ROUGE (androgynousxstraight)(bxb) -ongoing

Chapter 27 - Aperçus of Human Beings

I continued drinking my coffee, at nagmasid-masid lang sa loob ng malaking kusina. Suddenly someone hugged me from behind at hinalikan ako sa leeg ko. "How was your sleep?" Tanong sa akin ni Theo habang nakangiti.

"Nice. Pero ang init kaya nagising ako."

"Sorry naman."

My mouth gaped at his humorous remark, "Theo, since when did you start to learn how to humour out?" I squinted my eyes at him.

"No I was just kidding." I rolled my eyes at him. "Church at 3 pm." He intertwined his arms around my neck at hinalikan ako sa labi at ngumisi na parang loko.

...

After taking a shower nagbihis ako ng Sunday dress. I wanted to try something different today kaya nagsuot ako ng isang white sheer fabric notched chiffon dress from Chanel. Abot tuhod 'to and I tied my hair up and I wore my signature lipstick.

Paglabas ko ng pintuan ay naghihintay na pala si Theo sa akin. Looking clean as always, I noticed he styled his hair in a chestnut hairstyle. He scrutinised me when he saw me wearing a dress. "What?" I asked him, napa-iling lang ito sa akin at ngumisi.  "Shall we?" Alok nito sa akin. I just nodded at him atsaka hinawakan na nito ako sa kamay at lumabas na kami ng bahay.

It didn't take us that long to arrive at the church. Sakto naman nang pagdating namin, naguumpisa na pala ang misa. We were both lucky na may upuan na libre pa sa gitna ng simbahan.

Nakinig lang kaming dalawa sa misa, but then I realised, people had been staring at me ever since nang makapasok kami ni Theo sa loob. But I didn't mind them — at first — until I heard a lady older than me, might be in her late 40's suddenly murmured something, "Diba 'yan 'yong ampon ng Gustilyo? Ang baklang 'yan?" Rinig kong sinabi nito sa katabi niya.

Napalingon naman ako at ngumiti lang ito sa akin.
Tsk, nagsisimba pero ang atensyon nasa iba. Hindi sa panginoon nila!

I diverted my own attention again at the mass but still, kept hearing people talk about me again — kesyo daw nakasuot ako ng bistida na wala naman akong boobs, tapos bakit daw 'di nasusunog ang bakla sa loob ng simbahan? At bakit daw nagsisimba ang mga taong salot kagaya ko? Trust me each time I hear a new rumour being spread out it gets worse! Napabuntong hininga na lamang ako at napahawak sa kamay ni Theo.

Theo looked at me, "Don't mind the apęrcus, they're just first impressions and will change over time." He assured me as he tightens his grip on my hand.

Tinanong ko naman ito, "Did you thank him?" I was pertaning to God when I asked him. He just nodded at me.

"I thanked Him kasi nandito ka palagi sa tabi ko. I thanked Him because I have you." He just smiled at me atsaka hinalikan ako sa pisnge.

The lady at the back who backstabbed me saw it at ngumisi lang ako sa kaniya. Binalik namin ang atensyon sa misa at nakinig na lamang kami ulit at nang matapos ay nagsilabasan na kami sa simbahan.

Pero siksikan ang mga taong nagsilabasan sa simbahan! Kaya bigla kong nawala si Theo. I tried searching for him in the crowded area pero wala siya, I tried to go out pero tinutulak naman ako papalabas dahilan para masubsob ako sa dibdib ng isang lalaki na kasing amoy ni Theo.