HIRAYA MANAWARI

CHAPTER 07: Fascinated

Fascinated

We both spent our day together by celebrating her birthday, we really had fun.

We went to different places here in the town, like the market, church, malls near.

But when we were on the church, she seems lonely and quiet, I thought its because she was praying but she started crying.

"Kahit isang chance lang.." she sobbed, kneeling.

"Hey, are you okay?" I checked, I held her shoulders. She stood up and shook her head, she sat beside me and rested her head on my shoulders.

"Ang hirap palang umasa sa imposible, Clarence." She said, almost a whisper. "Ang dami ko nang kasalanan sa Diyos ngunit nagawa ko pang humingi ng kahilingan."

I don't know how to comfort her, I don't know her situation and I'm not on her shoe.

"What happened? You can tell it to me.. if you're comfortable to say it." She shook her head and just rested on me.

She wasn't ready.

We were close to some of our neighbors, Aling Berna. She's on her 50's already, she has five kids.

"Magkasintahan ba kayo, hijo at hija?" Agad kaming umiling, imposible!

"Magka-ibigan lang po." Hiraya looked away and distanced herself a little away from me.

"Ay jusko ganiyan din kami ni Agustin noon! Doon din papunta iyan." Aling Berna laughed.

Sana nga.

Pagbalik namin sa manila, pinasali kami ni Dad sa isang organization. I thought it was religious or something.. para daw may pagka-abalahan kami habang summer.

"Lahat ng tao may ambisyon o pangarap sa buhay.." sabi ng founder ng organization.

It wasn't about relegion, this organization is for those people who got tripped while walking on their paths, in short people who failed to know themselves.

"Tuturuan namin kayong matupad ang pangarap ninyo, hindi pangarap na kagaya 'maging abogado' 'Mamatay' o 'maging mayaman', hindi ganon ang ibig naming sabihin." It's weird, ang gusto ko lang sa buhay ay ang mawala sa mundong to. Pangarap din yun diba?

"Miss Hiraya Cruz? What a great name, it means Pangarap!" The guy Mr. Fortuno said on the microphone. "Now, I'll ask you something, Miss Hiraya.. your feeling may arise on my question."

We're about ten people in this organization.. they're all a little older.

"Bakit ang simple ng pangarap mo ngunit hindi mo makamit?" He asked Hiraya and Hiraya smiled.

"Dahil mahirap, lalo na pag sigurado na ang lahat. Hindi na puwedeng baguhin." She answered with a small smile. "Gaano man kadami ang pangarap ko, imposibleng tuparin sa maikling panahon."

"Ikaw naman, Miss Cecelia Martinez at Sir Alberto Tanyaga.. bakit ang pangarap nyo ay ang maging masaya? I mean madali lang-" Mr. Fortuno was cut off.

"Hindi madali ang maging masaya!" Sabay nitong sagot, agad silang nagka-tinginan. Inayos ni Miss Martinez ang salamin niya at agad naman tumingin sa malayo si Mr. Tanyaga.

"Hmm.. typicall 4th year college students. How about you, Mr. Clarence Woo? Why did you join here if you don't even have a dream?"

Lahat sila nakatingin sa akin, "Posible ba yun?" Bulong ng iba.

"My father signed me up here." I answered.

"Okay, since alam na namin ang ambisyon o pangarap ninyo.. we'll separate you into five pairs." Mr. Fortuno announced. "We're not the one who'll make you all reach it. Kayo ang gagawa noon, kami ang gagabay."