Chapter Two

Rescue by Lauren Daigle was playing on the radio as I laid in bed, unable to stop crying. The song was supposed to be comforting, it was a song depicting God's promise to always rescue his children, it was supposed to be uplifting, but no, it wasn't. How could it be? When I was just diagnosed of the incurable HIV.

“ Look, Angelo, this is not the end of the world”, Alberto said, sitting beside me on the bed, his new long lashes making him look so much like Boy George's twin brother. He had gotten those lashes for my wedding.

He was my best friend since middle school, and I sometimes wonder what had kept us together. I was the secluded type who was always withdrawn, even with my sexuality. People could hardly guess if I was gay or straight, but that wasn't the case with Alberto. He was all out, always showing off his feminine self, always making a statement with his lashes and his nails. A typical “ tell me you're gay without telling me you're gay” kind of guy.

“ Look, it's just HIV, it's not a death sentence”, he said. I unconsciously glared at him and he apologized with his eyes.

Yes, it wasn't a death sentence, but it was still a lifelong disease that I had to live with; more of like a lifetime in prison.

“ I'm sorry Angelo, but you really need to take it easy. You'll kill yourself at this rate”.

“ How am I supposed to it take easy? Huh?”, I said, agony trailing in my voice, “ I have lived my life the right way. I always followed the rules, I was always cautious Alberto. Even when I wanted so much to have sex, I still restrained myself, all for the sake of keeping my virginity until my wedding night. Now what? Not only did I lose my virginity, I was also tipped off with an STD for free, for free Alberto. Funny isn't it?”, I was crying again, hot tears flowing like the hot springs in China, “ people are out there having sex everyday and none of them contracted HIV, but after one night of being raped…………just one night of…………”, I couldn't speak anymore.

Alberto hugged me, and I let myself cry in his arms. I cried because I felt sorry for myself, and also because I felt sorry for Diego.

“ Look, we'll figure this out, okay? Everything is going to be okay”, Alberto said, patting me on the back.

Someone knocked on the door and we both turned to find Diego standing there at the door. I had left him at the hospital yesterday and refused to pick his calls.

He slowly walked in as Alberto detangled himself from me. I was sobbing, but seeing him made me begin another round of crying.

“ Oh babe, it's okay, it's okay, I'm here now, it's okay, I'm with you”, he said, tightening me in his embrace as Alberto silently slipped away, trying to give us some privacy.

I felt safe in Diego's arms. He was firmly built, a physique that was consciously built by always visiting the gym, and I mourned for not allowing him to have sex with me last two weeks. We were kissing and making out in his house, but as he made advances to undress me, I told him no, that we weren't going to do anything until after the wedding.

If only I knew, I wouldn't have declined. And to think that I also wanted to make love to him, that I also wanted to know what it would feel like to have his dick inside my manhole, it just broke my heart even more.

He pulled me out of his embrace and wiped my face. I looked straight into his eyes, scared to ask him the many questions that were on my mind - are you mad at me? Are we still getting married? Are you going to call off the wedding? Or push it back?

“ Look babe, we're in this together, okay”, he said, his hand on my cheek, “ I'm not going to leave you, not for anything, and certainly not because of something that was out of your control”.

“ Are you sure?” I asked amidst the still flowing tears.

“ Of course babe. What happened is totally not your fault, and I will never leave you. You are my all”, he said and I burst again, crying not out of sadness, but out of gratitude. I had found the perfect man, a man who loved me beyond bounds; or so I thought.

“ This wedding is happening tomorrow, and nothing can stop that”, he said and I hugged him.

“ Great”, Alberto shouted from the door, startling us, “ I spent so much on my wedding outfit and it would be unfair if I don't get to show it off”, he said, sounding so much like a crackle and making us laugh.

Everyone was as busy as a bee. My barber was busy trying to make me more handsome than Captain America, and my makeup artist was trying her best to make me look like the male version of Priyanka Chopra. My tuxedo had just arrived, a white, elegant tuxedo with pink flowery patterns. Alberto was barking at his phone, scolding the person on the other side of the line, something about delivering the cake before 1:00 pm. My groomsmen were all getting ready and were loudly chatting. Mom and dad sent me a text to say that they were on their way.

I got into the tuxedo and checked myself out on the mirror. My eyes weren't so bright. It was my wedding day, but I still felt sad. I shaked my head, trying to put everything behind me and just enjoy my day, besides, I was getting married to the best man in the world.

“ Now that is a beautiful groom”, Alberto said as he walked into the dressing room and I just smiled at him.

My phone beeped and I took it out. Diego had sent a message.

I opened the message and screamed, dropping my phone to the floor.

“ What is it? What is it?” Alberto asked but I was too dumbfounded to speak. He picked up the phone and read the message out loud, “ I'm sorry Angelo, I can't do this. I'm calling it off”.

“ That son of a bitch!” Alberto screamed at the phone. He continued cursing at the top of his voice.

I was still in utter disbelief. I took the phone from him and dialed Diego's number but he didn't pick up, I dialed it again and it went to voicemail, I dialed again and again, I think up to fifty times, and only stopped when he switched off his phone.

“ He said he would never leave me”, I said to no one in particular as everyone gathered around. “ He said he would never leave me”, I said again, hot tears running down my cheeks, ruining my makeup, and as Alberto tried to come close, I ran out.

I couldn't care about the people that were staring at me like some runaway groom. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, heading for the bridge. Ziko had thrown himself off the bridge and died, and I was going to do the same.