You Captured Me

Chapter 23

Days flew by like sand. Masyadong mabilis. Masyadong mabilis mawala.

Mom and I didn't talk after my whole fiasco on my birthday. She tried to talk to me, but I kept avoiding her. I'm still upset and I feel like if we have a conversation, I wouldn't be able to think straight. 

The thing is, I was mad. Was. There was a certain anger that was felt when I first found out that my parents never really fell in love like how I thought they were. Imagine finding that out at such a young age. You thought you were a perfect family. But as they say, perfection is nonexistent. And that fact will slap you in the face one day. Well, it did. It knocked me out.

Now, learning about her leaving, at first I was annoyed but then I start to understand, to some extent. And it hurts understanding why. I avoid her and the thoughts that came after because it hurts that I get the reason. I won't be upset for long, I know that.   

Dad kept being busy with the business. Madalas na ang mga meetings at pati na rin ang pagsama ko sa ilan sa mga iyon. I won't usually be in the said meetings but the reason my father wanted me to be in the company multiple times is something I still need to find out.

While my personal life is experiencing turbulence, Amavi and I have been frequently going out to distract ourselves. I know she has her own share of struggles with her family too, especially her father. She would not open that topic often but I'm glad she got to tell me even the surface-leveled details. Recently, it's as if we're escaping our own realities for awhile. And maybe we are. We're too afraid to face whatever truth there is. Call it reckless. Selfish. We're too tired to care about it. And besides, I still want to make her happy, despite everything that's happening. Her smile is my comfort. Always.

"Are you excited?"

"About?"

"Tomorrow..."

She looked confused and slightly scared. It's as if she's trying to remember a date that was significantly shared by the both of us that she missed. I can almost hear her thoughts overthinking about the whole thing. I smiled. But I know she probably won't remember the exact date of it. It has been three years already so I wouldn't fault her for that. But I remembered. There was a picture as a reminder to commemorate it, after all.

"Sa pagkakaalam ko, katatapos lang ng birthday mo at malayo pa birthday ko-"

I chuckled.

"Maghanda ka na lang, love."

Mas lalong kumunot ang noo niya.

"Baka mamaya gawa-gawa ka lang ng kung anong celebration ah," ani niya. Natawa naman ako.

"You should know by now that I'm a sentimental guy." 

She rolled her eyes and continued eating her food. We are at a Japanese restaurant to eat lunch because we were both craving for it. I pulled out my phone quickly to capture the day.

"Can I take a picture of you, love?"

She chuckled and then covered her face with the glass filled with Iced tea as I leveled my phone to her. I snapped the photo still even if her face wasn't shown. She is still not fully comfortable every time I ask to take a picture of her and that's alright with me. I will keep telling her that she's beautiful without the validation of other people. And I'm quite lucky that I get to see her beauty every time I'm with her. 

A mesmerizing soul that world is not ready for. 

Bigla namang lumitaw ang numero ni Nixie kaya't sinagot ko agad.

"Hello, are you okay?"

"Uwi ka muna, kuya... Mom's leaving."

I sighed; the news have now dawned. "Ok."