If Love Forbids

Chapter 1

"Anak can you pick up the boxes sa sasakyan? Padala naman dito sa loob." Kinuha ko 'yung mga natitirang box sa kotse para i-akyat kay mama sa second floor. This whole moving-in is fun but exhausting at the same time.

I noticed the neighborhood from the balcony. The view from here is pleasing. Ang payapa. It's completely different from my hometown.

Will I be able to build good memories here? I am ready to have my new chapter here.

"Hoy Janelle, tumulong ka kaya dito? Mama si Eliana ayaw tumulong sa akin oh!" Nagulat ako nang bigla siya lumitaw sa tabi ko. I rolled my eyes at my brother, Elijah. "Sumbungera ka kuya. And can you please stop calling me by my second name?" I demanded. He just mocked me.

"Pare-parehas tayong Eli dito alangan naman na tawagin ko kayo ni kuya nang sabay?" I gave him that kasi may point siya. Elliott, Elijah, and Eliana. I wonder what made mom think of this.

 Kailan kaya 'to titino kapag kinakausap ko? 'Yung isa 'kong kapatid hindi naman ganito.

"Ampon ka ba kuya?" It's fun to tease him because I know kakampi pa rin sa akin si mama, bunso eh. He faced me with his brow arched, babatukan na ata ako but my other sibling showed up. Kuya Elliott. We stopped playing around because of his presence.

He gave us his cold gaze. He is my brother, but I can't read him. Elijah went inside to continue fixing the area. Naiwan na lang kami dito ni kuya Elliott. Sumandal siya sa railings, looking up in the sky. The sun is setting already, ang bilis ng araw.

We stayed in silence for a while. Hindi siya maingay unlike the other. They always say na perfect combination ako nila kuya dahil kapag pinagsama 'yung maingay at tahimik ako 'yung kakalabasan. 

I am talkative when the circle is talkative, and I am quiet when the circle is quiet. Adaptive, sabi nga nila.

"Help me cook later for dinner." I just nodded. The way he speaks, and views life is far from us. Mature with authority. 

We get along naman, lalo na sa hobbies. We paint and play games when there's time. That is our bonding, when it comes to kuya Elijah, he plays guitar for me but mostly asaran lang talaga.

While he is discussing how will he cook dinner later, I noticed a group of friends passing by our street. I am at the balcony kaya naman kita 'yung mga dumadaan dito. Lima sila, three girls and two boys. 'Yung isa may dala-dalang gitara.

They all look happy.

They stopped at the house near us. May bench at poste na pwedeng tambayan doon. The girl holding the guitar started playing, the two boys laughing, a girl noticing our van and the other is singing. Sumusulyap-sulyap 'yung iba sa bahay namin. Napapansin siguro na may bagong lilipat.

"Tapos ilalagay na 'yung paminta but let's skip that part because mom doesn't want it to be that spicy. And also- Eliana are you listening?"