Joke.
I watched as a woman in her thirties came in our house wearing a formal outfit. My mom smiled at her while dad did the same too. Pababa na ako ng hagdanan nang makita ko sila.
Kakauwi palang nila mom kaninang umaga. They'll leave after I don't know when again.
"What date is it today?" My mother asked me when I finally got down the stairs. Nakatitig lang sila lahat sa akin habang nasa sala kami.
"Umm. August twenty-one?" I answered with a 'duh' tone.
"What do you think happens after ten days?" Mom asks again.
Napakagat ako sa labi nang maalala ko. It's like they really care much about that day. Minsan they would just buy me a latest phone every year at wala sila doon habang nagse-celebrate ako kasama si Denisse. I usually go to their house and tita would cook for me.
"August thirty-one." I replied.
"Do you know... what is on that day?" Dad just nonchalantly asked. He's always like that.
"Not like it's so special." Tumayo ako. "I'll just get ready for school." Bumalik na ako sa aking kuwarto.
Binuksan ko iyong drawer ko at kinuha lang ginagamit kong phone. There were tons of apple and samsung devices or whatever brands they were right there. Iisa lang naman yung ginagamit ko, nireregaluhan pa ako kaya feeling ko sinasayang na naman nila yung pera nila. It's always like this, they unexpectedly go home from whatever country or province they were and leave again after a day of when the sun rises up.
Plano ko ngang ibenta nalang ang mga cellphone ko dyan kaso hindi naman binigay sakin yung box. Just the phone, charger and the earphones. Never knew they were smart though, dahil hindi talaga nila binigay sa akin ang buong warranty card at kung ano-ano pa. Kung ibibigay ko naman, they would track everything dahil alam ko naman na lahat ng binibigay nila, may kung anong record don na nakakagigil talaga.
Kaya kung ibigay ko man lahat ng iyon, malamang magtataka sila kung paano ko sila sabay-sabay na ginagamit.
But the good thing is, I got into this part-time job and received five-hundred pesos a day. Hindi ko nalang sasabihin kung anong trabaho ko noon pero at least nakabili ako ng bagong phone. And I actually resigned there because it was too tiring to make coffees and introduce the menu everyday.
It was for the best anyway. My parents couldn't monitor what I was doing now.
Isipin niyo, seventeen ako ngayon, turning eighteen, at since six years-old pa nila ako binibilhan ng ganyan, calculate niyo nalang kung ilan na yung binigay sakin.
I never really wanted those material things in my life. But I would be happy if they would just come home on the last day of August and celebrate with me while I was blowing my cake.
***
"Advance happy birthday!" Sumalubong sa akin si Denisse.
Inirapan ko siya.
"Sus. Hulaan ko, nandyan na naman yung magulang mo?" Tanong niya.
"Alam mo naman pala e."
"Omg. Magde debut ka na nga pala." Sabi niya. "Alam mo, kung ako sayo, magpapakabait ako kela tita at tito. Ang hirap kayang magtravel!"
"Gusto mo palit tayo ng magulang?" Tinignan niya ako.
"Grabe a! Wala naman akong sinabi." She gave me that 'hala, wag na' look.
"Who says we can change parents?" Napatingin kami sa likod at nakita si Brett. Parang dati hindi kami pinapansin neto ah!
"Sino ka?" Denisse asked.
"Kausap ka?" Brett answered back.
"For the love of God, this is a school, not your house." Pinigilan ko silang magaway na naman. I knew Denisse didn't care what would happen just to fight with her brother. They'll once fight, snob each other for a week then one day bigla silang magtatabi sa isang sofa tas tatawa sa isa't-isa. Then uulit nang uulit na naman iyon.
"Ikaw kasi." Narinig ko pang bulong ni Denisse sa kapatid niya.
Binuksan ko nalang yung locker ko at kinuha yung mga books na kailangan ko para sa next class ko. Pagtingin ko na sa likod, si Brett nalang yung nandoon. "Tumatanda ka na talaga." May pagkahalong biro niyang sabi.
"Ha?" Konwari hindi ko siya naintindihan.
"Wala. Sabi ko–!" Bago niya tapusin iyong sasabihin niya, inunahan ko siya.
"Hatdog." Napairap ako pero siya napangiti. Luh, big deal ba 'yon. Kung yung kapatid niya yung sabihan ko nang ganyan malamang sinabunutan na ako. Ayaw na ayaw niya kasi yung hotdog na 'yon. Pano, ang dami-daming iniisip tungkol don. Kesyo yung imagination niya malawak.
"Magsisimula na yung klase natin ah." Sabi ko sa kanya.
"So?"
I crossed my arms. "Ba't hindi mo nalang kunin yung libro mo. Iniistorbo mo pa ako."
Tinitigan niya ako. Para niya akong sinusuri sa tingin. Ano bang meron?
"Gusto kasi kitang kasama." Nabigla ako sa sinabi niya.
"H-Ha?"
"Hailoveyou." Naramdaman kong parang bumilis yung tibok ng puso ko.
Kinabahan yata ako.
Tinaas ko nalang yung sulok ng labi ko saka babatukan na sana siya kung hindi ko lang talaga naalala yung deal namin.
I just patted his shoulder kahit hindi ko masyadong abot dahil sa tangkad niya.
"Pasalamat ka may usapan tayo." I told him.
"Is it bad to joke?" Tanong niya.
Iniwan ko nalang siya doon at hindi na nagpaalam sa kanya. Baka istorbohin pa ako at malate pa ako sa klase ko. Kung alam ko lang, sinadya ni Denisse na iwanan ako sa kapatid niya. At dahil parehas naman kami ng timetables, syempre parehas kami ng klase araw-araw.
***
Waaaaah! Kung binabasa man 'to ng kaibigan ko ngayon... (lam niyo naman kung saan galing yung hailoveyou haha).
So 'yon.
Don't porget to vote and comment puuu!
*forget
CITEȘTI
Endless You
Ficțiune generală[Youth#1] When you feel love for the first time, you'll never know what to do. There wasn't the word 'right' neither the word 'wrong'. You would just scream between pillows and cry on someone's shoulder because you felt it. For the very first time...
