CHAPTER FOUR (THE IN COUNTER)

"so sad naman pala, mas Malala pa kesa sa akin." tila naman naka ramdam ng habag si Tasha para kay Nato.

"yes mars sobrang lala." malungkot na turan ni Bethy.

"hunmmm, buti pa pala ako kahit paano naka luwag sa dibdib ko ang pag ganti, singelin ko nga ayun tarantan Ang person's." tatawa tawang wika ni Tasha.

"buti nga, eh Ikaw naman kasi mars grabe kung mg mahal." napapatawang sang ayun naman ni Bethy.

Kahit paano na ibsan naman ang lungkot na nararamdaman ni Tasha, kaya naka tulog sila ng mahimbing.

GOOD MORNING

maagang nagising si Tasha at nag disisyong bumaba gusto nyang matanaw ang napaka gandang tanawin sa malawak na kapaligiran na punong puno nang naglalakihang puno at ibat-ibang klasi ng mga halamang lupa.

bit-bit ang drawing materials bumaba sya.

"are you alone?"

saglit na gulat sya sa boses sa kanyang likuran, hindi nya na pansin ng pag lapit nito dahil nakatotok Sya sa kanyang pag pipinta.

"a-ah, tulog pa si Bethy kaya ako lang." tila na utal na sagot nya.

nasa balkonahe sila na gawa sa kahoy ang desenyo at kitang kita ang kabuoan ng malawak na lupain sa labas.

"I see," na upo si Nato ilang pulgada lang ang pagitan nila, "so, your a painter." puna nito ng makita ang kanyang gawa.

"yes, and I think you're also a collector of paintings?" sagot nya, napansin nya kanina pagka pasok sa bahay na halos lahat ng corner may mga paintings at na ispatan nya na dalawa doon ay gawa nya.

"yah, I been collecting those staff, I love painting but I can't paint for my self wala akung talent para dyan kaya bumibili nalang ako." natatawang reklamo nito.

natawa narin si Tasha, di naman pala strikto ang taong to anang isip nya.

"ok, sa mga collection mo may paborito kabang tingnan?" na curious nyang tanong, nakaramdam naman sya ng kunting pagka ilang pero madali lang na wala dahil tila magaan kausap ito.

"hunmmmm,"anito habang nag iisip, "yes there is, the one that lady under the rain it's seem like she's trying to be happy but it looks like she can't." Ani Nato.

natigilan naman si Tasha, painting nya iyon, naalala nya pa nong iguhit nya iyon na gusto nyang maramdaman that she's carefree pero nag susumigaw sa puso nya ang sakit that was two years ago.

"who's the painter?" tanong nya parin kahit parang alam na nya.

"Atasha's," tanging sagot nito.

"it's me," walang gatol na amin nya.

"really?" di maka paniwala na nasambit nito, "I just thought magka pangalan lang kayo."

"yah, and you'll right, that lady is trying to be carefree but she can't." na sabi ni Tasha.

"may I know the story of that painting? hope you don't mind, I bought that because I'm curious what happened it's different kasi marami naman akung nakikitang ganon ang tema but yours hit different." anito sa nakiki usap na boses.

bomuntong hininga muna si Tasha Bago nag salita, inilapag nya ang drawing materials at tumanaw sa tanawin.

"it's my first heartbreak two years ago, seeing your parents you thought a perfect couple, then there's one day you'll found out that perfect is just a fiction a fake picture of a ruin family." malungkot na kwento ni Tasha.

"that's sad, sorry for asking." tila na guilty naman ito sa pag tatanong.

"how would you fell if you're mom is the one who break the family of others?" malungkot na tanong ni Tasha.

"you know you can't predict the Future also the past, were not the one who dicide the faith were going through, and you won't know the real story each side I think the best you can do is to find out what's going on? or why it's happened? so you can move on and be carefree coz I'm sure theres the hardest reason why they choose to love each other even if it's not right." mahabang linya ni Nato.

"don't have the guts to know the side of the story, I just felt so embarrassed by my self coz I'm a product of two people who made mistake." napa pikit pa si Tasha.

"don't Say that, what happened about your parents it's not your fault, your not made by mistake, you are made by love kaya nila nagawang maka sakit because they love each other." nakiki simpatyang wika ni Nato.

"I thought I can be whole again having a boyfriend, but worst, seems like it's ruin me more." napapailing na turan nya.

Ewan ba ni Tasha magaan ang pakiramdam nya na sinasabi dito ang kanyang mga dinadamdam kahit pa ekstranghero pa ang lalaking kaharap.

"nag boyfriend ka para maka layo sa problema mo?" tanong nito.

"yah, I had this guy almost a year and half at first I thought it was the right disiscion to love and to be love but what faith brought me it end up nothing." bumigay na ang kanyang munting luha.

"it's ok Tasha you can let those tears be gotten away," awat ni Nato ng makita nyang itatago sana ni Tasha ang mga matang may ilang butil ng luha.

"ano ba to sinalaysay kuna ang buhay bigo kung puso." natatawang wika ni Tasha, "how about you, care to tell the story behind your sad eyes?" di nya napigilang itanong dito.

Huminga muna rin ng malalim si Nato bago nakuhang mag salita.

"just like you, may mga pinag dadaanan rin." pilit na ngiti ang ipinakita ni Nato.

"I had my almost a wife and thought it would be a paradise after our beautiful wedding but faith never let that happen." malungkot na wika nito.

"it's the car accident?" tanong ni Tasha, "sorry but I ask Bethy." apologetic na dagdag turan nya.

"yah, eventually yes, but guess what, kahit pa hindi nangyari ang car accident at natuloy sa kasal it must be a turning worst married." anito sa malungkot na tinig.

napalingun naman si Tasha dito, "why?" kunot noong tanong nya.

"I found out shes pregnant by other guy." halos di magawang bigkasin iyon ni Nato.

Napalunok naman ng laway si Tasha.