Broken Hearts RX: Book II: Crestfallen (TAGALOG)

Chapter 5

Barakos Santiagos, iyon na siguro ang tawag sakanilang magpipinsan bago pa man siya nagging ganap na binata. He played the part of being a barako. He was the heartthrob. He had that fan girls kahit hindi naman siya artista. Sikat siya, hindi lang sa eskwela nila kundi sa buong Lungsod nila. Dahil na din siguro sa kaniyang ama na masyadong maagang yumao. He never had any siblings kahit pa nag-asawang muli ang kaniyang ina. If it weren’t for his cousins malamang he’d have a very lonely childhood. That is why he promised himself that his children would never have to grow up as an only child. He wanted a big family of his own kahit lima pang anak kaya niyang suportahan yun. He was after all at the right age of starting a family. Nakakainggit din kasing makita ang mga kasamahan mo na nagsisipag-asawa na. Lalo na nang nakipag-usap siya sa isang bata na nakaconfine sa hospital na pinagtatrabahuan niya. Kristoff really reminded him of himself as a kid, mischievous. He even asked to hug the kid, which was kind of weird for him. He wanted to have a son just like Kristoff.

All he had to do now was to find the girl he could share his life with and have a kid just like him. And that was where his problem begins. He actually found the one he wanted to marry. But things turned out sour between them. Dahil na din sa kaniyang pakialamerong lolo who recently just passed. With his passing the old man’s secret was revealed. He was behind everything that happened at med school. He was the reason why Tristan lost his great love, Britney. At kahit siguro anung gawin niya to win her back, she would continuously be like a gazelle avoiding him. She was now happily engaged to a business tycoon named Lucas Agustus, the adoptive son of the famous Senator. And soon to be married.

He was actually invited to her wedding which he wanted to attend. After all he was introduced with Nico Bolzico by Lucas himself being in the farm industry. They were outsourcing some organic produce that their farm was supplying, from then the rest was history. Now he runs with the same crowd as Lucas, being a business man himself. Sakanya kasi iniwanan ng Lolo niya ang farm. The old man knows na hindi niya papabayaan ang lahat ng share ng tatay niya sa mana na matatanggap. Kaya naman he was leading a double life now. Doctor in the hospital and the rest being a farmer due to his grandfather’s frustrations as well. But he wouldn’t disagree that he has in deed the green thumb. Anything that he wanted to grow would flourish in his farm.

His grandfather never really liked Britney to begin with. He had that prejudice about her family. Old habits die hard. He wanted his bloodline clean. Kung alam lang ng matanda kung gaano na nagshift ang kapalaran ni Britney. At paano mo ba mababago ang gusto ng mga matatanda sa mga pananaw nila. He was just so hard headed and would manipulate things to end it on his favor. While he disliked Britney, he would often times verbalize his delight towards Tabitha. She was his favored one. He liked her. But who in their right mind wouldn’t like that girl?

She was bobbly and always smiling. Masyado ngang natuwa ang kaniyang lolo noon ng umuwi sila ng dalaga sa probinsya na magkasama. Tabitha has a special place in Tristan’s heart. She was a lost friend dahil nga din sa katangahan niya. Alam niya na kahit noon pa ay malaki na ang paghanga sakanya ng dalaga. Paghanga that turned out to be something deep which started when they were still young. He never really put the taught into it thinking that she would get over him. She was the daughter of Diosdado Hernandez, the owner of the neighboring hacienda next to their farm.

He grew up knowing her dahil na din nga sa koneksyon ng kanikanilang pamilya. Tabitha was the reason why Tristan met Britney in the first place. At buong akala niya ay lalayo na ang dalaga sakaniya noon, nang kaibigan nito ang niligawan niya. But she didn’t. She actually became their friend as a couple. But he saw how the flame of her love for him somehow diminished. And he also observed that she would be less sweeter bagay na kinasanayan na niya. Si Tabitha ang nagiging thirdwheel nila sa mga late night review sessions. Siya din ang tumutulong sakanya upang masmaging maayus na nobyo para kay Britney. She would often say that she was the president of their love team fan club. And even as they broke up, she still stayed friends with the two them. Of course Tristan received one hell of an ass kicking from her when she heard of what happened between him and Britney. Alam ni Tristan ang pagiging loyal na kaibigan ni Tabitha. But she was also fair with her judgements.

Hindi din alam ni Tristan kung anu ang pumasok sa kukote niya ng magdisisyon siyang ligawan si Tabitha roughly a year after Britney and him broke up. Thinking of it now, he was still a mess back then and wa incapable of loving someone else besides Britney. Siguro he just got so scared to lose even Tabitha that he would try anything with her so she wouldn’t leave him? But she eventually did. Doon niya napagtanto na ang isang taong wasak ay hindi kayang magbigay ng anu mang uri ng pagmamahal. That was why he tried his best to feel whole again but in the process he lost two women who meant a lot to him. At sana sa susunod na kabanata ng kaniyang buhay pag-ibig ay hindi na siya maging unfair pa sa taong mamahalin niya.

But he could never picture himself with someone now. He was never the looking for love type. Lalo na ng binasted na siya ni Britney for the last and final time ng nasa Islas del Sur sila. He was even stupid enough to try and seduce her which was very much cringe worthy. It irked him thinking of his stupidity. When he tried that last antic, it reassured him that his great love for Britney had already faded. Alam na niya yun sa sarili niya in a long time but he wanted to be sure. The question he wanted to answer now was how did he get over her? Was it because of Tabitha? He never really had any contacts since that fateful day.

Ironic as it was she broke up with him because he was never really trying to get over Britney. When it was clear to them both that they were in the relationship to help him heal from the break up. She was there helping him in every step of the way, but he was an asshole. Alam ni Tabitha that she would just be a rebound, but she was willing to be there for him. That was how much she loved him. She was willing to break her own heart just to help him be okay. And he knew for a fact that if he could have done something to stop her from leaving that day, she would have stayed.

Pero hinayaan niya mangyari iyon, not for his sake but for hers. Alam niya na nahihirapan na ang dalaga dahil parati siyang nagmumukmuk sa mga panahong iyon. At lalong alam niyang halos ipamukha niya dito na she could never be enough dahil mahal pa din niya sa mga panahong iyon si Britney. But he wouldn’t have pursued her if he hadn’t felt something for her right? As crazy and confusing as it was with happened to him and Tabi, he promised himself that he would not try to love someone else until he finally knew that he was free of Britney. But now that he was already sure of himself being over with Britney, bakit kaya wala pa din siyang ganang pumasok or maghanap man lang ng babaeng makakasama niya panghabang buhay? He after all was at a marrying age. Most of his friends except his cousins are tying the knot and being married.