He Loves Red (A short story)

Chapter 1: Sweetness

WARNING: CONTAINS MATURED SCENES

The day after I met him

Nagsimula kaming mag usap through text and calls later that night till now. We got the chance to talk about ourselves at the coffee shop. He's in art school, he told me that he really has a strong passion in art and it was his dream to be a painter since he was young, he's twenty one now. The "Red is Everything" was his first painting to be displayed in an art gallery.

While me, a nineteen year old girl in college with tourism course. I don't even have a great reason why I chose tourism. Simula kasi pagkabata ko, kapag napapansin ng mga tao at kamag anak namin na maganda, maputi at matangkad ako ay flight stewardess na ang sinasabi nilang dapat kong maging trabaho. So hanggang sa pagtanda is yun ang alam ko, na dapat maging flight stewardess ako and nagustuhan ko din naman.

"Mukha kang tanga" sabi ng classmate ko

"Ano na naman?" nakangiti kong sabi habang nakatutok parin sa phone.

"Lagi ka nalang nakangiti"

"Tanga agad? Hindi ba pwedeng masaya lang?"

"Pwede naman pero wag ngayon, this is a free time for us to review for the upcoming exam and not for texting" inis na paliwanag sa akin ni Melody. She's my bestfriend and yes she knows about Red.

"Okay okay sorry na po, last text nalang" nakangiti kong sabi sakanya, inirapan nya lang ako at nagbalik na ulit sa pagbabasa

"How about tomorrow? After school I'll pick you up" I read Red's text. Grabe dapat stress ako sa exams pero kilig na kilig ako ngayon dito na parang lumulutang. Tinignan ko ang paa ko sa sahig, okay di pa naman.

"Yeah sure see you!" I replied

"Ano bang status nyo ng Red nayan" dinig kong tanong ni Melody habang nagsisimula na akong magbasa, tinignan ko sya, nakatingin lang sya sa libro

"Hhmm friends?" sagot ko

"But what is he for you?" she asked again

"I love him Melody" seryoso kong sabi habang nakatuon ang atensyon sa libro, ramdam ko ang bigla nyang paglingon sa akin

"Are you stupid or some sort of Anna type?" nilingon ko sya and kunot na kunot ang noo nya, sinarado din nya ang hawak na libro

"Anna type?" tanong ko

"Yeah, a dumb princess who loved a man whom she just met" sagot nya

"E-ewan siguro nga. Now I understand her" nakayuko kong paliwanag

"It's been one day Sunshine! You can't love a man you just met" mataray na pagtutol nya

"Melody wala yan sa tagal ng pinag samahan"

"But that's still important"

"What can I do? I-I just have this feeling na mahal ko na sya"

"Mygod Sunshine, ang daming mga nanliligaw sayo, yung iba years ka nang hinihintay but you always reject them na parang wala lang sila. Tapos yang Red nayan kakakilala mo lang mahal mona agad?!"

"I really don't know okay?!" inis kong sabi "I fell in love with his art first and then him, I love the way he tells a story with his paintings. I love the way he's passionate on what he's doing, he's independent, smart and gentle in any ways. Now tell me how can I not love a perfect man?" sagot ko sakanya. I know she's just concerned about me but I think I can handle myself, especially with these kind of things

"Wag mong hayaan na mabulag ka ng pagmamahal nayan. Every person has a secret and behind stories. Kung ano man ang sakanya sana hindi ka nun maapektuhan at masaktan" she seriously emphasized then went back to reading. Sandaling katahimikan ang nangibabaw sa amin.