Puzzle Piece

Ever since I was a child, i have always been fond of collecting jigsaw puzzles of various designs including Dragon Balls, Ghost Fighter, Flame of Recca, Fushigi Yuugi and many more animes. Siguro, sa bawat bagong labas ng design, bumibili ako. Ganan ako kaadik. Ha-ha.

One time, I went to the National Bookstore to buy a puzzle again. This time, nature ang design. Wala lang. For a change. Pero ang ganda rin kasi eh. Japanese style. Natuwa lang din siguro ako.

Pagkabili ko, I immediately went back home and started to set everything up. Pero nung patapos na ako, I was disappointed na kulang ng isa yung piece. Hinanap ko na sa buong kwarto pero wala talaga. Sayang naman. Tsk. Kinabukasan, I decided na bumalik sa NBS para ibalik ang puzzle ko.

Pagdating ko sa customer service are, may nakasabay akong isang babae. From De La Salle. Maganda sya. Maamong tingnan. At mabango. (Nadagdagan na naman ang kasalanan ko nito.) Siguro magka-age lang kami. Ayun sa I.D. nya, na hindi ko naman sinasadyang makita (Promise!! Haha), Myrtle ang name nya. napansin ko na may dala rin syang puzzle. At mas nagulat naman ako at natuwa na pareho kami ng design na napili. I approached her and then asked kung anong problema sa puzzle nya. I learned na labis ng isang piece yung kanya. I checked the piece and poop!! Gotcha! Ganun yung nawawala kong piece. Nagkasundo kaming huwag na lang magreklamo sa NBS since solved na rin naman yung problem.

At kinuha ko na rin yung number nya. Hmm. Crush ko na sya. Since then, we started texting each other. Minsan, binibisita ko sya sa may La Salle. Mas naging close kami. And eventually I totally fell for her.

I was very happy. I realized na hindi lang puzzle ko ang binuo nya. Kundi pati ako. I learned that I am a puzzle myself. And she was the puzzle piece that completed me. The most important puzzle piece.

I told myself that it would be okay to lose all my puzzle pieces except her. She alone was the only piece that could complete my puzzle-like life.

Akala ko talaga, wala nang magiging problema. I told her that I was going to start courting her. Pero hindi pa man ako nakakapag-umpisa, talo na ako kaagad. She confessed to me na may mahal na syang iba. In fact, sila na nga eh. Just hours before my supposed courtship. Sad.

Siguro nga, puzzle talaga ako.

Upon knowing the truth from her, I felt incomplete again. I was a nonsense puzzle for the second time. Shattered. One piece missing. No more chance to be whole again.