The one that got away

Prologue

"You are both grounded!"

Pabagsak na isinara ni Mom ang pinto ng kwarto namin ni Caleb. I was sitting on my bed while my twin brother was leaning on the wall. I heard him sighed. I couldn't believe that I got us in trouble again. I knew how important this summer was for Caleb. He wanted to spend his time with his girlfriend and yet I got us grounded. 

"Sorry, Bro." I mumbled. "I knew you had a date with your girl later." 

"It's okay. I could cancel." he said in a low tone. I took a deep breath. Great! My twin was disappointed with me again. Kailangan kaya darating ang panahon na hindi na madi-disappoint sa akin si Caleb? All our lives, he did nothing but to look after me, all our lives, he was there to take care of me. he always had my back, kahit na gaano ako kakulit, kahit gaano ako kamali sa isang bagay, he was there, ipinagtatanggol niya ako. 

"I couldn't believe that mom grounded us again. We're seventeen and we just graduated from high school and yet she grounded us!" muling sabi ko. Caleb smiled at me. 

"Ang tigas kasi ng ulo mo. Sino bang nasabi sa'yong tumakas ka kagabi?" natatawang sabi niya sa akin. I made a face. 

"You were with me kaya. Saka we had a blast playing at that bar last night. I felt the crowd!" I smiled as I remember the gig we had last night. May banda kami ng kapatid ko, we call ourselves The Pastels. I am the base player, Caleb was the front man/vocalist and our other friends, Lex -- the drummer, Kerky -- lead guitars and Nathan -- keyboardist. 

It was my dream to be known in the music industry and I am glad because I share that dream with my twin brother and my friends. 

"Yeah.... whatever." napangiti na ang kapatid ko. I like seeing him smile. I know how gay that sounds like pero sa dami ng ginawa ng kapatid ko para sa akin, making him smile was the only way I could ever repay him. 

"Paano kayo mamaya noong date mo?" tanong kong muli sa kanya. Nagkibitbalikat si Caleb at saka humiga sa kama. 

"I really don't like Stella that much so.." huminga pa siya ng malalim. "I really don't care." 

Napailing ako. I knew for a fact that Caleb wasn't really affected by the truth that we're bith grounded. Pero ako, ayoko, gusto kong lumabas, gusto kong mag-explore. I wanna feel my last summer as a high school student -- oh wait, hindi na nga pala ako high school kasi kaka-graduate ko lang -- But then, I really wanna enjoy the summer. I wanna make lasting memories before I enter college hell. 

"Saan ka pupunta?" tanong ni Caleb nang tumayo ako. I smiled at him as I open the window. Inilabas ko ang kalahati ng katawan ko at saka binalingan siya. 

"I'm going to have fun." I said in a playful tone. 

"If mom finds out---"

"Jeez, I'm already grounded. Ano pang dapat kong ikatakot?" Isinara ko ang bintana at saka ko sinumulan ang pagbaba mula sa aming bubong. Habang pababa ako, nakita ko si Mom na nasa sala at may kausap sa telepono. I grinned. Hindi talaga ako papahuli ng buhay sa kanya. Nang makababa ako ng tuluyan ay saka ako nagtatakbo palabas ng aming bahay. I was smiling widely as I ran away from our house. I really don't wanna be trap on that hell hole all summer long. Gusto ko ng freedom, gusto ko ng happiness. 

I was about to turn left when I bumped onto something. Napadapa ako. 

"Aw!" reklamo ko. Buti na lang at hindi sumampal ang mukha ko sa daan. 

"Aw!" another human being said. Nang mag-angat ako ng tingin ay napanganga ako. The only thing that crosses my mind was the question:

Am I dead?

Because right now, I'm seeing an angel. 

"Gen chahn ah yoh?"

My mouth parted a bit. Lumapit sa akin ang angel at hinawakan ang mukha ko. I felt my heart beat a million times faster that it's normal rate. 

"Gen chahn ah yoh?" Muling ulit ng angel. Napailing ako. Hindi ko alam kung anong sinasabi niya but in my ears that language was the most beautiful language I have ever heard. Inalalayan niya akong tumayo. 

"Ang g-ganda mo..." iyon lang ang namutawi sa labi ko. I was really struck by the beauty of this girl in a purple sun dress. Her hair was curly -- iyong parang kay Goldilocks -- her lips were pink, her eyes were chinky, her nose was upturned, she looked very pretty. 

"You're a Filipino." bigla siyang ngumiti. Parang pumalya naman ang tibok ng puso ko. "I'm Korean." 

"Korean?" I said. "Ang weird ng pangalan mo." 

"No," she said still smiling. "I'm from Korea. My name is Cinderella." 

"Cinderella? Then I am you're prince charming." 

"No," she said again. Napanguso ako. Ayaw niya na ako ang maging prince charming niya? "My english name is Cinderella. I am Won Jin Hye."

Inabot niya ang kanyang kamay sa akin. I think she wanted me to shake her hand. Napalunok ako. Hindi ba nakakahiya? Medyo madumi ang kamay ko. Huminga muna ako ng malalim saka nanginginig ang kamay na inabot ko ang dulo ng daliri niya. Lalo akong napanganga. It was just the end of her fingers that touched my fingers and yet I felt a thousand of tiny electric atoms travelled from my toes to my nose. 

"Mannaseo pangapsumnida!" nakangiting sabi niya sa akin. I was stoned. Sa buong buhay ko ay ngayon lang ako nakaramdam ng ganito. My heart was beating fast, faster and fastest. My hands were trembling with excitement. Napalunok ako. 

"What did you said?" I asked in a low voice. 

"I said, it is nice to meet you... What's your name?" 

"Calen. Calen Eugene." 

"Nice to meet you, Calen." muli siyang ngumiti sa akin. Muling pumalya ang puso ko. Lihim akong napailing, wala. Bumagsak na ang Bataan. In love na yata ako.