Breaking Ice

Breaking Part: Twenty-nine

We get along for the most part
Me and reality, the light and the dark

TWENTY-NINE

Ice's hands felt cold and clammy as she pulled her luggage at the arrival area. Ilang beses niyang pinasadahan ng kanyang mga mata ang lugar pero hindi niya makita si Elina. Sigurado naman siyang hindi siya nag kulang sa pag papaalala dito kung anong oras siya darating at kung saang terminal siya hihintayin.

Truth is, Ice was never comfortable around Elina. All the memories she had with her cousin wasn't something she'd like to think about often. They used to live in the same neighborhood hanggang sa lumipat ang pamilya nito sa Los Angeles, Ice's parents soon followed. Mas malapit ang ang edad nito kay Lex kaya mas close ang dalawa noong una bago pa man siya dumating.

She used to hang out at their house all the time kasama si Lex at ang mga kaibigan nito. Ice remembers watching them while they play the "big kids" games, iyong mga larong hindi siya pwedeng sumali. Si Elina minsan ang hindi nag papasali sa kanya kasi hindi pa daw niya naiintindihan ang laro, Ice might not have understood the rules of the games but she perfectly understood that they don't want her around.

Lex still dragged her with them though, kaya most of the time nanunuod nalang siya sa kanila. Minsan hindi na rin lang siya sumasama just to avoid Elina's nags and bratty attitude. The last straw for Ice was when Elina threw a tantrum because she wanted her doll noong birthday celebration ng lolo nila. To shut her up, their family decided to give Elina the doll para tumigil na ito sa pag iyak and promised to buy Ice a new one. Binilhan naman siya ng bago pero hindi niya makakalimutan ang naramdaman niya when her parents and Elina's parents huddled over her, convincing her to give Elina the doll. Like the good kid she is, binigay nalang niya kahit ayaw niya. It was hard to look at her cousin holding her doll for the rest of the day. The only thought that lingered in her head was "Sa akin 'yon eh".

Elina continued to bring the doll to their play dates. Hindi alam ni Ice if it was to taunt her or ano pero sa lahat ng nangyari walang nakuhang reaksyon si Elina sa kanya. Ice never retaliated nor she a tear after everything. Noong umalis ang pamilya nila Elina para siyang nabunutan ng tinik sa dibdib.

She only heard bits of stories about her cousin since then. Naririnig nalang niya ang pangalan nito kapag may family gathering sila. Hindi rin kasi close ito sa iba nilang pinsan pero alam niyang may contact pa ito kay Lex all this time kaya siguro mabilis din lang itong pumayag na doon sila mag stay.

Nag hintay si Ice ng halos kalahating oras bago niya makita si Elina. Nag message ito na male-late ito sa pag sundo sa kanya because of an emergency sa trabaho. Wala naman siyang magagawa kaya nag hintay nalang siya sa isang restaurant. Hindi naman ito ang unang beses niyang pumuntang California but it is her first time to travel alone this far. The jitters died down nung basa byahe palang siya and now her back is killing her. Gusto na niyang matulog ng diretso because all she got during the flight were short naps. Dapat makapag pahinga siya ng maayos bago dumating si Lex, for sure mag gagala sila pag dating nito.

Hindi rin siya naka pagpahinga ng maayos bago umalis ng Pilipinas. She made sure everything was alright before she left. Inayos niya ang plans nila para sa event pag dating na pasukan para sa center and she helped out in any way she can to make up for her absences and under times. Her issue gradually died down too kaya nakapag open na ulit siya ng accounts niya without her notifications blowing up. Mayroon pa ding matapang na nag me-message, hindi nalang niya pinapansin. Naka usap na din niya ang mga college friends niya, though she didn't have the chance to talk to Harmony directly. Nag decide nalang sila to catch up once the break is over. Sinabi na din niya na mag papakita na siya sa kanila.

Nag Grab nalang siya papuntang airport instead of going with Lex's choice na mag pahatid nalang kay Stellar. Tinanggihan din niya ang offer ni Cast and Uno dahil alanganin ang flight niya sarili nilang family matters. Cast will be going out of the country too, nauna lang siyang umalis dito while the Romeros will be going to their ancestral house in Cebu. Iniwan niya dito si Skippy dahil mas mababantayan ito ng maayos. She dropped her son off at their house two days before her flight, hindi din siya pinatakas agad ni Four nang makita siya nito so she stayed there for the whole afternoon. Naka alis din siya when the little boy took his afternoon nap.