Being a royalty is one of every girl's dream. Once in our lives, especially when we were young, we live in a dream that we were some kind of a princess living in a palace where everyone loves you and you're being taken care of.
Well, I was once a Princess. Not literally of course, but I get to experience how being loved and taken good care of, by two young princes. I finally have the guts to write an extraordinary story that even I, myself, never ever thought it had happened in my life. Although I've been meaning to write this story ever since, but it took me more than a decade to finally decide.
Beware: This is a long-form content so just read the story when you have time.
I was a badminton player and Ate Anj would always invite me to play and practice badminton at their school. We met by accident in a badminton tournament in Tagum City where I defeated once their best player and she got so mad about it.
She was the first friend I had in the foreign city in the Badminton World way back 2008. She had these two young guy friends and didn't hesitate to introduce them to me even though it wasn't necessary. We were in a cafe and that was after badminton practice when I met these two young couple.
Our trio story started because of her, and I never thought that that day, a new friendship was born.
The two young couple are both studying Engineering and are typically highly classified kind of guys because both are born with a silver spoon. The first one who approached me was the one who was kinda handsome and a naughty type kind of guy. He grabbed my hand and forcefully did a handshake. I can still remember his first uttered words. "Hi cutiepie, nice to meet you". The other guy just laughed and did the same gesture.
It was time for me to go home so I asked Ate Anj if I can leave them behind coz I still have to travel for one and a half hour to get home. It was weird because the first guy who approached me earlier told Ate Anj that they can bring me home to Digos since they haven't really toured there. I looked at her and as if she had read my mind, she said, "Don't worry they are good guys".
I'm the kind of person who always had trust issues, so I declined. Even though Ate Anj assured me that they are good guys, come on, still I just met these two punks, so I headed home myself. I didn't know that declining their offer had a big impact in their lives.
A week had passed, and I visited their school again to play and there I saw them again with Ate Anj looking at me like I was a television. After the practice, Ate Anj approached and asked me that these two guys wanted to be my friend and that they wanna know about me. I was dumbfounded and didn't know what to say but since she knows them, I said yes.
That day I found out their names. The tall, kinda good looking and naughty type's name was R.D Aquino, "Dane" for short. While the other guy who was also good looking chinito, also tall, with white complexion and the silent type's name was O.Y. Gatchalian, "Yuri" for short. From that day on, they were never absent during badminton practice and even during tournaments. Ever.
We started hanging out after our tournament that was held in Tagum City. And I never thought that it's the start of my sickly sweet world.
I finally get to trust them because they have proven that they can be trusted. Indeed, they are good people. Never in my life that Ive felt loved and cared by 2 strangers, and now became MY friends. Who would have thought that these two guys will become part of my life?
Days, weeks had passed, and we still kept exchanging messages even though it was impossible for me to come back and play badminton since It was already forbidden (my grades had sunken). I thought it was also the end of our friendship but surprisingly, they never stopped talking to me. Instead, they became more aggressive as months have passed.
Year 2009 when we started clinical rotation in Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) but previously named as Regional Hospital. I found out that these two punks changed their careers from Engineering to Nursing.
Every friday before I leave Davao, we always see each other and eat somewhere, do road trips together and sometimes, watch movies. And! They always bring me to Digos themselves.
The friendship I had with them was underrated and I barely appreciate what they do to me until the day when I called Oliver to fetch me coz I got lost from taking a jeepney going to my boarding house and I got so scared. I dunno where I was headed and the jeepney driver refused to bring me back to the city. That time, both are having night classes.
A few minutes later, they were able to find me even though I never told them where I was. (because technically, I really didnt know where I was)
I thank God these two guys were a blessing to me, and I never stopped appreciating them until then. But I found out that my phone has a tracker. No wonder they know where I was.
Later in December 2009, Dane called and asked me to go to a meeting place coz he had something to tell me. I didn't hesitate and never in my thoughts that there was something special coz literally I see them as brothers and let's say maybe I am love-numbed.
That night, he asked if I can be his girlfriend. I was kinda taken aback because I never thought he already had a special feeling for me. Yes. Call me whatever you want, numb, stupid or whatever but of course, I rejected. I don't have any special feelings for him. I only see him as a brother, and I have never failed to remind and show it every day.
Bunch of flowers and chocolates and many other wonderful gifts had been given to me, but I am literally not a materialistic person. Maybe I have lived a life where everything is simple and whatever is given to me by my parents or my friends, that's just it. I'm really not used to these kind of love materials, but I just appreciate it.
Being friends with Dane is like a roller coaster. And I am scared of roller coasters. Ive never rode one coz I easily get dizzy, and I am scared of heights. Just like my relationship with him. For me we are friends and he's a brother but for him I am someone more important than his life. (I'm not exaggerating) but that's how I am to him.
He was becoming more possessive each day we meet. Every time we go somewhere to chill, his hands won't budge on my shoulders nor my hands. Every time I talk to someone I know, and he sees it, he gets mad to the person Im talking with.
I was literally a queen whenever Im with Dane. Everything I asked for will always be granted. But I didn't like it.
A year later, I never thought that the other guy did the same. More surprisingly, he kept his feelings for more than a year. That time, when he confessed, I was confused. I don't know what I did wrong to make him feel that I have a special feeling despite the fact that I NEVER GAVE ANY REASON to make them feel that I can reciprocate their feelings. They both know that I am in love with someone else.
I met someone and had a crush on him during our nursing review. Even though that time, he never sees me as a special person, me and him became friends. I always tell my 2 guy friends everyday about him and they never fail to remind me that we are not meant for each other.
Until a year later, my crush finally said yes to me, and we were in a relationship. Haha. Of course, I never failed to inform my two guy best friends that me and my crush were already in a relationship. Still, my 2 guy best friends never ever fail to remind me every day that we are not meant for each other.
The day came when me and crush separated ways. That time, these two best friends of mine were like in a race, competing at each other which of them will become my boyfriend. (Yeah I know, I'm rapunzel)
I can't understand the feelings I felt that time because aside from the fact that I can't yet move on from my past relationship, I didn't understand why it happened to be this way that my 2 best friends started arguing and fighting each other for who is the best. I treated them as my brothers, and it hurts that it has come this far to have to let them go.
I didn't want to, but I have to. For me to be able to save this friendship, I must let them go. I love them both, but I love our friendship more. They left me no choice, so I deleted everything. Think of whatever you can. Anything that can make me remember them. Trust me everything was gone. All at once.
Fast forward, 9 years later, me and my crush decided to get married. Oh yeah, me and him decided to get back together like a year after we broke up and we had survived the long-distance relationship for almost 5 years. I say long distance relationship because I went away and worked outside my country for me to be able to find myself a direction and as well as to forget him. But unfortunately, I cannot forget.
Anyway, the friendship with my two guy best friends didn't really come back like how it was before because I found out that my friend D, became mentally deranged. I don't wanna give you the details, but he got sick. On the other hand, my other guy friend of mine went to NZ to be with his wife and their 2 kids to work their marriage out.
Friendship is the foundation of humanity and is stronger than we think possible. It develops from an instinctive bond established between people who spend time together, sharing their thoughts and participating in each other's lives. It is an extraordinary gift in anyone's life.
Even though the friendship I had with them never really came back to how it was before, I still cannot believe that once upon a time, I became a princess.
To D and O,
We might not understand to what happened to our friendship, but I want you both to know that I never regret the friendship I had with you both. Thank you for taking care and for making me feel loved. Thank you for the friendship and I will forever cherish it for the rest of my life. I love you both and I am still hoping that someday, we will meet again and our friendship will be restored.
Love,
Bujun
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