Ceaseless

7

"Alam mo samahan mo kaya ako mag paint." Aya ko sa kanya. May tatlo na akong nagawa pero nakaupo lang siya sa couch at nakamasid sa akin.

"I told you I'm not good at painting." Sabi niya.

"Hindi ka ba nabobored diyan?" tanong ko habang nagstro-stroke.

"No, I usually just watch my wife paint for 3 or more hours." Sagot niya at agad akong Napatingin sa kanya?

"What?" di ko makapaniwalang sabi. "Are you serious?" tumango lang siya. "Subukon mo lang mag pinta." Pamimilit ko. Nakakailang kasi mag pinagmamasdan niya lang ako diyan para akong matutunaw.

"Sabi ko hindi ako magaling diyan. I'm not an artist." Parang naiirita na siya.

I looked at him. "Hindi mo kailangan maging artist para makapagpinta." Sabi ko at natigilan siya. "Hindi mo kailangan maging maalam sa pagpipinta okay? You can just paint whatever you want. Whatever you feel. Paint whatever you think of." I shrugged and continued my work. "Anyway, your choice." Sabi ko.

Nakita kong sinusuot niya ang isang coveralls na naroroon. Natawa ako, Baka napilit din siya ng asawa niya noon. "Don't you ever judge my work."

I pursed my lips at nodded. Magkaharap lang ang mga easel namin kaya di namin nakikita ang isa't-isa. Tahimik lang kaming dalawa habang nagpipinta. I wonder what his painting.

"What were you like before, Darcel?" tanong ko. Ang tahimik kasi, nakakabinggi.

"What do you mean?" tanong niya. Mukhang seryoso siya sa ginagawa niya.

"Like before. Are you loud? Gloomy? Introvert? Extrovert?" sunod na sunod kong sabi.

He didn't answer me for a while. "I was... normal." Walang kwenta niyang sagot sa akin.

"Wow." Sarkasmo kong sabi. "Ang unique mo pala noon, noh?"

He chuckled. "I was just me before. I'm quite when I'm alone I'm loud when I'm with someone." Sagot niya. "I became more louder when I met Rosalie."

Ayan na. I don't know why but I felt my chest tightened when he said that.

"I was always at poise and serious but when I met her, I changed." Ramdam kong nakangiti siya ngayon. Napahinto ako sa ginagawa at napayuko. Gusto ko siyang patigilin sa pagsasalita. Bakit ko ba nararamdaman to?

"She's not an easy woman." He chuckled. "She makes me do things I never thought I would do. Imagine, I was raised in a secured household and she made me climb a coconut tree?" natatawa niyang sabi.

Gusto kong matuwa para sa kanya pero di ko kaya. "She asked you that?" I fake laughed para di niya maramdamang nasasaktan ako. Wait, I'm hurting? Napaharap ako sa canvas, as if I was facing him.

"Sabi niya pag inakyat ko yung coconut tree sasagotin niya ako." He shared as if it just happened yesterday. "So, I did." Natatawa niyang dagdag niya. He stayed silent for a while. "She's, my light. Akala ko di na ako makakabangon simula nung mamatay yung parents ko but she changed everything. She made me feel the happiest man when she said yes to me. She was also the one who gave me the excruciating pain the day I lost her with my son."

Napayuko ako ulit. I felt his pain in his voice. He'll never get over her, not ever. "What a lucky girl." Bulong ko sa sarili. Why did you left him so early Rosalie? I hate you.

Napalingon ako ng may kumatok sa pinto.

"Sir?" it's Rita's voice.

"Come on, Rita." Pagpayag ni Darcel. The door opened and Rita came in with some snacks and drinks. Darcel stood up para makita si Rita. "Ilagay mo nalang diyan sa coffee table, Rita. Thank you."