BENDOY and TINTIN's Love Story

Butch O. Saulon

GREETINGS: To the Couple’s parents, Principal Sponsors, guests and friends, Good Evening. The lovers’ first encounter started in the year 2006. It was Month of the Heart when Bendoy was just a new assigned police officer in Camaligan and Tintin was just a new volunteer teacher at Santo Tomas National HS.

Bendoy and another police officer were tasked to assist in School’s Junior and Senior Promenade wherein Tintin was also tasked to be the Master of Ceremony. Bendoy’s companion approached tintin, had a talk while the occasion is on going and used to get her number while bendoy was having a conversation with another. During the time Bendoy and Tintin’s eyes were meeting while with other’s company. And maybe being in a distance gave them precious moment to examine one another until the night event ends. They never had a chance to talk. But I guess, attraction was already evident.

Their second meeting succeeded in the following year of 2007.

From February 2006 to the last week of April 2007 was quite a long time to recognize one another.

Tintin was enrolled in her Master of Arts degree and waiting for her papa to fetch her at the centro along Master’s Square going to UNC or vice versa together with her other siblings tapos diretso na sindang sarabay mauli. Si Bendoy man, kan bulan na ito pirmi nyang nasasabatan asin naheheling sa parehas na lugar. Not in Police Uniform that’s why it was hard for Tintin at first to remember when and where he saw Bendoy. Mga pirang aldaw pa sindang nagsabat-sabatan asin nagsalingoy-salingoyan sa kada saru sa parehas na aguihan. Again, maybe another form of examining oneself. Until, nagkasabay sindang magsakay sa tricycle papuntang Camaligan. They smiled one another, and that smile turned Bendoy to ask – “Teacher ka sa Camaligan?” Tintin replied YES. Bendoy said, “Dai ka na magbayad.” Tintin said, “Ok, thanks.” But, kang harani na si Bendoy magbaba sa munisipyo asin iaabot na ang bayad, mayong pang-uli ang driver he felt uneasy to find out na kulang man piso ang ibabayad nyang bareya. E, mayo na siyang time maghalukay haloy sa bag nya knowing late na sya. Kaya sabi nya na lang kay Tintin, “Dagdagan mo na lang piso hah,” sabay baba. ;-)

Their next encounter was after a week, while Tintin was again waiting and txting for her parents along Jaime Hernandez Avenue, Bendoy pretended to grab Tintin’s cellphone from behind like a robber that made her temporarily troubled and Bendoy stated that, “Kung parahabon ako, uto na, nadulag ko na ang cellphone mo. Ano kayang ginigibo mo igde?” Tintin replied, “naglalakaw-lakaw hinahalat ko sa mama.” Bendoy accompanied her and that was just the start that they asked each others name and slight whereabouts. They took a snack and get each other’s cell numbers until Tintin’s expected parents arrived. Nagsuwayan na sinda.

Several days passed. They took each others’ numbers but they were not yet txting one another. Tintin was also busy in preparing her papers ta mapepermanent na sya as regular teacher sa Santo Tomas National H/S.
Until they met again.

Sarung hapon, pauli na si Tintin kan makasakayan nya si Bendoy sa Jeep papuntang Concepcion. Sya man pa-Pili. Nagkumustahan sinda and that night Tintin received his txt message. After that was a routine-like txting activity from morning, lunch and evening. They go out for a date several times pero bakung sunod-sunod and we can say that in the long run, they had reached this tolerance of understanding ones’ growing emotion.
Because of work schedule that’s why they were not constantly meeting but whenever Bendoy is on duty he would ask to take his post at the school early in the morning. He would faithfully wait for Tintin at the school’s post and assist students to properly enter the school.

One time, while both-Bendoy and Tintin were riding on a padyak, and because their relationship wasn’t that obvious to many, a girl called Bendoy from behind saying “Hoy, Palos regards ka daa!” Tintin was scandalized and about to turn but Bendoy doesn’t want her to. Bendoy smilingly, respond to the girl and said, “Iyu, regards mo na man lang ko!” Then he faced Tintin and said, “Mayo man to, mga barabarkada lang to sa gilid-gilid, kasuba-subahan.” Tintin annoyingly reasoned out, “What if, itong babae feel na feel naman ang pagsuba mo?”

After some incident related to it, because Bendoy was unknowingly so friendly, Tintin doubted his love for her. She stopped responding on his call and messages. She arrived late whenever Bendoy is on duty. Or if he is there, she would not look at his direction. Three days passed and Bendoy would persistently show his sincerity. Until Bendoy pronounced, “Anong gusto mo, magpakasal na kita?”

Tintin stopped and started to realize what Bendoy was trying to say and point out. To make the story short, Tintin agreed and they brought back the old times with understanding for one another, fully aware that nobody can ruin true love.

Ladies and Gentlemen, for the record, they had their civil wed last January 18, 2010 and now without a doubt, just completed to celebrate their union in Christ proving a true and long lasting commitment to one another.