Kabanata 08
Arts
It was seven in the evening when I decided to go to my room. I am already done changing in my pajamas. Kumuha ako ng libro at nagbasa nalang muna bago matulog. Natigilan lang ako sa pagbabasa nang may biglang may narinig akong ingay galing sa labas.
"Hey, Aleng!" a familiar voice is whispering outside my window.
Napatakip nalang ako sa hawak ko na libro. Oh ghod, ngayon pala mag p-paint si Laurence sa puno ng mangga. Laurence is trying to knock quietly the window to avoid catching anyone's attention except mine. Napabuntong hininga nalang ako at tiningnan siya.
"Lauren? Jean?" he said while tapping outside my window. I admit that he has this beautiful deep voice.
I open my palm to him as a sign of a wait sign. Tumango naman siya at ipinakita ang dala niyang mga gamit sa pagpinta.
Lumabas na ako sa bahay at binuksan ang pintuan. Muntik na akong mapatalon sa gulat dahil agad tumambad ang mukha niya. Naiinis kong hinampas ang braso niya. He grimaced in pain but I know It's just one of his stupid acting. Mahina lang naman iyon, napaka-OA.
"You almost forgot our negotiation earlier." he said with a pout.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it." puno ng sensiridad ang pagkakasabi ko.
"But atleast, sumama ka diba? That's the important essense of coming here." he put his painting tools near the root of the mango tree and look at the sky with full of stars.
Wala sa sariling napatitig ako sa kaniya. Napansin ko ang maliit niyang biloy, It wouldn't be notice unless you pay attention to it. Tumingin naman siya sakin kaya ako na ang nag-iwas ng tingin.
I let a small smile when I look up in the starry night sky. The sky is so clear and I can clearly see the bright stars. It's been a while since the last time I went here to paint.
Napansin ko ang paglipat ni Laurence ng pwesto, pumunta siya sa may ilaw na parte ng mango tree----where my favorite's part located.
Laurence started to get his fredrix blue label 3/4 profile cotton canvas and he positioned it properly. Oh, this is interesting, he gonna show me his acrylic paint! I just noticed that he has a complete set of equipment than I do. Kasunod niyang kinuha ang kaniyang liquetix heavy artist acrylic kasabay ang mga bristle brushes niya. He also get his blick clear palette.
"What do want me to paint?" he smiled.
Tumingala naman ako at nag-isip. Ano nga ba?
"Wala akong maisip." sagot ko.
"Ako rin." tumawa siya.
There's an idea popped in my mind. "How about this………you're going to paint this scenery but in impressionism way." I grinned with excitement.
He smirked. "You're really fond the arts from the past, huh,"
"Siyempre...Ikaw ba saan ka mas prefer?" I asked with full of interest.
"Surrealism." he smiled.
Tumango naman ako at tiningnan siyang magsimula nang magpinta. He started to mix the colors to the palette. I just saw his serious side now, usually kasi ay palagi itong nakangiti. He focused and his full attention is filled on the painting.
He started to color the skies with full of bright stars. Wala sa sarili na napagmasdan ko siya. His hair is in a quiff style. Sobrang puti niya rin, he has a curly and thick eyelashes and brows. His lips are a quite red and plump. A perfect jawline is well-defined and always be the center of attraction in his face.
"Ang boring, Aleng. Suggest ka naman ng topic oh." pagrereklamo niya.
I arched my brows. "Anong topic naman?"
"Nagsa-suggest nga diba?" he sarcastically questioned me back.
Nag-isip naman ako ng magandang topic. I have a lot of questions in my life and I want these to be answer. Marami rin akong mga nakahiligan na gusto kong pag-uusapan namin ngayon. But I choose the topic by knowing him more.
"Bakit kayo lumpipat dito?" I asked.
Tumawa naman siya at nang-aasar na tumingin sakin. "Oyyy, interesado..."
Sinasabi ko na nga ba eh. "Ayaw mo edi wag. Walang topic." iritado kong sagot.
Mas lalo lang lumakas ang tawa niya. "Naku, Aleng. Don't be so serious."
I rolled my eyes.
"Pero sa totoo lang lumipat kami dito dahil dito na-assign si papa na magtrabaho. He doesn't want to be separated from us.... Kaya ayun isinama niya rin kami." masaya niyang kwento.
The heaviness of my feeling is so hard to stop. Sooner or later their family will be leaving this town. All of this with this guy is just a temporary. Balang araw, iiwan niya rin ako ditong mag-isa.
"Natahimik ka?" may pag-aalala niyang tanong.
"Nothing." I paused. "By the way, anong trabaho ng papa mo?"
"Army."
Tumango ako. It'll be harder for him to stay stick in this place.
"Pang-ilang lipat niyo na ito?" tanong ko ulit.
"First. Unang beses namin to na lumipat sa ibang lugar. At siguro dito na rin kami titira."
The doubt from my heart were slowly fading. Nakahinga rin ako ng maluwag. There's a piece that I wanted him to live here forever. Nawala lang ang mga iniisip ko nang bigla siyang nagtanong.
"Aleng, Who's your favorite painter in Expressionism?" Laurence asked me in a usual tone.
"Madami. Pero para sa akin si Edvard Munch." sagot ko.
"Why?" tanong niya ulit.
I smiled a little. "I just find him different. Just imagine how his childhood overshadowed by illness but he still confident in bearing in the face of difficulties. Diba? Tapos yung mga ipininta niya nakakasilaw talaga pag titingnan at may mga malalalim na kahulugan yung nakaukit. Well, each paint consists of different deep meanings, pero kasi, iba yung impact sakin sa mga gawa ni Edvard Munch."
My words went shiver down my spine. Lalo pa nang nakita kong titig na titig siya sa akin habang sinasabi ko iyon. Did I talked too much? Naiilang akong tumingin sa kaniya. For a brief moment, I think my heart went still.
"H-How about you? Who's your favorite painter in surrrealism?" I asked to ease the awkwardness.
"Andre Breton." he stated. "I owe him for his critical and theoretical works specially his plastic arts, that's kinda amazing!" he uttered with full of amazement.
Napangiti naman ako. Sinilip ko ang gawa niyang pagpinta at konting smudge nalang ay matatapos na ito.
"Wow," I whispered in myself.
It startled me that he really knows how to paint. It's a quite surprising. Akala ko talaga na hindi siya marunong magpinta, wala kasi sa mukha niya.
"Laurence," sambit ko sa pangalan niya.
"Hmm?"
"Why do you want to paint?" I asked.
He stopped from smudging and looked at me. "Well, It's a quite open ended statement." he paused. "But as far as I am concerned, I love to paint because it frees me from everyday worries. It is also a process of mental enjoyment. Siguro sapat na sagot na iyon kung bakit mahal na mahal ko ang sining."
His lips twisted into a boyish smile. "You? Bakit gusto mo ang pagpinta?" tanong niya.
Natigilan naman ako. I only love painting because of my bestfriend. She influenced and urged me to paint. Wala akong ibang rason kundi ang kaibigan ko lang. Naaawa ako sa sarili ko sa kadahilanang ang kasiyahan ko ay nakadepinde ito sa ibang tao. I suddenly felt like an empty can.
"Nagpinta ako dahil sa kaibigan ko." mahina kong tugon. "I don't have the exact reason to say." pahina ng pahina ang boses ko.
"Sooner or later you'll find the specific reason of it. Arts are natural desires of expressing through your unique interpretation of what your senses have collected throughout your lives. In other words, arts is like a way of expressing yourself." he confronted me.
I really like his wisdom. It never fails to amazed me. Napangiti naman ako dahil sa positibo niyang sagot.