- P R O L O G U E -

"There will be no wedding."

Lahat hindi makapaniwala sa sinabing iyon ng binatang nasa kanilang harapan. Mababa ang tingin nito na tila ba ay nalulungkot sa pangyayaring ito. Hindi rin makatingin ang binata sa mga matang nakatuon sa kanya ngayon dahil sa kahihiyan.

"But everything is prepared, Silas! Ang laki ng ginastos mo para bukas tapos hindi matutuloy?" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong ng kanyang ina.

"Nasaan ba si Homer?" Nang itanong ito ng kanyang kapatid ay nag sunod-sunod na ang mga tanong na hindi nya kayang sagutin.

Even Yluon doesn't have any idea where his man right now.

"Nasaan ba ang mga Villarama? Bakit wala rin sila rito?"

Marahan na lamang napabuga ng hangin ang binata habang nakikinig sa mga tanong na ibinabato sa kanya sa mga oras na ito. Kahit siya ay hindi nya rin alam kung papaano humantong sa ganitong sitwasyon ang lahat ng kanyang pinaghirapan.

Kasalukuyan nyang tinatanong ang kanyang sarili kung saan siya nagkamali. Ano ang naging pagkukulang nya sa buong walong taon nilang pagsasama ng kanyang nobyo.

Habang mariin na nag-iisip ay may biglang marahan na kamay na dumapo sa kanyang braso na siyang kumuha sa kanyang atensyon. Nang mag angat siya ng tingin ay sumalubong sa kanya ang nag-aalalang mukha ng kanyang kaibigan.

"Yl, sure ka na ba rito? You've spent a lot of money and time."

Muli siyang nag baba ng tingin at tumitig sa puting sahig. Bukas pa naman ang kasal at pwede pa niyang pagsabihan ang mga bisita nila na walang mangyayaring kasalan bukas. Pero nag-aalala siya sa mga sasabihin nila dahil gumastos pa ang mga ito. Hindi biro ang pagod din sa biyahe. Okay lang sana kung nasa pinas sila ngayon, but they are in Canada.

"I don't know where is Homer right now. Hindi ko siya ma contact, but we had a talk last night. He...he told me he's not yet sure about the wedding," ani nito sa mababang boses.

"What?" Gulat na naging reaksyon ng kanyang kaibigan. "That jerk!" Inis na sigaw nito. "Kung walang kasalan na mangyayari ay kailangan nyang pumarito and explain to everyone na hindi na matutuloy ang kasal! This is not just your responsibility, Yl! Hindi pwedeng ikaw lang mag-isa ang makipag-usap sa mga bisita. How are you going to explain it to them?"

"I'll just tell them nothing to expect for tomorrow," he said monotonously. He stood up from the monoblock chair sluggishly and went out of the room in silence. All the eyes are on him.

Walang may gustong pigilan ang binata sa balak nitong gawin. Hindi man nila alam ang buong pangyayari ay wala rin sila sa lugar para mangialam. The devastation and pain are obviously plastered on Yluon's face.

Yluon did told everyone but he didn't explain further. When they all left Canada, Yluon stayed for days to unwind and find himself along the beautiful scenery that the country gives.

When he arrived in the Philippines, first he did was to confront his ex-lover.

"Why?" The first word he uttered.

"Yl, I'm sorry." Tanging wika ng binatang kaharap nya. "I have been thinking for the long time now, I don't think I can continue."

Tila nabingi si Yluon sa narinig mula sa kaharap. He already addressed Homer as his ex-lover the moment he didn't show up and didn't do his responsibilities.

"Why?" Muling tanong nito sa mariing tono. He's trying to control his temper because, despite what Homer did to him, he still value those eight years they've been together. But the main reason is actually because he still love him.

"The moment you proposed totoong sobrang saya ko no'n kasi gusto ko rin maging isa na tayo. Singsing na lang ang kulang sa ating dalawa but for the past four months I suddenly feel the void and it slowly eating me. I tried to fill it with your presence and love but it didn't fill the void, Yl. It didn't fill the void but instead the void became unbearable, uncontrollable and worst unavoidable."

"Bakit hindi mo sa akin sinabi ang mga ito? We can fix it together. Hindi mo kailangan umalis pa at iwan ako sa ere."

Yung galit na naramdaman nya kanina ay unti-unting nawala dahil sa narinig mula sa kausap. Naaawa siya ngayon dahil mahal na mahal nya ang binata. He can't bear seeing him suffering.

"You can't fill the void, Yl." Diretsong wika ni Homer.

Kaagad nangunot ang noo ng binata. "What..do you mean?"

"I already told you, you can't do anything by it. You only make the void in me grew bigger."

Nahulog sa malalim na pag-iisip ang binata trying to understand Homer's words. It's painfull honestly but he's trying to understand everything to save their relationship. But and idea pop in his head made him feel afraid to voice it out. Pero hindi mare-resolba ang bagay na ito kung hindi siya gagawa ng paraan. As long as he keep on choosing to save their relationship and stay by his side, nothing bad will happen.

But Yluon miscalculated the problem.

"Someone filled the void, Yl." Tila isang masamang anunsyo ito para sa binata. Homer said it with a straight face. "I'm sorry." Nagbaba ito ng tingin, afraid to meet Yluon's raging eyes. "Hindi ko kayang sabihin sa'yo dahil natatakot ako. Natatakot akong makita kang nasasaktan."

"Bullshit!" Asik ng binata. "I came here to resolve this dispute between us but I think I only waste my time coming here."

He was about to turn his back at Homer when someone came into the scene.

"Hone, I brought pizza!"

The two of them froze from the sudden visitor. It was Yluon who was quick to move on and look back at Homer.

"So, you just need someone else's cock to fill the void huh?!" Hindi mapigilan nitong wika at kaagad nang umalis sa bahay ng kanyang ex-lover.

They said time heals all wounds but it's a deep wound for Yluon. Too deep that even time cannot heal it.

"Good morning, sir Guevara!"

"Sir, sorry I'm late!"

"Sir, pa check po if tama ba!"

"Sir Guevarra, crush na yata kita!"

If time can't heal the deepest wounds, it might be a person who can mend them and slowly patch the small pieces of his heart one by one. In Yluon's case, it was a girl who slowly heals his broken heart.

r i z u e _ i m p e r i a l 0 3

"Inspiration comes from with  in yourself. One has to be positive.
When you're positive, good things happen."

[ Thank you for reading! Don't forget to vote and leave a comment in the comment section! ]