"Its okay. I know I'm insatiable" pagbabalewala niya sa sinabi ko.
"Okay, I'm outta here"
"Hey I'm just kidding. What do you want for lunch?" Ang kamay at mga binti niya ay iniyakap niya sa akin.
"We just ate earlier, Stephen" Paalala ko sakaniya. We just ate before he went to sleep.
"Okay, okay babe." Hinalikan na naman niya ang pisngi ko. I unconciously had a count in my head already. I feel just like me, he loves cheek kisses. "You eat like a bird, Qofte"
I had to. I was raised to eat like that. Reina made me her carbon copy and I couldn't complain that time because I was just a kid.
Sadyang kahit anong gawin namin ay hindi na niya ako mapatangkad.
"Im used to it" Tipid na sagot ko.
Nang mag-alas kwatro na ay lumabas na kami ng campervan. Nang makita ko kung ano ang nasa labas ay nagpaalam ako sakaniya na magbibihis lang agad. Dapat pala ay sinilip ko kung ano ang pinuntahan namin ng mabuti. Just because I saw a field of yellow flowers, agad nang pumasok sa utak ko na sunflower fields ito but nah. This is even better.
"Please, please I'll be quick." I want to look good in here. Gusto kong bagayan ang paligid. I don't know how he thought of this but damn, he's a sucker for making fall for him even harder.
Damn you, Stephen Strauss!
"Can I watch you.." he trailed off.
"What did you say?" Sigaw ko dahil medyo nakalayo na ako sa kinatatayuan niya at malapit na ako sa campervan.
"Can I watch you get changed" sigaw niya. Mabuti nalang at walang masyadong tao dito sa pinuntahan namin. Pinagtaasan ko nalang siya ng gitnang daliri.
Mabilis akong nagpalit sa Sofia Hagen jumpsuit na binili ko last year. I knew that I will use it sometime kahit na grabeng pang-aasar ni Vera noon na hindi ko naman daw masusuot 'to at ngayon na ang oras na iyon. It was a plain simple square-lined brown jumpsuit na medium length ang pants.
I suddenly felt cute as I wore it. Inayos ko ang buhok ko at sinuot ang regalong shades ni Celestin. Perfect.
Sa mga ganitong bagay lang ako nakakaramdam ng kilig dati- sa pagsusuot ng kung ano-anong damit. I've dated bunch of guys but I have never felt the way I felt when I try dresses.
Binuksan ko na ang campervan at nakita ko siyang busy na kinukuhanan ng litrato ang kapaligiran. I suddenly felt giddy when the camera came in my direction. Oo nga pala, Stephen gives me that kilig eversince I met him.
Slowly, he removed his phone to see me clearly. Mabilis niya akong nilapitan nang makabawi siya sa pagkagulat.
"I swear to God, I will see you again." Napangiwi ako sa sinabi niya. Of all, bakit yun ang unang sasabihin niya?
"Gago, you dont have to flatter me that much." I looked at him as he heartfully shook his head in disagreement. He was dashing in this view. Ilang beses ko nabang sinabi iyon?
He looks dashing everywhere.
Stephen with dandelion fields in his back made everything perfect for me. I always liked the unpretentious plant. I've looked it up and it was said to be a survivor. A fighter and a reminder of the sun. The sun who diligently rises everyday no matter what the climate may be. A dandelion's mostly disliked by people when it pops up suddenly but that's what I liked about it the most.
It's ability to stand up cheerful and grow wherever. Most importantly, they say it grants wishes when you blow its flower seeds in the wind.
And this moment, I feel like he's giving me a field of it. He's giving me that dandelion aura at hindi kona alam kung saan ko pa ilalagay ang tuwa at saya ko. It's like in every gaze, he's telling me to move forward and be unpretentious. Stephen is my dandelion and he gives me the sun. He's giving me my own sun. He's telling me that I can be my own sun.
Most of all, he's granting my greatest wish in life.
Stephen.. my sun.
"Bellisima, Bella." Bulong niya habang pareho naming tinitignan ang mga kuhang litrato kuha niya kanina sa akin.
"Your hair.. was black your natural color, babe?" Pansin niya sa buhok ko. Dahil natatamaan ng araw ay halatang nag-iba ang kulay nito.
"I-I used to color my hair a lot."
"I see, your hair is like auburn-ish or so.. It's so cool."
"You're right" Please don't talk about my hair anymore, babe. I'm not ready to talk about that.
Sinubukan kong ibahin ang usapan at kumagat naman siya. I asked him where were going next and he hurriedly drove us out of the park. I rode the shotgun while browsing the pictures he took. I-uupload ko sa instagram ang mga ito.
I particularly stopped at one picture. It was a wacky selfie of his. Sinadya niyang mahagip ako ng camera doon. Nakapikit kong hinihipan ang tatlong dandelion na hawak ko habang siya ay tuwang-tuwa nakapikit at nakalabas ang dila.
"Ikaw ha, if you want a picture with me you can ask for one. I'd even sign you an autograph" Natatawang tukso ko sakaniya.
He rolled his eyes before smirking mischievously. "Tease me. Go on. I'll make sure the next paper you'll sign's a legal document."
"What? You lunatic!"
"What? Tease me, go on." He chuckled as he glanced at me.
"You fucking moron." Don't tell me..
"A receipt babe. A receipt . Don't freak out yet."
"Wow. So ako pala magbabayad sa next na pupuntahan natin?" I squinted my eyes a bit.
"Tease me, come on." He said as if he understood me perfectly.
Good God. Legal document pa more.
Sanji's Swan
"We could break away, if you really want to run
Hard to keep the pace, when you're staring at the sun
Let's hide away from it, try escape from it
Let's hide away, if you really want to run"
-Run,Harrison Storm
https://open.spotify.com/track/7xoDqnyrBDgusvQ1AHoOSx?si=df4d1efe2915449f
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Invisible Strings
General FictionZiyah Isabelle Illagan, a child hidden to everyone's knowing from her famous parents have grown to have "taste aversion" to doctors then she meets the 'brain doctor', as she may call it.
