Loving the Nation's Idol

#WTMH Roll 19: Revelations

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She twirls in the middle of the living room to studies the interior. Isla looks at the wide door on her left side that will take her directly to the sunflower field.

'Wag muna.' Pigil niya sa sarili. Huli niyang pupuntahan ang taniman. Sa ngayo't lilibutin muna niya ang kabuuan ng bahay.

Napailing nalang si Isla. Parang totohanin 'ata ni Isaiah ang isang dosenang anak sa laki ng mga kwarto sa taas. Aside from the largest, the master's bedroom, three other rooms are fully furnished as well. Ang iba'y sa tingin ni Isla ay mga guest room na.

Ngayo'y ang sala na naman ang lilibutin niya.

Comfy sofas are in the middle and on the center of them is a glass table with piles of magazine underneath. There's a long table on the corner where there are arrays of framed pictures on it. Naglakad siya palapit roon at awtomatikong napangisi nalang sa mga nakikitang litrato. A young Isaiah on his boy's scout uniform. Lizbeth kissing a young Isaiah sitting on her lap. A smiley Isaiah, on his idol days, wrapping his arm around the shoulders of the stiff Isaac. Isaiah making a wacky face – which still manages to look good. A teenage Isaiah kissing a chubby Avery on her cheek. Isaiah and Baxter/Boyet eating a barbecued-worms on a stick.

Natigilan siya nang magawi ang mga mata niya sa iilang litrato sa gitna.

"This is..." Kinuha niya ang isang kwadro.

It was her pouting, sitting slouchy in a chair, wearing her cheerleader outfit.

Napatawa siya mukha niya roon. "Ang pangit ko..." Binalik niya iyon sa posisyon nito. She scans the other pictures.

Her carrying a large snowball above her head. "This was on Switzerland." Tawa niya uli. Inis kasi ang mukha niya roon na halatang may bahid na snow mula sa pagbato ni Isaiah sa kaniya.

Her and her Papa Pablo with messy face from eating spaghetti. Her getting angry at Peashooter.

"Walanghiya." Tawang-tawa pa rin siya sa mga nakikitang litrato. Puro kasi itong kinuha na di niya namamalayan. "Wala bang pang-modelong ganda?" She looks past funny frame. And lo!

She picks two frames – larger than the rest of the frames.

Unting-unting nawala ang ngiti niya sa labi.

The first photo was her putting two donuts infront of her eyes. Their first 'date' on Ducasse after he mistakenly named her a snatcher.

The second photo was her smiling angelically on the kids who were listening to her while telling a story. This was taken on Scotland --- on the Marchomont village.

Emotions starts to blur her eyes in the form of tears. Two photos. Same person. Different persona.

Nilingon niya ang hawak sa kaliwa. It was the innocent yet noisy, Islanda Mutya.

Nilingon niya ang hawak sa kanan. It was the people's princess, Margaret Victoria Carolina.

> "I don't care what your name is – Margaret or Islanda. Scott or Macatuto." He holds her hand and places it on his chest. "The important thing is our hearts yearn for each other and it doesn't need any definition. No measurement. It is what it is, Isla."

Kahit nakangiti'y di pa rin mapigilang mapaluha ni Isla.

Here's the man who loves every version of her --- the nice and the worst. The past and the present. Accepted her highs and lows.

> "It's still you, Isla. My heart beats for you."

How foolish of her to hurt him that bad...