First Glance

Chapter 09

Chapter 09

"You look pretty."

"Lagi naman."

He laughed.

He opened the shotgun seat and put his hand on the top of my head as I crouched to sit. I smiled at him. Kinuha niya ang seat belt at maingat na nilagay sa akin. 

"Let’s go."

I nodded.

I look at him in the rear view mirror. He's wearing a cream t-shirt and pants that go well with mine because I'm wearing a beige satin top that hangs loosely in my chest. Hindi naman namin 'to pinagplanuhan sadyang meant to be lang kami.

Naging maayos naman kami pagkatapos ng nangyari. We always hang out. We’re fine. At least malinaw na sa amin ang nararamdaman namin sa isa’t isa. But we’re not official. I don’t know what this is but for now, I'm fine with it.

Hindi naman ako nagmamadali dahil kapag kami, kami talaga kahit gaano pa katagal.

Araw ngayon ng linggo at ngayon lang ang free time ko kaya ngayon siya nag-aya pumunta sa Art Museum. He fetch me in front of the condo with his black Mercedes. Yaman talaga e.

He opened the shotgun seat as soon as we got there.

"Thank you."

I look at the greek design of the Museum. My mouth forms an ‘o’. I love paintings but I’ve never got time to visit some Art Museum… so yeah. This is my first time.

I felt his hand enveloped my waist.

"Let's go?"

I excitedly nodded.

"You like it?" He asked.

"Sobra."

"Stay there, I will take a picture of you."

Sinapak ko ang braso niya pero ‘di man lang siya kumurap. He defensively mouthed ‘what’. I rolled my eyes. I'm a confident person na dumating na sa point na akala ng iba mayabang ako but when it comes to him… ewan ko na lang talaga. Nakakahiya kaya lalo na siya pa ang kukuha ng litrato. Wala naman masyadong tao ngayon dito dahil pandemic. 

"Nahihiya ako!"

"Just think like you're shooting here and I'm the photographer." Pinag-krus ko lang ang aking braso. "Come on, Jamie. Give me a pose." He laughed.

Wala akong nagawa kaya kahit kabado na nakatingin siya sa akin ay hindi ko pinahalata. He just laughed at lumapit na’rin sa akin ng nasiyahan siya sa ginawa. Inismiran ko lang siya. Nawawala ang poise ko e!

"I finally understand why you love paintings," he said.

We silently gazed at the paintings around us while his hand was in mine.

Best feeling ever.

"Yeah… they're lovely, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Alam mo ba kung ano ang gusto kong makita bago ako mamatay?"

I swing our hands like a five year old girl walking in the playground. He doesn’t mind, though. Tumingin ako sa kaniya na ngayon ay napahinto at nakatingin ng kuryoso sa akin.

"What is it?"

"I want to see Vincent Van Gogh’s painting, The Starry Night." I chuckled. "In short, before I die I want to go to Amsterdam to visit Van Gogh’s Museum."

"Why The Starry Night? I mean, there’s Mona Lisa, Salvator Mund-"

"Why do you know all of that?"