Parola
"Ano sasabay ka ba sa amin ngayon?" tanong ni Mau.
Lagpas isang linggo na rin akong umiiwas sa kanila.
"Huh... oo" alam kung magtataka sila kaya kailangan ko nang magpakita.
Magkasabay kaming naglalakad ni Mau patungong cafeteria, at hinanap ang table na tinext ni Rojan.
"Liv, you're here. Are you that busy these past few days?" Deo asked me.
Some students are looking at us now, these friends of mine are quite famous here in Villa Guarda. Yeah. Rich kids hindi naman halata. Tumawa ako sa aking isipan.
"Yes, Deo" I smiled to him. Totoo naman kasing may ginawa ako.
I saw Gabb observing us, bakit nga ba katabi ko to? Tumingin ako sa paligid kung may anino ba ni Sianna mabuti at wala naman.
"Sa bahay tayo mamaya. May susundo sa atin" pahayag ni Rojan at bigla siyang napalingon sa mga babaeng pumipila. May hinahanap ang loko.
Tuwing friday maaga ang uwiin kaya siguro naisipan ni Rojan na imbitahan kami. Pwede naman naming pag-usapan sa octagon park o sa halfmoon drive ang ganap namin sa sabado. Naghihinatay na kami ni Mau dito sa waiting shed sa labas ng school.
Then Deo, Migs and Gabb slowly approaching to us. Deo's skin color makes him attractive plus his chinito eyes and think eyebrows. Migs' the shy type guy but sometimes he's funny. And Gabb, he's tall, moreno but not that handsome pero anlakas ng appeal.
"Hi" Gabb greeted me.
"Hi" dahan dahan akong pumasok sa van " Kumusta?"
" I'm good " humikab siya matapos niyang sagutin ang tanong ko. Ang gwapo niyang tingnan habang humihikab. Ang sabi ko hindi siya gwapo ay hindi gwapo siya pero hindi masyado.
Sa likod ng driver ang pwesto namin. Siya sa may bintana at akong ang katabi niya, sa gawing kanan ko si Mau.
Marami kaming nakasakay sa van sakto lang at hindi nagsisiksikan. I was expecting Sianna to be here, lucky she's not here.
Hindi naman kalayuan ang Alta Tierra ilang minuto lang narating na namin. Bumaba na kami kaagad ni Mau at iniabot ni Gabb ang bag namin.
Buong akala ko sa mansion kami nila Rojan pupunta dito pala sa isa pang bahay nila malapit sa lake. Camp site ito na kasalukuyang inaayos pa ang ibang mga bahagi nito.
"Rojan, hindi dapat tayo magtatagal. Anyways, ang ganda dito" I have to agree with Lena.
"Liv, the floor is all yours. One week kang missing in action. So, tell us your plan" wika ni Rojan.
"Unfortunately, ayaw tayong payagan sa Balot Island. Siguro sa Parola na lang. What do you think guys?" tinaasan ko pa sila ng kilay.
"Okay, I'll ask my Tito tonight na magpapahatid kung pwede tayo sa mga tauhan niya" sabat ni Cheyenne.
Cheyenne's uncle owned some fishing boats kaya magandang ideya iyon. Ang huling punta namin sa Parola tatlong buwan na ang nakalipas at lumiban kami sa klase para doon. Napailing na lamang ako habang inaalala iyon.
"Dahil may bangkang gagamitin na, sa pagkain naman, we don't need to bring eating utensils gaya ng dati..." natigil ako sa pagsasalita dahil hinawakan ni Gabb ang buhok kung napupunta sa aking mukha at nilagay sa likuran ng aking tainga.
Pinalo ko ng mahina ang isang tuhod niya.
"Gabb, stop doing that" I glared at him ngunit ngumisi lang siya.
Sinunod naman niya.
" Uy! Ang sweet..." tukso ni Lena.
"Lena..." saway ko atnagpatuloy ako sa pagsasalita pero hindi pa rin nakatakas sa akin ang kakaibang tingin nila.
We decided to try boodle fight again. We also need to bring some important essentials kasi tahimik na isla iyon. May mga bantay naman roon. Wala masyadong pumupunta. Nagpatuloy ang usapan at ibang suhestiyon nila.
It took an hour bago natapos ang plano eh ang kalahating oras roon tuksuan lang naman. Nagpadala si Rojan ng pagkain para dito na kami kumain.
"Baka mayroong iba diyan na aatras na naman?" mariin akong tiningnan ni Mau
"Hindi nga, sasama ako, aalis ako this summer kaya kailangan kong sumama" segunda ko pa.
Nag-aalangan siguro si Mau baka umatras na naman ako.
"Aalis ka?" Gabb interrupted me
Tumango ako
"Every summer naman talaga akong umalis" I replied.
Iniabot niya sa akin ang isang pineapple juice. Malugod ko namang tinanggap. I supposed to hate pineapples because it's my Dad's business but it turned out that pineapple's my favorite.
"Can I call or text you this summer ..." I could sense that he's holding his breath.
Kinakabahan na naman ako. My heart pounded hard this time. Yumoko muna ako for a moment. I have been waiting for this.
"Sure" I said shyly, marunong pa pala akong mahiya. Sa tingin mukha na akong pusa.
"Uuwi na raw!" may narining kaming sumigaw at sabay kaming napalingon.
Gabb sighed and said "I think we should go"
I wanted to make the conversation long but it's not yet the perfect timing to have that. I guess I need to wait more.
Saturday came and we did what we had planned. Hinatid kami sa Parola ng tauhan ng tito ni Cheyenne at susunduin din kami mamaya. Sinabi ko sa sarili ko noon na hindi ko gusto ng mamayamang kaibigan but look at me now nag e-enjoy kasama sila.
Unti unti nang sumasakit ang sikat ng araw at hindi namin inalintana iyon.
Katatapos lang namin umakyat sa pulang tore at abala na ang boys sa paggamit ng paddle board nila kami naman nililigpit yung nagkalat na dala naming gamit dito sa tent.
I never imagined that Villa Guarda could be beautiful like this. Where you don't need to go mountains just to see the sun starts to shine or sleeps. Truly a home. While watching the waves I realized something...
That I should stay here, I will tell Dad. There's a lot of reasons to stay.
"I told you before that Villa Guarda is home" Gabb whispered to me and it made me jump a bit.
"No matter how many times you leave you will always find a reason to come back" he added.
I don't even understand this guy's action as well as how I feel.
I was enjoying the white sands in Parola whilst watching the sun sleeps , I have realized something that I was really dependent to my family, they decided and also made choices for me then, it came to my mind that I should start to make my own choices. Leaving home means leaving my family. Sorry Dad if I'll be going to break my promise.
I heavily sighed.
I don't want to leave, I just can't.
I got really busy because of our ballroom dance recital. The recital will be my last performance in this school. Pagkatapos ng recital na ito kailangan na naman naming magpractice para sa aming moving ceremony.
Nagpaparinig na ako sa tatay ko na gustong kong dito na muna mag senior high sa Villa Guarda. I knew I would have hard time convincing my Dad. I've decided to stay and study here.
I told my friends that I'll be performing today. Hindi naman nila ako binigo.
Mau texted me that they're waiting outside the auditorium. Ma also called me earlier that she was waiting for us at the Consola's Garden. Doon kami manananghalian at dalhin ko raw ang mga kaibigan.
I was removing my make up dahil ang kati na. Nakabihis na rin ako at tiningnan ang paa ko kung may sugat may kumikirot kasi. Palabas na ako at dala ang aking dalawang bag ngunit hinabol ako ng trainer namin.
"Liv, may nagpadala pala ng flowers sayo" wika ng trainer and she's holding the bouquet of roses.
Tiningnan ko siya ng may pagtataka.
"Ma'am baka nagkakamali po kayo" tugon ko pa.
"Iniabot to sa akin kanina at may pangalan mo" she said to me and gave me a strange smile.
Kinuha ko na ang bulaklak at umalis siya kaagad.
I opened the small card...
"If you receive this it means I am thinking of you.
Sending you a floral hug. Congratulations" I read the message as if it was a whisper.
I didn't even run. But why does it seem like I have trouble in breathing?