IN THE LAST conversation between William and Helena, both became emotional because, on William's side, Helena confessed to him that she had no feelings for William because Harry was her love.
And for Helena, although in fact, she loves William, because of her current situation, she lied to William.
For almost a week, William felt reluctant to do anything because of what Helena told him.
"You're right Helena, maybe I should forget you so I can move on. I know it would be hard for me, but I can do it," said William to himself.
"Son, I noticed in these last days that you are sad, was there something troubling your mind?" William's mother said.
"Mom, may I ask you a question?"
"About what?"
"When my father was alive, before you got married, were you his first love?"
William's mother did not speak immediately, she thought before answering William's question.
"The truth was, your father loved someone else before we got married. The woman he loved even went to our wedding day. She was kind and she even greeted us with your father."
"Really? But what happened? Why isn't she the one he married?"
"William, it was a long story and you'll be late for going to your shop. Next time I'll tell you everything, okay, son?"
"Okay, mom," said William and he left after he hugged his mother.
****
William and Henry met again, and William recounts the result of his conversation with Helena.
"Henry, I had a talked with Helena the other day. It was a heart to heart talk between us. And we both opened our feelings to each other when she came from my shop."
"What was the result of your conversation?"
"It's okay, at least I've found out that Harry was the one who was really her loved one, and Harry was very important to her life, who will fill all her sadness."
"Now, William, what are you planning to do?"
"Well, maybe it's time for me to release Helena from my heart, to let her go would be the best thing I can do just for both of us. I'll just turn to someone else the love I feel for her."
"Isn't that what I've been telling you for a long time? The only thing now we can do is to maintain our friendships with Helena."
"Yes, Henry, let's be that way, and thank you for your friendly advice."
But to William, there was still a question remained him. Was it forbidden to love someone even when she no longer has the right to love?
****
A year passed, Amelia had returned to the country. And even though Amelia was gone for a year, she still does not forget her friends. She was eager to know the condition of William and other friends.
And because of Amelia's longing for her friends, she went to her former place of work to see her best friend, Vicky.
"Vicky!" Amelia's loud voice as she saw her friend, Vicky.
And so was Vicky when she saw Amelia's sudden showup.
"Amelia, how are you? I've always thought of you and wanted to hear from you, well you've come back," Vicky said excitedly when she met her friend again.
"Vicky, how are you?"
"Here I am still longing for my prince charming to come up."
"Ha! ha! ha! Vicky, you've not changed. Wait, do you hear from our friends, William and Henry?"
"You know, Amelia, since you left without knowing their knowing, they were upset and saddened by what you did, especially William."
"Is that so? Well, I'm sorry, I've just my own reason to just left without having to tell them."
"Amelia, tell me the truth, have you found your prince charming abroad?"
"What are you Vicky, you knew even before that I've left my heart here."
"Of course, I know who he was but until now he seems blind to the beauty of others. But one thing I've noticed from him, he has feelings with you, he cares about you, I knew that because every time he was here he always talk about you."
"I know that too, but the thing was he was still undecided, for him, it was a hard thing to do. So for me, I'll just wait for him to decide for himself, without any force from his heart because I won't accept that kind of love."
"I'll ask you, Amelia, did you have suitors abroad?"
"Yes, I have and plenty were tried to express their love for me, but not even one I've seen a man like William. They don't have the quality that William has. I'm not choosy but I'm only listening to my heart."
"I agree with you."
"By the way, how are they, William and Henry?"
"They haven't been here for a long time and do you know when they were here, the topic of our conversation was you, Amelia. They always asked, how were you there, was Amelia also remembers us, hope Amelia come back blah blah blah my goodness," said Vicky seems irritable.
"Ha! ha! ha! Vicky, you really make me laugh."
"And you know, they said that if you come back, we will go again to Tagaytay."
"Really, well, I like it. I want to go back to Tagaytay to see once more its beauty. Hay, I remember those days when we were at Tagaytay, I could imagine how happy I was because I discovered something."
"What was that?"
"Hmm, it's a secret ha! ha! ha!"
"You, Amelia, sometimes I don't understand you, you've been telling secret but in fact, I know that secret of yours ha! ha! ha!"
"Amelia, I'm just curious, you said that you missed the beauty of Tagaytay, was it really Tagaytay or was it William when you were talking together at the veranda of the rented room?"
"Ha! ha! ha! You, Vicky, I can't justify you. But you are right, I missed that moment with William, he has shown to me how he was thoughtful, and I won't forget it. Even I know there's a woman in his heart and to think that we are not meant for each other, at least I experienced what real love is."
"Amelia, I think I'm going to lose my sanity," said Vicky laughing.
"Vicky, please, tell something about William, I want to know what his life was going through?"
"Sorry, Helena, I don't have a knowledge whatsoever."
"How about that woman he was said we were look-alike, Helena I remembered?"
"I'm really sorry, they didn't tell me anything about Helena and her sick fiancee,"
"Okay, let's forget about it. By the way, tomorrow is a holiday, why don't we go somewhere so we can have a good time, what do you think?"
"All right, it's your idea and that means you have to give blow-out for your coming back," said Vicky laughing.
"No problem, so tomorrow it's a date."
"Of course"
****
The next day, Amelia and Vicky went on. And while they were thinking about where to go, they have some snacks at the food chain.
"Vicky, where do you think is a good place to visit?"
"I have no idea yet,"
"Vicky, tell a story that something happy, you know, until now I'm a lost, because of the time passed I was abroad."
"How could I tell something happy when you just look at my physical appearance, it is sad already," said Vicky jokingly.
"Ha! ha! ha! You, Vicky, you always make me laugh."
"I'm sad because my aunt was brought to the hospital last night due to a heart attack and she was still unconscious."
"Oh, I'm sorry"
"I want to visit her at the hospital today."
"What are we waiting for, let's visit her, after all, we are not decided yet where to go," said
Amelia.
"I think it's better, all right, after our snacks we'll go to the hospital."
"Where's that hospital?"
"Saint Joseph Hospital, next to St. James Hospital."
"I see"
They did visit Vicky's aunt in the hospital and as their way out of the hospital, they saw William and Henry crossing the street in their direction.
"William, Henry, where are you going?" Vicky's greeting that surprised the two.
"We were surprised at you, Vicky, where are you from?" Henry asked.
"Hi! William, how are you?" Amelia greeted William.
William turned to see who greeted him and was shocked to see that Amelia had spoken.
"Amelia! Is that you?" said William still unable to believe.
And even Henry was also surprised to see Amelia.
"Amelia, how are you? You look so beautiful, we didn't even recognize you," said Henry.
"This is the difficulty of these two guys when Amelia was the one they were talking to, they didn't pay attention to me anymore," said Vicky as if she was jealous, that made them laugh at the same time.
William stared Amelia and then spoke.
"Amelia, how are you? You know when you left without me knowing it, I became sad because I had no one who can advise me for my problem and now that you're here already I can tell that I really miss you."
"You, William, until now you haven't changed, you are still a bolero. I knew that even without me, Helena was still there whom you can talk to," said Amelia laughing.
"Wait, maybe it would be better for you to join us, we will visit a friend in Saint James Hospital then we shall have a good time and enjoy Amelia's coming back, what do you think?" said Henry.
"Okay," said Vicky.
"Where are we going?" asked Amelia.
"Here at Saint James Hospital, we will visit Harry, that person we told you before who was the victim of the stabbing and until now still in the comatose stage," Henry replied.
"Didn't that happen long ago."
"Yes, but still no change."
In the Hospital, Helena was there watching over Harry.
"Helena," said William.
"William," replied Helena.
"How is Harry?"
"There was still no changed," said Helena.
Silence and after a while, William introduces Amelia and Vicky to Helena.
"Helena, meet our friends Amelia and Vicky," said William.
"Hello! So, you're Amelia. William mentioned you to me before, I can't just remember when," said Helena in a low voice.
Amelia wondered what Helena had said. In her mind a question of what was the reason and why William mentioned her to Helena?
That was the question left in Amelia's mind until they left the hospital. Amelia did not take the matter to William even though she wanted to ask William, maybe she was not in the situation to ask at that very moment.
"I'm hungry, when are we going to eat," Vicky said.
"At last, Vicky will finally make us a blow-out," said Henry.
"What? It's you, Henry, you owe me a dinner, remember?" said Vicky.
"What dinner are you talking about?" replied Henry.
"All right, I'll be the one in charge," said Amelia.
"Do you think I can permit you for that? No, Amelia," said William.
"Okay, let's go."
While they were eating at a food chain, William asked Amelia.
"Amelia, are you staying here for good? Or you will return abroad to your Aunt?" asked William that made Amelia seems sad.
"Amelia, why do you suddenly became silent?"
"Nothing, I just remember my Aunt. She passed away a month ago."
"Oh, I'm sorry, condolence. Then, you mean you will stay here permanently?" said William with pleasure to himself.
Amelia noticed it, so she reacted.
"Why do you seem happy knowing that I will not return abroad? Maybe you will make me your counselor again, right?"
In the vague event of Amelia's return abroad, William became confused about whether Amelia's permanent stay in the country will greatly change William's life or give William another problem as to who he will keep in his heart, Helena that was unlikely to love him because of Harry or Amelia who confessed to him about her feelings in the letter she gave him.
With what William was saying about destiny, he is now wondering which of the two will be the destiny of his love life.
*****
At the hospital, Helena wonders if she will be happy or not for Amelia's comeback. Amelia was the one William mentioned to her before that she was the woman who he could turn his love, in case his secret love for the woman in his heart was just a failure. Helena knew that she was the one William was referring to whom he secretly loved.
Now that William has the freedom to love Amelia, why does Helena seems sad? Was it because she already loved William, that she can no longer follow what's in her heart?
"Why so?" Helena said to herself and she remembered the last conversation she had with William then.
"William, I told you before that you should turn your love for me to someone else because Harry was the only man who can give me real happiness."
But, now, why does her heart seem to object and regret that she had said those words to William.
Because of Helena's extreme patience with Harry, she tearfully talked to Harry.
"Harry, please wake up and do not allow others to take me away from you. I have been suffering for a long time. I want to be happy. Why do you not want to wake up and save me from my longing?"
What Helena said to Harry, Helena did not know that Harry could hear her. And with Helena's weight, she came out of the room and sat outside while her face was covered with two palms and kept crying.
If Helena had only been watching Harry for a long time, she would have noticed a tear on Harry's cheek, as a sign that Harry had heard her, but even if Harry had heard Helena, what he could do, nothing, but only shed tears for Helena's endurance.
Helena had half an hour outside before she returns to Harry, and the tears in Harry's cheek were already dry that Helene would have seen, the evidence that she was heard by Harry.
"Harry, I'm sorry, I was able to say it because I love you, but how long will I endure?" said Helena.
Helena was in that situation when the doctor who was in charge of Harry came in.
"Doctor, how is the patient?" asked Helena.
"So far I have nothing to say only just continue to increase your patience," the doctor said.
After the doctor has left, Harry's mother came.
"Mom, it's good you came. I'll leave for a while to do something, just take care, Harry."
"All right, Helena, take care."
Helena came out of the hospital as if she was not herself.
She crossed the street without looking oncoming vehicles so she was nearly hit by a speeding car and she fell. She could not stand because of the pain in her foot.
"Miss, let me help you. That driver is naughty, he did not stop to help you. Did you see the plate number of that car?" said the man who kindly helped Helena.
"I did not notice it, but let it be, it was also my fault, I crossed the street without myself."
"Wait, miss, it's better to take you to the hospital. It seems that you have difficulty walking. By the way, I'm Arnold."
"I'm Helena. It's okay, Arnold, I can manage, just help me to get a taxi."
"Are you sure, Helena, that you can handle yourself?"
"Yes, Arnold, don't worry, and thanks for your help."
"Hey, Taxi! Mr. driver please take her home, here is the fare, keep the change."
"All right, sir, thank you," said the taxi driver.
When Helena arrived home, her mother was shocked upon seeing her having difficulty walking.
"Helena! What happened to you? Why do you look like that?"
"Mom, I was almost hit by a car and when I suddenly avoided it I fell down and my leg just hurt."
"I was nervous about you, Helena."
"Don't worry, mom, I can handle myself."
"All right, after your dinner take a rest in your room."
The days went by and because William wanted to turn his love over to Amelia, he gradually devoted time to her. And he did not fail to love Amelia, completely.
William confessed his love for Amelia and because William already had a place in Amelia's heart, it was not difficult for Amelia to accept William's love.
So, William and Amelia were so happy. They often go out together, eating at popular restaurants and food chains.
"Amelia, I do not know but you filled the missing part of my heart, I love you and thanks for you came into my heart," William said passionately while they were sitting along the sea wall in Roxas Boulevard facing the beauty of the sea.
"William, I love you also before, but I was always hurt every time you mentioned to me Helena's name. Helena whom you said was the woman in your heart," said Amelia a little bit jealous.
"Not anymore, Amelia, because Helena herself told me to just turn the love I feel for her to someone else because nothing will happen for me if I will continue loving her, it's useless, because her heart belongs to Harry, the man who will fulfill her loneliness."
"But honestly, William, I also feel sorry for Helena in the situation she has now being too patient for Harry."
"Amelia, look at the stars, they are shining with beauty. So is our life, sometimes we are happy in life as if the happiness we feel were no end, but it may end up, possibly, when the time comes and we are like stars, shining at night and in the morning they gradually disappear but at night, again, they will surely appear to give shine, meaning hope for everybody."
"Of course, but why?"
"That is what we called destiny. Every one of us has his own destiny. No matter how much the hearts love each other, no matter how long it was, time will come they may be apart and the good things that happened in their lives were just a memory of the past."
"So we, William, what do you think would be our destiny? Can we fight our destiny if we think it will end up for nothing? I just hope our destiny is to stay with each other... forever."