Kapit Bitaw

Chapter 23

"Hi." I said as I kissed his cheek when I got in his car. "Hala." sabi ko noong napansin kong medyo natigilan siya. "Okay ka lang?"

Pumupula nanaman siya. Ang cute. Mahiyain. Ba't pa siya mahihiya? Nahalikan niya na nga ako sa labi, sa pisngi pa mahihiya? "Wala. Nabigla lang."

Were we going to fast?

"Sorry... I should've asked first..."

Kumunot kilay niya at tumingin sa akin. I wasn't expecting a kiss on my forehead. Nambibigla.

It was my turn to turn red. Napatawa siya sa kahihiyaan ko. "Tara na nga."

"Bakit? Sa'n ba tayo pupunta?"

"Secret." Napaka-ano naman. Malalaman at malalaman ko din naman. "Maghintay ka."

Napanguso ako. "Oh. Dala mo ulit 'to." sabi ko noong napalingon ako sa back seat niya. It was his camera. Ewan ko ba... it comforts me to know that he hasn't given up on his real passion.

"Julian." tumingin siya saakin at agad nang pina-baba sa akin ang camerana nakatapat sa mukha niya.

"Kulit." he really doesn't like having his picture taken.

Natawa ako. "Naalala ko pa noong sinabi mo sa akin na ang gusto mong forte, scenery."

"Nagbago na iyon."

"Ha? Talaga?" I said after flipping the camera to point at myself and take a selfie. "Ano na ngayon?"

"Self-portraits." tipid niyang sagot.

"Really? May model ka na bang na-testingan?"

Napatahimik siya pero agad nang sumagot. "Oo."

"Good for you! Gusto ko makita mga works mo. Malay mo, sumikat ka! You'll find your calling in self portraits. Asan ba?"

"Yung ano?"

"Mga works mo?"

He was so focused on the road na akala kong hindi niya ako narinig. Uulitin ko sana pero sumagot din naman siya. Baka nagprprocess pa sa utak niya question ko.

"Soon..."

"Soon?"

"I'll show them, kapag ready na ako."

Napakibit balikat ako. "Okay." and continues using his camera for pictures. Napatawa si Julian sa akin siguro dahil sa sabik kong gumamit ng camera niya. Wala lang... namiss ko 'e. Reminds me of the days... Pakiramdam ko nandito nakabaon ang lahat ng alaala mula sa pagkabata ko. I wonder if our pictures from dati were still engraved here. I hope he kept them... Someday, siguro when we both have our own families, own lives, I would like to look back.

Pictures are all we have of our memories.

Someday, malilimutan din natin lahat ito.

Someday, we will all become history. And all our kids, our grandchildren and our grandchildren's children will have is our pictures to remind them that we were once here...