“I can already see them from the outside.” Pansin ko nang makapasok kami sa orphanage. The kids were already outside, as if they really prepared themselves for us to welcome in this kind of event.Malalaki ang mga ngiti at ‘kitang-kita ang galak sa mga mata. Young and free.“That’s how excited they are, so adorable.”“Good noon, sister Mayla. Kumusta ang mga bata?” Wayde approached an elderly woman who greeted us. They shared an embrace before the woman turned her head at me.Ngumiti ako at binati rin ang ginang.“Ayos naman,hijo. Buti naman at nakabalik ka kasama ang girlfriend mo. Miss na miss kana ng mga bata rito.”Narinig ko ang mahinang pagtawa ni Wayde bago nagsalita.“This is Celestia, sister—““Good noon sister, I’m not Wayde’s girlfriend. We’re just acquaintances.” I cut him off and corrected sister politely. Wala ng angal roon si Wayde at dinala naman kami ni sister kung saan naroroon ang mga bata.”“Oh nandito na si kuya Wayde niyo mga bata. Siguro namimiss niyo na siya ‘
Umiinom ako ng gatas sa mug habang kumakain ng chichirya. From time to time akong napapatingin sa labas. Bakit ba ako kinakabahan?! Napatayo ako at napahinga ng malalim.I was pacing back and forth from where I am standing. Patingin-tingin sa gilid at inaalerto ang sarili sa kung sinuman ang pumasok. I’m so tense here! Kahit malamig ang panahon ay naramdaman ko ang panlalamig ng kamay ko. Damn it! Hindi naman siguro niya ako iinterogahin sa nangyari kahapon diba? It was just an act of impulsiveness! Hindi ko naman yun sinasadya! An accident for short! "You actually suck at this, Celestia... " I put both of my palms in my cheeks and felt so problematic. Nasa ganoon akong posisyon nang marinig ang pagbukas ng sliding door. My eyes immediately widened and I was stilled from my position. Mariin akong napalunok habang hinihintay ang pagpasok niya.
Two months had passed. I couldn’t believe that managed to live with those period of time. It was hell yet heaven. Maraming mga bagay na dapat na kailangang matutunan.It was a peaceful environment to live.Akala ko ay maghahanap agad ako ng trabaho pero pinili ko munang magpahinga. I also enjoyed accompanying Wayde doing his paperworks that kept me busy somehow.Ngayon ko lang napag-isipang maghanap na ng trabaho.The more I get to know him, the more I realize how big the differences between the both of us.The more I get to know him, the more I realize how big the differences between the both of us. But those differences also set me an example. He taught me some things that I need to bear in mind. Na hindi kailangan madaliin ang isang bagay.Some things take time, but that doesn’t mean that we should waste those period of time."Thank you po." I slightly bowed my head and handed my payment. Bumalik ako rito sa bayan
"Ano?!" I was startled back when Marissa and Laren almost bawled their eyes out. I just awkwardly smiled and nodded.Nagulat sila nang malaman ang dati kong trabaho at ang eskwelahang pinasukan ko noon."Hija, sigurado kaba rito? Ah ehh, graduate ka at may magandang trabaho kapang mapapasukan. At tignan mo ang kamay mo oh, mukhang hindi pa dinadapuan ng langaw. Ang ganda-ganda ng kutis mo." Manang Isa holds my hands as if examining if there’s calluses that can be seen.Gulat na gulat sila sa sinabi kong graduate ako ng Bachelor of Business Administration. There’s really no problem working at Manang Isa’s bakery shop. I have a little knowledge about baking so there’s really no problem with me doing it.At hindi ko naman alintana sa kung ano ang trabaho ko noon o ngayon. I would be happy to start a new. To gain a little experience to the future I’m currently building.“Ayos lang po talaga, Manang Isa. Pagbubu
I wiped the sweat in my forehead and got my spare keys. Tahimik ang bahay senyales na hindi pa umuuwi si Wayde. It's time for me to have a dinner. I planned to boil some water to cooked noodles.E ano 'bang alam ko sa pagluluto? Wala."hmm..." I opened the cabinet and the food was well organized already.Simula sa mga kasangkapan hanggang sa mga canned goods ay walang palya ang pag o-organize niyon. Wayde must be really a neat person. Sa kwarto palang niya ay wala kanang makikitang alikabok sa mga sulok-sulok. Napaka-masinop at ayaw ng kalat.Kahit ako rin naman ay ayaw ko talaga ang makalat sa lahat.For a week staying here, saulado ko na din ang routine ni Wayde. The first thing he does is work out, and resting in the garden for awhile. After, he would directly go to the kitchen to cooked. Kung nakatira rin siguro ako sa ganitong lugar ay gagawin ko rin ang gagawin niya.Or I’m really not used to with that kind of lifesty
“I’m sorry.” Pag-papaumanhin ko dahil sa nagawang kalat.“I was just trying to cook for dinner. Akala ko madali lang gawin pero..." sinundan ko siya nang tingin nang sumandal ito sa counter top at pinagkrus ang mga braso.For the last time, he roamed his eyes on the mess I made before saying something. Inayos nito ang reading glasses nito at inalis ang relo.Nagtama ang paningin namin at ilang segundong nagtitigan. Hindi ko mawari kung ako lang ba ngunit nakita ko ang pagpipigil niya ng ngiti.“Let’s clean this mess, first. I’ll teach you how.” ," lumapit siya sa mga pinaghihiwa kong gulay at sinuri iyon."Damn... that's a plain torture right there." He said and chuckled. Napangiwi ako nang sumilip rin ako roon at tinignan ang kabuuang itsura.“Torture pa nga…” bulong ko.Unti-unti kong nilinis ang mga kalat sa lababo habang si Wayde naman ay tila nag-iisip
Sinimulan kong kunin ang mga seasoning at binalik ang mga 'yun sa lalagyan. Si Wayde naman ay naglinis ng iba ko pang kalat sa lamesa. Sinulyapan ko ang kalangitan at tuluyan na ngang tinakpan ng kadiliman ang kalangitan.Kasalukuyan kong hinugasan ang mga plato na ginamit ko kanina sa pagluluto."It's not a big a crime to teach a kid like you, yeah?" nagsalubong ang mga kilay ko sa sinabi ni Wayde. Tinampal ko ang braso niya at umirap.Whatever."Wow ah! Sa bagay, madali naman talagang matuto ang mga kagaya ko sa mga matatanda na kagaya mo." Nang lumingon siya sa akin ay nginisihan ko siya. His lips formed into a thin line.I looked at him teasingly and didn’t cast away my eyes. Nakipagtitigan ako sa kanya at napawi ang ngiti ko nang makita ang seryoso niyang mukha.Patay, mukhang napikon siya sa sinabi ko.His face were dead serious that it made me want to stepped back. I’m still grinning to tease him more. . Humak
“It’s a meat that you need to butcher, Celestia. Careful in handling the knife, you might hurt yourself in the process.” Pagbibigay babala ni Wayde sakin. Napayuko ako at tinignan ang hinihiwa kong kamatis.I grimaced when I saw the look of the tomato. Pang-ilang subok ko na nga ba 'to?"Ay sorry..." I held the knife back and tried to concentrate. Seryosong nakamasid si Wayde sa akin. Ni hindi pa nga ito nakapagpalit ng suot dahil dumertiso siya sakin para turuan ako.Baka ano pa raw ang magawa ko sa kusina niya habang wala siya. Napanguso ako sa naisip.That’s why I love to learn baking rather than cooking. Cooking is so out of my league!“Stop pouting and concentrate, Celestia.” Naaliw na sabi ni Wayde na nakapagbalik sakin sa huwisyo.E kasi naman eh!Kumuha ako ng isang kamatis at hinugasan iyon. I placed it above the chopping board and placed the tip of the knife in the center. I curled my fing
Tinupi ko ang kahuli-hulihang damit ko at isinilid iyon sa maleta ko. Kakarampot nalang na mga gamit ang kailangan kong ayusin. Nilinis ko na rin ang kwarto ko at ibinalik sa dating posisyon ang ilang mga gamit roon. It took me hours to organize everything.Sa paglabas ko ng kwarto ay kaagad akong pumunta sa sala para hanapin si Wayde. Nakita ko siyang may ginagawa at nang makita ako ay kaagad niyang niligpit ang mga gamit niya.“Uhh, I’m done cleaning the room. Naibalik ko na rin ang yung mga bagay na ginamit ko noon sa kwarto mo.” Panimula ko.Umupo ako sa kaharap na sofa niya at kumuha ng isang throw pillow at niyakap iyon. Nanakit ang likod ko dahil sa magdamag na pagliligpit sa kwarto. Tumango si Wayde at pinagsiklop ang mga kamay. Silence invaded between us.“H-hey,” tawag ko kay Wayde nang hindi siya magsalita.He seems to be in a deep thought. His lips is forming into a thin line while frowning. Mukha siyang nakipag-argumento sa sarili niya. I was looking at him in confusion.
I dragged myself into such a mess and I knew a lot more to come. I don’t want to drag him in my mess and put stains in his name. Nararamdaman ko ang pag-init ng sulok ng mga mata ko."Shh, you don't have to be sorry. " humakbang siya papalapit sakin at nilapat ang palad sa pisngi ko. He wipes the tears that were slowly rolling through my cheeks."I'm so sorry, Wayde." mas lumakas pa ang hikbi ko nang sinabi niya iyon.It wasn't just a mixture of pain. It was somehow mixed with frustration and disappointment. Pumikit ako ng mariin at hinayaan ang mga luhang unti-unting bumabagsak sa mga mata ko."God knows how much I want to risk this, Wayde." He removed his hand on my cheeks.Sinalubong ko ang tingin niya at nakita ko ang pagkalito sa mukha niya. Tila may dumaang kinang sa mata niya at nabuhayan ng pag-asa. It left me confused."You...want to risk this?" so much, Wayde."Nag-usap na kami ni Laren ng lilipatan ko at pwede na raw akong lumipat bukas. I just realize, nung unang tapak ko
I calmed down when I saw who it was. He put his index finger on his mouth as if telling me to be silent.“Wayde? A-Anong ginagawa mo rito? And… Why did you take me here?” luminga ako sa paligid.Sa halip ay sagutin ako ay umupo lang ito sa batuhan kaya sumunod ako. Umupo rin ako sa gilid niya but leaving some distances between both of us. The light from the shining moon was the only thing that gave light to the place.Hindi kalayuan rin sa amin ay makikita ang mga pahapyaw ng liwanag na gawa ng mga apoy na galing sa palapa ng niyog o sa sulo. Natatabunan iyon ng mga puno sa paligid. The river looks sparkling whenever the light hits the water. Payapa ang agos ng tubig sa ilog at kung sinuman ang makikita niyon ay mahaharuyo sa kagandahan nitong taglay. It screams so much peacefulness and solace. From those rustling leaves, and the sound that the river made was just comforting.“How’s the fiesta?” tanong niya.“It’s fun! And you know what, Clayton made a scene earlier. Sayang at hindi
With a cross fingers, only two contestants were left. Clayton and the other guy. They are making eye contact, waiting for someone to attack to catch the pig. "Tatapusin ko na 'tooo!" sigaw ng lalaki at nilangoy ang putikan para makuha ang kahuli-hulihang biik. All of us shouted in unison when the game ended. Isa-isa nilang tinaas ang mga nakuhang biik. My eyes went to Clayton, salubong ang mga kilay nitong lumabas sa palaruan at lumapit sa direksyon namin. "I could have won that!" Clayton complained. The mud was still dripping in his body. "Oh! Ang isa sa mga paborito ng mga kalahok natin! Hindi lang biik ang premyo niyo kundi meron rin tayong mga magandang dilag ang magpapaligo sa inyo. Ilabas ang hose!" Palakpakan at sigawan ulit ang maririnig sa boung paligid. I frowned when I noticed Clayton walking towards the coordinator's place and asked if he could borrow the microphone. Nang mahiram iyon ay kaagad nitong hinarap ang lalaking naging kalaban nito kanina. Nakita kong lumap
"Marissa, ano ba..." nahihiyang tugon ni Laren pero huli na para tumanggi dahil hinila na siya ng kapatid at dinala sa loob ng palaruan.I witnessed how Clayton's expression shifted. He took a leap into the fences and whispered something to the coordinator. Salubong ang mga kilay nitong nakikipag-usap sa isang kalahok.When the coordinator nodded, Clayton ripped off his shirt in front of everyone. He did that effortlessly! Lumakas ang tilian sa paligid at sa lahat ng mga sigaw ay sa kanya ang may pinakamalakas. Not to mention that Clayton has the same body built with Wayde that can make any girl drool."May last contestant pa tayo na humabol! at dahil apat lang ang biik natin, isa sa kanila ang hindi makakauwi ng biik. Isigaw niyo ang pambato niyo!!""Go Clayton! Bring out your charms, you prick!" I shouted to cheer him up. Kumindat naman si Clayton sa lahat bago tinapunan ng tingin si Laren. The side of my lips rose up when their eyes met. Take that, you jerk."Oh magsisimula na an
"Please... huwag mo sabihin sa iba." With my mouth drape open, I nodded like a robot.Oh gosh! I can really smell something fishy from the first time I saw Laren reaction whenever Clayton's name is mentioned.“Laren! Watch out!” babala ko nang merong paparating na kalabaw sa pwesto niya. It was almost too late for her to step aside when a set of arms caught her waist and pulled her closer.Mas lalong hindi ako makapaniwala sa nasaksihan ko.“Clayton, Laren!” Sabay silang bumagsak sa damuhan. Clayton’s irritated face is visible as he sharply glared at Laren.Kaagad namin silang dinaluhan at tinulungang tumayo.“Hindi kaba tumitingin sa dinadaanan mo? You almost hit yourself!” Clayton scoffed at Laren. Bakas ang pagka-irita sa mukha nito.“Pasensya na, hindi ko lang napansin.” Paghingi ng tawad ni Laren at pinagpagan ang sarili. I heard Clayton hissed before turning his back.“Ayos lang, nagalit ko ata si Clayton,” mahina niyang bulong sa’kin.Umiling ako, “Nah! Huwag mo na ‘yang pansin
I nodded. “ Yeah, he’s a busy person.”Ate Alma and Marissa’s shoulders fell. Akala ko rin ay sasama talaga siya, but it turns out that he wouldn’t. He must be so busy with his work that he had no time to attend such an event. I’m actually concerned with his well-being. He has been working day and night consecutively and he forgot to eat his meal most of the time.I can really relate with him also too. My dad’s always so busy with our company that he sometimes forgets to attend my activities in school way back. Nanlulumo rin ako minsan, but whenever I think that he’s doing it for my future, those kinds of thoughts fade away.“Sayang! Pinaghandaan ko pa naman ang pagdating niya. Tignan niyo kung gaano ako kaganda ngayon” umikot pa siya sa harap namin at ipinakita ang bestida niya.It’s a Korean style dress that is popular nowadays. She also has that bandana style in her head that we usually see in the olden days painting about a young woman. Marissa really looks good on that.Her moren
“Wayde! Aren’t you excited for the fiesta?” I styled my hair into soft curls and put on my headband.Naghahanda ako para sa idadaos na event mamaya. This would be the very first time that I would attend such a barrio fiesta and I’m excited for it.Marissa and Laren would be there too. Hindi rin naman papigil si Clayton at sasalihan niya raw ang lahat ng contest doon. I really can’t believe that the brute is here. And he knew Wayde very well. What a small world after all.“Hmm, there’s nothing exciting about it. I’m not going,” ani Wayde habang ang mga mata’y nakatuon sa Ipad nito.“O c’mon, it’s just for tonight and then done. Dapat sumama ka. And I’m also sure that you might be interested in playing the games too!” giit ko pa para makumbinsi siyang sumama. “I have work.” I rolled my eyes. He really is a workaholic. He barely even has time to relax due to workloads.“You can just get back to work after the event. It would be fun, I’m sure. Lots of games and dancing, you know.”“You.
"They're gone." Kaagad akong bumitaw sa kanya at kinurot siya. "Really?! Out of all the excuses, yun pa talaga ang naisip mo?" napapantastikuhan ko siyang tinignan. "It was adrenaline rush. Kesa naman wala akong masabi sa kanila. Why? You're affected?" tila napapaso akong lumayo sa kanya at marahas na umiling. The confidence! "H-Hell no! not even in a million." That's a lie, really. Hindi ko man aminin, but I know that there's already something growing inside me "Na ano... ba? Oh my!" napatakip ako ng bibig nang marealize ang sinabi ko kanina lang. For the second time around, Wayde chuckled. Hindi ko kayang tumingin sa kanya dahil sa kahihiyan na sinabi ko. How much embarrassment could I get?! Ramdam ko ang pag-init ng pisngi ko. My face is red as the tomato right now. I glared at Wayde who's clearly just teasing me the whole time. Siya pa ang masamang tinignan ko gayung ako naman ang gumawa ng sarili kong kahihiyan. “S-Shut up. Anyway, I have something to say.” “Spill.