A Summer to Remember

The Gift

Nagpatuloy na ako sa pag kain. Ang sarap ng cake. Ang sarap ng ice cream. Grabe. Halos gusto kong lantakan ang lahat ng nasa mesa.

Pasubo na sana ako sa ikatlong slice ko ng cake when I felt someone's hands on my shoulder. I turned to look kung sino yun.

Si Marco.

He flashed that smile of his again. I smiled at him too.

"Yeah? Kumain ka na ba?" tanong ko sa kanya. PSH! Ano ba to! I'm trying to start a conversation with him, tapos yun ang lumabas sa bibig ko? He just smiled at me.

"Yeah tapos na Janice. Busog na busog ako. Grabe. The food was great!" sagot niya sa akin.

Janice? Habit na ba talaga ng mga artista friends ko ang tawagin akong Janice? Tss naman oh. Nakakawalang gana naman.

Napansin niya sigurong nakasimangot ako, kaya he patted my shoulder.

"Hey, I was just testing you, JANINE." He smiled again. Testing pala ha. Hmm. But you know, hearing my name from his lips is like eating an ice cream on a very warm sunny day! So refreshing, and relaxing. It made me shiver.

Tapos yun lang natahimik na kaming dalawa.

This is awkward, pero hindi. Alam niyo yun? Pero okay lang. Ang saya naman ng feeling eh.

"Bakit ka ba napasama sa kanila Daniel? Hmm. Pinilit ka ba nila?" tanong ko kay Marco out of nowhere. Binaba ko ang plato ko ng pagkain, then I faced him with a questioning look on my face.

"Huh? No, they didn't. Bakit mo naman nasabi?" he asked me. He was facing me too, ready to answer every question that I have.

"Awww. Wala lang." sagot ko. Then silence came again. So nagsalita na naman ako.

"Uhm, okay. Kasi, they are on a mission to match make me. They didn't ask you to date me , right? I asked him suspiciously. Okay na rin tong ginagawa kong pagtatanong at least hindi ako magiging tanga sa mga pwedeng mangyari.

"That is such a pathetic thing Janine. Of course not!" sabi ni Marco. After he said that, he handed me a pink box with a black ribbon on it. Sa pagka shock ko, tinaggap ko naman agad yun.

"Happy birthday Janine! I hope you'll like my gift." sabi ni Marco sa akin, smiling. Gosh. May gift din pala siya for me? Hahaha. Ano ba to?

"Grabe ha. May gift ka pa talaga for me." Tumahimik na naman kami. Pero okay lang. It wasn't really an awkward silence, actually it's bringing me comfort and contentment. The more moments passed that I'm with him, para bang okay lang. I haven't felt intimidated at all kahit pa alam kong sikat din siya ngayon.

While we were sitting under the mango tree, kung saan ako nagsusulat at nahimatay kanina, I can clearly watch my friends who have always been there for me - sina Nathan, Jen at Rhea, Si papa, Ninong at Mang Carding, and Daniel and Kath.

Looking back, mabuti na rin ang nagyari sa akin. I met Daniel, we became friends plus Kath, I learned how to love and let go, and most importantly I learned to be happy. Yun lang naman talaga ang hanap ko eh, happiness.

After that thought, I glanced at the person beside me, tinititigan din pala niya ako. No, mali ako, he was looking at my watch, yung binigay sa akin ni Daniel. Funny, it was over a year but I haven't found a new one to replace it. Nasanay na kasi ako na yun ang suot ko eh, sina Jen at Rhea nga, they kept on telling me na palitan ko na yun. Nasa isip ko na yan, I'll remove this watch if heaven will permit. I-aasa ko nalang ang pagpalit ng watch na binigay sa akin ni Daniel sa destiny. When the right time comes.

"May dumi ba ako sa mukha?" I raised my left hand para alisin kung ano mang dumi ang meron sa mukha ko, but I was shocked kasi he successfully had my arm in his hand.

"Wala, you look perfect. Ang ganda lang ng watch mo. I hope you'll still like my gift for you." sabi niya sa akin.

Nakakailang, kaya binawi ko na ang braso ko sa kanya.

"Hehehe. Joker ka rin no? Hmmm. Bubuksan ko na tong gift mo ha? Okay lang ba?" I was asking for his approval. Ngumiti naman siya.

Binuksan ko ng dahan dahan ang gift niya. From the black ribbon, upto the pink wrapper, dahan-dahan kong tinanggal yun. I found a purple velvet box when I finally unwrapped it. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang mararamdaman, I don't know what to expect.

"Open it." sabi ni Marco.

I clicked the box open.

Hindi ko pa nga nabubuo ang reaction ko, he snatched the box away from me. But bago niya sinuot ang gift niya sa akin, dahan dahan niyang hinubad ang relo na binigay ni Daniel. I softly protested, ewan ko, siguro yun lang ang initial reaction ko. He looked at me again, nang nagtama ang mga mata namin, para bang magic, hindi ko alam natanggal na niya ang relo sa braso ko. He gave it to me, then sinuot niya na sa akin ang gift niya.

"I hope you'll like it Janine." sabi niya sa akin with a huge smile on his face.  I can't help but smile too. Tiningnan ko ang binigay niya sa akin, then I don't know kung ano, eto na ba yun? Is this what I'm waiting for? Tiningnan ko siya, then I smiled again.

"Thanks Marco, I think I'll like it."