The Long Overdue Question

The first time he asked me was a few years back, and I knew we were both, not ready yet.

The second time he asked me, I wasn’t ready.

The third time was when Mommy and Daddy made up the plan and I knew it wasn’t his idea.

Last Friday, inside the car, in the parking lot of a mall, I woke up from the nap I had and he said a few introductions, then he popped the magic question. Due to some “day-before” reasons which I need not elaborate here, I couldn’t not say anything. My hopes and expectations had been too high already and I wasn’t too happy about it. I just started to cry, and told him, I wanted to go home. He went to a battle and his only armor was a few sentences and the ring and unfortunately, he has been defeated.

But defeat, he couldn’t accept. He started the car, I thought he was bringing me home. Then, we passed by the road to the house and he went further, I told him where is he taking me. His only word was “Basta.” Familiar roads, familiar traffic, my stomach was grumbling because my only meal was breakfast and it was already twelve hours ago. I was getting impatient, so I forced myself on a nap again. I woke up, the second time and knew he was lost already. He asked me, “Asan yung ikot?” No, it wasn’t a jeep route but he referred to the Sunken Garden as “ikot”. I told him to make a few turns and park. Why here? What’s in here? He just said, “Tara, lakad tayo.” While walking, he started talking. “I brought you here because this is the place where I first felt something for you.” He reminisced a bit, brought back a few years. As we continued walking, he said that this place was his memory of the first time that we talked about each other’s lives, where I asked him out-of-this-world-questions, and this where he touched my hand, the first time.

Then, with "Oble," the naked statue, as our witness, we stopped and he said he doesn’t know if it’s still right to ask me. Then, I stopped him and said the magic answer. Yes, he put the ring on my finger. And yes, we had dinner afterwards. No “The End” because this is just the beginning. But there will be a happily ever after.

I’ve proven, patience is a virtue. And when what you’re waiting for comes, it will be worth the wait. I've had lots of memories of the Sunken Garden, but this one outweighs it all.