<3VE">We are a complete strangers after I saw her (Andrea Lou B. Godoy-Mercado) selling calendar to my mom at the Registrar‘s office of our Alma Mater (Our Lady of Manaoag College Inc.) where we both graduated at the same year. This is our love story, story of friends became best of friends, then best friends to lovers and boyfriend-girlfriend that ended up tying a knot. <3VE">
<3VE">Andrea Lou or Anding as I call her offered me buy one but I cannot afford it because at that time I don’t have any extra pennies on my pocket because just like today I am riding my bike going to school just to finish my BSIT course and you heard it right, back then I am riding my bike just to get into place here, there and everywhere. I still keep that calendar but I don’t know where she kept it in our crib haha. We became good friends, we dance, studied and played together.
<3VE">I want to confess that at the time when we were friends, she’s the one listening to my heart breaks and she really providing me a shoulder to cry on, she knows all my secret with my ex-girlfriends and as a friend giving me advice and cheering me up. She never give up on me. She never complain when I am telling my errands with my Ex’s, friends and others.
<3VE">I became closer to her and we are starting to become best friends, you know why, during our college days, the two of us eat together always, no miss, and where the one go the other will follow. For the record, she is the only woman who I ever brought to our messy, dirty unorganized house and presented to my parents.
<3VE">We are both good dancers, I am a musician back then playing guitar in a college band and she is a good singer and one of the reasons why I fell in love with her, maybe, haha, she has Sarah G’s voice and I call her “SaranG” because of her big ears like an elf.
<3VE"><3VE">I wanted to confess also that because our bond as friends are getting tighter and tighter I never thought of falling in love with him because at that time I am too busy with my love life, a relationship with my ex’s that never last. That’s what I thought but I started to show my feelings to her, there are sleepless nights and I started to her in my dreams, then she became the apple of my eye and because of that for the record I got turned down I think 5 times to make the story short but he didn’t bailed on me as a friend.
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Our friendship goes on but I am hoping for the next level. It leaves a question on me thinking “Will bestfriends becomes Lovers?”, in my case we are not that of a best friend thing and we never promise to each other that we were just best friends.
<3VE">We never did but she started to call my mother “Mommy” and her friends are the ones telling me about it because I am busy with other girls haha, that shifted my interest in her and started to court her and this time seriously. I had to dump the other women and forget them all you know, just like I said, she knows almost all my secrets. Maybe because of that she started to like me and then love me. What you think? I think I’m in love. <3VE">
<3VE">One stormy morning, classes are already suspended and we we’re stranded at the Municipal auditorium where we held are cheering rehearsals and our dance piece because I’m the team captain of one team in our upcoming College Intramural plus we have a college dance troupe that will be competing in a Green Cross sponsored Get Funky Dance Contest held in Dagupan City, were yours truly and Andrea are a member. It was typhoon Rosing that is blowing gusty winds and heavy rains in Pangasinan at that time (Aug. 22, 2003) and this is also the day that Andrea confessed and said that she LOVE ME. Eventually, week before today August 22 moonsoon rains and then Typhoon Maring is flooding the country. Keep safe guys! Stay Dry! Use #rescuePH if help needed.
<3VE">Here’s what exactly happened, when it is about to get late in the afternoon, the storm is still roaring with harsh winds and heavy downpour rains and we are about to hit home when I said to her that it would be the last time that I am going to go with her to their tricycle terminal and I be able to move on because I am losing hope already at that time. Remember I got busted 5 times, when I attempted to show my affection to her.
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The heavy rains keep on pouring as the practices finishes, I am getting more lonelier, I said to myself, I shouldn’t say that to her and that our friendship will still go on but to my surprise when we are walking towards to the terminal I never seem to see loneliness, sadness or dismay on Andrea’s face and this is it after I left her 15 to 20 meters away from her a tiny voice that seems like coming from a whisper of an angel despite the strong winds, heavy rains and all that I heard her say this three words. I LOVE YOU! I ran back to her and said I love you too and that was the happiest typhoon of my life that I didn’t’ care if I get wet going home.
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When I got home, I am realizing one thing is it really true that we are really official and I keep on slapping my face if I am just dreaming but to confirm it, the next day, there is still a typhoon but because dance rehearsals matter to us, I am once again got shock because Andrea holds my hand and gathered my friends, guess what?
<3VE"> <3VE"> <3VE">She is the one announced that officially we are now together, isn’t that sweet. That day on, it changed me, if before I’m kinda a player or chick boy (just a little) haha. I had to stop that and swear to Andrea that she is the Only One that I will love for the rest of my life. I didn’t tell her she’s my number 1 because if there is the 1 there would be number 2 then number 3 and four and I will not ever do that. <3VE"> In short, no mistress for me please or side flirting anymore but I can be your friend that you can count on. Haha! So be it!
<3VE">Our love life go on, despite the odds that we’ve been through together, don’t you know that before I don’t have a cellphone, mobile phone, Nokia phone, Alcatel or landline to communicate to my dear and why in the hell we are able to communicate especially when she had to leave to Manila and start to work when we graduated. I had to stay in Pangasinan and the only means of communication is that Yahoo Mail. Thank you YM for being our number one option of communication without you this love tale wouldn’t be possible haha and not to mention Friendster too!
<3VE"> <3VE">Today, thanks Facebook she unfried me because she didn’t Like that I had lots of activities in the social media world because being a blogger I had so much information in my wall that sometimes we couldn’t avoid to discuss and sometimes fight about it. <3VE">
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Our love stayed strong, until I decided to follow her here in Manila. I left my family in Pangasinan to pursue my dream to work in Metro Manila as a Professional I.T. and of course the love of my life is here.
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At first, I struggle to live in the big city but every day is a learning experience, I learn to live on my own feet, I learn to shy out of any work that I think I can earn for just a penny of your sweat. I became a sales agent of medicare, dental cards, I sold PC’s, electronic devices, equipment, gadgets and accessories for a living.
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I serve as a waiters in restaurants, clean toilets too and of course the ultimate duty of the day is being a boy friend. I am working in SM Fairview and she is working in SM MOA. Do you imagine that I travel from north to south just to fetch her and to make sure she is safe every night? Yeah, I did all that because I really, really, really love her. There are times that I almost made the city buses my moving hotel, haha but it is worth of the effort. I get to know all the ins and outs of Manila and plus I get to explore the place at that time.
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As the years go by, there is still odds that her parents and siblings is still against me and they have better plans to Andrea and that they wanted to stop our relationship, our love prevailed. When I am about to become a regular employee in Electroworld Philippines, the leader in selling Computers, electronics, cameras and others I applied in the number 1 Anti-virus company that I know of until now, but of course I should be proud because I am hired that day in TrendMicro Philippines in TrendLabs Libis. It was the fastest application that happened to me and that was like one day processing and after the last interview they asked me to wait for the contract signing, without hesitation I signed it and that was the fulfillment of my dream of becoming a professional I.T. guy.
<3VE">That day started all the opportunities for me and up until now I am with the company, when I became a regular employee, I asked Andrea to marry me, leave her day job to become a full mom and a wife because even if my salary is not that high I can raise them and feed them.
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We announced that we are tying a knot to both of our parents and we got married at Manaoag Mayor’s Office through civil wedding with just simple celebration. We kept it a family affair. Then we’ve been given by the Lord a 2 love and beautiful gifts in the form Rhian Pauleen our first-born and our super cute and mighty Paul Jacob.
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We are now living in on our own. Paying for our house and lot somewhere in Rizal and enjoying the company of each other. We are both happily and energetically raising our kids and educating them to be a good citizen with a good heart and God be the center of their life above all things just like we do.
<3VE"> This is the part that I say. Thank you for reading my love story and I hope you like it and don’t send it to any national tv for a drama series or true to life stories ala “Maalala Mo Kaya or Magpakailanman” but if you do, I had nothing else to say but Thank You! <3VE">
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A decade of Happy Anniversary to you my dear Andrea Lou Godoy-Mercado yBautista. You will no longer whisper your love to me. I know how you really love me and our kids and that is enough reason for me to live and be the father and your husband. I will love you forever and grow old with you just like we promised using that silver cigarette wrapper ring when I couldn’t afford to buy you a real jewelry yet. I LOVE YOU Anding! Muwah!