Semi's, baby!

In a new light

Nina

"It's what love does. You see something old in a new light."

Napangiti ako sa narinig ko. Napatingin ako sa lalaking pasalampak na umupo. Tumango naman yung professor ko. I didn't know why we were discussing this in our Psych class. But I guess whoever he is, is right. Mabilis na kinuha ko yung bag ko at umalis na.

You see something old in a new light.

I looked at him again. At napapangiti na ako ngayon. Parang may ESP yung guy na lumingon sa akin at ngumisi. Nabigla ako at napa-straight ng upo. So okay, he looked exactly like someone I knew. He looked so familiar but I just couldn't put a finger on. Napailing ako.

Aalis na sana ako ng may humawak sa braso ko. When I looked up I saw a pair of brown eyes. At natigilan ako. Inilahad niya yung kamay ko. Tinignan ko lang iyon. Nang hindi ko kinuha iyon ay basta niya na lang kinuha yung kamay ko at kinamayan ako. Ngumisi siya, "Hi, I'm Jorem. You're Nina right?"

Jorem Saldivar. Yes, I knew him by name. Kakatawag nga lang sa kanya kanina diba?

I frowned. "How'd you know my name?" As if Nina. As if! Hindi ko iniisip na pinagtanong niya yung pangalan ko o ano pa man. I just found this... weird. Although sanay akong hinabol-habol ng mga lalaki. Well, having two famous and gorgeous titlists as your friends, ano pa ba ang ikagugulat ko? I mean, wala si Tanya at Flimsy dito. So I guess I'll be that dead kid in the class again.

He smirked. Pamilyar talaga! "You just probably courted someone I'm related to."

"W-What?" Matagal bago nag-process sa utak ko yung sinasabi niya. Actually, hindi ko talaga magets. "Wait. Di ko gets. I courted who-who?" Then it slowly dawned on me. Shit na malagkit. "Y-You're related to—"

Lumawak yung ngisi niya. "Of course." Mahina kong bulong. Sino bang hindi nakakaalam ng ginawa ko? Sa katangahan ko, kababae kong tao nakalimutan kong nagmula ako sa lahi ni Maria Clara, at ano? Humabol sa lalaki, nagsayaw na may mascot and even proposed to him nationwide. Oh, c'mon... who wouldn't know you Nina? Napapahiyang napatampal ako sa pisngi ko. Nginingitian ako ng mga classmates ko habang papalabas. I smiled back although I couldn't even remember their names.

They were all good and okay with me. Even with the bitchy ones. Sa araw-araw ko ba namang nakasama si Flimsy at Tanya. They breathed the same as Tanya. So what's new? Wala ng bago sa pakikitungo ng ibang tao sa akin. My father was the mayor. Some may know. Some may be oblivious. O yung iba sadyang walang pakialam. And I didn't know which of those I prefer.

"Yung kamay ko." Sabi ko ng hindi pa rin niya iyon binibitawan. He laughed at me and shook our hands again. Hindi ko alam pero napatingin lang ako habang tumatawa siya. He really looked so... so...

"You see something old in a new light." Napabulong ako. At ngumiti ulit siya. His eyes turned into gleeful slits. At nanghihina yung tuhod ko. Mabilis akong napabitiw. As realization kicked in.

"I'm going." Yun lang yung sinabi ko. Hinahabol pa rin ako ng tawa niya sa corridor. Mabilis na tumakbo ako palabas. I hated to feel this way. Because I kept seeing Joed in every guy I meet. Even if that guy turned my knees into Jell-O. Actually, that was why my knees turned into Jell-O 'coz it reminded me so much of that capital J.

Jerk.

Hindi ko dinala yung kotse ko at nagdrive. When I took my phone out of my bag nakita ko na naman kung ilang missed calls ang meron dun. Ilang messages na hindi ko naman binabasa. Ni hindi ko na nga naaccess yung phone ko. Imposibleng kasing galawin ko yun ng hindi natetempt basahin ni isa. Imposible yon. Sobrang imposible.