The Wattpad Filipino Block Party 2021

What is love?

NAPABALIKWAS ako mula sa'king kama nang makarinig ng isang notification. It's been a while since it rang, so I got really excited— especially when I know that there's a new job coming for me.

Nawala lang ang excitement ko nang mabasa ang tema ng kailangan kong isulat na article. Love. A note was written too. "Make sure you convince the readers to fall in love." Huh? I don't know anything about it! Zero experience and zero interest! Paano ako magsusulat nito?

Once again, I read the email of my employer and saw below that. . . I COULD INTERVIEW PEOPLE! Nice! Instead of writing about love, I'll do this! Hm, sino kaya ang magandang interview-hin about dito? Napangisi ako habang pumupunta sa messages inbox ko at kaagad na nasilip ang conversation namin ni Xynthea. I started typing, hoping that she'd give me a response.

12:42 PM

Me:
Hi, Xynthea! Do you have a moment?

Xynthea:
Hii!
Yes, of course. I always have time for you <3 Do you want me to stop time for a moment?

Me:
Good to know, and no, you don't have to stop time pls ಠ,_｣ಠ I just have a question for you.

What do you think is love?

Xynthea:
Huh?
Oh, sorry. Nagulat lang ako!
What's this for? In love ka?

Me:
Maybe? Kidding asides.

Xynthea:
Sure? Hahhahaha. Wala naman ako masyadong alam din, pero I'll do my best to answer well. Please give me some time.

Me:
No problem, Xynthea!

12:46 PM

Xynthea:
Hm, I think true love is eternal. They say time is eternal, gold, and infinite, but I do think true love surpasses it all.

Me:
Really? Why do you think so?

Xynthea:
Because love is the one who'll decide if you want to spend more time or stop everything. This is something that does not only apply to the love for someone, but also to the love in your passion.

If you feel like you do not love what you're doing, you stop spending time to do it. If you stop loving someone, it happens too.

But true love—

If you get tired of something you truly love, you don't stop. You eventually get back to it and start again, like a clock that repeats after the day ends. The clock wants to keep working and keep reminding you that there is eternity if you put your heart into it— if you believe and keep loving, whatever tomorrow brings.
✓ Seen 12:56 PM

Ah, masyado na ba akong maraming nasabi? hahahahhahshuhuhu sorry. And you don't need to be so formal!

Me:
No! It's okay, Xynthea! Nakakahiya naman na magpakabastos sa Goddess of Time. Thank you so much! I hope you find eternal and true love.

Xynthea:
Thank you! I already have my friends and my home. They're enough. Bonus nalang ang iba <3

Nagpatuloy nalang ang kamustahan namin habang sinusulat ko at tine-take notes ko ang mga sinabi niya. Sunod namang natagpuan ng mata ko ang number ni Luel, pero umirap nalang ako dahil alam kong hindi siya magre-reply. She only picks up her phone once in a blue moon! Kung magre-reply man siya, malamang natapos ko na ang dapat kong gawin. 'Yong Mama nalang niya, kakausapin ko.

2:14 PM

Me:
Sinclair

Sinclair:
Nu

Me:
What is love?

Sinclair:
I wanna know know know know~ what is love?

Me:
Please, Red. Bigay mo na kay Sinclair phone niya.

Sinclair:
Pangit ka-bonding. Bye. Haha.

Hii! Pasensya na kay Red, sweetie. What is it?

Me:
What is love for you?

Sinclair:
Red

Me:
Sinclair?!?!?! Umayos ka, nahahawaan ka na ni Red!

Sinclair:
I'm sorry kasi! HAHAHAHAHA so sige seryoso na, need mo siguro 'to for your article or whatever.

Me:
Not gonna say~

Sinclair:
Okay, fineee. Teka.

Love is fated to happen, and love depends on you too. So I can't really tell you what love is.

Me:
Uh~ Sinclair, I know that love depends on me, but I texted you for advice! Give me advice

(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ

Sinclair:
HAHAHAHAHA okay, fine! Tinatamad lang ako kanina.

Now, now. Suppose you're watching the sunrise. You watch how the sun lits light onto darkness slowly and captivating. It enchants you, seeing how it splatters orange colors to the clouds, creating a shadow above blue skies. Napakaganda, hindi ba?

Then, you suddenly notice the moon from afar too. It hasn't completely faded. Kung iisipin, mukhang nag-aagawan ng araw at buwan sa langit, parehas nilang gustong makapagbigay ng pagmamahal sa mundo. The sun that gives complete light to Earth, and the moon that lights the darkness in Earth. They both love the Earth, but they show love in different ways.

Katulad na lamang ng sa totoong buhay, we show our love differently. Maaaring para sa kaniya, gusto niya ng sweet actions. Sa iba, na gusto ay matatamis na salita. Sa ilan, na gusto'y laging kasama, taliwas doon sa ibang kahit hindi laging kasama basta ba'y mararamdaman mo ang presensya niya. Sa ibang gusto'y showy at ibang lowkey lamang. Maalin naman sa mga 'yan, it all shows love. Minsan lang ay nabubulag tayo, at hindi natin nakikita ang pagmamahal na iyon.

Love is all about understanding and appreciating.

We should appreciate the sun, kahit na minsa'y nasisilaw na tayo nito. We should appreciate the moon, kahit na hindi sobrang liwanag ng ilaw nito. The stars, na kahit hindi natin palaging natatanaw ay nariyan pa rin. And then, we will learn to love it all despite its imperfections.

But, there's always something, someone, na mas nakahihigit sa lahat. Iyong tipo na kahit alam mong mas maganda iyon, o mas nakaaangat iyon, you'd still choose that someone endlessly. Kasi iyon ang deserve natin.

We all deserve someone better, but we best deserve someone we truly love. So I can't really tell what love is. It's up to you.
✓ Seen 2:45 PM

Hello? Tapos na ako???? Did you just ghost me?
✓ Delivered 2:52 PM

Me:
Ay, sorry. Akala ko kasi may kasunod pa. Dami mo kasing sinabi, emz. Anyways, thanks for the time, Sinclair. I appreciate it.

Sinclair:
Sure, sure! Hit me up anytime. (~￣³￣)~

Me:
Nga pala, I'm guessing you chose the sun a.k.a. Red. Kawawa naman ang moon and stars.

Sinclair:
It's just a metaphor! Ano ba?!

Me:
Hahahaha. Sure, whatever you say.

Last interviewee for today! Melizabeth! This was easier than I expected. Thank goodness they seriously answered! Sana naman seryoso rin si Meli.

3:12 PM

Me:
Mareng Meli.

Melizabeth:
Nu need mo?

Me:
Love life.

Melizabeth:
Noted, beh. Send-an kita ng gwapong mga mumu dito. Medyo marami rin naman.

Me:
Walang hiya ka talaga.

Melizabeth:
Sadya.
But seriously, do you need help?

Me:
Wow, nag-e-english pag serious.
Anyways, pahinging advice about love <33

Melizabeth:
DIYOS KONG SI THANATOS! AKO PA TALAGANG TINATANONG MO?

Me:
Well, yeah? May anak ka na nga, eh.
✓ Seen 3:19 PM

Hoy, mare. Nas'an ka na?

Melizabeth:
Hey. This is Thanatos. I'm sorry my wife got busy with the twins. Is there any way I can help?

Me:
...
Ang weird at awkward naman... pare???

Melizabeth (Thanatos):
Haha. She told me to answer your question, may I?

Me:
Sure. Ikaw bahala.

Melizabeth (Thanatos):
First, may I ask if you're in love at the moment?

Me:
'Di ko sure, eh. Kaya nga ako nanghihingi ng advice.

Melizabeth (Thanatos):
Ah, I see. Haha, my bad!

Hm, I don't know much about humans. Their lifespan is too short, and too vulnerable to death.

Me:
Please don't speak as if you're going to collect my soul and bring it to the underworld after this.

Melizabeth (Thanatos):
Oh, I won't do it unless it's time for your death! Higit doon, lagot ako sa bebe ko 'pag ginawa ko 'yon.

Me:
Ok. Sabi ko advice, hindi pag-flex ng asawa.

Melizabeth (Thanatos):
Hahaha, okay okay.

Well, just as I mentioned earlier. Humans have a short lifespan, and sometimes when they think that way, they neglect the existence of 'death' because they're too afraid to face it. Do these thoughts cross your mind too?

Me:
Uh, minsan? Hindi naman maiiwasan.

Melizabeth (Thanatos):
I see, I see.

But you know, you shouldn't be afraid of death. You shouldn't neglect it, and acknowledge it instead. That way, you would know the worth of living and loving more.

Me:
What do you mean?

Melizabeth (Thanatos):
I'm saying that if you acknowledge the 'end' then you'll start to savor and enjoy every moment— the beginning, the middle, and even the end.

Me:
So you're telling me that everything has an end?

Melizabeth (Thanatos):
No, not really. Hindi ko naman sinasabing gan'on pero mas maayos nang isipin 'yon kaysa sa maniwalang walang hanggan ang lahat.

Me:
But they say love is eternal. Maniniwala ba ako r'on?

Melizabeth (Thanatos):
You can— only if you're sure with your own feelings and that you're sure that you won't take love for granted, just because you know it's eternal.

Me:
Hindi kita nage-gets. Bakit kasi parang taliwas ang sinasabi mo sa ginagawa mo? You clearly have an eternal love Melizabeth.

Melizabeth (Thanatos):
Hahahaha. I can't deny that, but I also can't deny that I still do not know what the end of love is. I've been wondering. . . is there really an end? Should I not fret for tomorrow and keep loving her as if there's no end for us? Would it be better that way?

The answer that came to my mind is 'no.' My love for her becomes stonger when I feel like I could lose her anytime. The more I acknowledge the unknown end, the more I want to love her and protect her.

Do you get it now?

Me:
Yes, yes. Thank you! Sabihin mo kay mareng Meli, swerte niya at sarap niyang agawan ng asawa HAHAHAHA.

Melizabeth:
BWISIT KA TALAGA! IBO-BLOCK KITA, AKIN LANG ASAWA KO.
You have been blocked by Melizabeth.

What?! I was just joking, but Meli really blocked me! Argh. But sure naman akong, iu-unblock na rin niya ako maya-maya. Napatawa nalang din ako at tiningnan ang mga notes ko tungkol sa mga sagot nila.

They surely have different perspectives about love. Hindi ko makukumpara ang pagmamahalan ng isang magkasintahan sa isa pa. Hindi ko rin maiipagkumpara ang pagmamahal sa isang tao sa pagmamahal sa isang passion. Higit sa lahat, hindi ko maipapagkumpara ang tingin ng isa kaysa sa tingin ng isa pa. I guess it's the differences that makes it more magical and interesting.

Argh, naalala ko na naman ang note na sinabi sa'kin ng employer ko, pero. . . Is it really right to convince readers that 'this' is the meaning of love and not 'that'? Through my works, is it right to tell and convince them to fall in love?

Hays, alam kong 'hindi' ang sagot.

Rather than falling in love, its better to convince a reader to value his or her worth and find his or her own meaning of love.

So to you who's reading this, have you perhaps already thought of your own meaning of love?