Subject: LOVE 101

Reality 10

I was expecting him to bring me somewhere fancy but to my surprise, dinala nya ako sa Antipolo. Nagtataka man, di na ako nagtanong kung bakit dito kami nagpunta. Besides, I like this place better. I mean, a lot. It's far from the civilization and noise of the city.

"Free at last. How I love fresh air." He closed his eyes and spreaded his arms as if, feeling the soft breeze brought by air.

I can't help but stare at him. He never fail to amuse me. Ito ang unang pagkakataon na nakita ko syang nagloosen up. Now I wonder, is this really the boring man I used to know? Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he knows how to have fun after all.

I took my camera and took a picture of him. Napamulat ito pagkarinig ng shutter. "Taking a photo of me is illegal. Don't you know?" He said with a smirk.

"This photo is worth a fortune, I'm sure it's more than enough to bail myself out." I said in equal playful tone which made him chuckle.

"Very funny Miss Sebastian," pareho na kaming nakaupo sa hood ng sasakyan nya habang pinapanood ang papalubog na araw. "So how do you find the place?"

"I love it. Very solemn, peaceful and it gives me a feeling of freedom." Mula sa kinaroroonan namin ay tanaw ko ang buong siyudad. May mangilan-ngilan na ring ilaw ang matatanaw. Kung titingnan sa malayo, tila ito mga bituing nagkikislapan. Ang ganda, tila napakatahimik at  payapa. Malayo sa realidad at tunay nitong kalagayan.

"I'm glad you loved it. Which means you owed me."

Nagsalubong ang dalawa ko kilay. "Oh, and what's that suppose to mean?" It sounded like he wants something from me.

"I want to know you better. I want to know the woman behind the free spirited photographer I met in the bar."

"What exactly do you want to know?" I am an open book yet there are chapters in my life that I chosed to tear so it will remain untold.

"Tell me about your family.Your childhood."

Matagal bago ako muling nagsalita. My childhood memories...I barely talk about it. I don't want to remember those painful memories, but...  "I grew up in Bicol with my mom and grandparents." I found myself telling him the things that I tried to forget  for so many years.I let out a deep sigh, "It was really happy growing up in the kind of place. But when I turned 7,  my mom died so my father took me."

"Sorry to hear about your mom," he said sympathetically.

Umiling ako. "Don't be. Sympathy is not what I actually needed. After all, it won't bring her back so why feel sorry for me? What I need is understanding. Because loosing someone is not easy."

Natahimik sya saglit at bumuntong hininga. "You're right. But how about your father? Hiwalay ba sila?"

I shrugged my head. "I'm an illegitimate child," surprisingly, saying those words does not hurt anymore. Marahil ay dahil matagal ko nang tinananggap yon sa sarili ko. "Okay, enough of my family. Next question please."

"Love."

"Huh?"

"May boyfriend ka ba? I know you and Hermosa have some understanding but I remember a guy calling you baby."

Saglit akong napaisip. Sino bang tinutukoy nya?

"The guy in your condo."

Natawa ako bigla. "You mean Charlie? No, he's not my boyfriend. But I won't deny na isa sya sa pinakamahalagang tao sa buhay ko."

Hindi ito nagsalita.

"And FYI, NBSB kaya ako."

"NBSB?" Nakakunot ang noong tanong nya.

"No boyfriend since birth. Di mo alam yon?" Di makapaniwalang tanong ko. Seriously, sya lang ata ang kilala ko na di alam ang ibig sabihin ng NBSB. "Sabagay matanda ka na nga pala, for sure di pa uso ang salitang yon sa generation

mo."

"Sinong matanda?" He started tickling me kaya napatalon ako at patakbong lumayo sa kanya. "You're going to pay for calling me old."

He tackled me hanggang nagpagulong gulong kami sa damuhan. So we end up in an awkward position. Me lying on my back and him on top of me. Our laughter subsided and all I can clearly hear was my heartbeat.

Mataman syang nakatitig sakin at dahan dahang bumababa ang mukha nito. Is he going to kiss me?

Ipipikit ko na dapat ang mata ko ng makarinig ang sunod sunod na putok ng fireworks. Bigla ay tila ako binuhusan ng malamig na tubig. Gosh. What the hell am I doing?

It took all of my courage upang itulak sya. "Wow!" Nagkunwari akong aliw na aliw sa nakikita ko kahit ang totoo'y parang mas malakas pa ang tibok ng puso ko sa ingay na dulot ng fireworks. At kahit ang totoo'y mas masaya pang isiping hahalikan nya ako kesa panuorin ang fireworks display.

My face heat up because of that thought. Buti na lang at madilim na kaya di na ito gaanong mapapansin.

"Back to the topic, never ka pa talagang nagka-boyfriend?" Tila di pa rin makapaniwalang tanong nito.

"Never."

"I don't believe you."

"Excuse me?"

"Sa ugali mong yan."

"Grabe, ang mean mo."

"What? You're loud and you're too vulgar. Can you blame me if I think that way? Plus, you're show is about love."

"Oh come on. Give me some benefit of the doubt. Not because I never been in a relationship doesn't mean I'm ignorant of that feeling. And besides, di rin naman ako ganun kainosente. FYI, I had few flings so I got fair share." I proudly declared.

"Have you done it?"

"Done what?"

"Sex."

I blushed. "Perv."

"Anong masama don?" Oo nga naman. We're mature enough to talk about sex. There's nothing wrong with it. The only problem is, it's kinda awkward.

"I know how to flirt okay but FYI, my hymen is still intact." Oo, aaminin ko, hindi ako demure. Pero I still value my virginity. "Teka nga muna, bat ba tayo napunta sa usapang yan?"

"I'm just curious." Tila balewala lang na sagot nito. Sarap hambalosin sa mukha.

"Curious your face. It's getting late. We better get going bago pa man mapunta sa kung saan ang usapang to."

"Pero nag-e-enjoy pa ako. Mamaya na tayo umalis."

Tinaasan ko sya ng kilay.

"Please..." He pleaded with a puppy eyes.

"For crying out loud, stop doing that puppy eye thing. You're giving me goosebumps. Hindi bagay sa'yo."

"Well, I beg to disagree Ms Sebastian. Ikaw lang ang nagsabing hindi sakin yon bagay. Everybody says I'm cute everytime I do that."

"They're definitely lying or maybe, you threatened them."

"Ouch." He held his chest, "I'm wounded."

"Fine. We can stay here for a while,but just an hour extension. I still have a work."

"Thank you." Awtomatiko itong humiga sa binti ko.

"What are you doing?" Nakataas ang kilay na tanong ko.

"Shhh..." Nakapikit pa rin ito at prenteng nakahiga. Bakas sa mukha nito ang pagod.

Di ko napigilan ang sarili kong pagmasdan sya. At habang nakatingin dito naitanong ko bigla, pano sya nagawang lokohin ng nanay ni Casey?