“Love doesn’t make the world go ’round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” – Franklin P. Jones
This has been a very long overdue post and I haven’t posted in the last months as well because I was studying and I was also savoring the short moment A was here in PH. A lot has happened since December 2019 and I am excited (and sometimes still in cloud nine) to share it with all of you.
Last December 6 to 17, 2019, A and I ventured to Fukuoka and Tokyo in Japan. It’s the fourth country we visited together but Japan was the most memorable for both of us. It was supposedly a 13-day trip but was cut off by two days though due to A having been hospitalized. But it didn’t stop us from having memorable moments in the land of the rising sun.
I will have a separate post about the Fukuoka and Tokyo adventure. This post is actually going to center around *drum roll please* — A‘s proposal. Yes, I still can’t believe it up until now — I am betrothed! I am writing it down so I can express my feelings overall with regards to the proposal.
First, it would be a hypocrite of me to say that I wasn’t wishing for it. I have been in longer relationships but it made me realize that it’s not how long you’ve been with the person, rather, it’s the level of understanding, support, and love that you have for each other. Apart from being a couple for a few years, he’s also my closest friend since July 2013. So I can vouch for it when I told myself countless times that I am ready to take this up a notch.
The days of our trip were surprisingly short but nonetheless fun. From Fukuoka to Nagasaki and then to Tokyo, I now know why people love and respect that country so much. We didn’t follow itineraries but we still felt tired from all the walking around — all my nights there ended with a good soak at the tub.
On our last day in Tokyo, we went out separately because he still has to shop figs in Akihabara while I have to get some luggage in Ueno. We agreed to meet up at home and have dinner at Tokyo Skytree that night. We were in a BnB in Asakusa and so the Skytree is pretty near to us. Instead of riding the train, we walked. We were conversing about stuff at work, life in Japan, how he wishes to work there, etc.
I’ve had a dialogue with myself prior that whatever happens, will happen. A part of me shunned the thought already as he wasn’t carrying any bag and there’s no visible sign of a bulky item. It was a cold night in Skytree but we’re used to the cold somehow (me more than him) and the lights were absolutely stunning to look at.
The night was extraordinarily amazing too, because, for the longest time, I am with him in that fleeting moment. We waited 15 months to be together again whilst the trip took 6 months of saving up. Japan is a very lovely country to be at despite its horror stories I hear from people.
After dinner, we headed to the two decks — the 360m and 465m. Then, we reminisced how far we’ve come, how drastically we’ve grown. Our eyes feasted at the entirety of the city which is seen from the top of the tower. We had our photos snapped by the warm staff of Tokyo Skytree. The photo above, with us holding hands, was actually taken by a roaming security personnel.
Nearly 10 in the evening, I told him we better head home because the tower is nearly closing. We went down and at the foot of the tower, lies a simple garden with restaurants and lights in it.
We sat down on a chair and he asked me why I wasn’t talking to him when he got sick before the trip. Just to give a background, a typhoon hit hard that day and there was no electricity for a day which led to his worst asthma attack. Seeing him having a hard time breathing broke me into pieces.
With tears streaming down my face, I told him I was scared. Scared that I’d lose him if his condition had gotten worse. I was trying to be strong by holding it all in so he won’t worry. I saw him make a poofy expression on his face as if holding his tears in, too.
That, alongside the reminiscing of the years that had gone by, made up that night. When some employees and tourists appear to be heading home too, I told him we should probably head home as well. I got up and he weirdly told me to take a photo with the dog. (See below)
I walked away first as I was looking at the closed mall in front of us but when I turned around, there he was, on his knees. I was struck in awe. He was holding a white box with a ring in it. Then he said, “Hun, be my wife.”
Now here comes the fun part which up until this moment, my teammates and manager still laugh about. My immediate reaction was a question that says, “Were you pressured into doing this?” He immediately said no. I rebutted, “Are you sure?”, and he said yes.
Still not believing what I’m seeing and also being present in the moment, I was silent and was only staring at him. After a few seconds which felt minutes, he said, “Baby, masakit na sa tuhod.” [Baby, my knees hurt already.] And that was the time when I gave him my yes.
He got up and told me he dunno what to do next to which I laughed and said he needs to put the ring on my finger. Then he hugged me and that’s when I started tearing up again. He recorded a video of it, and in his video, he pointed at me and said, “Future waifu.”
It felt surreal. Since I live alone with Rem, there were countless times I rehearsed in my head what I’ll do when he proposed. Some of my ideas included playing a prank on him and telling him “no”, while others are a series of bumming Q&A.
None of my ideas mattered when it happened, though. I’ve always thought girls crying on proposals are weepy, dramatic bishes — I was wrong. It was overwhelming joy and love, for which you will really be on tears. All the pain I’ve experienced in the past, they were all but a memory. However, it made me realize how it all happened to prepare me for being a better woman for A.
I cried too because I thought of my mom and how she will not be there when I walk down the aisle. I hope though that she’s looking upon us and guiding us in another chapter of our lives.
As we walked back home, he told me how he feels much better already. The toll of keeping it from me and worrying if I’ll say yes made his shoulders feel like he’s carrying the world.
To end this blog post, I am happy to announce that I am marrying my best friend. I can’t imagine a more fitting fiance than him.
xoxo,
Soon-to-be-Mrs-DeLeon
