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Chapter Text

“Oo, Fidel. Sinasagot na kita,” ani ni Klay noong mag-isa nalang sila ni Fidel sa hardin ni Crisostomo Ibarra. Lumaki ang mga mata ni Fidel at abot tenga na ang kanyang ngiti.

“Se-Seryoso ka ba, Klay?” tanong niya na may halong pag-aalinlangan.

Tumawa si Klay. “Oo nga eh! Wag mo na ko tanongin ulit,” asar niya. Kung aaminin ni Klay, sobrang saya niya ngayon. Tapos na ang away, mabuti na ulit si Maria Clara at Sir Ibarra, at mabuti na din ang buhay niya.

“Salamat, mahal ko,” ani ni Fidel na may luha na sa kanyang mga mata.

“Uy wag ka iiyak!” hinawakan niya ang mga pisngi ng kanyang nobyo.

Nobyo. Si Fidel ay ang aking nobyo.

Napakasarap pakingan noon.

Ningitian siya ni Fidel,  “Aking binibini, hindi ito malungkot na luha, masaya sila. masayang masaya ako na ika’y akin. Sa sobrang saya, ako’y napapa-iyak.”

Binuhat ng ginoo ang dalaga at inikot ito sa hangin. Sa mga nakakakita sakanila’y tila ngingiti lamang. Rinig na rinig nina Ibarra at Maria ang tawa ni Klay pero ngumiti na lamang sila sa isa’t-isa, dahil napag-daan din nila yan.

Masaya na si Klay. Kasama na niya ang kasayahan niyang nagngangalang, Fidel.

Chapter Text

“Pasensya na Fidel, dahil hindi ko pwedeng i-accept yang confession mo.”

Those words hit Fidel hard . 

“Pero bakit, binibini?” Fidel said in confusion, “Can’t you see that I love you?”

“Nakikita ko yun! Believe me, Fidel, I do… It’s just…” Klay hesitated. How was she going to put her thoughts into words that wont hurt his feelings?

“...Natatakot ako, Fidel,” her voice broke as tears fell down her face, “Natatakot ako na, baka bukas, wala ka na dito… kasi kung papatayin si Sir Ibarra, kung kailan man yan mangyari, baka madamay ka, at ayaw kitang nakikitang nasasaktan dahil sa mga kasalanan ko at-”

“Why would you think that, binibini?” nilapitan nito ang dalagang umiiyak at hinawakan ang kanyang pisngi, “Bakit mo naman iniisip na kasalanan mo ang lahat na nangyayari sa amigo ko ngayon?” parehong kamay na ni Fidel ang humahawak sa pingsi,  “Diba napag-usapan na natin ito?”

“Oo, pero-”

“Didn’t I tell you that you are not at fault for what Crisostomo did? That he decided, on his own, to do that sa dating frayle?” pinaalala niya ng mahimbing. “It’s not your fault, mi amor..”

“Luh, ‘mi amor’ agad,” Klay laughed, that was a good sign, “Pero, thank you…”

“Thank you for what, binibini?”

“O bat binibini na ulit?”

“Akala ko ba, ayaw mong tawagin kita ng mga palayaw?”

“Wala akong sinabing ganon hah! Pero salamat talaga dahil pinapaalala mo padin saking ang halaga ko,” ani ni Klay, sabay yakap ki Fidel, clearly hiding her blushing face.

“Of course, my love. Lahat gagawin ko para sa iyo,”

Chapter Text

O Jesu Cristo,

Ringgin mo ang hiling ko.

Na ang Maria Clara'ng na sa'kin,

Huwag mo sanang kunin.

Sapagkat kung siya'y mamatay,

Mawawalan rin ako ng buhay.

Aking pusong binigyan niya ng ligaya.

Ligaya na ayokong mawala,

Dahil sa mga diyos-diysan ng lupang ito,

Ang puso ko'y hihinto,

O Dios Mio.

Ang kanyang ngiti at kanyang mga pisngi,

Na mas nag-papamahal sa mestisang intsik,

Ay mawawala lamang, kung siya'y iyo'y ipahatid,

Sa mga perlas na pasukan,

Ang aking puso, iyong iisip.

Kahit ngayon lamang, ang aking mga hiling ay iyong tuparin,

Huwag mo naman saktan ang aking damdamin.

Dahil alam kong si Klay ang liligtas samin lahat,

Ako'y magiging tapat.

Sana'y ang kayang mundo'y hindi lilipat,

Kung saan kasama niya na ang aking Ina at Ama.

O Dios, pakingan mo rin ako.

"Fidel? Uy, okay ka lang?" tumingala siya at nakita niya si Klay na may nag-aalalang ekspresyon. 

"Oo, mahal ko. Dahil andito ka na," hinawakan niya ang kanyang kamay, "Wag ka muna umalis... Please?"

"Of course," naupo siya sa tabi niya, "Hinding-hindi ako aalis sa tabi mo."

Sana naniwala si Fidel sa sinabi niya. 

Chapter Text

13 years have passed since the revolution that Crisostomo was framed of.

And 13 years have passed since he has since the love of his life,

Klay.

Seeing her get into the portal and never looking back at him broke his heart. All the things she said were real, and he didn't believe him.

'If only I asked to come with her, would she have accepted the offer?'

Right now, he wasn't in hiding anymore. He was now in Spain, with a new name, managing another business. And it was flourishing. If he was considered rich back in San Diego, he was 6x richer than he was. 

But none of it made joy spring into his heart. 

He wished for one thing; to atleast see Crisostomo and Klay once more. He didn't even know if Crisostomo was alive or not.

All the company did was make him busy himself with its works and its problems. But nothing in this world has successfully made him forget about the girl he loves from another world.

“Fidel?” a familiar voice called.

His eyes widened.

No, a voice too familiar called him. It couldn't be, can it? He refused to turn around. He couldn't face her. Not after all these years.

 
No no no, no, no no nonon-

“Fidel, please,” she-who-shall-not-be-named touched his shoulder.

He shook his head. “No,” he said in a small voice. “I-I can't...”

Yet he still turned around with tears in his eyes. 

“Klay? Is that really you?” 

She gave him a watery smile, “Yes, it is me,” she went to hug him tight. “I'm sorry for leaving you,”

He hugged her just as tight. “No, you had to go, I understand.”

They both cried. Cried for all the times they wasted. Cried for all the people they lost. And they cried for the future that was ahead of them. 

He cupped her cheek. “You're back now, that's what matters,” then he paused to think. “You will stay, won't you?” he asked, suddenly unsure.

Klay nodded, “Yes, of course, mi amor,”

He impulsively picked her up and spun her around, Klay's laughter filling the shop, and most importantly filling his heart with joy. People from the window watching may assume that the lady accepted the man's proposal, and are getting married.

But no, this was simply the start of their story, and Fidel and Klay hoped it wouldn't end up like Maria Clara and Ibarra's own.