rulesoflove likha ni: shelly

Kell was an honor student. Bestfriend ko siya since prep and we’ve known each other very well in almost 11 years of being friends. Alam ko na strengths and weaknesses ng “chong” ko (as we call each other). At saulo ko na lahat ng nasa loob at ugali ni Kell. Believe me, Kell is a very remarkable person. He’s one in a million, ika nga. Minsan nga you’ll envy him because he almost got everything. He has the brains, the fame and no doubt, he’s a sure heartthrob in our school. Kahit mga bading, crazy for him! All our teachers salute his superiority and take note, he’s a candidate for valedictorian. He can conquer any math or science questions out there. And talking about his family, he has a nice family background too. He’s a single son. His dad was an engineer and her mom is a head professor in an exclusive school. Kaya you can’t deny that Kell has been raised very well. But one thing about Kell na di alam ng marami…na ako ren recently ko lang na-figure out clearly. “He may rule on everything but he got that big challenge on love…”

            Senior year namin nun, malapit na ang college life and everything is going so fast. Parang kailan lang, kaka-high school lang namin. Tapos eto na, taking a big league once more. Many things had changed na ren. May mga nagka-girl friend or boyfriend na sa amin, ka-on, crushes, fling, and so on. Love was in the air, ika nga. Di ko alam, yung mga taong malapit sa akin masasali rin dito!

            Lunch time nun, when I hurriedly went to the cafeteria dahil naku, pamatay yung ginawa namin sa P.E.! I was so tired and I thirst for water talaga! Biro mo, among the class, pinag-tripan ako ng bwiset na teacher namin at pinatakbo ako sa field mag-isa! And it took long hours noh! Tama ba naman kasi akong parusahan just for being late. So as my classmates watch me, nakakahiya noh! Tang ina, mga crush kong classmates tinitignan ren ako! Then as I go towards the drinking fountain, I didn’t notice that I bumped to Kell. I said sorry then it was a strange act of him na hindi man lang ako kinausap! Aba! I thought he would be drinking too kaya lang, he ran away.

Physics period nun, when I sat beside Kell. (haha, papaturo ako sana) I was about to ask him, but he moved out from his seat and sat beside the next row.

“Huh?!”

 Di na ko nakasalita or react pa kay Kell dahil our teacher shouted and said: “class! Surprise quiz!”

Ano ba yan!

            Things had been so strange about Kell. Medyo naninibago ako sa chong ko. Every time I approach him to ask some help or kahit chit chat with him, para siyang umiiwas. And the bad thing, di ko alam kung bakit!!! Nainis ako nun sa chong ko dahil ewan ko ba, bigla siya nagbago. Naisip ko na lang, baka he’s just too busy preparing for the incoming final exams (alam mo naman, masyado siyang advanced) Pero…kung may problem si Kell, I thought I have to help him. I’m his bestfriend! And friends are there to help!

            So the next day, I confronted him na talaga. I acted as if mad so that he would tell the total truth.

            “Kell! Ano ka ba?! Bakit ka ba ganyan! Nag-iba ka kaya! Swear!”

Silence was present. He was just looking in my eyes. I tried to spell what’s in him, but it was worthless. Ngayon ko lang nakita ang ganung tingin. And it’s official, there’s something weird about Kell nung time na yun! He sat on the bench and finally he spoke.

            “Gusto mo ba talaga malaman ha?! Para sa kaalaman mo…uhmm…I think I’m falling for a wrong person…Look, I acted so strange! Di ako ganito pero mula nung dumating siya sa buhay ko as a different person, I mean, I treat that person right now more than being a friend, nagmukha na kong tanga! Shit, gabi-gabi walang puknat ang pag-iisip ko sa mga bagay na parang walang sagot! I may be the smartest kid on the block, but I’m a looser when it comes to love. Ngayon ko lang nalaman na it wasn’t easy to learn pag nagmamahal ka. You have to consider so many things, sometimes hide it and as you can see, I’m not the old Kell you once knew. Ang dating whiz kid, nagiging tanga! Ang malinaw na bagay-bagay na alam ko noon pa, nagiging malabo. Love is one wide fact of life na di mo basta mababasa sa lahat ng klase ng libro, kasi you need not to read its contents, you have to experience it. Mahirap intindihin”

Ang haba ng sinabi ni Kell at talagang ginulat niya ko! He’s so serious in uttering those words. Nasabi ko na lang sa kanya,

“Uhmm… oo nga Kell”

He left me on that bench nang ganun lang. Parang ako rin eh, natulala. Suddenly, bigla kong naisip, aba?! Sino yung mahal niya?! He’s sure serious about that girl.

            The next morning, Kell approached me and told me to forget about what happened yesterday. At sabi pa niya, wag ko ng tanungin kung sino yun dahil wala naman siyang sasabihing name. He would never have the gutts to say it to that person anyway. Naku naman, dapat nga tatanungin ko na eh! But anyway, I

respected Kell. And since I knew his attitudes, kapag sinabi niyang limutin na, talagang wala na. Afterwards, medyo nag-fade away na rin yung isyung yun but it never went out of my mind noh!

            Days passed. Nag-exam na rin kami. (hirap nga eh) at grabe, practice for graduation na! Wednesday morning nun, it was also announced that Kell has been chosen to join the regional quiz bee. It would be held a week before the grad. I was so proud of Kell! Siyempre, chong ko yan noh! And he was too busy studying.

Friday night, eve before the competition, he called me. I said good luck but then sumingit siya agad.

“Tumawag ako kasi di ko na kayang tiising nagpapanggap pa rin akong bestfriend lang kita…Yana, I’m falling for you. I hate to be called your chong alone. You have been a part of me. At lalo na nung sa field, I was watching you. I said to myself, parang ito na yung girl na gusto kong makasama ko sa altar, to have my kids in the future and to be called MY LIFE AND MY SOUL. It sounds stupid Yana pero totoo na toh! I can’t continue reviewing because I was so challenged by this love thing inside me. Aminin ko sa iyo, nagulo nang husto pag-aaral ko pero heto pa rin ako, naghahabol sa iyo. Nabale-wala ko lahat ng bagay at ibang tao para sa iyo. Sana minsan maisip mo na matanggap ako…”

After hearing that, di ko talaga alam magiging reaksyon ko! Maiiyak ba ko, ma-wiwirduhan konti, or what?! At bigla ko na lang nasabi, without further ado, I said

“Yes, I accept you Kell...”

            And of course, di naging madali ang lahat. Siyempre, maraming nagulat, they won’t believe na ang dating best buddies became lovers. It’s funny. Many got so angry with me. Muntik na nga kong masampal ng isang baklang may gusto kay Kell. (haha_) But then, who cares! We fought for it, and I guess that was the time I truly proved kung gaano ako magmahal. Talikuran ka man ng lahat, iiwan mo ang mundo para sa taong mahal mo. Mas pinaninindigan mo ang nasa puso’t isip mo dahil alam mong tama ang pinaglalaban mo. At that time, aaminin ko, kinagulat ko rin ang relashionship namin ni Kell but then, I believed in his will. And right now, I can proudly shout out that I chose the right man who was once a different image in my life but then, I never knew, siya na pala yung taong matagal ko ng hinahanap.

Ngayon, were 3 years married. That’s the reason why I believed that love can change everything, even the plan of your destiny. Ang taong meron ng lahat, naghahanap pa rin. You’ll never know, what packs of surprises awaits you when it comes to love. Lahat ng bagay, kayang kontrolin ng pagmamahal. At kapag nakamit mo na, handa kang magbuwis ng kung ano pa para lang ipaglaban mo. One thing for sure na I learned from this story of mine, “love is eternity, and it seeks for its home. It doesn’t choose anyone, or any time, you just fall…”

Now, can you say you can always rule on love?! Hindi ba’t di palaging kaya mong diktahan ang love?!