"Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday, happy birthday! Happy birthday to you!"
We were celebrating Mark's third birthday in the Hunt's residence, singing as we clapped our hands together in a unison rhythm.
"Blow out your candle!" Ate Peachy urged.
Storm carried Mark and held him as he stood on a chair so that the child could lean towards the cake on the table.
"Yehey!" they shouted after Mark had blown the candle that had a figure of Spiderman.
Almost all of Storm's relatives attended Mark's birthday - all of his cousins were present, except those who were in abroad. They had a good time with the games with Mark's childish laugh resounding the place. His birthday celebration lasted until evening.
The whole time, I just sat in the corner with Storm.
"Kuya Storm!"
We both turned our head to the girl who called Storm. I no longer remembered who she was but I knew that she was one of Storm's cousins.
"Kuya, can you join us? We're having fun," aniya nang makalapit siya sa amin ni Storm. Hindi nakaligtas sa akin ang kanyang pagsulyap sa akin na may kasamang pag-irap.
"No, I'm fine here," Storm refused.
"Kuya naman! Bonding ng mga magpipinsan 'yon!" she protested.
Storm heaved a sigh and stood up.
"Don't worry, Fara could stay here," she said, giving me an obvious fake smile.
"No, she will come with me," Storm said and beckoned to me to tell me that I needed to come with him.
I saw the girl roll her eyes at me. Kung gaano kaganda ang ugali ni Storm, mukhang 'yon naman ang kinasama ng ugali ng ibang mga pinsan niya.
Storm really didn't want to join his cousins because they were drinking wine. His cousins decided to have a drink after the party.
"Hey! Dito kayo," Alexander, one of his cousins, said.
We sat with them at the long table where they were having fun. They gave me a glass of wine. Nahihiya akong tumanggi sa mga pinsan niya, lalo na't napansin ko ang kakaibang tingin nila sa akin. I was really sure that they didn't like me. Iinumin ko sana 'yon nang pigilan ni Storm ang kamay ko at umiling sa akin.
"O-okay," sabi ko at binitiwan ang wine glass.
Napansin kong sumulyap ang ilan sa bandang likuran ko.
"Kirby!" tawag naman nila sa taong paparating.
"What's up?!" somebody shouted. It was a familiar voice.
I turned my head to that person, and I saw the person I hadn't seen for a long time. It was Kirby! He wore a black cap and a red hoodie jacket.
"Buti, nakahabol ka?" Kuya Sean, another one of Storm's cousins, asked him.
"Dapat kanina pa talaga ako. Na-traffic lang," aniya at napakamot pa ng ulo. Napatingin naman siya sa akin. Doon lumiwanag ang mukha niya. "Fara!" he approached me.
I smiled and stood up to hug him. I really missed him. The last time we saw each other was the day of my wedding. I noticed the changes in his body. He lost weight. When we broke our hug, he sat beside me.
"Kirby! O, shot na!" sigaw ni Kuya Sean sa kaniya.
Nakakapagtaka na umiling ito at sinabi, "No, thanks. Bagong buhay na 'to!" he proudly said while pointing to himself.
BINABASA MO ANG
Loving a Believer
Spiritual(EDITING) She's... Alone. Distant. Unloved. Fara Oxford once lived a life wishing that there was a God who can light up her world and save her from despair in just a blink of an eye. Only to find herself still stuck in hopelessness and misery that...
