Stay
Habang tumatagal nasasanay na akong makita si Gabb sa entrance ng school, madalas ring nakakasama kapag nariyan ang iba kung kaibigan. I was really expecting that I would see him again this morning. Muntik ko nang mabangga ang isang estuyante. Mukhang nagmamadali, mala anghel ang alindog niya. Matangkad, morena, mahaba ang maalon alon na buhok. Then, I realized that she's Sianna, she's beautiful and smart kahit mga pinsan ko hinahangan siya. But Sianna was approaching slowly to Gabb, I was shocked and shook my head a bit, bigla umasim ang pakiramdam ko, ang sakit nila sa mata.
"Hi,bakit wala ka kahapon?" the guts of this guy, I thought he was with Sianna and now he's following me.
"Yesterday, I asked Mau about you" still ignoring him. Why would you ask my friend instead of asking me?
My classmates were going crazy about Gabb, it's sickening. Tuwing breaktime at lunchtime ganon parin ang set up kasama sila Mau, teammates niya at ibang pang kaibigan. Hindi ko talaga nagugustuhan ang presensya ni Gabb dati pa man, mas lumala ngayon. Naisip ko ring umiwas pag nariyan siya subalit napagtanto ko nauna akong naging kaibigan nila Mau bago siya. Pretending like he was not here was an easy job for me.
I was fixing my stuffs because I promised Mau that I would watch her compete. Medyo marami na ang estudyante sa pool, naghanap ako ng mauupuan na magiging komportable ako. I saw Sianna and her company, nakita ko rin ang grupo ni Tori. I liked Tori more kumpara kay Sianna. Hindi naman ako ganoon kalapit sa kanila.
"Ang aga mo naman yata" Mau appeared and the surprised in her face was evident.
"Yeah to support you" I laughed a liitle.
"Mamayang hapon pa ang event ko" hinila niya ako at lumipat kami sa ibang bleachers kung saan naroon ang mga kaibigan.
"What? Akala ko ngayon na, hindi mo naman sinabi" I whined then greeted our friends.
"Hello, hindi pwedeng sabay ang event ng boys at girls. We will support Gabb and Rojan" pahayag ni Mau.
"Kailangan ba talaga nila ng support, Mau? Mukhang marami naman silang ganon" Lena joined our conversation tininggnan ko ang paligid and she's right. Sianna is holding a banner with Gabb's name on it. Confirmed girls were crazy about him and I don't get it. Why? He's not that super gwapo, maybe my eyes were different from the other girls.
"Hi, I'm glad you're here" hindi ko na kailangang harapin pa kung sino ang nagsasalita boses pa lang kilala ko na.
"Yeah. Congrats!" di ko pa rin siya tinitignan, I am watching Mau preparing with the other girls.
"Thank you" Gabb replied and now I looked at him fixing his disheveled hair. Hindi na ako nagsalita para hindi na humaba ang usapan baka san pa umabot.
The event went well and I congratulated my friends for their victory. It was really great seeing your friends achieving something and you were there supporting them. Nagpaalam ako dahil gusto ko nang umuwi. I was waiting for Ma but she texted me that she could not pick me up. Nagjeep ako pauwi dahil medyo may kalayuan ang La Asuncion. Sumakay ulit ng tricycle para magpahatid mismo sa bahay. Binubuksan ko ang gate ngunit nahagip ng aking mata ang dumaang tricycle at nakita ko si Gabb hindi ako namamalikmata siya iyon.
"Mau, nakita ko si Gabb dito sa La Asuncion" I was talking to Mau on the phone. I wanna know why I saw him in La Asuncion this afternoon so, I won't assume things. Napapaikot na ako sa sala.
"Haler, diyan siya nakatira and his Dad was the developer and owner of La Asuncion. They're rich pero mas mayaman pa rin ang Buencamino at Gregusova, hahahaha" I was surprised of what I heard from Mau. I can't believe it.
"Kung taga rito nga siya bakit ngayon ko lang siya nakilala?" I asked Mau again.
"Ahhm, sabi ni Gabb sa Visayas sila nakatira noon at nagdesisyon ang pamilya nila na lumipat dito..." Mau gave me a lot of information about him and his family, I was really surprised that I slapped my face many times.
They are the owner of La Asuncion, may ginagawang resort dito at sa kanila rin at ibang pang mga negosyo. Now, I understand why those girls were crazy for him.
"Liv, you okay?" nagulat ako sa tinig ni Mama nakatunganga ako dito sa kitchen.
"Yes, Ma. Hinihintay ko lang maluto tong cupcakes. Dadalhin ko to bukas sa Alta Tiera for Rojan's birthday" I said to Ma and kissed her cheek.
"Call your Dad pagkatapos mo riyan, I'll go upstairs"
"I will" yes I was caught up in this good drama because of my parents' decisions before. Not only me but also my brothers. We were the products of unsuccessful marriage.
Nagpahatid ako kay Mama sa Alta Tierra sabay sana kami ni Mau but Mom insisted kasi tutulungan niya rin ako sa mga cupcakes. Maliit na party lamang ito hindi gusto ni Rojan ng magarbong selebrasyon. Mam parked the car outside Rojan's house bumaba kami tapos kinuha ang boxes ng cupcakes. Nauna si Mama at bitbit ang tatlong kahon. Sinundan ko siya papuntang gate and I saw that guy Gabb leaning on that gate, naging hobby na niya siguro iyan, hindi naman cool tingnan. Tsssk.
"Mommy!" napasigaw ako bigla dahil muntikan na akong mawala ng balanse. Agad naman nila akong dinaluhan.
"Hey, you okay?" si Gabb
"Yeah, sige na Ma pumasok na tayo" sabay na kaming tatlo naglalakad.
Mom and Mau helped me arranged the cupcakes nasa pool kami nila Rojan dito kasi yung gusto niya. Ang mga kalalakihan abala naman doon sa barbecue. Maya maya umalis na si Mama para puntahan ang Mommy ni Rojan at kailangan niya pang pumasok sa trabaho.
"Pssst! san ka pupunta? Birthday mo tapos ganyan itsura mo?" si Mau tapos inakbayan niya si Rojan. They're seem so close.
"Tulungan mo na lang si Liv doon" si Rojan halata namang naiirita siya ng kaunti.
"Hindi yun darating, alam mo naman siguro ang dahilan at isa pa ang bata pa noon, wala pa nga yatang dede yon" si Mau tapos tumawa ng malakas "Hindi naman kayo magkaibigan malabong pupunta nga iyon" si Mau ulit at tumawa na naman.
"Mauwee Rangeline, lumayo ka sakin baka masapak kita" wika ni Rojan at halatang asar na asar na tumakbo naman agad si Mau.
Naging abala na ang lahat, may lumalangoy, naghahabulan, nag-aasaran. I was happy watching them like that. Hindi ko inakala na makakahanap ako ng mga kaibigang katulad nila. Hapon na at nakita kung pumasok si Sianna at iba pang kaklase nila Rojan umismid kaagad ako sa presensiya niya. Akala mo naman sinong reyna, hello nasa Pilipinas tayo walang reyna dito. Pumunta akong garden dahil ayokong makasalamuha ang grupo ni Sianna.
The sun was starting to sleep and here I was looking at these beautiful variety of roses. I love flowers I really do, matagal ko nang pinapangarap na makatanggap ng bulaklak lalo na rosas. Gusto kung malaman kung ano ang pakiramdam na makatanggap ng bulaklak.
"Hi, bakit ka nandito?" napatalon ako sa gulat.
"I was just checking these flowers, Rojan once told me that his Mom loves flowers" gusto ko ring sabihin na ako din, I wanted to tell those words in front of Gabbs's face but I can't.
"I assumed you're here because you love flowers too" sinabi yun ni Gabb nang hindi tumitingin sa akin tinutuyo niya kasi ang kanyang buhok gamit ang tuwalya.
"Ahmm, mag se-senior high na kayo next year, narinig ko si Rojan at Chris mag apply sa malaking university somewhere in Davao. How about you?" iiba ko kaagad ang usapan I never imagined that we will be having a conversation like this.
"I will stay here" he said calmly hindi ko inakala na yung ang isasagot niya I am expecting na he will study in Davao or in Metro Manila. Maraming opportunities doon para sa kanya.
"Besides may hinahanap din akong tao na matagal ko ng gustong makita, I don't know where he is now but I know he will come back here" the sadness in his eyes were evident kahit na lumulubog na ang araw.
"Alam mo hinihintay ko ring bumalik yung Papa ko, hindi ko alam kung nasaan siya pero I'm hoping na babalik siya" this conversation is making me emotional, namimiss ko ang ang Papa Benedict.
"I am still foreign with this place but now this is my home. Ayaw ko nang imalis pa at lumipat kung saan yun kasi yung buhay namin noon dahil sa trabaho ni Daddy" Gabb said to me and he's looking at my eyes intently. Yeah, Villa Guarda is home but this place gave me some bad memories that I wanted to forget. Pain that I wanted to erase, hole in my heary that I wanted to be fixed.
"Liv, Tita is here, I think we should go" Mau shouted at napalingon kami ni Gabb. I looked at him and gave him a smile before I followed Mau. Nababaliw na ako hindi ko na alam kung ano ang gagawin ko sayo Gabb. You're confusing me and I hate it.