EPILOGUE
Christmas, one year later...
Forgiveness and love--these are the things that keep me to live on.
Forgiveness is to give up resentment towards someone. You must probably think that it is that easy but no. Especially when that someone did something so terrible. You would want to give up, to be gone, and to curse. It is hard to tell someone that he should forgive because you are not in his shoes. And honestly, forgiveness is very hard to grant. Maybe when time healed the wounded part, you can give it and start a much better life.
And love, it is the thing that makes you forgive--without it, it'll be impossible. If you love the person, you will forgive him, and what he did won't matter anymore.
Love is very powerful, important, and beautiful but mysterious at the same time.
I experienced it, last year, I've been deceived and fooled by her but she asked me for forgiveness, and because of love, I forgave her.
"You're happy there?" I asked her, as if she could answer me. Her grave is besides my Mom's. She's special to me so she deserves to be here.
"I will guess, you are talking with my mom there, aren't you? I miss you. It's unfair, we didn't even have the chance to be together again. Thank you for saving us, huh? You're my hero." I praised. Everytime I visit her, I always say thank you. She deserves that. After all, I will not be here if it wasn't for her, I am maybe dead.
"I'll visit you again. I love y--" Suddenly, somebody hugged me from the back, "Don't think about saying it. I'm getting jealous, baby." She snapped.
I held her hands and felt the warm, even if it's Christmas. "I love you, Ianne." I continued to what I had cut off, and turned around to face Ken.
"Yeah, I should just go away. Bahala ka na diyan." She pouted and ran away.
"Hoy! Nagseselos ka talaga? Unbelievable. Come back here!" I shouted and smiled. She doesn't get jealous easily, and sometimes I want to see how she would do it. And I guess it's cute, she pouted and ran away.
"Bahala ka diyan! Huwag mo akong hahabulin ah."
By that, I laughed and then sauntered towards her quietly. She noticed it before I could hug her, and run around while laughing.
"Halika nga rito! Baka hika-in ka pa." Yeah, you heard me right. She only has an asthma not a cancer and she won't have. She's healthy.
And, I have forgiven and forgotten what she did. In fact, in one year, I understood her reasons. She has a great love for me one could never get easily. And I'm so lucky to have that love.
"Okay, here I go!" I was not aware that she's running towards me and wanting me to carry her so we both stumbled across the ground. Thank goodness, it's just grasses. "Hindi mo man lang ako sinalo, nakakainis ka talaga!"
"Sinalo nga kita ah? Stop being jealous. Do you want me to tell you again how mu--" I was cut off when she sat up, pulled me by my collar, and kissed me on both cheeks.
"I know that. Besides, I won't get jealous of Ianne, you know that. She is the reason we're alive. Baka ikaw, pupunta nga ako kay Thaddeus."
I am thankful that we all made it out aloud--and Dad didn't die, he was held in his house with a psychiatrist. That's one thing too, I, no, we had forgiven my father, even Chandria and Ken's parents. Forgiveness, right?
"Subukan mo lang, naku." I replied, laughing. It's just a joke because Thaddeus has a girlfriend already.
"Strict ka pala ha?"
"Oo naman. Hindi mo ba alam?" I scoffed.
"Hindi 'e. Tara na nga! Excited na ako pumunta ng orphanage."
"Me either. Tara!" I stood and offered her my hand but she rejected it. "I was being romantic," I stomped my feet like a child. "Darling."
"Shoo! Ang dami mong alam!"
"Ako pa? Tinawag mo nga akong baby kanina 'e. Baby mo ba ako?"
"Hindi ba? Pasensiya na ha, si Engr. Bueno pala boyfriend ko. Ma-iwan na nga kita, 'di pala kita baby." She stood by herself and removed the dust off her pants.
Then, an idea came to my mind. While she's walking away, I hid myself behind the car. And for two minutes, I saw her walking back. As soon as she searched for me, I tiptoed and hugged her from the back. "Gosh, you startled me! I hate you!"
"Well, you hurt me!" I pouted. She turned to face me and glared at me. "Baby!"
"Gosh, you're so cute, my baby. Hug me, hug me!" She opened her arms widely and hugged me tightly.
A memory suddenly popped up in my head, "Baby, answer this question honestly, okay?" I know the answer but I want to hear it from her. "Am I still the one?"
The question caught her off guard but eventually she came back to reality. Then, she put her arms behind my neck and fixed her gaze until we're eye to eye. "Are you still the one? The question seems weird because I have no other choices. You don't have to ask if you're still the one because just looking in my eyes, you'll know the answer."
"So, am I the one?"
"In ten languages: ne, ken, sí, já, oui, da, ya, bai, hai, yes!"
I looped my arms around her waist and slowly pulled her up and locked my lips with her. It's a deep and passionate kiss. The best thing about our kiss is the feeling that she's smiling in the middle of it.
Am I still the one? No, because I was never an option when it comes to her. I am her one and only man. I am so happy that everything turned out just fine, and she is still in my arms.
"I love you, Ken."
---THE END---
Thanks to rushin_yuu for making the cover of this book, it is beautiful! And to Jenny Evangelista and Devine Fulgueras, thanks friends, I am beyond thankful for your supports. And to my friends out there! And of course to my silent readers, deepest gratitude from the bottom of my heart!
Credits sa owners ng pictures sa cover, salamat po!