Mag-jowa na si Ningning and Tikyo since time immemorial. A picture of perfect couple – childhood bestfriends, magkasundo na pamilya, destined for marriage. That’s not until Ningning became unhappy. After 8 years of relationship bliss, Ningning suddenly gets annoyed of the boring routine – weekly phone calls, Saturday night dates, Sunday family gatherings. Naumay siya. Kabisado na niya lahat, na parang naka-program na ganito mangyayari sa buong linggo niya, sa buhay niya.
But if even though Ningning desperately wanted to go out, she decided not to. Familiarity may be the greatest cause of her sadness, but it is also her reason to stay. Takot siyang umalis. Kaya ba niyang bumalik sa simula?
Ngayon, siyam na taon na silang mag-jowa. Every week may phone calls, Saturday night dates, Sunday family gatherings. Picture of a perfect couple daw, sabi nga nila.
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As far as she can remember, all Irma Daldal dream of is to get married. Naka-prepare na sa isip niya kung anong klase na gown ang susuotin, sinu-sino ang entourage at kung ano ang motif. Excited lahat pag ito ang topic sa mga kuwentuhan. Except for Alibangbang, who happens to be Irma's five-year boyfriend.
Irma Daldal notices Alibangbang indifference about the topic of marriage every time. Pero hindi niya ito kailanman tinanong kung bakit. Until one night, she couldn’t keep it anymore. She felt that her clock’s ticking faster every second. So the girl asked the boy to get married. Turn’s out, he’s not the marrying type. And Irma decided to get out of the relationship.
Now she’s single, still with her dream intact. Una, masaya, full of hope. But why is it that comparing it makes her sad: nasa relasyon ako dati at naghintay sa wala. Ngayon, nasa kawalan naman pero naghihintay pa rin?
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Akala ni Manang Bola she will become an old maid. 22 years na siyang single until makilala niya si Koko Kwik-kwak. He pursued her. You can feel every inch of Koko loving Manang Bola Pero dahil wala siyang point of comparison, hindi alam ni Manang Bola kung love ba niya si Koko because she’s attracted to him or mahal niya ito dahil reward ito sa kanya from being so patient being single.
Isa pa, 5 years ang age gap nila. Manang Bola, being the senior has to pay for every dinner and movie dates nila. Katuwiran niya, Koko is a student who can’t even sustain his own basic expenses. Before, she has this fun- things to-do-with-your-boyfriend list: Out of town trips, hotel hopping, fancy dining. Choosy pa ba? Nawala na ang listahan sa utak niya. Hindi na niya nagagawa ang mga gusto niya.
She loves him. She maybe unsure why but she does love him. Now she’s 23 with an 18-year old boyfriend, a hundred percent stressful job and zero savings on the bank. They keep on loving. He keeps on playing play-stations. She keeps on working.
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Simple lang naman ang plano ni Bodjie sa isang relationship. Mahalin siya ng taong mahal niya. Yung love na di nawawala. That’s why he was in cloud nine nung naging sila ni Pong P. Not only do they love each other so much, they look good together too. Pero parang may kulang pa din. Is it the sad reciprocity of love that you want to get what you think you are giving?
So they broke up. He cried for days, it was hurtful knowing that the simplest of your plan was not met. Pero sabi ng friend niya, may mas masakit pa daw dun. Eto yung pag nag-move-on at nakahanap na yung isa ng kapalit. Wish niya, sana siya ang mauna.
At nakilala niya si Kiko M. This new guy showed him affection worth of him. He promised him the stars, the sun, the world. Pero parang may kulang pa din. Bodjie tried, really hard, but still, no romantic feelings came out from him. Binasted niya ito.
He’s single and a lot of potential for hook-ups. Casual dating, minsan ang dami, sunod-sunod. Pero may panahon na talagang tag-tuyot. Pag meron, nakukulangan siya. But when there’s none, he feels ego-broken. Simple lang naman ang gusto niya, pero minsan, the simplest of things are the hardest to meet.
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There are no happy endings. Even fairy tales don’t end up happily ever after. Remember Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty all end up with the same Prince Charming. They just don’t know it at the time.
