My Engagement Story

A week from now, Marion and I will be celebrating our first engagemonthsary (ok I just made up that word – but hey, you got it right?). I have been asked time and again on how did “it” happen but only some of my closest friends know the story. I really haven’t got the time to tell the story because for the past weeks, I have been busy traveling with... no one else but my fiancé (Ahhh I should get used to calling him fiancé hihi).

Once and for all, I’ll write about it so I’ll never have to tell the story again and again. I’ll just let people read my blog. (But oh, I like love telling that story… so I guess this one is written just to document the event teehee)

To tell you the truth, I wasn’t really expecting it. We talk about getting married, having kids and all that BUT as to expecting him to propose this early never came to my mind. I know #thesisbeforemisis has been accomplished so I should be guessing that engagement is now around the corner. But whenever we talk, I tell Marion that I am NOT pressuring him or whatsoever. We got forever so there’s no need to rush. Plus, we just bought a property (which we plan to be our love nest after we get married) and we have an upcoming tripS which cost us a lot SO understandably, he will be needing some time before he can buy that ring. Gastos talaga eh! Yun yon. Haha!  

Anyway, three weeks before our US trip, I was telling him engagement stories of my friends (In all honesty, cross my heart, swear I die, I AM NOT HINTING NOR IMPLYING that he pop the question soon. Haha! I am just being my normal makwento self). Two of my closest friends got engaged abroad – one of them is actually in the US and her then-boyfriend-now-fiance went to US and popped the question. Another one is our dentist who got engaged in Japan. So, I told Marion AND I AM JUST JOKING HIM I SWEAR WHEN I TOLD HIM THIS (Haha! Pardon my all caps. I am not guilty. I am just making sure that I send my message across lol). One of our Toastmaster friends also recently proposed to his girlfriend in Singapore.

Baby lahat ng tao sa abroad nagpropropose at na-e-engage. I think uso siya no? Sooooo… Sa US kaba magpropose? Let me know para prepared ako at nakapagpa-manicure ako ah.

(HAHAHA! Yun talaga concern ko eh no? Hahaha! See? It was because I was just joking him). I think he was shocked with what I was saying so he slapped my hands. As in not the pa-cute-onting-hampas type but a hard whack. So I teased him more:

Hahaha! Aray. Why baby? Nabuking ba kita? So dun nga? Hahaha!

I SWEAR I WAS JUST TEASING HIM. Little did I know that he took my joke a bit seriously. I later found out that because of that remark, he wanted to do the proposal before our US trip so that I will be surprised with the gesture. He thought I will not be that surprised if he do it in the US. And so he planned to do it before we leave.

So what happened?

August 26. Friday.

Jacques and I slept at Teacher Tess’ (our Kumon instructor) house because it was her birthday week (and Teacher Arlene too) and we wanted to surprise them. We have a Toastmasters meeting the day after (Saturday) and I promised Marion that I will just wake up early in order to be able to attend the meeting on time.

During our stay at Teacher Tess’ house, Jacques was joking T.Tess “Cher, may sasabihin si Patty sa inyo... Ikakasal na daw siya”. Haha! To which our teacher will just roll her eyes and say “Enjoy niyo muna pagiging single.” Lol. I really think she thinks we are still little kids.

Marion told me that he will be delivering a speech the next day and he needs someone because his speech contains dialogue. So, he needed me to be there. He told me that there will be a script so there is no need for me to memorize what I’m going to say.

August 27. Saturday

I woke up really early. But Jacques, Teachers Tess and Arlene are still sleeping at around 8AM. I need to leave at 8:30AM if I want to be at the Toastmasters venue in QC by 10AM. However, I am uncomfortable waking them up so I just waited for them. It will be disrespectful if I just leave the house without saying my goodbye. At around past 8AM, they finally woke up and we had breakfast. We finished breakfast by 9:30AM and I knew then that I am going to be late (Oh no. Marion will really be annoyed, I thought to myself).

I was supposed to drop by our house first to change my clothes because I am only wearing a pambahay – a short and a large t-shirt. But then I was really running late so while driving, I was debating with myself whether I will just go straight to QC and be in my pambahay (Anyway, there is no dress code in Toastmasters) OR go home and change clothes FAST! In the end, I went home to change. My mother also texted me, “Tricia, san ka na? Uwi ka ba muna sa bahay bago ka mag Toastmasters?”

As soon as I got home, I changed my top – I am not the type to wear t-shirt so I put on my blouse. So I was wearing a blouse, shorts and sandals which is quite okay BUT on my way out, my mother asked me “Tricia, yan lang suot mo?” “Oo bakit? Sabado naman. Sa Toastmasters lang naman ako pupunta.” (Did she expect me to wear blazer and heels?? Haha!) “Palitan mo damit mo”. I was kind of irritated because I am already late and Marion called me asking where I was. My tita told me “Tricia magpalit ka nga. Eto oh, nilabas ko tong damit mo na to. Tagal mo ng di nagagamit yan”. Frustrated, I finally heeded and changed my outfit.

So I left the house, drove as fast as I can but the traffic was so FREAKING BAD, I was able to put on my make-up while driving.

I arrived at the venue an hour late. But it was okay, because it was not yet Marion’s turn for his speech. On my way I was actually contemplating, “Di naman siya siguro magagalit no? Pag iba na lang kinuha nya na ka-dialogue nya.” Little did I know that his proposal will be ruined if I won’t able to make it.

He gave me a script. He is already doing his advanced speeches and his speech project is about Advance Speech Project 2 of the Public Relations Manual - The Radio Talk Show. So we were in a talk show host, I am the DJ and he is the guest. I will ask him questions and he is portraying himself as a Sales Trainer for Toyota. In the script, I asked him questions such as “How is your life as sales trainer?” etc. Everything was normal…until we are nearing the end of the speech. At the end of the script, there is a note that says “AUDIENCE WILL ASK QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS ARE ALREADY PREDETERMINED”.

So I said to Marion “Our listeners will now ask questions for you”. I am waiting for them to ask questions (because hey, I thought questions are already given to them but the audience remain unresponsive) and Marion was blabbering things that were not really in the script.

AND THEN… as we are about to end our speech, my mother, followed by my brother and father, entered the venue. My eyes popped when I saw them and I thought, “Huh? What are they doing here?” I was really confused and I can’t fully remember clearly what was happening. I saw Marion’s family as well and upon seeing them, I already knew...

All eyes were on us and people started holding their phones/cameras. My ears went cold and I thought “HOMAYGASH is this is it?!?!?!” I looked at Marion who said to me

“As a token of appreciation for having me as guest in your show, let me present you a token of appreciation”

A few more words after, he got down on one knee. Possible out of nervousness, he was sweating profusely as he stuttered and asked

“Will you be my... wife?”

Of course I said YES!!!

That’s my engagement story. Honestly, I am so overwhelmed with the turn of events. My friends were cheering for us. Being overwhelmed is an understatement. Really. I am so happy, ecstatic, full of bliss… yeah, I was in cloud nine. So this is the feeling of being asked for marriage.

I realized there are a lot of people who were actually happy for us! The moment I posted an engagement picture, there are some friends who called, texted, Viber-ed me and they are really excited for us. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for sharing the excitement.

Looking back, I now know why my mother asked whether I am dropping by the house before I go to Toastmasters meeting on that fateful day.

Little by little, everything makes perfect sense:

My mother asked whether I am dropping by the house before I go to Toastmasters meeting – She wanted to be sure that I am in the venue first before they go. Imagine, dahil late ako, muntik ko pa sila mabuking if nauna sila sakin sa venue.

My mother and tita forcing me to change my outfit. Haha! I will be angry at them if they did not insist that I change! I will be looking less appropriate on my engagement day. (On the sidenote, one of my friends told me, “Akala namin nung una alam mo na magpropropose si Marion. Ayos na ayos ka eh.” Thank God for bad traffic – Nakapag-ayos ako! Haha!)

A week before the day, my tita and I went to the parlor for haircut. She insisted that I have my nails done. I was actually hesitant and told her that I’ll be having my nails done a week before my US trip para di humaba agad at maganda kuko ko sa US. She asserted that I have it manicured because she already knew then that Marion is going to propose (Marion asked for my family’s blessing a week before when I was in a company event)

Mother was suddenly interested with Toastmasters and days before, she was asking me where we hold our venue, what time etc.

The proposal did not happened abroad and I wouldn’t care. Whether he asked me in a fastfood establishment (which he jokes before para daw masusurprise talaga ko) or at the top of San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge, what matters is that it is him who popped the question. I think I wouldn’t find anyone as sincere and as wonderful man as him. I am one lucky girl.