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Friday, 12-02-2016, 4:00 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo
Goyong woke up to the sound of loud banging on the front door. A loud groan escaped his lips as he sat up, noting just how dark it was in the living room. Dios mio patatas, sinong bibisita ng ganito kaaga? He rubbed his eyes with a small groan as he tried to regain his bearings, trying to recall why he wasn’t in Jay’s bed.
“Hoy, mga pakshet kayo! Bawal ang batugan!” Paulo Piqueras – recently married – hollered.
The boy general let out yet another groan as he rose from the couch, running his fingers through his unkempt hair. He undid the locks and threw the door open, rubbing his eyes blearily. “Good morning.” Sana hindi ako mukhang galing sa Night of the Living Dead.
Paulo flounced in and grabbed him by the shoulders, a mirthful grin lighting up his face. “Ba’t ganyan itsura mo, gago? Ikakasal ka na nga ngayon eh!”
“Ploo, stop,” Celeste warned as she shut the door behind her. “Kakagaling lang natin sa honeymoon, nambubulabog ka na nga!”
Goyong chuckled as he led them to the living room, still struggling to flatten his hair. “Nakakahiya nga sa inyo, nag-abala pa kayong bumisita ng ganito kaaga.”
“Well kasama rin naman kami sa entourage kaya oks lang.” Celeste paused, as if assessing him. “Dito ka ba natulog?”
“Sa sala? Oo.” He shrugged. “Di daw ako pwedeng matulog katabi ng bride. Di ko daw siya pwedeng makita hangga’t hindi pa naguumpisa ang kasal.”
Friday, 12-02-2016, 5:00 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo
“Hoy, gising na!” Addie’s strict voice strict voice roused Jay from sleep.
The young babaylan’s yawn was cut short by the gentle nudges she felt in her swelling baby bump. She blearily opened her eyes to peer at the young woman who dared wake her up at such an ungodly hour, wondering briefly where her lover went. “Anong ginagawa mo dito?”
Addie didn’t seem amused. “Did you forget something?”
Jay paused as she processed it. “Fuck, ba’t nakalimutan ko kasal ko?”
“Not my fault.” Addie gave her some space to gather herself as she strode to the door. “May pagkain na sa ibaba.”
Jay quickly threw on some clothes, fighting back the nausea that was starting to build up. She rose to her feet as steady as she could. She followed Addie downstairs, where the dining table was already crowded. Angela and Nena, Tina and Marge, Celeste and Aurora and Jules were all waiting for them with bright smiles on their faces.
She sat down between Nena and Marge, feeling her stomach rumble in nothing but excitement. “Punyeta, mahihirapan ata akong kumain nito.”
“Hep hep! Bawal magpagutom,” Nena warned her, loading up her plate with everything. “Today is your big day.”
“Kala mo naman birthday party yung pupuntahan niya,” Tina joked, sipping a cup of milk with a little laugh.
“So ano, Ate Jay? Kinakabahan ka ba?” Angela asked gently.
Aurora rolled her eyes. “Si Nanay pa? Eh wala namang kinatatakutan yan!”
Jay grinned at them as she started to eat, careful not to upset her delicate stomach. “Excited nga ako,” she agreed.
Marge looked at her watch. “Ang tagal naman ni Ate Cat saka ni Ate Gabby.”
“Dadating na yan maya-maya,” Jules assured them. “Baka may dinaanan lang saglit.”
“Mas tense ka pa sa bride,” Celeste murmured. “Chill!”
Jay turned to Addie. “I hope hindi ka namin masyadong aabalahin sa makeup.”
“Of course not,” the girl told her smugly. “I’m going to make you all glow – pero ikaw, most of all.”
Friday, 12-02-2016, 6:00 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo
The boy general felt so queasy that not even the smell of bacon and fried rice and burgers on the dining table was enough to calm him. The short walk to Paulo and Celeste’s new home – accompanied by Paulo himself, Rusca, Joven, Paco, Nonong, and the twins, and the Enriquez brothers – did nothing to settle his nerves. The sight of the house that he would be moving into with Jay at the end of the day made his stomach all but dance the rumba.
“Huy, kain na bebelabs,” Rusca hissed in his ear as he stuffed himself with his own cooking. “Dadating na maya-maya yung mga Bernal!”
Goyong swallowed hard and nodded, averting his gaze as he slowly ate his way through his heaping plate. “Pasensya na.”
“Wedding jitters ba yan?” Joven asked quietly though he already knew the answer.
“Balita ko normal yan,” Paco said reassuringly.
Goyong made a face as he finished the burger and started and the rest of his meal. “Para akong masusuka.”
“Breathe, bro,” chirped Joven. “I mean, what can go wrong? As if naman aatras si Jay! Wala na rin si Dolores so wala nang mambubulabog sayo.”
Goyong choked on his food.
“Sandali baka lalong himatayin to sa sinabi mo,” Julian muttered, rubbing his back companionably.
Vince set down a glass of cold water. “Inom muna, ‘Tay. Ala mo namang mag-aalala si Nanay sayo pag di ka umayos diyan!”
Etong nodded sagely. “Baka maghuramentado pa yan sa reception.”
“Etong, language,” Joven warned him.
Nonong rolled his eyes. “Eh may point din naman kasi si Kuya Etong. Buntis si Ate Jay so madali siyang ma-stress pero bawal sakanya.”
Julio snickered as he helped Goyong gulp down his drink. “Mawawala din yang kaba mo pag nakita mo na si bebelabs mo sa altar.”
“Speaking from experience nga naman oh,” Paco shot at him, eyes twinkling.
Goyong managed to calm himself enough to join in the laughter. “Salamat, ha? Hindi tuluyang nawala yung kaba ko pero…”
“Friend, it’s our job,” Paulo pointed out just as the doorbell buzzed, announcing the Bernals’ arrival.
Goyong bowed his head as he struggled to finish his meal. He tuned out the voices coming from the foyer as he shoved food in his mouth. Calma, gago. Kasal lang to. Walang masamang mangyayari. Hindi ito digmaan.
Jose stepped into the room with a bright grin. “Missed us?” It’s only been weeks since he and his brother moved out with their partners and yet their presence was sorely missed in the household already.
Manuel peered in. “Dala ko na yung damit niyo!”
Julian raised his hands. “Sagli, mag-toothbrush kami mu.” Sandali, matu-toothbrush lang kami.
Friday, 12-02-2016, 6:00 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo
Jay stood patiently as her fellow babaylans helped her into her wedding dress. The pearly bodice shimmered as they zipped it up, the small red stones set on the skirt glittering with every gentle hint of movement. She could hear the conversations on the other side of her room’s temporary dividers, where Addie was starting to apply makeup on everyone. It was so easy to get distracted and listen in on them but she knew she had to focus on getting dressed up first.
Aurora began to comb the bride’s fiery hair, a big mischievous grin on her face. “Grabe, ‘Nay, ang haba na talaga ng hair mo!”
Jay let them direct her to a chair, smiling from ear to ear as the girl braided her mane, twisting it up into a complicated ruby knot. She watched the delicate process in the mirror while her other companions began to groom themselves, too. A younger version of herself would never have thought that she would ever feel as beautiful as she did now.
“Luh, naluluha ka,” Marge murmured gently. “No-no yan, magiging puffy yung mata mo mamaya.”
Tina nodded, rubbing her chin – and an imaginary beard. “I-save mo na yang iyakan mo para mamaya.”
“Bullies,” Aurora snickered as she motioned to Poleng’s wedding ring, which Jay now wore beside her engagement ring. “So yan na yung something old, no? Nasan yung something new?”
Tina held out a hair comb similar to the one she made for Celeste’s wedding. It was made of silver and faux ivory like Celeste’s, though it was adorned with red crystal roses instead of green ones. “Check! Next na yung something borrowed!”
Celeste whipped out a simple gold bangle and slipped it up Jay’s wrist, letting it rest beside her own charm and shoelace bracelets. “Done and done. Ayan, something blue nalang.”
“Gotchu covered, fam.” Marge showed them a blue garter that she slowly slid up the bride’s thigh..
Watching them all eagerly helping her be the best blushing bride that she could be meant all the world to Jay.
Friday, 12-02-2016, 7:15 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo
The boy general examined himself in the mirror, dressed in a white ensemble that was reminiscent of his army uniform back in the old days. All he needed was a hat and he would look straight out of a history book. His stomach still rumbled in anxiety, though he knew that nothing could and would go wrong that day.
“Goyong, relax. It’s going to be over before you know it,” Julio reassured him. He smoothed down his own beige top a little self-consciously. “Trust me.”
“Ganito din ba nung – nung kayo ni Ate Oryang noon?” Goyong asked quietly.
“Worse. Alam naman naming pareho na marriage of convenience lang yung amin at ang daming masamang pwedeng mangyari.” Julio shrugged good-naturedly and smoothed the last bits of stray hair on Goyong’s head. “Oks lang naman. Masaya na sila ni Andoy ngayon at masaya naman din kami ni Marge.”
Rusca – who was standing by the doorway to the spare room they used for their last-minute preparations – clucked his tongue with a cheeky grin. “Looking good kayong pareho ah.”
Manuel peeked over his shoulder and nodded. “Mukhang ready na nga kayo.”
Goyong turned to his friends, noting the sparkle in their eyes. “Diba may halos dalawang oras pa naman bago mag-umpisa yung kasal?”
“True,” Manuel conceded.
Julian approached Goyong, holding a little box that he slowly opened to reveal an old, ornate gold ring. “Itinapon mo ito noon – pagkatapos ng mga nangyari sa Floridablanca. Tinago pala ni Nanay.”
“Ito ba yung…?” The boy general picked it up, watching it with marvel in his eyes. It was his wedding ring from over a hundred years ago – the one he wore for the secret ceremony with Poleng.
“Yan nga,” Julian agreed with a smile. “Napag-pasahan pala throughout the generations and it’s my job to give it back to you.”
Goyong shook his head as he slipped it on. “Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat, ha?”
“Para saan?” Julio asked, raising his brows.
Goyong held out his hands in a vague gesture. He had momentarily run out of words to say as tears welled up in his eyes and something choked the words out of his throat. “I-Ito,” he managed to blurt out. “Yung pagtulong niyo kahit na – kahit na naging halimaw ako sa karamihan sa inyo noon.”
“Itay, tama na yang pagiging emo mo. It’s all in the past,” Vince assured him with a big smile. “We all love you – um, platonically, ha?”
Paco smiled mischievously. “So tama na nga yang mental na paglulupasay mo. Kaibigan ka namin, supportado ka namin, at tangina mo naman wag kang mag-eemo sa harap ni Jay!”
Goyong had to fight back his laughter with a shake of his head. “Promise, walang mag-eemo sa harap niya! Ayoko din namang masabunutan sakanya.”
“Dapat lang,” Joven huffed.
Friday, 12-02-2016, 7:15 AM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo
Jay finally took her place in front of the hastily-assembled vanity mirror, her hair done up and her dress still sleek and shiny. Addie began to work on her face, dabbing foundation on every inch of pale skin.
“So kamusta naman yung one year break mo?” she mumbled, trying to make small talk.
Addie added the smallest hint of contour and blush on her face, smiling. “It’s great. My parents will shoulder my studies tapos pwede naman kaming magstay ni Vince sa bahay ng family ko sa QC. Eh ikaw? Are you ready to start a family talaga?”
Jay chuckled as she felt a quartet of kicks. “Ready na ready.”
“Hey, Jay! Eto na yung shoes mo” Cat barged in as Addie was busy swiping on eyeshadow in vivid hues of berry and crimson and ruby, followed by eyeliner.
Gabby peered in from the edge of the divider with a ltitle wave. “We’ll just get ready downstairs, Cat. Masikip na sila dito.”
Cat nodded with a little grimace and waved at the pair before slipping out.
Jay suppressed a chuckle, holding still so Addie could put on her favorite red lipstick.
Friday, 12-02-2016, 8:45 AM, Holy Rosary Parish Church
Goyong paced by his position at the head of the entourage, Selong hovering behind him with a smile. “Wag kang titingin sa likod, hijo,” the older man said wryly. “Mas maganda kung makita mo yung bride sa pag-march niya.”
“O-opo.” The boy general bowed his head, struggling against the temptation to look for Jay amidst the small crowd pooling behind them.
He focused instead on the church pews, and the small number of people sitting on them. It was a very private wedding, their only guests being close friends, Jay’s relatives, and the reincarnated del Pilars. The music began to play and the coordinator motioned for the group to start walking. Goyong’s stomach rumbled as he made it to the altar and turned, looking for Jay as their friends marched forward.
A few bars of music passed before he finally saw her, a vision in white and red. Her face was aglow as she walked down the aisle accompanied by Joven and Angela. She looked up at him, pulling a billion little pieces of his scattered thoughts into a coherrent whole, keeping him rooted to the spot, making him feel like her love made her see parts of him that not even he knew existed. She was the woman he thought he’d never find. He wanted to pull her close, but he knew that the occasion demanded good behavior from him until it was just the two of them.
She took his hand and gave him a squeeze. “I love you.” Three words from her were enough to render him helpless to her magic.
Friday, 12-02-2016, 9:00 AM, Holy Rosary Parish Church
“Calma lang, Jay,” Joven whispered in his sister’s ear. “Walang tatakbo papunta ng altar.”
Jay stuck out her tongue, careful not to make a mess with her makeup. “Kuya, hindi na ako bata.” Of course, she couldn’t feel calm. Even the children she carried rumbled in her bump. She was all but vibrating in excitement. Lalabas ako sa simbahang ito as Mrs. del Pilar. Kaloka.
“Naninigurado lang, ikaw talaga,” Joven said with a little laugh as the music began to play.
“Alam mo na gagawin mo, diba Ate?” Angela asked, sounding as reasonable as always.
The entourage began to move forward. Jay counted her breaths, timing it with the music as she was ushered forward from her spot by the door. All eyes were on the bride and for once she didn’t care. She walked down the aisle, aware that it was her day, accepting that she deserved this and every nice thing that would follow.
Her groom was waiting for her at the altar, every bit as princely the boy general that the history books celebrated and more. He was smiling at his bride as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world – and she definitely was, in his eyes.
Jay couldn’t fight back the wild flutter in her aching heart as she joined Goyong, clutching his hand as they stood in front of the altar. She felt as light as air – as if the armor she had carefully built up around her feeble skin slowly melted away, giving itself up to gravity. She felt more alive, more awake, free from the defensive weight that she used to think would protect her from the world. She wasn’t afraid to hurt anymore, knowing that all of it was nothing compared to the love she felt and received now.
She wasn’t the wreck that she used to be anymore.
“I love you too,” Goyong reassured her, keeping her grounded in the moment with his gentle words.
Her entire being swelling with glee, she turned
Friday, 12-02-2016, 12:00 PM, Grand Palazzo Royale
Everything was a happy blur. Goyong was a happy groom meandering his way through the ceremony and his vows with a happy bride. Everyone who meant something in his insignificant little life watched as they were wed. The men and women of Team Hijo de Puta joined them for the pictures first, followed by the Bonifacios and the Lunas, then the del Pilars. Last were Jay’s relatives with varying degrees of disgust and joy for the couple – and the bride’s well-hidden but obvious pregnancy.
“Wag mo silang intindihin,” he told Jay on the way to the reception. “Alam naman ng mga dapat makaalam yung katotohanan. Walang mali sa pagbubuntis mo.”
She kissed his mouth – sensually – and chuckled. “I know, henerahhhl. Hindi na talaga ako nabo-bother sa mga judgy bullshits na yan.” The fiery conviction in her voice spoke volumes.
He could barely process the speeches, though the subconscious part of him cued him when to laugh and nod. He was too giddy, too distracted by Jay’s presence on this day of all days. He could feel all the love radiating from her presence, making him feel warm and fuzzy from head to toe.
He did watch attentively when Tina caught the boquet and Julian got the garter. It wouldn’t have been surprising if Jay used her powers to make it happen, knowing that they would be getting married in two weeks, Marge and Julio in three.
“So, anong feeling na kasal na tayo ulit?” Jay asked over their meal, her dark eyes twinkling as she regarded him affectionately.
He rubbed his chest and gave her the biggest smile he could muster. “Hindi ko ipagpapalit ang araw na ito para sa kahit ano pa.”
She took his hand and placed it against her stomach, letting her feel their children kicking. “Let’s see kung mapangatawanan mo pa yan pag nanganak na ako!”
“Iba parin ito – kasal natin eh,” he whispered in her ear, making her shudder.
Friday, 12-02-2016, 3:00 PM, Brgy. Pulung Bulo
The wedding was over and done.
Jay felt her stomach rumble – and not because of her children – as they drove to their new home. Excitement and apprehension did her no good, she knew, and she fought them off the best she could. It was just the first day of the rest of their lives, the beginning of more adventures, and there was nothing to fear.
Goyong carried her inside with a grin on his face, shutting the door behind them with a kick. He paused momentarily to hold her better while she summoned her spark to nudge the lock. “So, bukas pa naman ng hapon yung flight natin papuntang Greece. Anong balak mo ngayon, Mrs. del Pilar?”
Kailangan ko talagang bumili ng handcuffs bago mag-Pasko. “Madami akong balak gawin sayo, Heneral. Sana lang hindi ka masyadong mapagod.”
He chuckled as he carried her upstairs, careful not to hit her head on anything. Opening the door to their new bedroom was a bit of a challenge but neither of them minded. “Ayokong sirain yang damit mo,” he said as he put her down on the bed gently.
“Mas lalong ayoko rin,” she pointed out with a cat-like grin. She let him unzip her dress and pull it down, barely standing still long enough to let him put it away before she undid his clothes.
A wolflike grin lit up his features as they felt each other up, letting her pull him on the bed and roll on top of it. “Ito na ba yung gagawin natin para magpalipas ng oras bago tayo pumunta sa honeymoon natin?”
“Hindi naman ako magrereklamo kung ito nga,” she told him before pulling him in a ravenous kiss.
They made love then and there on the new bed with not a care in the world. They had the rest of the day to each other, and another week and a half together in Greece. Whatever adventure the future wanted to throw at them was nothing but a faint smudge in the horizon that they would be facing together.
She was Venus unchained and he was Pluto unshackled. She put the old broken pieces of himself back into a coherrent whole and he helped her throw the heaveness in her heart back to gravity. It was time that they enjoyed their happy ever after. They deserved it.
End.