Chapter 26
Julia's Point of View
"Siya ba yung sinabi mo dati?" Enrique said nung tumabi na siya sa akin. We were at the garden party Daniel had prepared for Kath. Much to Daniel's dismay sumama ang pekeng asawa ni Kath at ngayon ay nakatingin ako sa kanilang dalawa ni Kath.
Mukha silang masaya, ilang linggo na din ba pero parang wala parin pinagbago sa pakikitungo ni Kath kay Daniel, ganun parin sila wala parin naaalala si Kath at nasa tabi parin siya ni Sam.
"Funny isn't it?" I said as I faked a humor in it and a smile. It wasn't funny, it was a blow in my ego, dalawang lalaki na minahal ko ay si Kath ang mahal. I couldn't blame them, maganda si Kath, mapagmahal, Perfect si Kath nasa kanya na ang lahat kaya sino ang tatanggi sa isang Kathryn Rutherford?
"I don't get it, paano nangyari ang lahat ng ito?" Enrique said, sa tatlong taon na engagement namin medyo nagkaayos kami, magkaibigan naman kasi kami dati bago pa ako mapangalanan as his fiance.
Ako rin hindi ko alam.
Napatingin sa amin si Kath na nakangiti kaya I raised my glass and smiled at her. Mukha siyang masaya. Sa ilang linggo na magkasama sila ni Daniel pinakilala na din kami ni Daniel kay Kath at walang pinagbago si Kath ganun parin siya.
Pinagkaiba lang ay wala siyang naaalala tungkol sa amin lahat.
Nagsimulang maglakad si Kath palapit sa amin ni Enrique, si Sam naman ay sinagot yung tumawag sa kanya. Nakangiting lumapit sa amin si Kath. "Hi." she greeted us both.
"Are you enjoying the party?" tanong ni Enrique sa kanya.
Ngumiti si Kath "As a matter of fact I do. The garden is so beautiful also the house. I can't believe Daniel lives here." she said with a smile on her face.
"This is your house too." sabi ni Enrique sa kanya. Which made Kath uncomfortable. "This is where you grew up." dagdag pa niya
"I know. Daniel told me." Kath said.
After a while Enrique excused himself kaya kaming dalawa nalang ni Kath ang natira. "Kath?"
"Hmmm?"
"How did you meet Sam?" I asked. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ko to tinatanong pero gusto ko lang talaga malaman kung paano, kung paano na in love si Sam sa kanya at ganun din siya.
"For me the first time we met was when I woke up and he was introduced as my husband." sagot niya. Of course ayun ang sagot. "But I asked Sam the day I learned that Daniel is my real husband how he met." she continued. So before the accident nagkakilala na sila? That was the ball.
"At the ball?" I asked.
Tumingin siya sa akin na parang nagulat "So it was true? That we met at that ball?"she asked. Hindi siya naniniwala na nagkita na sila dati pa lang? Why?
"Yes why?"
Umupo siya sa bench at ganun na din ako "Well you see I remembered a bit o my past, it was that ball and I was dancing with Daniel and we were talking about the myth about the gala. I asked Sam how we met and he told me we were also dancing and talking about the myth." napatigil ako sa paghinga. "So who was I dancing with really?"
Naalala ko yung gabing iyon, that was the most beautiful memory I had, I was dancing with the perfect gentleman. And we were also talking about the myth.
"I swore it was Daniel in my mind but Sam...." Kath started.
There was only one reason to all of it. Sam thought Kath was the one he was dancing with that night. Who wouldn't? I was wearing Kath's shawl and mask.
"Daniel was the one you were dancing with during the midnight dance." I assured her.
"So Sam was lying?" Kath voice broke. Na para bang nasaktan siya na nagsinungaling si Sam pero hindi siya nagsinungaling. He though Kath was the one.
"No. You did meet at the ball."
I saw how relieved she was. "I'm glad he didn't lie because lying about being my husband was enough and I don't think I could handle more lies." sabi niya. Tama nga naman si Kath masyado ng malaki yung bagay na ginawa ni Sam sa kanya kaya paano pa niya makakaya yung magsisinungaling parin ito sa kanya?
"I'm sure he loves you so much that he won't lie anymore." sabi ko. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ko iyon nasabi, diba dapat tinutulungan ko si Daniel na makuha ulit si Kath kaso nakikita kong malungkot si Kath sa idea na nagsisinungaling si Sam.
"He does. That's the only thing I'm sure of. I can always feel he loves me." Kath told me. Paano kaya magmahal si Sam?
Gusto ko pa sanang magtanong ng mga bagay sa buhay ni Kath kaso dumating si Daniel at hiniling niyang makipag-usap kay Kath kaya umalis na ako, mas kailangan nilang mag-usap.
Naawa na ako minsan kay Daniel kasi alam kong nahihirapan siya, sino nga ba naman ang hindi mahihirapan kung yung babaeng mahal mo ay masaya kapiling ng iba?
Naglakad lakad nalang ako sa garden ng bahay nila Kath, sobrang ganda parin talaga nito. Sa paglalakad ako nakita ko si Sam, nakatingin siya sa pond at mukhang malalim yung iniisip niya.
Nagdalawang isip akong lumapit kaso sa huli lumapit parin ako. "Ayaw mong makisalamuha?" tanong ko sa kanya.
Mukha siyang nagulat sa presensya ko "Hindi ko kayo mga kaibigan. Nandito ako para kay Kathryn."
"At least diba dapat i-try mo, mga kaibigan kami ni Kath." sabi ko sa kanya.
"What for? You are all trying to get her back with Daniel." bitter na sabi niya.
"Daniel is her husband." mahina kong sagot sa kanya.
"I know but I love her." sabi niya habang nakatingin parin sa pond at hawak hawak yung champagne glass niya. "Mahal ko si Kathryn at hindi ko ata kakayanin pag nawala siya sa akin."
"You know the only thing you can do is to walk away like a man of honor would do."dahil sa huli, babalik at babalik parin si Kath kay Daniel, that's how this works.
Tumingin na siya sa akin at ngumiti ng mapakla "I had already proven that I am a man without honor so why would I walk away? I'll fight for Kathryn till the end."
"You must really love her."
"I do. I knew I had fallen in love the moment I laid my eyes on her during that ball." Sam declared. Oh God. Hindi ko ata kayang marinig to. Dahil sa aming dalawa ako lang ang nakakaalam na ako yung nasayaw niya at hindi si Kath.
Sasabihin ko ba o hindi?
May magbabago ba pag sinabi ko ang katotohanan?
Maybe.
"But I had fallen harder during the times I was with her." at ayan ang kasagutan sa tanong ko, walang magbabago dahil mahal niya si Kath bilang si Kath at hindi yung nasayaw niya sa ball. Tumalikod siya sa pond "Tara balik na tayo?" he asked.
Kaya sumabay na din akong maglakad kasama siya, tahimik lang kami pero ramdam ko ang pag pintig ng puso ko.
Kalokohan siguro talaga ito, pwede ba talaga magmahal ka sa isang taong hindi mo naman talaga kilala?
Kasi kung isa itong kabaliwan baliw na nga siguro ako.
Dahil sa mahabang panahon mahal ko parin si Sam.
Napatigil si Sam sa paglalakad kaya tumigil din ako, tinignan ko siya at nakita kong nakatingin siya kay Kath at Daniel na nagtatawanan. Ngumiti ako nung nakita ko yun dahil it was like old times.
Yung tumatawa si Kath habang si Daniel ay nakangiti na pinagmamasdan si Kath. They looked so in love, so normal. Wala parin pinagbago, pagdikitin mo silang dalawa at alam mong nandun parin ang sparks.
"I could never compete with that could I?" Sam said kaya agad ako napatingin sa kanya at nakita ko yung sakit na nararamdaman niya. "Paki sabi kay Kathryn na may emergency sa company at umalis na ako." he said and walked away.
He was wrong. He could walk away.
And I was hurting for him.
He was walking away dahil ayun lang ang kaya niyang gawin.
Because when it's true love, no matter what happens they will always find a way to be together.
At kahit ano pang hadlang sa kanila ay walang magagawa.
"So anong pinag-usapan niyo?" I turned and saw Enrique.
"Nothing." sabi ko at naglakad na din palayo. Katulad ni Sam wala din akong magagawa kundi maglakad palayo sa kanya.
Mahal niya si Kath.
It was just one night nothing more.
"Siya ba yung sinabi mo dati?" Enrique said nung tumabi na siya sa akin. We were at the garden party Daniel had prepared for Kath. Much to Daniel's dismay sumama ang pekeng asawa ni Kath at ngayon ay nakatingin ako sa kanilang dalawa ni Kath.
Mukha silang masaya, ilang linggo na din ba pero parang wala parin pinagbago sa pakikitungo ni Kath kay Daniel, ganun parin sila wala parin naaalala si Kath at nasa tabi parin siya ni Sam.
"Funny isn't it?" I said as I faked a humor in it and a smile. It wasn't funny, it was a blow in my ego, dalawang lalaki na minahal ko ay si Kath ang mahal. I couldn't blame them, maganda si Kath, mapagmahal, Perfect si Kath nasa kanya na ang lahat kaya sino ang tatanggi sa isang Kathryn Rutherford?
"I don't get it, paano nangyari ang lahat ng ito?" Enrique said, sa tatlong taon na engagement namin medyo nagkaayos kami, magkaibigan naman kasi kami dati bago pa ako mapangalanan as his fiance.
Ako rin hindi ko alam.
Napatingin sa amin si Kath na nakangiti kaya I raised my glass and smiled at her. Mukha siyang masaya. Sa ilang linggo na magkasama sila ni Daniel pinakilala na din kami ni Daniel kay Kath at walang pinagbago si Kath ganun parin siya.
Pinagkaiba lang ay wala siyang naaalala tungkol sa amin lahat.
Nagsimulang maglakad si Kath palapit sa amin ni Enrique, si Sam naman ay sinagot yung tumawag sa kanya. Nakangiting lumapit sa amin si Kath. "Hi." she greeted us both.
"Are you enjoying the party?" tanong ni Enrique sa kanya.
Ngumiti si Kath "As a matter of fact I do. The garden is so beautiful also the house. I can't believe Daniel lives here." she said with a smile on her face.
"This is your house too." sabi ni Enrique sa kanya. Which made Kath uncomfortable. "This is where you grew up." dagdag pa niya
"I know. Daniel told me." Kath said.
After a while Enrique excused himself kaya kaming dalawa nalang ni Kath ang natira. "Kath?"
"Hmmm?"
"How did you meet Sam?" I asked. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ko to tinatanong pero gusto ko lang talaga malaman kung paano, kung paano na in love si Sam sa kanya at ganun din siya.
"For me the first time we met was when I woke up and he was introduced as my husband." sagot niya. Of course ayun ang sagot. "But I asked Sam the day I learned that Daniel is my real husband how he met." she continued. So before the accident nagkakilala na sila? That was the ball.
"At the ball?" I asked.
Tumingin siya sa akin na parang nagulat "So it was true? That we met at that ball?"she asked. Hindi siya naniniwala na nagkita na sila dati pa lang? Why?
"Yes why?"
Umupo siya sa bench at ganun na din ako "Well you see I remembered a bit o my past, it was that ball and I was dancing with Daniel and we were talking about the myth about the gala. I asked Sam how we met and he told me we were also dancing and talking about the myth." napatigil ako sa paghinga. "So who was I dancing with really?"
Naalala ko yung gabing iyon, that was the most beautiful memory I had, I was dancing with the perfect gentleman. And we were also talking about the myth.
"I swore it was Daniel in my mind but Sam...." Kath started.
There was only one reason to all of it. Sam thought Kath was the one he was dancing with that night. Who wouldn't? I was wearing Kath's shawl and mask.
"Daniel was the one you were dancing with during the midnight dance." I assured her.
"So Sam was lying?" Kath voice broke. Na para bang nasaktan siya na nagsinungaling si Sam pero hindi siya nagsinungaling. He though Kath was the one.
"No. You did meet at the ball."
I saw how relieved she was. "I'm glad he didn't lie because lying about being my husband was enough and I don't think I could handle more lies." sabi niya. Tama nga naman si Kath masyado ng malaki yung bagay na ginawa ni Sam sa kanya kaya paano pa niya makakaya yung magsisinungaling parin ito sa kanya?
"I'm sure he loves you so much that he won't lie anymore." sabi ko. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ko iyon nasabi, diba dapat tinutulungan ko si Daniel na makuha ulit si Kath kaso nakikita kong malungkot si Kath sa idea na nagsisinungaling si Sam.
"He does. That's the only thing I'm sure of. I can always feel he loves me." Kath told me. Paano kaya magmahal si Sam?
Gusto ko pa sanang magtanong ng mga bagay sa buhay ni Kath kaso dumating si Daniel at hiniling niyang makipag-usap kay Kath kaya umalis na ako, mas kailangan nilang mag-usap.
Naawa na ako minsan kay Daniel kasi alam kong nahihirapan siya, sino nga ba naman ang hindi mahihirapan kung yung babaeng mahal mo ay masaya kapiling ng iba?
Naglakad lakad nalang ako sa garden ng bahay nila Kath, sobrang ganda parin talaga nito. Sa paglalakad ako nakita ko si Sam, nakatingin siya sa pond at mukhang malalim yung iniisip niya.
Nagdalawang isip akong lumapit kaso sa huli lumapit parin ako. "Ayaw mong makisalamuha?" tanong ko sa kanya.
Mukha siyang nagulat sa presensya ko "Hindi ko kayo mga kaibigan. Nandito ako para kay Kathryn."
"At least diba dapat i-try mo, mga kaibigan kami ni Kath." sabi ko sa kanya.
"What for? You are all trying to get her back with Daniel." bitter na sabi niya.
"Daniel is her husband." mahina kong sagot sa kanya.
"I know but I love her." sabi niya habang nakatingin parin sa pond at hawak hawak yung champagne glass niya. "Mahal ko si Kathryn at hindi ko ata kakayanin pag nawala siya sa akin."
"You know the only thing you can do is to walk away like a man of honor would do."dahil sa huli, babalik at babalik parin si Kath kay Daniel, that's how this works.
Tumingin na siya sa akin at ngumiti ng mapakla "I had already proven that I am a man without honor so why would I walk away? I'll fight for Kathryn till the end."
"You must really love her."
"I do. I knew I had fallen in love the moment I laid my eyes on her during that ball." Sam declared. Oh God. Hindi ko ata kayang marinig to. Dahil sa aming dalawa ako lang ang nakakaalam na ako yung nasayaw niya at hindi si Kath.
Sasabihin ko ba o hindi?
May magbabago ba pag sinabi ko ang katotohanan?
Maybe.
"But I had fallen harder during the times I was with her." at ayan ang kasagutan sa tanong ko, walang magbabago dahil mahal niya si Kath bilang si Kath at hindi yung nasayaw niya sa ball. Tumalikod siya sa pond "Tara balik na tayo?" he asked.
Kaya sumabay na din akong maglakad kasama siya, tahimik lang kami pero ramdam ko ang pag pintig ng puso ko.
Kalokohan siguro talaga ito, pwede ba talaga magmahal ka sa isang taong hindi mo naman talaga kilala?
Kasi kung isa itong kabaliwan baliw na nga siguro ako.
Dahil sa mahabang panahon mahal ko parin si Sam.
Napatigil si Sam sa paglalakad kaya tumigil din ako, tinignan ko siya at nakita kong nakatingin siya kay Kath at Daniel na nagtatawanan. Ngumiti ako nung nakita ko yun dahil it was like old times.
Yung tumatawa si Kath habang si Daniel ay nakangiti na pinagmamasdan si Kath. They looked so in love, so normal. Wala parin pinagbago, pagdikitin mo silang dalawa at alam mong nandun parin ang sparks.
"I could never compete with that could I?" Sam said kaya agad ako napatingin sa kanya at nakita ko yung sakit na nararamdaman niya. "Paki sabi kay Kathryn na may emergency sa company at umalis na ako." he said and walked away.
He was wrong. He could walk away.
And I was hurting for him.
He was walking away dahil ayun lang ang kaya niyang gawin.
Because when it's true love, no matter what happens they will always find a way to be together.
At kahit ano pang hadlang sa kanila ay walang magagawa.
"So anong pinag-usapan niyo?" I turned and saw Enrique.
"Nothing." sabi ko at naglakad na din palayo. Katulad ni Sam wala din akong magagawa kundi maglakad palayo sa kanya.
Mahal niya si Kath.
It was just one night nothing more.
I knew it. It was Julia. Pero tama nga naman. minahal niya na si Kathryn. Grabe. Lahat na si Kath ang mahal. Kahit naman si Khalil diba? Mahal niya rin si Kath..
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