Nameless? Not Anymore
I always tend to look good. Nasanay akong mag ayos ng sarili tuwing aalis o lalabas lang ng bahay. Putting cosmetics and dressing myself became part of my daily life since I became conscious. All thanks kay Chessie sa pagiging maarte at hinawaan ako!
Not until now.
I feel all of my efforts are now gone to waste!
Kung sino man ako kanina, hindi ako 'yon. Shit happens.
"Nasaan na sila?" Tanong ko sa aking kasama.
Ganoon ba ako katagal na nawala? Lola Pacia—Everyone, rather, are no longer in the small lounge kung saan sila nanonood kanina! Even the golf carts are not here anymore. The betrayal? I'm now all alone with a man I don't know. The fact that Mama leaves me with him somehow bothers me. The dude is handsome, I admit, but can I trust him?
Come to think of it, I don't know his name!
"Nauna na sila kanina pa. Masyado na rin kasing mainit ang panahon ngayon kaya hindi ka na nila naantay. Your mother told me to assist you though if you need something." Diretsong wika niya.
Kumunot ang aking noo. "Do you work here?"
Umiling naman siya.
"Iyong Papa ko...pero tumutulong din naman ako dito. Minsan."
Ginala ko ang aking mata pababa sa kanyang kabuan. Ang pagdaloy ng kanyang buhok ay sumabay sa mga sumasayaw na palay. Habang ako ay inipit sa likod ng aking tenga ang ilang hibla ng buhok na humaharang sa aking mata. He, then, caught me staring at him.
He must think I'm checking on him, huh? Partly, yes. Pero hindi lang kasi talaga kilala.
If something bad happens, it's good that I know.
Tumagal ng ilang segundo ang ganoong sitwasyon hanggang sa napagdesisyunan kong magsalita muli.
"I need to clean my feet."
My whole self actually.
Hindi ako mapagpanggap na tao. Alam 'yon ng mga kaibigan ko, but this day is testing me. Anong gagawin mo kapag natapat ka sa kahihiyan? Face it, right? And that's exactly what I'm doing right now. In order not to step on my ego, I'm standing confidently with this nameless man with my muddy blue dress. Fake it until you make it.
"Doon pa sa itaas yung poso na pwede mong magamit. Ayos lang ba sa 'yong maglakad pa ng kaunti habang nakayapak?"
Oh?
Tumingin ako sa aking mga paa.
YOU ARE READING
Later Than Never
Teen FictionKatarina Udele Noves, who doesn't consider herself an aloof kind of person, is challenged to meet new people when she stays in her father's hometown for a vacation on a summer break. She's determined to prove her cousin's wrong assumptions about her...
