'Di Masabi

• Epilogue: Perrin •

Epilogue

Perrin Noah Gallantes

"You should be like your brother," sabi ni Papa. Graduation ngayon ni Kuya ng highschool. Marami siyang awards. In our family, my brother was the smarter one.

While me... I'm just me, myself and I.

Growing up, I've always been compared to my brother.

We've always been compared to each other.

Kung sino mas matalino.

Kung sino mas may itsura.

And I can't blame people for always choosing him, because he really was almost the best in everything.

Kahit ako, siya ang pipiliin ko.

Dahil totoo naman, mas magaling siya sa akin.

Mas matalino.

Mas may itsura.

And maybe that's why I can't really blame her for choosing him too.

"Sorry. Loko kasi ni Terrence nilista tayo," sabi ko kay MM. Nandito kami ngayon sa jailbooth nakakulong. Foundation Day kasi ngayon ng school. Nilista kami nina Terrence sa marriage booth, at habang hindi pa namin turn ay kinulong kami sa jailbooth para daw hindi makatakas.

"It's okay. As if naman totoo 'yung kasal," she said.

Medyo na-hurt naman ako doon, pero hindi ko pinakita sa kanya. Terrence and Andrei only recently found out that I have a crush on her. Epal kasi nung dalawa, pinakialaman phone ko, nakita tuloy na si MM 'yung wallpaper ko.

We've known each other since we were kids. Tanda ko, crush ko na siya grade two pa lang ako. She was the prettiest among my classmates. But of course, as I grew up nawala 'yung puppy love na 'yun.

Hindi ko lang alam bakit kailangan bumalik ngayon.

The whole summer vacation, I would always see her. Bigla na lang parang wow siya ba talaga 'yun? Bakit biglang ang ganda na ng itsura niya? I mean, she was already pretty before. Pero alam mo 'yun, bata pa naman kasi kami.

But now na eight grade na kami, ewan ko ba. Ang ganda niya na lalo sa paningin ko.

"Cool no? Never pa tayo nagkakahiwalay ng section," sabi ko kasi ang awkward. Sobrang ingay sa labas pero mas lamang 'yung katahimikan dito sa loob.

She smiled. "Kaya nga, hindi ka pa ba nagsasawa sa mukha ko?"

I wanted to say never.

But instead I said, "Sawa na nga."

Sumimangot siya sa akin. Mas lalo akong napa-ngiti.

Ang cute niya talaga kahit kailan.

"Imagine mo naman kasi we've been classmates since prep. We always see each other during different occasions, even on vacations it's still your face I see."

"Well, that only means one thing."

"And that is?" I asked.

"I'm gonna be forever in your life that you'll be forced to get used to seeing this annoying face every day," she said.

"If that's the case, then I have no complaints."

I smiled at her. Nakita kong natigilan siya sa sinabi ko. Her face turned red, I'm not really sure if it was because of what I said or because it was really hot inside this booth.

"I—" may sasabihin pa sana siya nang biglang magbukas na ang pintuan at pinalabas na kaming dalawa para dalahin sa marriage booth.

Pagkarating pa lang namin doon, nagsimula na kaagad magsigawan ang mga ka-batch namin. Pinagsuot lang nila ako ng coat at dinala sa unahan sa naka-set up na altar.