"Sige, go ako" I smiled broadly at him. I'll just enjoy the days I'm with him, the days when he treats me like a princess, the days when we love each other but there are limits.
Uno took me on a tour of their place, the houses I saw weren't that big, there were lots of rice fields, there were big trees, the air was fresh and felt like it was hitting my skin. There are animals being cared for. Uno and I really enjoyed the trip.
We stopped at a store, Uno and I got out and bought some food to take to his grandmother. "Uno, tagal nating hindi nagkita ah" A young man spoke. Magkasing edad lang sila ni Uno base sa mukha niya. "Oo nga eh, ngayon lang kasi may bakanteng oras" Uno smiled at the man, Uno took out his wallet but I stopped him.
"I'll pay for everything." He frowned as he looked at me. "Ako kaya nag-ayang mamasyal" pahabol ko tsaka nilabas ang five hundred sa wallet ko at inabot sa lalaking kausap ni Uno kanina. "Ako ang lalaki, kaya ako ang magbabayad" Aniya tsaka kinuha ang Five Hundred sa lalaki at binalik sa akin. "No. Just because you're the man here doesn't mean you're the one who pays." I rolled my eyes. Napahilamos siya ng palad niya.
"Pasaway ka talaga kahit kailan- ako na!" He said seriously and paid for the groceries, he took the groceries and carried me like a sack. "Bwesit! ibaba mo nga ako, Uno!" He didn't listen and just laughed. Could he handle my weight? Could he carry me? .
Pagkarating namin sa tapat ng sasakyan ay kaagad niya sin akong binaba, kaagad ko rin siyang sinapak ng bahagya sa braso niya. He just laughed. "Ganda mo" He quickly brought his face closer to mine and immediately ran to the driver's seat. Aminin ko, kinikilig ako sa mga ginagawa niya lately.
I got into the car. "Malayo pa ba?" I asked him. He just shook his head, and after a while we arrived in front of a huge gate, sa loob nito ay puno ng puno ng mangga at iba pa. May daan sa gitna, napaka ganda. Sa mga movies lang ako nakakakita ng ganito. Uno went out for a moment and opened the gate and he also came back immediately.
We drove for another two minutes and arrived at a simple house, not very fancy, but it looks nice. "Uno!" Sigaw ng isang matandang babae mula sa pinto. "Lola, dahan dahan lang po." kaagad na lumapit si uno sa lola niya at nagmano. Kinuha ko ang groceries sa backseat at dinala, nang makalapit na ako sa lola ni Uno ay kaagad akong nagmano.
Uno's grandmother looked at me first before smiling and hugging me. "Isa ka nga talagang, Martinez" She said. Ibig sabihin kilala niya ako oati na ang pamilya ko?.
Uno took the groceries from me and went inside first. "Alam mo ba, Celeste palagi kang kinukwento sa akin ni Uno" I felt my cheeks turn red when I heard that. "Lola, pasok na po" Tawag ni Uno. Ah ganon? Hindi niya ako papapasukin? So anong gagawin ko?.
"Hali ka na, may niluto akong adobo, paborito ni Uno." One of his hands grabbed my back and made me walk ahead. The interior of the house is beautiful, with paintings, old vases, a spacious living room, and a TV that isn't yet a flat screen. Para akong bumalik sa panahon ng mga lola't kolo ko.
Uno's grandmother and I talked about Uno's achievements, dreams, and the person he loves. Uno didn't want his grandmother to tell her about the person he loves, but Uno didn't do anything. "Palaging kang kinukwento ni Uno, Ija. Minsan niya na rin pinangarap na makapag Europe dahil sayo" Her grandmother said laughing, I looked at Uno who now had a face full of shame.
Uno's grandmother told me many more stories. Uno and I also went for a walk in his uncle's rice field. Kinuhanan niya ako ng Buko, Namingwit kami ng isda sa ilog at tumambay sa nag-iisang kubo ng uncle niya dito malapit sa palayan. May mga kambing at mga kalabaw na nasa tabi-tabi.
"Sobrang ganda dito, Uno." I'm happy looking around. "Mas maganda ka pa rin, Reign." He looked at me as if I was the only woman in his eyes. Nginitian ko siya. I wish we could always be like this, free, forgetting our problems, enjoying the environment. While watching the trees dancing in the strong wind, Uno handed me something in a small box. "Ano 'to?" Kinuha ko ang box at tiningnan siya. He just smiled at me.
I slowly opened the box and there was a necklace inside, a necklace with my name on it. "REIGN" I don't like drinking water, but why do my eyes keep watering?
Uno hugged me tightly. "Happy birthday, Celeste Reign Aella Martinez." Aniya. My tears flowed. "Nananadya ka ba na paiiyakin ako?" I wiped my tears as they flowed down my cheeks. He took the necklace and put it on me.
"Gando mo, pasaway lang" He laughed at me. Akmang sasapakin ko na siya pero nakailag siya kaya mas lalo niya pa akong tinawanan, sinubukan ko ulit pero ganun pa rin, wala na akong ibang naisip na gawin kundi ang batuhin siya ng tsinelas ko. Nakailag pa rin siya kaya pinulot niya ang tsinelas ko tsaka tumakbo.
"Hoy! Uno! Ibalik mo nga sa'kin yang tsinelas ko." Sigaw ko sakanya pero tumawa lang siya at itinaas oa ang tsinelas ko. I ran and chased him, we both chased each other, we were both so happy that it felt like nothing could be compared to it.
I would have chased you, Uno, if only you were free. But that's all for now, I'll just forget that I love you, I'll just forget that I cried because I love you, Uno.
CHAPTER 5
Start from the beginning
