This post was originally published in Hana’s semi–annual blog. 😀

I apologize to my non-existent readers for the wait. :p It’s been a year since I have written and posted something in my blog, but I’m happy to finally break this blog’s silence with good news. 🙂

Markku and I met in October 2006, during my first corporate job as an HR practitioner in an IT Company in Ortigas. It was lunchbreak to be exact, when I met the man who would change my life bigtime. Noon pa man, pasaway na sya. He came into the pantry strutting in his rubber shoes, when I first saw him. Though our employees were free to dress casually on Fridays, rubber shoes were still an exception. I was the new HR girl, and he was breaking the rules, so after being introduced by friends I told him, “Sir, bawal po ang shoes nyo”. He then started to make excuses to justify his wearing the “forbidden” rubber shoes to the office,  to which my only reply was, “kahit na po, bawal pa rin yan”.

But despite that awkward first meeting, by some twist of fate, the universe still conspired to bring us together.

We’ve been a couple for four years now, and friends have been asking us when we would be tying the knot. We’re both really not in a hurry, since we know the realities of our lives too well. But during the past couple of months, we have been discussing about settling down more frequently than before. And since we talk about getting married so casually at times, I wasn’t really expecting to receive any formal proposal from him anymore. But I guess, good things happen to those who don’t expect — too much! haha 😀

He proposed to me on a trip to Baguio. With some of our closest friends with us, he told me it was the perfect time to do it. I was so sleepy that evening because of the tiring week prior our trip, the early ride up to Baguio, and the prenup shoot we did for our friends that afternoon. But I was alerted by the sound of Jonas playing the guitar and singing U2’s All I Want Is You, one of our favorite songs.

I had a different thought in mind while listening to the song, when Markku suddenly approached me with this funny look in his face. I smiled and told him, “alam ko na ang sasabihin mo”. I remember seeing an urgent expression in his eyes like he was scared and excited at the same time.  I repeatedly told him I knew what he was going to tell me,  not knowing what was really going to happen next.

He then knelt down beside me holding my hands, and I saw him take something out of his pocket. At this point, things were happening faster than my mind was processing it. 🙂 He opened the box and I saw a ring! Out of shock I covered my face with a blanket, trying to understand if things were really happening.  He pulled the blanket away from my head, and saw him tear up as I also start to cry.

All I remember now is that surreal exchange between us, the countless batoks I gave him while giggling and looking at his eyes. Parang kami lang ang tao sa kwarto bigla. When he asked me his question, I just nodded my head as my heart said yes to this man who wanted to make me his wife. He slowly slipped the ring on my finger, and all I can say after that was — “kasya!” 😀

It’s been a week since that eventful night, and I am still in cloud nine. It feels warm and fuzzy inside everytime I remember what happened, and I keep replaying it in my mind. We’re now in a different chapter in our lives, and though we haven’t started with any planning yet, I know that things could only get better after this. 🙂

So to the only man I loved and will ever love, thank you for giving me such a wonderful memory. I look forward to that day when we’ll be happier than now. I can’t wait! 🙂