—Pictures of where we started.
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Sky's POV
Magd'dalawang oras na kaming nagp'practice rito sa garden. Ang init. Jusko naman.
After what happened yesterday, hindi ako madalas kumibo or magsalita. Broken ako bakit ba.
Tsk, nauna pa maging broken bago label.
Flashback...
"Oh, Sky. You're awake na pa-" hindi natuloy ni Jessica ang sasabihin niya. Dahil siguro ay napansin niyang maga ang mata ko.
"What happened to your eyes? Did you cry? What happened, Sky?" She asked worriedly. I saw Miss Klea na napalingon sa akin. She stared at me pero iniwasan ko ito ng tingin.
"That's nothing. My eyes got itchy kaya nakuskos ko" pagsisinungaling ko.
"Sky." Sabi ni Jessica while looking directly to my eye. Tumingin ako rito pabalik.
"Okay. I have some eye drop. Wait lang" she said at umakyat sa taas. Naiwan kami ni Miss Klea sa sofa. I know she's still looking at me.
"What happened, Valeria?" She asked.
"I already said, Miss" i replied.
"You're not a good liar" she said kaya napalingon ako sa kaniya.
"What do you mean, Miss?" tanong ko.
"Nothing. You cried for some reason. I don't care what that is" she said at nagpatuloy na sa pagtipa ng cellphone niya.
"Ang sakit mong mahalin" i mumbled while looking at her.
"What? Are you saying something?" she asked kaya napalingon ito sa akin.
"Wala, Miss" sabi ko at umiwas ng tingin.
"You're sayi-"
"Here, Sky" hindi na natuloy ni Miss Klea ang sasabihin niya nang magsalita si Jess pababa sa hagdan. Bumalik na si Miss Klea sa pagc-cellphone.
"Thanks. Sa kitchen muna ako" sabi ko at tumayo na. Umupo naman si Jess sa tabi ni Miss Klea at nag cellphone na rin.
Still.. it hurts, Miss.
End of Flashback.
"Here's the lunch for us" nakangiting sambit ni Jess pagpasok niya sa garden. Napabalik ako sa wisyo ko dahil dito. Tumingin kami ni Miss. I walked a few meters away at umupo sa upuan.
"Love, oh. Water" binigay ni Jess ang baso na may tubig kay Miss Klea.
"Thanks" nakangitin namang sambit ni Miss Klea rito.
Masamid ka sana.
"Love! You okay?" tanong ni Jess kay Miss Klea nang masamid ito.
Haha buti nga.
"Yes, I-i'm okay" Miss Klea said. Tumingin ito sa akin pero iniwasan ko ito ng tingin.
"Let's eat na" sabi ni Jess at inihanda na sa lamesa ang food.
"Valeria, come here" Miss Klea said pero hindi ko ito pinansin. I act as if wala akong narinig.
"VALERIA!" , "Sky?" Sabay nilang tawag sa akin.
"Oh sorry. Yes" sambit ko na lang na kunwari ay ngayon ko lang sila narinig. Napairap na lang ako at tumayo na.
Naka tshirt ako ngayon, and since I have a sando naman sa loob, tinanggal ko na ang tshirt ko. I saw Miss Klea looking at me kaya naisipan kong pagtripan siya. Pagkatanggal ko ng tshirt ko ay pinanasan ko ang leeg ko. I hold my hair in my left hand at tumingala. I intentionally look at her habang pinupunasan ang pawis ko. After that, pinasok ko sa loob ng sando ko ang tshirt para punasan ang katawan ko. I was about to pull my sando up nang magsalita siya.
"W-what are you doing?" takang sabi ni Ma'am at umiwas ng tingin. I bite my lip to supress my smile.
"Nagpupunas ng pawis, Miss." Sabi ko.
"Almost pulling up your sando, nagpupunas?" She asked at itinaas ang kilay nito. Lumingon si Jess at tumingin sa akin.
"She's always like that, Love. Be used to it" Jess said at umupo na.
"Tara na, kain" sabi niya.
"Whatever" inis na sabi ni Miss at inirapan ako.
We were peacefully eating. I'm avoiding Miss Klea's gaze.
"Love, oh. Try this" Jess said at itinapat ang spoon kay Miss. Sinubo naman nito ang spoon na nasa harap niya.
"It's good" she said. Something left on her upper lip. Napansin iyon ni Jess kaya pinunasan niya ito at sinubo niya ang daliri niya.
Feeling ko mas mainit ang ulo ko kaysa sa araw.
"Jessica. Not in front of my food. Kadiri" inis na sabi ko na ikinatawa niya.
Miss Klea looked at me. Hindi nakawala sa tingin ko ang maliit na pagsmirked niya. Gumaganti ba 'to?
"Sorry, cous. I forgot na ayaw mo pala sa ganito" she said at natawa na lang.
My cousin knows me. Alam niyang ayaw ko ng mag-jowang naglalandian sa harap ko. Ang kaibahan lang dati ay mas naiinis ako ngayon.
"Love, kailan pala ang pageant na 'yan?" tanong ni Jess kay Miss Klea.
"3 days from now" she said at kumain na.
"Ahh okay" sabi ni Jess.
"Ah, Sky. After you eat, start packing na pala. Sabi ni Klea, uuwi na tayo mamaya" sabi ni Jess tumango na lang ako.
Tahimik ko lang silang pinapakinggan. They still being sweet na lalong ikinaiinis ko.
"I'm done. Maliligo na ako" sabi ko at umalis na.
"Sky must be on her period. Moody na naman" i heard Jessica's words pero hindi ko na ito pinansin pa.
Moody mo mukha mo.
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It's 3pm nang makarating kami sa manila. Jessica headed to her condo. Si Miss Klea at ako naman ay naiwan sa loob ng kotse.
I admit the fact na nagseselos ako sa kanila. Kaya tahimik ako buong byahe. Kinakausap ako ni Jess, puro tango at iling lang ang nagagawa ko.
"Why are you so quiet?" tanong ni Miss Klea.
"Wala naman po akong sasabihin" sabi ko nang hindi lumilingon sa kaniya.
"You're distant" she said kaya napalingon ako.
"No, I'm not" sabi ko.
"Yes, you are" pagsagot nito.
"I respect couples" sabi ko.
"Why, you're jealous?" Sabi nito kaya nilingon ko siya.
"Assuming ka, Miss" sabi ko na lang.
"Really, huh. Then why did you cry when Jessica said that I'm her girlfriend?" She asked without looking at me.
"What is this all about, Miss?" inis na sabi ko.
"Just asking. You're funny" she said kaya mas nainis ako.
"You're making fun of my feelings? How rude of you, Miss Gray" inis na sabi ko.
She stopped the car at nilingon ako.
"What did you say?" Inis na sabi niya.
"Yeah, I like you." Sabi ko sa kaniya.
"I like you, and I hate the fact na nagseselos ako sa inyo ng pinsan ko. I don't know why pero it hurts. It fucking hurts, Miss. As if you're something really special to me" i said to her. I saw her being shocked pero agad din itong nawala.
"Hindi ko alam pero sobrang nadudurog ako everytime I saw and hear you guys. I shouldn't be like this, right? I just liked you recently. Pero bakit ganito ang effect, Miss? What is your role in my life? Why does it feel like it's torturing me? I like you, but fuck, ang sakit mo namang mahalin" a tear escaped in my eyes. You're being weak again, Sky.
"You can't. You're cousin is my girl-" she said pero pinigilan ko ito.
"Shut up. I already know that. Talk no more, Miss." I said.
"Thanks for the ride. Okay na ako rito. You're clothes are on the trunk. It is all clean. Message me na lang po if we have practice tomorrow. Thank you, Miss" i said at lumabas na ng kotse niya.
I saw her getting out of the car pero hindi ko iyon pinansin. Pinara ko ang taxi at sumakay agad sa loob. Hindi ko na nilingon pa si Miss Klea.
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Nakarating ako sa bahay ng 4:30pm. Luckily tulog si Mama. I can't look at her ng ganito.
Pumasok ako sa loob ng kwarto ako, and at dumiretso sa kama.
You're crying again.
Yes, i'm crying again. Hahaha fuck, ayo'ko na.
I opened my cellphone and I saw Viya's message.
Viya
Have you opened the account?
9:45am
As soon as I have read that message, naalala ko ang account ko.
I opened it and I saw a lot of pictures of us..
Miss Klea, and me? Kami 'to? Close kami?
Oo, kami nga 'to. And this was posted..
6 years ago.
What? I was 15 that time. So, we really do know each other that time.
I scrolled at my message and something caught my attention. A message from, love.
Love
Where are you?? I miss you so much, love.
July 3, 2019
Love
Why did you leave?? Hindi mo na ba ako mahal?
I'll still wait for you. Ikaw palagi, Sky.
August 5, 2020.
Love
Babalik ka pa ba? It's still you, sky.
December 23, 2022
I visited the account's owner pero user's not found ang nakalagay. Maybe it was deleted a year ago. Pero sino kaya ito?
Could be, Miss Klea?
I'm still looking at those photos and a pain strikes in my chest.
Why does it hurt this fucking much?
Naging kami ba noon? Ano ba talagang nangyari?
While crying this hard, ang sakit isipin kung naging kami noon, tapos ngayon ganito kami. Iniwan ko nga ba talaga siya? Ano ba talaga ang nakalimutan ko? A lot of questions are popping up in my head at kahit isa ay wala akong masagot
Ano ba talagang nakalimutan mo, Sky?
What really happened 6 years ago?
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Credits to the owners of the picture. I used it just to portrait the characters.
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