My Other Half

10

May kumatok sa pintuan ng bahay at naglakad ako papunta sa door para buksan ito. May lalaking nakatayo doon. Black hair and green eyes. He's smiling widely holding a boquet of red roses.

"I'm here to court you."

Naging maayos ang Christmas dinner namin kagabi. Nagluto si Mama ng roast turkey at mga Filipino dishes na paborito ko tulad ng adobo at sinigang.

"Happy birthday Ly!" Dale said on the phone.

"Happy birthday din. Pakibati narin si Cole para sa akin." I asked him at narinig ko na sinabi niya ito kay Cole.

"He said thanks."

"Really? I didn't hear it." Hindi ko narinig ang sabi ni Cole and for sure he didn't say it. Either he just nodded or worse, ignored Dale.

It's 8 in the morning right now. Hindi ko alam pero when it's my birthday, I always wake up early kahit late na ako nakatulog kagabi.

"Well he just nodded. That means thank you in Cole's language."

"Is Cole some kind of alien and you're some kind of alien interpreter?"

Narinig ko ang malakas na tawa ni Dale at ang sigaw ni Cole sa kanya ng 'shut up'.

"Best birthday morning ever. Ly, can you really not come tonight?" Pangungulit niya. Pagkatapos ng tawag niya kagabi, walang tigil siyang nag text sa akin kung pwede ba daw akong humabol mamayang gabi sa party nila. Their parents are going to leave the house along with Tate and Lee so this night will be a blast for the twins. It's going to be their first party without their family.

"I can't Dale. Stop being makulit."

"I'm not being makulit." Napatawa ako sa pagtatagalog niya. It's the first time he spoke in tagalog kahit isang salita lang 'yon. He's British accent is prominent when he speaks tagalog. It was cute.

"Stop laughing. I was going to try to speak tagalog for you as a birthday prize but since you just fuckin' made fun of me, I'm never gonna speak tagalog again."

Tumatawa parin ako at kahit anong pigil ko sa pagtawa ay hindi ko mapigilin. His reaction was even funnier. If I see him, I will force him to speak tagalog.

"What are you gonna do today?" He asked.

"We are going shopping because everything's on sale today. Then we are going to Cornwall, to Land's End for a night."

"Such a girl." He murmured.

"Oh right, 'cause you're not being such a boy for partying later?"

"It's my birthday therefore it's valid."

"Huh! Excuse me, it's my birthday too!" I shouted at him.

"Isn't it amazing that we have exactly the same birthday?"

"It's not only us born today. Other's might be born on exactly same day as us." I said as a matter of fact. I want to believe na merong meaning ang coincidence na ito but people should never assume. It's a rule number one in life. Life will have full of twists therefore never assume anything. You never know, what you assumed will turn into a disappointing twists some time.

"Yeah, but I didn't meet those other people. But I met you."

Hindi ako makasagot sa sinabi niya. I don't know why Dale is pushing this subject. Ano ba kung nagmeet kami at magkapareho kami ng birthday? It's just normal. It doesn't mean we are fated.

Biglang may kumatok sa pintuan ko. "Lyra, get ready. It's sale day today. You better get change na bago dumami ang tao sa mall." Sabi ni mama pagbukas niya ng pinto at agad naman siyang lumabas after niyang sinabi 'yon.