Would You Marry Me?
<Kate Ballesteros>
As she got off from the jeep, she put on her dark glasses to protect her eyes from the piercing rays of the morning sun. It's a warm Saturday morning in Baguio and the scent of pine trees filled her lungs. It's been a long time since I came here, she thought. She went to London to study and earn her masters degree. Jake was against her going there but nothing and no one was stopping her from doing what she wanted to do.
Now, she's there where they last saw each other, where she last felt his touch as he wiped the tears streaming down her cheeks. She almost changed her mind but when Jake gave her the boquet of roses and the note which said, 'Good luck... I'll be waiting'. She knew she had Jake's blessings then.
The place is still familiar to her. She noticed the new flowers adorning the landscape as she walked slowly to the grandstand. The place still looks immaculately clean. Like the cadets, she thought and she laughed at the thought. Like the place, the affairs of the Academy are still familiar to her. It was Saturday and she knew that the cadets would be in the field for their Saturday inspection. She went past the barracks to the grandstand where she saw the cadets marching. Later, they'll be ready to entertain their visitors. She knew that Jake would be among those cadets and she wondered how he looks like this time. Did he see me? she wondered. She waited for the last of the men pass her by but she didn't notice any sign of Jake. He must have gone ahead she thought. She decided to go to the Lorenzo Hall so she could make her call to the barracks.
He saw her approach the grandstand. He was not parading that time and he was at their barracks window marvelling at how beautiful she has become. He knew she was looking for him among the cadets and he took his time watching every move she made. He received a call from Toni's mom telling him Toni will visit him today. She wanted to make this visit a surprise for Jake but her mom spoiled her surprise. Instead, Jake will surprise her. He saw her tread her way towards the crowded visitor's lounge, she'll make her call now he thought.
"Bok," he called his roommate. "Toni is here already, is Myka there?" His roommate smiled. "Yes, she's there already. She called up when she arrived and she asked me to remind you of her pizza." Jake smiled back and looked at his watch, "Five, four, three, two, and.." They heard another cadet knock at their door, "Cdt. Mariano, Sir, you have a phone call." "Time to play," he told his roommate. With that Jake stormed out of the room to receive the call. He tried his best to sound so formal although his heart was beating so loud that the other cadets might have heard it. He missed her so much.
"Cadet First Class Mariano on the line, Good Morning Sir."
"Bok, I saw Toni!" came the excited voice of Cdt. Santos.
"Mark I saw her too. Now if you would please put the phone down. She might be calling from the visitors' lounge now."
Mark laughed. "I see, okay say hi to her for me. I can't go out now. I'm in charge of the barracks you know."
"Okay," Jake replied.
"We'll just call you then." He put the receiver back to its cradle and waited for it to ring. Damn! he thought. Maybe I should just go down and meet her.
When the phone did ring, his dress cap almost fell.
"Charlie Company Cdt. First Class Mariano Good Morning Sir!" he answered.
"Yes, Good Morning." she hesitated. Maybe there are two Cdt Marianos.
"May I speak to Cdt Jake Mariano?" He recognized the voice immediately. It's no mistake that Toni was on the other end of the line. Hi Toni, I'm glad you're here. He was tempted to say his thoughts out loud to her but he didn't. He wanted to go on with his surprise.
"This is Cdt. Jake Mariano speaking, may I help you?" he tried to sound formal.
"Hi," she responded. Her voice still sounded nice. "Would you like to come down from your room to entertain a lady?"
"I'm sorry?" he said sounding as if he is confused.
"Uhmn, it's Toni," she said softly.
"Oh, is this a long distance call?"
"No, I...I'm at the visitor's lounge." I know Jake thought.
" I was hoping maybe I could see you?"
"Uh, well, okay. I'll be there in two minutes" Maybe even less he thought.
"Okay, I'll just wait."
She remembered when Jake was still a plebe when she had been waiting endless hours just to see him and talk to him for fifteen minutes. She smiled at the thought. She remembered that he's already a firstie and she need not worry anymore. Just then a lady tapped her. "Excuse me, you look familiar," she said. "Well, I damn thought I made a mistake. Hi Toni!" It was Marie, a former classmate. "Oh, hi!" she replied. "It's good to see you again, Marie." Is it? she asked herself. As far as she can remember Marie hates her. Marie wanted Jake to be her boyfriend but Jake pursued her instead of Marie. That is why the moment she and Jake became steadies, Marie made her life miserable. She began to feel suspicious of her prescence.
"I see you're back from the States," Marie sounded very cheerful.
"Well, I just arrived two days ago," she flatly replied. "So, are you here to visit one of the cadets?" she asked.
"Oh yes, in fact he's my boyfriend." Marie boasted as she flaunted her necklace. "See! I already have this. It's their class seal on the pendant, you know."
"I'm glad. Who might he be? Do I know him?" she asked. Why do I have this creepy feeling?
"You know him." She answered with a very mischievous smile. "You know him very well."
The way Marie looked, made Toni uneasy. Please don't let this be a bad day.
Toni played it cool. "Really? Who is he?"
"Well, as a matter of fact his name is Jake. Cadet First Class Jake Mariano, don't tell me you don't know him."
It was a stab. No, it couldn't be! She started to quiver.
"Of course. You see, you've been gone for a long time. He needed somebody to look after his needs. You were far and I was near. He's mine now."
Toni felt as if all the blood in her body was wrung out of her. She was speechless. She was confused. She didn't know whether she had to leave or wait for Jake. But her senses told her that she'd better wait for Jake rather than believe every word Marie is telling her.
"I believe you're here to visit him. Well, I guess you'd better leave, he doesn't need you anymore," she sarcastically said those words. "Look, here's our engagement ring. We'll get married as soon as he graduates. Of course you don't know all these because it's a secret. Jake and I planned a big surprise for you."
"That's a lie," was all she managed to say.
When Jake arrived at the lounge, he immediately saw Toni. His heart leaped. Just as he was about to remove his dress cap he saw Marie talking to Toni. He knew then that something bad is about to happen. He slowly went near them. Marie was busy telling all those lies so she didn't notice him.
"Are you through telling all those lies, Marie?" he interrupted.
"Jake," Marie was surprised but she was able to keep her composure. Toni was relieved to see Jake.
"I'm not telling lies. Well, maybe Jake just wants it to break it to you gently.
I see you haven't had a formal breakup yet." She told Toni and avoided Jake's eyes which seemed to drill a hole in her head when she looked at them.
"Don't believe her Toni," Jake was firm. "And as for you Marie, if you have anything good to say, I think you should just go now."
"Well, is that the proper way to treat your fiancee?" Marie was still acting.
"I'm giving you another chance Marie to go home silently. Stop making those illusions of you and me. I can never be yours. And that is the truth," he looked at Marie and then Toni.
"I hate you. I hate you both!" Marie screamed.
The cadet at the information table heard Marie and he hurriedly went to their place. Jake ordered the cadet to escort Marie out of the building. Marie couldn't do less but follow. Toni was in tears and she was still very pale. Jake started to get worried. He knew she was still tired and exhausted from her trip. She might get very stressed out.
"Love, are you okay?" he asked.
"Oh Jake," she sobbed. "I thought she was telling me the truth."
"Hush, stop crying now. She's gone. She'll never harm you again." He calmed her.
"I hope so. But she has never stopped pestering us Jake. She has done a lot of harm already."
"She won't succeed. She can never succeed as long as we trust each other," Jake said. "See, we still have each other."
Toni smiled.
"Look, I have a surprise for you."
"Talk about surprises. I think I've had enough surprises for this day."
"C'mon. This is really a surprise. I know you'll like it. Now close your eyes," he looked around for Myka. She was at the corner of the room. He signaled her to come over.
"Okay," Toni closed her eyes. "You better be sure I'll like this."
"Of course you will, don't open your eyes."
"You are the one who makes me happy.." Myka began to sing their favorite song. "When everything else turns to gray...."
Toni was touched. She felt tears in her eyes again but still she kept her eyes closed. She felt Jake hold her hands.
"Now open your eyes."
When she opened her eyes Myka handed her a boquet of roses as she sang the last line of the song. Jake sang along with her "How can anyone mean more to me than you?" She looked at Jake who was now seated beside her.
"Would you marry me?" he asked.
"When?" she mischievously asked. All the pain inflicted by Marie disappeared. She has never felt happier before.
"Let me see..." Jake paused. "We'll graduate by the third week of March. Will the day after our graduation be fine?"
"What? Are you kidding?" She was surprised.
"Hey, you two," interrupted Myka. "Before anything else, I'd like you to know that all the First Classmen are around you." Jake and Toni looked around and they saw the whole bunch of Firsties.
"Did we hear it right?" asked Cadet Cruz, his roommate. The others were silent as they waited for a reply from the two.
"Well..." said Toni as she looked at Jake. "Can we do this some other time? I mean ask me again some other time. I don't think…"
"Toni, I'm not joking about this. They're waiting for your answer."
"What am I supposed to say?"
"Tell me whatever is in your heart."
"I love you and I want to spend my whole life loving you."
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