"Ate ngumiti ka! Mukha kang turon!" Sinamaan ko ng tingin si Gaile dahil sa sinabi niya pero ngumiti rin ako pagkatapos dahil baka magmukha nga akong turon. Nagmamantika na nga kasi talaga 'yong mukha ko dahil hindi matte ang make-up na inapply.

Today is our oath taking day. It's a very memorable day at dapat sana ay lumuluha na ako sa sobrang tuwa pero hindi ko magawa dahil alam kong may kulang.

"Gagi, picture!" Hinila ako ng tatlo para makapagselfie kami.

"RPh na tayo! Sa wakas!" sigaw ni Armin.

2 years had passed. After we graduated college ay nag-take agad kami ng board exam at sa awa ng Diyos ay nakapasa rin kung kaya't nandito kami ngayon.

Looking back, our college years were full of challenges. May mga pagkakataon na umiiyak na kami dahil sa mga prof na talagang trip yata na pahirapan kami, 'yong mga subjects na halos sukuan na namin, 'yong failed assessments, at 'yong mga pagkakataon na nahahalo ang mga personal na problema namin sa problema sa pag-aaral.

In college, we grew a lot. We learned to become independent and responsible. As for me, I learned to understand people more, I realized that this world is really not fair and that I should still broaden my mind.

And most of all, I learned how to love and stay in love.

Hmm. Nasaan na kaya 'yon ngayon? Miss ko na siya.

"Hoy gaga! Ang jowa mo nand'yan na!" Nakangiti akong lumingon pero agad din akong napasimangot no'ng mapagtanto na si Aya pala ang tinutukoy ni Armin.

Si Nicole naman ay nakangising nakatingin sa akin.

"Jowa ko nasa ibang bansa kaya walang darating," mayabang niyang sabi. "Ikaw ba may darating sayo?"

I rolled my eyes and jokingly slapped her butt. "Alam mo ikaw...nakakainis!"

"Inggit si Ekay! Walang jowa!" The two of them chanted.

"Mga baliw!"

Tinalikuran ko na sila at bumalik na ako sa pwesto namin nila mama. Kinuha ko 'yong camera na hawak ni Ken at tiningnan ang mga pictures namin.

Napangiwi nalang ako no'ng makitang blurry ang ibang shots.

"Ano ba ya—." I stopped when my eyes caught a pair of eyes looking intently at me.

"I'm sorry, late na natapos exam namin. At ang hirap mong hanapin." He immediately went to me and kissed me swiftly.

I suddenly want to squeal. Ang pogi, kainis.

"Congrats, baby." He handed me a bouquet at impit namang napasigaw 'yong tatlo sa likod namin.

"Ayon din!"

"Thank you," nakangiti kong sabi saka ko siya niyakap. "I was about to cry." I jokingly added.

"Sorry, baby." He added while smiling.

"Shin, hijo." Nagmano siya kay mama at agad namang lumapit si Ken sa kanya para makipag-high five.

I proudly looked at him, hindi ko naman namalayang napatagal 'yon. Tumigil lang ako no'ng siniko ako ni Gaile sa tagiliran.

"Si ate inlove na inlove, kaloka."

Sinamaan ko siya tingin. But then, she's right! Inlove na inlove nga ako. Wala ng pag-asang makaahon pa kasi hulog na hulog na.

He noticed that I was staring and I saw him smirked. He's good with facial expressions now, he took the therapy sessions seriously and for just 6 months, he already showed massive improvement. Sa ngayon ay may mga kaibigan na rin siya and he seem to love adventures dahil panay ang aya niya sa akin na itry ang mga bagay na hindi pa namin nagagawa.

I am really happy for him...and for us. Because the past years weren't easy.

Our relationship was challenged for several times. Mula sa family issues, issue namin sa sarili namin, our attitudes, at kung anu-ano pang dahilan ng mga hindi namin pagkakaunawaan.

But our love taught us to be strong, understanding, and patient.

We work together. We compromise.

I looked at the sky, remembering what happened that day.

Pagkatapos naming mag-usap ni mama no'ng araw na 'yon ay agad akong dumiretso sa apartment niya. Naabutan ko si Shin na kausap ang mama niya pati si papa sa labas, and even Nisha was there.

It wasn't easy to forgive. We were both casualties of what they did, we both suffered.

But just like what my mom said.

Iba sila. Iba kami.

We shouldn't let the past destroy our future. Lalo na kung ang kasalanang iyon ay hindi naman namin ginawa.

Kagaya nga ng sinabi ko...I love Shin at hinding-hindi ko siya iiwan kahit anong mangyari.

"Were you scared?" I asked him no'ng makaalis kami sa crowd.

"Of course, not. Alam ko namang nandito ang Ekay ko." He pinched my cheek kaya sinuntok ko siya ng mahina.

"Harot!"

"Sayo lang naman," balik pa niya.

Gosh.

"Musta naman exam mo?" I asked again, I'm worried na baka pinaglaruan lang niya 'yon dahil sa pagmamadali.

"It was fine, 'cause I was inspired to finish it." nakangiti niyang sagot.

"At kanino ka naman inspired? Yieeee." I teased.

"Kanino pa ba?" He suddenly kissed my lips kaya hinampas ko siya.

"Ano ka ba...huwag dito." I looked around dahil nasa gilid na kami ng kalsada. "Ang naughty mo naman!" saway ko.

"Edi mamaya nalang." He winked at parang tinakasan nanaman ako ng dugo sa mukha dahil doon.

I know what it means. Gosh.

"What a tease..." he whispered before pulling me inside his car.

"Saan naman tayo pupunta?" I asked him. It's already evening dahil hapon na nagsimula 'yong ceremony.

"Secret."

Nakahawak ang kanang kamay niya sa akin habang nagmamaneho. Oo nga pala, just a year ago ay niregaluhan siya ng car ng papa niya kung kaya't wala siyang choice kundi matutong magmaneho.

I smiled while watching him drive.

With him, I always feel at peace. Kahit na hindi ko alam kung saan kami pupunta ay panatag pa rin ako. Because I know that we will always save each other.

After an hour of driving ay tumigil kami sa isang pamilyar na kalsada. When I remembered how it became familiar to me ay agad akong napatingin sa kanya.

"Bakit dito?"

"Are you scared?" He leaned closer and touched my cheek.

"Of course I'm not! Nandito ka naman, I know you'll save me again."

Tumango siya at tumingin sa labas.

The street was noisy dahil maraming taong naglalakad, may nag-iinuman pa at nagkukwentuhan sa labas.

It was so different from that night.

Lumabas kami at umupo sa hood ng kotse niya. It looked weird dahil pareho kaming nakapormal ang suot. But then, as long as I am with him ay nawawala na sa isip ko ang magiging opinyon ng mga tao sa paligid.

It's our life and as long as I know na wala kaming sinasaktan o tinatapakang tao...we will continue living it the way we like.

"Wanna hear a story you haven't heard before?" he suddenly said at eksayted naman akong tumango.

"There was a boy...one night he got bored from playing games so he decided to went out and catch some fresh air."

Napatitig ako sa kanya no'ng mapagtanto kung kaninong kwento 'yon and speaking of that story, six months ago, we learned that we're needed so we presented ourselves as witnesses. Surprisingly, our testimonies were able to help the people involved get justice.

I smiled at itinuon na ang pansin sa kanya, matagal ko na kasi 'tong gustong marinig. Tama nga siya, I've never heard of that story nor tried to ask him to narrate it.

"On his way home, he saw a girl running...in fact, she almost bumped into him but she didn't notice. The boy suddenly got curious on why she's running like someone's chasing her...so he turned his back..."

I stared at him in awe.

"He saw her stopped so he suddenly got curious why. And when he saw what's happening, he decided to just leave dahil ayaw niyang madamay pa. He felt coward because that scene reminded him of something that happened to him in the past."

I squeezed his hand and he just smiled at me.

"He wanted to run away again...he was about to leave but he saw the girl again, na tila walang balak na umalis. He even wondered if she's crazy..." he laughed and gave me a pat on the head.

"But seconds later, he saw the girl turned her back and ran...'yon nga lang ay napansin din siya ng taong sinusubukan niyang takasan. Palpak, nuh?" he teased.

"At least tumakbo..." pagbawi ko.

"At saan ka naman daw pupunta noon?" natatawa nanaman niyang tanong kung kaya't sinamaan ko siya ng tingin.

"Ayaw niyang tulungan 'yong babae, ayaw nga niyang lumapit sa kanya...but his body disobeyed him, tila may sariling isip ang paa at kamay niya no'ng hinablot niya 'yong babae at hinila para makatago. At kung minamalas nga naman, nahimatay pa nga..." he laughed again.

I pouted, remembering how serious he was when we started...pero ngayon pinagtatawanan na ako.

"And she's heavy...tapos tunog ng tunog ang tiyan, halatang gutom." he added. Sinapak ko siya sa braso.

"You're bad!" saway ko.

"I'm just kidding," aniya at pabiro naman niya akong inakbayan.

"He didn't know what to do after that, he even thought of just leaving the girl on the street, but then...that's harsh...abandoning someone is really harsh.." he paused and sighed.

"He decided to bring her home dahil wala naman siyang ibang maisip na pwedeng gawin...he was even scared na mapagbintangan pero hindi na niya masyadong inisip 'yon. He gently put her on the bed..." he suddenly stopped and winked at me.

Eh?

Hinampas ko siya ng mahina. He's being naughty again!

"He stared at her face...hmm, ang liit ng mukha at mukhang inosente...then his gaze lowered when her ID fell." He smirked as he looked up.

"So you know my name from the start, huh?" agad kong sabi no'ng marealize 'yon.

He smiled and lifted my chin. "What do you think, Miss Erika Allison Sanchez?"

I pouted. "Daya mo!"

"You told me that I saved you...but are you aware?" he held my hand and looked at my eyes directly.

"Aware?" I curiously asked.

"Are you aware...that you saved me too?"

I smiled and kissed him.

"We saved each other." pagtatama ko.

"And we will continue saving each other until we both turn into dust," he added and kissed me back.

I giggled because of too much happiness.

Fate really moves in unexpected ways and I can't believe that ours started...

...that one fateful night.