Lead Me Out of the Blue

One Shot: Rain in June

LMOBseries presents...

Rain in June

"Sabi ni Lola, ang ulan sa buwan ng Hulyo ay nakakapagpagaling ng sakit." Little Joaquin said to me while looking from afar then suddenly look at me, he smiled.

While me, the innocent little me, listening to him talking about his Lola Abelle's 'enchanted' stories. How adorable.

June 2009. We are here at our province were we met. Imagine a Manileña brat playing under the rain of June with her Grandma's little neighbor.

"Yeah! Mabilan na lang kung matuyuan tayo kakaligo sa ulan." I answered, nabubulol sa tagalog, na sinagot niya naman ng tawa.

"Tara doon tayo!" He said at hiniwakan ang maliit kong kamay para mahila niya 'ko papunta sa dulong parte ng bubong kung saan umaagos ang tubig ulan.

Aayaw-ayaw pa 'kong pinipilit niyang maligo doon dahil shower nga raw pero sinasabi kong ayaw ko dahil marumi roon. Wala na 'kong nagawa dahil ang kulit niya.

"Ano ba naman, Joaquin? Ang kulit, ha." I stamped.

Ang kaninang pag-walk out at pagmumuni ko sa ulan ay pagsunod niya just to grab may wrist to just bring me here.

"Ikaw kasi, eh! Ikaw! Nabu-bully ako dahil ikaw ang kasama ko. Alam mo naman 'yon 'di ba!" I said nang magkatapat kami. Hinampas-hamps ko pa ang dibdib niya na parang wala lang sa kaniya.

June 2014. We used to be schoolmates in highschool. Unexpectedly, he's also a Manileño but visiting the province regularly as I am na first time lang makapunta doon when we met. I habitually visited there every summer until highschool. We unexpectedly met each other again in highschool then become closer which is a bad idea.

"I'm sorry! I... I just can't stay away from you as you wish, Nirvana. I just can't." He's concerned. I read it in his eyes, habang nababasa kami ng ulan ay ramdam ko ang pag-aalala niya sa 'kin.

I cried loudly then I don't know but I just hugged him like he's my comfort, he's my heal in the rain of June...

Realizing that is the time I fell for him.

"Nirvana talk to me, please?" Joaquin said, nagpapacute.

"Who you?!" Pagtataray ko.

June 2017. We hop up inside a coffeeshop since it's raining cats and dogs outside. Same day I saw him with someone under an umbrella he's holding. The audacity of him while courting me!

He sighed heavily trying to understand me. He should!

"Wala siyang dalang payong. Kaklase ko 'yon." Joaquin gave his genuine smile, nag-iintindi. May kinuha siya sa bulsa niyang itim na box at pinakita sa 'kin.

"Besides, you are the only one I want to bathe in the Rain of June with." I saw how those awful look at me as if I'm his life.

He suddenly open the little black box baring a wonderful silver necklace with a cloud pendant then said "Will you be my girlfriend, Nirvana?"

Sinagot ko siya which is the best time of my life. As expected naligo na naman kami sa ulan that time para makadaretso sa sasakyan niya.

After those times is more magical, especially in every Rain of June... as so I though it wouldn't end hanggang sumapit ang June 2020.

"Naala ko noon, you told me that the Rain in June heals." I said nostalgically. "Sinungaling ka. Hindi naman gumaling ang sakit ko nang maligo ako sa ulan. My heart is broken since you left me, Joaquin..."

Today, I am in front of him. Sharing memories of our past, sharing my different kinds of happines I experienced with him and sharing my times with him under the rain in June.

I wiped my tears including the raindrops na bumabasa sa 'kin.

"Pero atleast di 'ba, hindi ka na mapapagod kakalaban para sa 'tin." I felt sudden relief. "I am happy for you, Joaquin."

I smiled then suddenly wiped his grave kahit na nababasa pa rin ito ng ulan. Naalala ko noong mga times na siya ang nagpupunas sa mga luha ko sa tuwing umiiyak ako kasi nahihirapan siya sa sakit niya. He died in Leukemia, beside me, wiping my tears.

Then suddenly I realized that there is no heal in the rain of June... because he is my heal since then.

See you in the next rain in June afterlife, Joaquin.

✐Tokwangkyot