran ng kanang kamay ko para hindi nito marinig ang hikbi na dumadating na naman.   Narinig ko itong napabuntong-hininga. I stood up and made my mind. Hahanapin ko siya kahit mag-uumaga pa lang.   “I hate you.” Nahinto ako sa paghakbang at mas lalo pang dumami ang mga luhang pumapatak mula sa mga mata kong wala ng pahinga. This was the first time he said it to me. “I hate you so much.” Madiin at puno ng hinanakit nitong sabi sa kabilang linya.   Napa-upo nalang ako sa sahig. Sa harapan ng pintuan ng kwarto namin. Pinagsikop ko ang dalawang binti at pinagpahinga ang noo sa tuhod. Hindi ko na kinayang itago pa ang hikbi na alam kong dinig na dinig na niya ngayon.   “I hate you so much but I want to see you badly.” He said and sniffed.   I couldn’t talk. Tanging iyak lang ang nagawa kong i-sagot sa kaniya. I hate him also but I want us to conquer this all.   Why do I feel he’s slipping away?   “G-Gelo…Baby, please come home now.Please?” Humihikbing pakiusap ko.   Nakagat ko ang pang-ibabang labi nang sumigaw ito sa kabilang linya.   “f*****g liars! I hate you! Damn you!” Paulit-ulit nitong isinisigaw sa kabilang linya. I-I couldn’t do anything right now. Maging ako ay hindi alam kung bakit nangyayari ito sa amin.   “I’ll come home once I’m sober.” Iyon lang ang sinabi niya pagkatapos ng mahabang oras na pagtigil niya sa pagsigaw at pinatay ang tawag.   Napamuglat naman ako at sinubukan siyang i-contact pa din but he’s out of reach. I sobbed until I slept while leaning at our door’s room.   Kahit sa panaginip hindi masaya. I thought as I woke up still at our door’s room, leaning.   I just dreamt that Gelo is leaving me. Kasi napagod na sa akin, sa sitwasyon namin. That he don’t love me anymore dahil kinasusuklaman niya ako. He also witnessed when Yenshin kissed me that made him more angry at me-at us.   Kinusot ko ang mga mata at saktong pagtayo ko ay ang pagtunog ng lock ng condo unit namin. That means Gelo is home. Hindi na ako nakagalaw pa at hinintay itong pumasok.   Maging ito ay nahinto sa paghakbang nang makita ako. He’s still in his uniform. A crumpled white long sleeves and black slacks.   “Where are you from?” I asked while he continued walking towards me- on our room that is behind me.   “None of your business. I guess?” He retorted. Napamaang naman akong nakatingin sa kaniya na ngayon ay nasa harapan ko na.   I scanned his face. Fixed eyebrows, namumulang gilid ng mga mata, dishieveled hair like someone’s been holding it. Then my eyes brought me to his collar. A kiss mark?   A kiss mark, really?   I looked at him in the eyes, again. Held an intensity gaze like what his eyes devoured mine. Kung mas galit at wala siya sa mood mas lalo na ako!   “You have a kiss mark.” I told him. He just scratched the bridge of his nose like he’s not liking the situation.Because I am not also! Bakit mambababae gayong may problema pa kami?   “Oh, c’mon it’s just a kiss mark.” Kibit balikat nitong saad nang tagpuin ang mga mata kong kanina pa matalim na nakatutok sa kaniya.   He tried to walk away from me at papasok sana ng room namin nang pigilan ko ito at ibinalik sa kinatatyuan nito kanina.   Tamad ako nitong tinignan. “What’s with these?” angil niya sa akin.   Napakunot naman ang noo ko at pinagtagpo ang mga kilay dahil sa sinabi nito. I can’t believe him!   “You have a kiss mark! Tapos you’ll tell me what’s with these interrogation?” I raised my voice habang nakaduro sa collar niya.   Napapikit naman ito.   “Now what Angelo? Now what Angelo!” I bursted out because of too much anger.   “This is just a kiss mark! I mean…what-what does it have to do with you!” He shouted back. I looked at him, unbelievably.   “I am your girlfriend Angelo.” Madiing sambit ko habang nangingilid ang luhang tinuro-turo ang sarili. “You ask me what does it have to do with me? Because I am your f*****g girlfriend! Baka nakakalimutan mo.” I shouted while tears streaming.   He looked at me. Tila nag-iba ang tingin. His eyes became soft. He tried to reach me pero iniwasan ko ang haplos dapat nito sa akin.   “Dito ka naman. Ako din ang aalis. You want these right?” I said it to him while smirking with moist eyes.   I reached my keys at the drawer near our condo’s door.   Napahinto naman ako sa pagbukas ng pinto nang magsalita ito. “What? You’re now going to your lover? Ano? Pupuntahan mo ‘yong Yenshin mo?” He said accusing me. I looked back at him.   His eyes changed back to full anger.   I smiled sadly. “Sadly, I am not like you.” It came out like a breath. Akala ko nga ay hindi na iyon magkakatunog sa pagod na nararamdaman ko.   “I am not like you.” I said while shaking my head. He was about to talk when I saw him opening his mouth but I immediately went out, leaving him there alone.   _________________________________________________________________________________ ;)