It is one cold night, the rain is pouring heavily, and the street is already empty like an old ghost street, except for the two persons who seems fighting at the middle of the road while they are both soaking wet from the heavy rain.
“ that’s it? Your leaving for just one little problem that comes between us? You must be crazy. I have been trying my whole life to fight against all the challenges that tries to break us apart but then you suddenly brought me to a restaurant just to break our relationship!” The woman screamed so that he will be able to hear her regardless of the noise of the raindrops.
Lily can’t believe that ZhangZhang would be so heartless. She can’t believe that after four years of being in relationship together he would just throw it all away.
“ I’m sorry, I can't ignore my father’s request. He needs me.” ZhangZhang said sadly ,while trying not to hurt her ,but he is well-aware that whatever he do, he would still hurt her.
“ I know much you love your father, but is it really worthwhile to be dating someone else just because your father said so? Is it really worthwhile to marry someone just because your company needs to survive.” Lily cried , her chest tightened. She is also shaking and trembling because of the cold and ZhangZhang felt that too. ZhangZhang went closer to her and hugged her tightly, but it only hurt Lily even more.
Lily cried and pushed him away. Nothing hurts than this person who is breaking up with her yet tried to show her that he is concerned.
“ ZhangZhang.. don’t you love me anymore?” She sobbed
And it hurts him to see how the woman he love cried in front of him and begged to let him stay. But if he would stay, his father would be furious and might be sent to the hospital again because of heart attack.
“ I’m sorry Lily, I can’t just stay.” He said in a crack voice and looked away. And with a full courage, ZhangZhang left her alone in the middle of the street. He entered in his car and brought it to life and drove away from that place and from her life. He have to let go of the most important person in his life as a sacrifice to save his family’s wealth. To save his father from another embarrassment. And even if he is not really sure about the choices he made, he still tried to put in his mind that it’s the right thing to do.
While Lily, dropped down in the ground with her butt first. Her heart is aching, her life is cold and dark like the dark night that surrounds her. Her chest tightened , her tears flowed freely. She is indeed hurt and she could say that if this is love, she would never dare to ever fall in love again.
She would not dare to try fall in love again.
“ AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHJH!” She screamed, she have to let her feelings set free or else she would die in pain. She felt so sad and empty and lonely and as if one part of her heart were taken by him away. She is broken inside and helpless outside. She lied there and close her eyes.
WHEN Lily wake up, she frown when she realized that she’s in unfamiliar room. She strolled her gaze around and sighed. She realized that she’s in the hospital. She felt sad again. The room is all white and except for the table made of wood that is varnished with brown paint. She raised half of her body and looked at the open space.
Her attention were caught when the door of her room creaked open and a petite woman with an eyeglasses emerged. She is wearing a nurse clothes and is carrying a folder.
“ Hi, finally your awake.” She smiled.
“ h-Hi, W-What happened?” Lily asked .
“ One concern citizen took you here, he was so worried that you might get Pneumonia or worst if you stay outside, you are also freezing to death when he found you .” The nurse told her about how she came into the hospital.
“ Concerned citizen? He?” Lily asked ,she hope that ZhangZhang went back to help her to be safe. She still hope he still care about her.
“ Yeah, a man in his forties. He is a merchandise truck driver.” The nurse said and Lily became disappointed. She sighed and looked away.
She hated the fact that she’s head over heels in love with ZhangZhang.
She looked at the nurse.
“ Can I go home now?” Lily asked.
“ I’ll check your vital signs first.” The nurse smiled. The nurse check the heartbeat, my temperature and told Lily to drink the medicine she brought. And recalling all that had happened ,Lily could say that she’s a fool. She is a fool to fall in love with a person who just throw away what they had tried to keep for years.
Promises are indeed made to be broken. The nurse then looked at me and suddenly hold my both shoulders. I frown when she suddenly spoke.
“ If you have problems in life dear, you have to fight it the right way. Don’t make yourself be in danger.” She said seriously and Lily could feel that her eyes is about to fall a tears. Lily just nodded. And when she finally came out of the hospital ,she decided to have a drink with her bestfriend Riego , she visit him in his bar and ordered free drinks. Riego knew she had problems from the looked of her face, that’s why he tried to lighten her heart.
The music is loud and the people inside the bar are doing their own thing for all they care. While Riego went to the rooftop of his bar and stayed there.
“ Tell me ,what happened?” Riego asked.
“ Is it really fate that decides?”
“ huh?”
“ Fate is known to brought people closer to each other.” Lily said and shrugged her shoulder but deep inside she’s about to cry.
Lily still remember how she met ZhangZhang, when he slowly came into her life. And thinking back at that moment, She knew he did love her , A kind of Love that she could say the best.
“ Hi, I am ZhangZhang, and you are?” He asked with his face brightened with a sweet smile.
“ Lily, a bulbous plant with large trumpet-shaped, typically fragrant, flowers on a tall, slender stem. Lilies have long been cultivated, some kinds being of symbolic importance and some used in perfumery.” Lily Giggled .
“ Nice name,” he uttered.
“ Thank you. “
“ I heard that you were a new singer in this region is it true?” he asked as if he is interested in her.
“ yes, they discovered me while singing in YouTube.” Lily smiled.
“ Wow. Can you sing for me? “
“ sing? Oh I don’t think so.” Lily felt shy.
“ Oh ,C'mon don’t be shy. I wanna hear my future wife's beautiful song.” He said cooly but it made Lily blushed like a tomato and meeting his magnetic stares, she could feel that something stirs inside.
“ What song would you like to hear?” Lily asked .
“ anything. I’m not picky.” He smiled and that encouraged her to opened her mouth and start singing.
‘ The first time you look at me ,
I could tell were meant to be,
My heart just fell for you,.
Yeah baby only you.
When your voice is calling me,
My Lonely heart beats tenderly,
Yeah, your my favorite melody,
I listen to…
Feeling more than I could ever wished for,
And I know my heart is forever yours,'
‘So will you please accept this song
From an ordinary girl,
And let me show you an extraordinary world.
Don’t have flowers,
Don’t have gold,
But I just want you to know.
I’ll give you every feeling your dreaming of,
So you’ll know, Incredible Love…
ZhangZhang clapped happily and Complimented Lily of her good singing and Lily started to fall in love with him secretly.
And then they started seeing and dating after that. Meeting each other at a fine restaurant, at the food court and travel at the best places they could find.
“ Here we come Banaue Rice terraces.” Lily cheered and ZhangZhang Laughed.
“ Hey careful. You might fall.” ZhangZhang said while they are at the chopper.
“ Hmm. I’m so excited.”
“ can you tell me about it?” ZhangZhang asked.
“ it is the eight wonder of the world.” Lily started.
“ Carved by the ancestors of indigenous people. With a minimal equipment ,Largely by hand.” She added.
“ Anthropologist Otley Beyer, has estimated that the rice terraces are over 2000 years old, but several researchers dispute this and contend that they were built much later.” Lily added and smiled at him. And finally their feet touches the ground and the chopper left.
ZhangZhang admired the beautiful green scenery , The building of the rice terraces entails constructing retaining walls with stones and rammed earth which are designed to draw water from a main irrigation canal above the terrace clusters. Indigenous rice terracing technologies have been identified with the Ifugao’s rice terraces such as their knowledge of water irrigation, stonework, earthwork and terrace maintenance. As their source of life and art, the rice terraces have sustained and shaped the lives of the community members.
“ Wow! This place is great.”
“ Yeah, very breath-taking.” Lily smiled.
And they meet and greet some Ifugao people, and they were. Welcomed warmly. The elders toured them around .
The rice terraces are situated in the Cordilleras of Luzon island. The remote area—some 220 miles
350 km
from Manila—has long been home to the Ifugao, wet-rice agriculturalists who began building the terraces about the 1st century CE. Despite possessing only basic tools, the Ifugao created an engineering marvel: a vast network of rice terraces sustained by an elaborate irrigation system. According to reports, the terraces—which resemble steps carved into the mountainside—cover some 4,000 square miles
10,360 square km
, and their total length is estimated at approximately 12,500 miles
20,100 km
, roughly half the Earth’s circumference. While the rice terraces were important to the Ifugao economy, they also served a cultural function, requiring intensive cooperation among the people.
“ Hmm”
“ it’s such a beautiful Philippine heritage.” ZhangZhang said.
“ Told you so.” Lily giggled.
And when they’re done with their whole day hiking and enjoying the tourist spot, Lily and ZhangZhang went home.
“ HEY! Why are you staring at me blankly.” Riego snapped Lily back in reality.
And Lily blinked and flinched. She looked at her bestfriend and run her fingers in her hair.
“ Oh! I am sorry.” She said apologetically.
“ What’s bothering you? Is it ZhangZhang? You haven’t told me the whole story dear.” He said while rolling his eyes from her.
“ You hit it right. It’s ZhangZhang.” She sighed
“ What is it this time?” Riego asked worriedly.
“ hmm, we broke up.” Lily uttered bitterly.
“ Broke up?”
“ Yes we did. “
“ how come ---”
“ Fate! Fate brought us closer to each other, and fate brought us apart after all the challenges that we survived.” Lily said bitterly.
“ oh no ! don’t you dare cry in front of me. I don’t know how to comfort a woman.” Riego frantically wave his hands in front of Lily and Lily laughed with his reaction when he covered his hands in her face.
“ You are really the worst Riego “ Lily sighed and flick her hair.
“ I love seeing you smile than crying okay.” He said and without warning,
Lily hugged her bestfriend tightly and Riego's reaction is priceless .
It’s the first time that Lily get closer to him and that made a different impact to him.
Time flies and Lily had to move on with her life. Maybe it’s not really move on but she tried her best to forget about ZhangZhang. She tried her best to keep going without him in his life.
While ZhangZhang on the other hand, is in his father’s house, meeting with Sonya’s parents. In a huge round table, both family is talking about the arrangement of the wedding that will be held in Las Vegas.
“ So what date should we set the wedding? I want my daughter to have the grandest wedding .” Sonya’s father said frankly and Sonya just silent as mute on her seat. ZhangZhang didn’t even bothered to talked.
“ Hmm, then maybe next month, so we’ll have all the time to prepare. I wanted to invite all the people in higher class, and that includes our country’s president.” ZhangZhang's father said excitedly and ZhangZhang rolled his eyes. He is protesting silently.
“ so ZhangZhang, I will left my daughter to you. I just hope she won’t be coming back home crying with her face full of bruises and scars.” Sonya’s father said seriously and ZhangZhang hated the way he spoke. ZhangZhang might be heartless at times but God knows better that he is not capable of hurting women.
“ If you don’t trust me about how I take care of my future wife, then better broke the ties while it’s not yet right.” ZhangZhang said coldly and Sonya’s father curled up his palm into a fist.
