Flame-kissed Hearts

K A B A N A T A 3

"Ano kayang laman nito?"

I carefully untied the ribbon and peeled back the wrapping paper on the gift my friends had given me. There was a part of me that wanted to wait, to savor the moment of thanking them at school. I worried they might be disappointed if I delayed opening it. But in the end, I couldn't resist the excitement, so I decided to open it right then and there.

Napaisip ako nang makita kong ang laman ng regalo ay isang box ng Zesto. Nakakatuwa naman, kakaiba ang karton nila. Chos. Nang muling buksan ko ang karton ng Zesto, nakita ko na may dalawang box pala sa loob. Ang isa'y kulay langit na bughaw at ang isa naman ay puti.

I placed the sky blue box down and opened it. Inside, I found three letters from my best friends. I picked up the red paper and began to read.

Dear Yvan,

Happy 18th birthday, Yvan. Thank you for being there for me. You were the first to believe and trust me during times when my parents couldn't accept me because I am gay. I appreciate you loving me as a friend. Without you, I might still be on the streets and not pursuing my studies. Here's to more birthdays ahead and good health.

Your friend, Ezekiel ❤️

Nang matapos kong mabasa ang sulat ni Ezekiel, hindi ko napigilang umiyak. Totoo na hindi siya tinanggap ng kanyang mga magulang. Pinalayas siya dahil ayaw daw nilang magkaroon ng baklang anak. Kaya pinatira ko muna si Zek sa amin. Hindi naman nagalit ang tatay ko kay Ezekiel; mas naaawa pa nga siya sa kanya.

I selected the black paper and took a deep breath before reading the greeting card. I grabbed my throw pillow and held it against my face.

Yvan,

Happy birthday! Thank you for all your support, acceptance, respect, and especially your love. Of course, you were my first crush, haha! But then I realized you're into guys, which is okay with me because your happiness matters most. You deserve to love and be loved! Always remember, we're here for you.

Your friend, Gen

My mouth dropped open when I read Gen's message. Should she really be bringing up the past on my birthday? Just kidding! I chuckled at Gen's message as I recalled the silly things he did in elementary school just to catch my attention. What a wild ride! Lastly, I knew Isaiah would have the next greeting card. Here's to celebrating today! I laughed heartily, grateful that my older siblings weren't around to catch me being sentimental.

I opened the last paper, which happened to be yellow-my favorite color. How did Isaiah know that? Such a funny guy! I chuckled again, anticipating another round of jokes or random surprises. As I began to read the final greeting, I suddenly stopped because the door slowly opened. I looked over and saw my older brother, Arcan, smiling at me. I returned the smile warmly.

Kaagad kong itinabi ang mga regalo sa akin ng mga kaibigan ko. Tinabunan lang ito ng kumot at isang malambot na unan.

"Ba't mugto 'yang mga mata mo?" sabi nito nang makalapit.

"May mga naalala lang," mahinang tugon ko.

He chuckled. "Siguro ay may boyfriend ka na, 'no?"

"Ano naman!" I said with a theatrical voice. I approached him to playfully tap his shoulder, but before I could even reach him, he swiftly grabbed my hand and pulled me into a hug. I furrowed my brow in surprise because I wasn't expecting my brother to hug me like that.