XVIII-Three months

HANZ

Palapit nang matapos ang three months agreement namin John, I tried everything para bumawi sa kanya and to win his heart back, pero wala talaga eh. Hindi talaga kinaya, sa loob ng almost three months I spent a lot of time between us. Ginawa namin ang lahat nang di namin nagawa dati sa loob ng five years naming pagiging mag asawa.

We went to places like beach, mountains, at kung saan saan pa. Masaya naman kami pero yung saya namin parang di pang couple. Parang magkaibigan lang. Sa loob ng almost three months I finally realized na I can't save us, he's happy being who he is now despite from his relationship status and I'm happy for him, to see him genuinely smile.

This day inantay ko syang gumising, I made up my mind pipirma na ako sa divorce paper namin and set him free. I know how much he loves Evan, Narealize ko yun nung ilang beses ko syang nahuling tinitingnan ang mga pictures nila together sa Italy and lagi nya itong zinozoom, especially yung mukha ni Evan tas ngingiti nalang bigla.

Di ako nakaramdam nang galit, instead masaya akong makita syang masaya at inlove sa iba. I want to see him smile that way like he used to before nung inlove pa sya sakin. It may not be because of me but at least I got to see him smile like that again. Masaya na ako dun and it's more than I could've wished for him.

I was staring at him while he's asleep, masyado pang maaga, it's still five A.M in the morning. I just can't believe I will finally let go of this man I used to love. If this is what makes you happy then I shall give it to you, Hon. Napangiti ako sabay dahan dahan nyang idinilat ang kanyang mga mata.

"Rise and shine sleepy head" natatawa kong sabi at tumawa naman sya ng kunti sabay bumangon na din.

"You're early today? May importante kabang lakad ngayon?" Tanong nya sakin habang tumatayo.

"And you're wearing your travel outfit, so saan lakad mo?" He said. Until now I'm still amazed by the fact that he knows me well, napatawa ako ng kunti at sabay kaming nag tungo ng papuntang kusina.

"Yeah may lakad ako today baka next week pa balik ko, may aasikasohin lang akong papers and by that" sabi ko sabay pinakita ko sa kanya yung divorce papers namin.

Nagulat sya sa pinakita kong divorce papers natulala sabay umupo kami pareho para mag usap.

"Akala ko ba after Three Months pa? Ba't napa aga?" Biglang tanong nya sakin.

"Well some things changed, John and I finally made up my mind. Let's end this together in peace" sabi ko at inabot ko sa kanya ang aking kamay to offer a hand shake.

Pero instead mahigpit na yakap ang na received ko mula sa kanya. Nagulat ako ng ilang segundo sabay napangiti at gumanti narin ng yakap sa kanya.

"Thank you for spending time with me, and for letting me try to win you back" sabi ko nung bumitaw na kami sa pagkaka yakap.

"Thank you " masayang sabi nya sakin.

"Pero gusto ko walang mag babago sa pakikitungo mo sakin, At least we're better off as friends just like we used to" dag dag ko at umiyak sya ng nakangiti.

I hold his hand at hinubad ko mula sa finger nya ang wedding ring, at ganun din ang ginawa nya sakin.

"Friends?" Sabi ko at tumango sya sabay nag shake hands kami. Nakaguhit sa mukha nya ang umaapaw na kasiyahan.

I can't deny the fact na masakit para sakin ang disisyon na ito, ang palayain sya. Pero I can't force him to stay. Halo halo ang emosyon na naramdaman ko ngayon, pero may isang bagay ang nangingibabaw; sadness.

"So anyways, I was planning na ipangalan ko sayo yung bahay at lupa na binili ko sa New York, remember that one yung chineck natin yun ng magkasama? Ibibigay ko na sayo yun para makapag migrate kana sa US and continue your career there" Sabi ko sa kanya habang pinipigilan ko ang sarili ko sa pag iyak.

Halos di sya makapaniwala sa narinig nya, marami rin kasi akong nabiling properties sa U.S kaya parang need ko na din ibigay sa kanya yung isa total samin naman yun pareho pero since may career na si John sa new york it would be better kung sa kanya nalang yung mansion.

Lalo na at parating na ang winter at palapit narin ang book signing event nya. Sumikat kasi yung na publish nyang book, and guess what isa ako sa mapalad na naka bili sa time limited edition version ng book nya. Dalawa ang nabili ko isa para sakin..

"Pero Hanz"

"No more pero's John, besides I bought that land and House just for you anyway" sabi ko sa kanya at hinawakan ko ang kamay nya for the last time as his friend.

"I'm glad I married you, and I regretted all the things I have done to you. But setting you free is the least I can do now, kaya as a token of my apology, accept my gifts for you, okay?" Sabi ko sa kanya.

Nung sinabi ko yun gumaan ang pakiramdam ko, ang sarap sa feeling na makita mo yung taong minsan mo nang minahal na masaya na ulit. Tumango sya at nag wipe ng tears sa mata nya.

Nag usap muna kami saglit hanggang sa dumating na ang oras na kailangan ko ng umalis. Hinatid nya ko sa labas ng condo at hinalikan nya ako sa cheeks for the last time. Syempre napangiti ako sa kanya at ginulo buhok nya as usual.

"Let me know kung paalis ka na papuntang New York, Para makapag arrange ako ng schedule para sa ibang papers mo" sabi ko sa kanya at tumango lang sya

"Sige I'll get going now don't forget to eat your breakfast and no smoking again" natatawa kong sabi habang papasok na ako sa sasakyan.

"Yes boss" rinig kong pabirong sabi nya kaya napatawa din ako ng kunti.

"If you need something just let me know" sabi ko sabay nag wave na at umalis.

Actually papunta ako ng New York today and I'll be meeting someone.

Nag sisimula palang ako sa surpresa ko sayo John, parating palang tayo sa main surprise ko for you.

EVAN

It's already 8:15 in the evening at nandito ako sa isang engranding restaurant to meet someone, no other than Hanz, John's Husband. This past three months, Hanz keeps on sending me messages on Instagram trying to let me know that John himself is not doing fine and just keeps on pretending that he does.

Nasaktan ako kasi Hanz himself told me that John missed me so much, to the point na titigan ni John ang mga pictures namin together, at Izozoom yung mukha ko. After that trip to Italy I cannot stop missing him so much. Every time I wake up, lagi kong pinag dadasal na sana pag gising ko nasa tabi ko sya.

Dahil sa sobrang namiss ko sya idinadaan ko nalang sa trabaho lahat, dina divert ko yung attention ko sa ibang bagay. I can't reach him through phone o kahit anong media, but Hanz himself inuupdate ako sa kalagayan ni John.

So today during my working hours as a photographer, he sent me a message saying If I have time today, gusto nya akong ma meet in person to talk. Nung una nag alinlangan ako, mayaman ang husband ni John baka kung anong gawin nya sakin. Pero nag lakas ako ng loob para imeet sya, if he'll do anything to me just because of John, wala akong paki basta di ako titigil mag antay kay John. I love him so much, to the point na lagi ko na syang iniisip.

Habang malalim akong nag iisip biglang may nag salita kaya napa tingin ako dito.

"Hi, you must be Evan right?" Tanong sakin ng pamilyar na lalake.

"Yes, I am Evan and you must be Hanz?" Ngumiti sya at nag alok ng shake hands sabay umupo kaharap ko.

"You must be wondering about kung bakit gusto kitang maka usap in person" pasimuno nya kaya agad ko syang sinapawan.

"If you're here to make a deal with me, so I can leave John alone, I'm afraid I cannot accept what you have to offer to me" sabi ko sa kanya kaya nag cross arm ako at binigyan sya ng seryosong mukha.

Napatawa sya bigla.

Did I say something funny?

"You seriously thought I would do that? I'm maybe rich but I do not do that kind of stuff" Natatawa nyang sabi.

Suddenly may waiter na lumapit samin kaya naputol saglit ang pag uusap namin, at diretso syang nag order. Mukhang sanay na sya sa lugar na to.

"Anyway, I'm sorry, so I was just saying that I'm not here to make a deal with so you can leave John alone for my own interests" ngumiti sya ng pilit sabay nag salita ulit.

"Honestly, I'm here to settle things up and I want to get to know you better so I can assure that John will be safe around you-I honestly respect and admire you for making John happy and not let him feel alone during your trip to Italy. You let him experience things I cannot do with him. And I'm grateful for that because I got to see John smile again." He said.

Honestly medyo nalilito ako sa mga sinasabi nya.

"The moment he got back from Italy, I asked him for another chance to let me show him I've changed so much. But he shut me down, he said no matter how hard I try we will never go back to the way we were before and that he doesn't feel a thing about me anymore.

It was a harsh thing for him to say but I accepted that and didn't give up. I told him to at least give me three months but if things don't go the way I want, then I'm obligated to sign the divorce papers and I did" sabi nya at ngumiti ng pilit.

Di ko alam yung pakiramdam masaya ba ako o Hindi sa narinig ko.

"I've signed the papers not because I gave up, but because I realized he loves you so much and there's no way I can change that. I know him well about that..." Huminto sya sa pag sasalita at may inabot sa kanya ang butler nya, a book.

"He wrote this book during your trip right?" Sabi nya at hinarap sakin ang libro

Seventeen Days Being with you, yung Title..

I felt my heart beat so fast na parang nakikipag race.

"Yes He did, I never thought that it would soon be released"natatawa kong sabi at tumawa din sya.

"I did too actually"natatawa din nyang sabi sabay slide ng libro patungo sakin.

"Evan I want you to meet John again, He's longing for you and I can't bare to see him like that. He's your responsibility now, you are both responsible for each other. I know it may sound weird for me to say, but I now no longer tie with him. So you're free to take him, but promise me you'll take good care of him, he's been through so much.." malungkot na sabi nya.

Tinanggap ko ang librong binigay nya sakin.

"I will" I replied

"That book is for you, He'll be having a book signing this winter here in New York so you better show up and see him" sabi nya kaya nang laki ang mata ko sa tuwa.

"He'll be having a book signing this winter?" Tanong ko sa kanya at tumango sya.

"He'll be here on the fifth of December, so yeah" he said sabay abot ng kamay nya sakin to offer a hand shake at tinanggap ko rin ito.

"And he'll be migrating here soon but since his house is under renovation, can you help me find a place for him to stay for a while? It will take two months for him to wait until the renovation is done" sabi nya kaya napaisip ako.

"He can stay with me" Ngumiti sya sabay sabi.

"Great, I knew you would say that" sabi nya habang natatawa.

Nag usap pa kami about kay John, he told me a lot of things na ikinagulat ko. Tama nga si Evan kaya nag a- anxiety attack si John dahil sa matinding trauma nya.

Marami pa syang kinwento sakin hanggang sa oras na para umuwi na kami pareho.

Pagdating ko ng bahay agad kong kinuha si Evohn mula sa sofa at sinayaw sayaw ito sa ere dahil sa tuwa.

"We'll get to see your mom again, Evohn" masayang sabi ko sabay niyakap ko si Evohn.