At Cerv. Really.

willcharm
Apr 27, 2015
2 min read

Will and I are engaged! I knew it was coming. We'd talked about it endlessly, planned it and imagined happy ever after, and yet, nothing prepared me for the moment my man went down on one knee and presented me with a rock.

It happened in February. His dad and his good friend were in town for a visit, and he said it would be great for them to meet our friends. Give them an idea of our life here, he said. Sure. He made reservations for a party of 12 at Cerveseria (Cerv) in Greenbelt, our "local." Everybody showed up -- of course, they all knew beforehand what was about to happen. I was happily clueless. We were busy chatting, taking pictures, drinking sangria. It was, for all intents and purposes, an ordinary Friday night in balmy Manila. Ordinary, that is, until my man emerged from inside the restaurant and towards our table outside, got down on one knee, and opened a little box with a sparkly something resting on a bed of soft velvet. That was the only thing I remember. It was the quintessential "Centuries telescoped into one evanescent moment" kind of moment (from The God of Small Things).

I did not faint. I did, however, and despite my proclamations that I am a strong, independent woman, cried when my man asked me to be his wife. He memorized his speech, but I heard nothing. Nothing but our friends squealing in the background along with the rest of the people in the restaurant, nothing but my heart beating so fast, nothing but my saying, "At Cerv? Really?!" over and over. My nose was running and I was sniffing and he prompted me for an answer. I asked what the question was. I laughed, he laughed. I said yes.

Our friends captured the entire thing on camera, a clip that lasted no more than 2 minutes. Two minutes and my life is changed. I said yes and I am still me, and yet more than me. I chose to say yes. I chose this man. I choose to live our lives together. I choose to love. And in doing so, I honor my freedom to choose. For this, I am grateful.

What followed the proposal was champagne, tequila, and beer pong. They were also of my choosing.