Short Kwento: Pangako

I. Unang Kabanata

 “Kasama ng singsing na ito, ipinapangako ko sa iyo na araw-araw kitang mamahalin at aalagaan. Walang araw na lilipas na hindi ko ipapaalala sa’yo kung gaano kita kamahal. Kahit anong mangyari ay hinding hindi kita iiwan. Mamahalin kita ng buong puso at hinding hindi ko hahayaang masaktan ka. Araw-araw kong papatunayan sa’yo na ako’y karapat-dapat sa pag-ibig mo. At higit sa lahat, ipinapangako ko sa’yo na lahat ay gagawin ko para lamang pasayahin ka.” This Hephaestus said with his eyes focused on his bride, Aphrodite, the whole time with his voice never wavering and his smile never faltering. He was inlove.

“Sa singsing na ito, pangako ka sayong ikaw ay aking aalagaan at mamahalin. You have been my best friend since we were just young kids and I promise you, I will never stop being that. I will never stop being your best friend even if you are clutz.” was Aphrodite’s joyful response. After a year of courtship, she was finally being wed to her best friend. Yes, it was an arranged marriage but she was content. Atleast that’s what she was telling herself.

The crowd was a mixture of emotions, some were laughing and some were crying. Though, it was all the same, they were all happy for Hephaestus and Aphrodite.

The priest chuckled along with crowd and happily looked at the bride and the groom and said “With the power invested in me, I proclaim you man and wife.”

And with those words, the promise was made and sealed.

II. Pangalawang Kabanata

Two months have passed since their wedding day. A lot has changed in those two months. Yet for Aphrodite, two things stayed the same, her and Hephaestus.

They were still just best friends, not actual lovers. But she was content with this. She was just happy that she got to save her parents from bankruptcy. 

Everything was fine until one day biglang may lalaking bumisita kay Aphrodite sa kanyang opisina na hindi niya inakalang makikita niya muli. Si Ares, ang kanyang dating kasintahan.

“Ano ginagawa mo dito?” Aphrodite said, flabbergasted. Ngayon niya lang muli nakita si Ares. The sight of him here broke her heart. She was still in love with him.

“Kinailangan kong makita ka kahit sa huling pagkakataon na lamang.” And he was still inlove with her. “Pero hindi ako andito para gambalahin kayo. Anak ako ng isang hardinero pero hindi ako basagulero.” Patawa niyang sinabi pero ramdam sa kanyang boses ang sakit na kanyang nadarama.

Wala namang magawa si Aphrodite kundi sabihin ang kanyang pangalan. They weren’t supposed to end this way. She was supposed to be his and he was supposed to be hers. That was the plan. That was their plan. But the universe wanted something else.

“Alam ko na naman na kinailangan mong gawin to para sa pamilya mo. Kaya kahit masakit kakayanin ko. Aph, mahal na mahal kita. At dahil mahal kita lalayuan na kita. I just needed to see you one last time.” Ares said with a broken smile on his face.

“Paalam aking mahal.” And after caressing Aphrodite’s face, he turned to leave. But before he could even take a step away from her she grabbed his hand and said “Teka, Ares, huwag ka munang umalis. Huwag mo muna akong iwan.”

III. Ikatlong Kabanta

“Hindi, Hephaestus maniwala ka sa akin, niloloko ka ng asawa mo.” Helios said for the 5^th time that night.

“Helios, wala ka ngang ebidensyang mapakita sa akin. Hindi ako maniniwala hangang sa walang ebidensiya at hindi ko nakikita mismo. At tsaka, kilala ko si Aphrodite, hindi niya yan magagawa.” Halos walang emosyon na sinabi ni Hephaestus.

“Alam ko pero, Hephaestus, hindi ka ba nagdududa kung bakit halos lagi na siyang gabi ummuwi?”

After taking a deep breath, Hephaestus said “Hindi.” With his eyes closed. “Sige na, Helios, kailangan ko ng umalis. May miting pa ako.”

“Sige, good luck pala sa investors mo pare.” With that, Hephaestus turned off his phone and finally turned to the person he was next to.

“Athena, kamusta na ang imbestigasyon mo?” He asks with a stoic expression.

“Hindi mo magugustuhan ang sasabihin ko sayo.”

IV. Ikaapat na Kabanata

“Run away with me.” Ares jokingly whispered unto Aphrodite’s ear. But instead of responding romantically, she moved away from him.

“No, I can’t.”

Ares sat up and moved to her. “Yes, I know. I was only joking. Hey, what’s wrong? What’s bothering you?”

Aphrodite looked away from him. Already scared to tell him what she had been planning to tell him for days.

“Kailangan na natin itong tigilan.”

Nabigla si Ares sa sinabi ng kanyang kasintahan at biglang napatayo. “Bakit?”

“Hindi tama tong ginagawa natin. Hindi ko na kayang lokohin si Hephaestus. Ares, mahal kita pero, aalis na ako. Hindi ko na kaya.” She says as she nears the door.

“Teka, huwag mo ka munang umalis. Huwag mo muna ako iwan. Pangako ko, mamatay ako pag-umalis ka.”

No, she couldn’t keep doing this anymore. So Aphrodite opened the door and left and didn’t look back for she knew that once she did, she would only go back to him and never get the courage to do what was right again.

V. Ikalimang Kabanata

There was silence between them. Not one of them was speaking until suddenly, Hephaestus spoke.

A sense of foreboding formed in the pit of her stomach as he said “Aphrodite, I need to talk to you.”

She was just about to say something, until he asked her a question that made her lose her breath for a moment.

“What?” she muttered in disbelief.

Hephaestus gazed at her. “Do you still love Ares?”

He knew, she thought. “Why suddenly ask me this?” Her voice, surprisingly small.

A wan smiled appeared on his face. “I love you, Aphrodite. I do, but I just have to know if you love me.”

For once, she was lost for words. Looking at Hephaestus made matters worse. The pain in his eyes was evident even though he wore a stoic expression. He’s her best friend, the one person that she wasn’t supposed to hurt. The person she wasn’t supposed to use and break. Yet he was the person that she had destroyed. 

“Yes, Heph, I do love you and..”

 “But I know that you love him more and that’s why I’m letting you go. I have the annulment papers here all they need now is your signature.”

She was surprised. She expected him to be mad. She expected him to scream at her and call her names. But no.

“I promised you that I would do anything just to make you happy. He makes you happy, Aphrodite. And I don’t want to be the one that stands between you and your happiness.”

“What about you? Heph, I..” She started but Hephaestus cut her off.

“I’ll be alright. Now go to him.” With this she hugged Hephaestus and rushed to Ares’ house.

VI. Ikaanim na Kabanta

By the time she reached Ares’ floor, she was literally out of breath. Ofcourse she knew that the last time he saw her; she was walking out of the door. But she had hope. So without knocking, she went straight inside Ares’ room.

Only to see that it was too late. She was too late, because there inside the room was Ares, hanging from the ceiling, dead.

Tinupad niya ang kanyang pangako. “Pangako ko, mamatay ako pag-umalis ka.”

And with that all Aphrodite could do was break down and cry.

Alright okay. Taglish. Pardon me for that.