Chapter Text
Adi and Mikael planned to give out invitations to their wedding personally. Pupuntahan nila mismo yung taong iimbatahin nila to give out their invitations.
Contrary to what people were expecting, sobrang simple lang ng invitation nila. It was just a plain white invitation na naka-blind emboss. It has a medium-sized foliage in the middle with their names – Adriel and Mikael.
(invite peg: https://printsonalities.com/product/arthur-franchesca/ )
Adi knows a lot of people were expecting that they would go all out. Lalong lalo na siya. Their closest friends know how extra he can be. But both wanted to keep their wedding as simple and intimate as possible. Excluding their families, nasa thirty na tao lang ata ang iimbitahin nila – their friends, some people from their work, mga ninong at ninang.
At ngayon, they are on their way para imbitahin yung isa sa mga prospect nilang ninang.
“Nanay!” Adi greeted.
It’s nanay from the karinderya they used to frequent during their college years, kung saan sila nagsimula, kung saan sila nagsimulang mahulog sa isa’t isa.
“Huy! Anong ginagawa niyo rito?” the lady asked.
“May ibibigay kami sa inyo, nay” Mikael said, smiling before giving out an invitation. “Ninang ka namin ha?”
The lady quickly washed and wiped her hand bago kunin ang invitation na inaabot ni Mikael. She immediately opened it and read the details. As soon as she finished scanning the whole invitation, she started tearing up.
The two never forgot about her. Even when they are already out of college, madalas pa rin silang bumibisita rito para kumain. Minsan, dito sila nag-dedate.
“Ikakasal na kayo mga anak ko” the lady said, eyes still glistening with tears.
Maluhaluhang tumango ang dalawa. This woman is a witness to how their relationship unfolded. She is the first witness to how they matured into the men they are now.
“Kuya Kel, Kuya Adi!”
They suddenly heard voices from other people – Balong, Jay, Dindin, Nene, and Pepoy. All of them are now seventeen years old, scholar nilang dalawa.
“Huy!” Kel said, “May ibibigay kami sa inyo ng Kuya Adi ninyo”
“Ano yun, Kuya?” Dindin asked.
This time, si Adi naman ang nag-abot ng invitation sa lima nilang alaga, “Invited kayo ah?”
When the five opened the envelope, bigla silang naghiyawan.
“Hala!” Dindin and Nene were smiling, obviously feeling giddy about the situation. Nakangiti rin naman ang tatlong lalaki.
“Grabe, mga Kuya ikakasal na kayo. Naalala niyo yung sinabi niyo samin na kayo na?” Balong asked at muli silang naghiyawan.
Nine years ago–
“Balong, Jay, Pepoy, Din, Ne” Mikael started, “May sasabihin si Kuya sa inyo”
Mikael gathered to kids today dahil may sasabihin siya sa kanila.
“Kami na ni Kuya Adi niyo”
The kids looked at the two of them.
“Boyfriend niyo isa’t isa, ganun po?” Nene asked.
“Yes, Ne” Adi answered.
“Okay” the girl answered, habang yung apat naman ay nakatingin lang sa kanila. They just shrugged and continued eating the ice cream Mikael bought for them.
“Huy bakit wala kayong mga reaksyon”
“Eh” Jay answered, “akala namin ng Kuya matagal na kayong mag-boypren”
“Kaya nga” Pepoy seconded. “Parati kayo magkasama kaya”
Dindin only nodded bago dinilaang muli yung ice cream na tumutulo sa cone.
“Hindi kayo galit?”
The kids only laughed, “Bakit naman, Kuya?” Balong asked, “Diba sabi mo samin dapat walang pakielamanan sa kung anong trip ng mga tao basta wala sila inaapakang iba?”
“Oo nga, Kuya” Dindin added, “tsaka ang saya niyo kaya pag magkasama. Gusto namin happy kayong dalawa”
If the Adi and Mikael teared up that day, hindi na nila pinahalata sa mga bata.
The kids were laughing, remembering how Kel and Adi reacted.
“Si Kuya Adi umiyak” Jay mentioned.
“Si Kuya Kel din naman” Nene responded.
“Bagay talaga sila no? Parehas iyakin” Pepoy teased.
“Aba, sumusobra na kayo ah” Adi said, na tinawanan lang ng mga bata.
These kids are part of the reason why they strive and save up as much as possible. Bukod pa yung plano nilang magpakasal. And they are so proud of what these kids have reached so far.
All five of them are in their senior high school. Balong and Pepoy are STEM students, ABM naman si Dindin, while Jay and Nene are on HUMSS.
“Anong kukunin niyo pala sa college?” Adi asked.
“Kung ano po sa tingin niyo yung pwede?” Jay said.
“Eh bakit kami? Dapat kayo mag-decide” Mikael answered.
“Eh kasi mga Kuya, mag-aasawa na kayo. Edi magpapamilya na rin kayo. Syempre dapat ang uunahin niyo yung magiging anak ninyo. Kaya yung samin, kung ano na lang po yung pwede at kaya” Dindin replied.
“Wag niyo alalahanin yung pera, ano ba kayo” Adi said. “Maraming ganun si Kuya Kel niyo. Hindi niyo ba alam kada labas niyan sa TV bayad yan. Kahit magpapogi lang siya dun, bayad siya. Kaya niya kayong pag-aralin, wag kayo mag-alala. Kunin niyo kung anong gusto niyo”
“Kuya…”
Mikael chuckled, “Kaya nga nagpapayaman si Kuya para hindi kayo na-sstress ng ganyan tapos kung ano-ano iniisip niyo”
The five kids embraced the two of them before sharing what their plans are.
Balong and Pepoy want to be engineers – civil si Balong, mechanical naman si Pepoy.
Dindin wanted to take Accountancy, which turned out to be surprising dahil ito ang hirap na hirap sa math noong mga bata pa sila. But right now, she has been excelling in this field.
Jay wanted to take Political Science, tapos International Studies naman ang kay Nene.
“Gusto niyo sa UP rin?” Mikael asked.
Kitang kita sa mukha ng mga bata kung paano sila nag-alangan.
“Ayan na naman, nag-iisip na naman. Oo o hindi lang” Adi said.
“Eh Kuya, mahal sa UP diba?”
“Hindi naman. Mas mahal pa rin sa ADMU tsaka DLSU. Tsaka ano ba kayo, kaya nga ni Kuya Kel niyo yan. Siya nga may sagot ng kasal namin. Ang ambag ko dun yung sarili ko lang”
Kel laughed way too loud.
“Makinig kayo kay Kuya Adi niyo” he smiled, “Kami ang bahala sa inyo”
That day, they were able to finish two agenda: mamigay ng invitation at kumbinsihin ang mga alaga nilang bata na sundin ang pangarap na gusto nilang gawin.