Loving the Dark Sky

EPILOGUE

"Wala ka ba talagang balak pumunta dito? She's here! Pumunta ka na kasi dito para magkausap na kayo!"

Kinukulit na naman ako ni Kuya Derrick.

Hindi ko inakala na babalik pa siya dito. It's been years since she left and now she's back. I miss her so much. I want to see her but I'm not sure if she'll be comfortable with me around. She used to push me away. She used to avoid me.

I can't forget the time when I first met her under the moon and stars. Siya ang pinakamagandang nangyari sa buhay ko.

Bata palang ako nang dalhin ako nina Mama at Papa sa US. They told me that all they wanted was the best for me. But I didn't know exactly what to do. Noon lang ako napahiwalay sa kanila. Good thing our relatives were there to guide me. I became close with my cousins too.

When I was about to turn 7, Lolo asked me what part of nature do I love the most. I told him that it's the dark sky. I never thought that he was planning to give me a journal with those words translated into Spanish as a birthday gift. He told me to write down my thoughts, secrets and experiences in that journal. And that once I get older and when I finally meet the one I really want to be with forever, I'll give it to her. I didn't understand that clearly at first but when time passed, I got to understand it better.

Giving journals as a birthday gift when turning 7 is part of our family tradition. The story and the reason behind it stays inside our family and only for the woman a Villafuerte choses to be with forever.

"How's your back, Azi? Masakit ba?" natatawang tanong sa'kin ni Kuya.

Tawang-tawa sila sa'kin dahil hinampas ako ni Andria. Napagkamalan niya daw kasi akong magnanakaw. Aminado  naman akong nainis ako kasi naman, ikaw ba naman 'yong hinampas nalang bigla? Alam kong mali 'yong ginawa ko dahil inakyat ko 'yong gate. Wala kasing guwardiyang nakabantay do'n. Hindi ko naman alam na nandoon pala siya.

Nainis ako, oo. Kasi talaga namang masakit 'yong pagkakahampas niya sa'kin. Pero natawa nalang ako bigla dahil sa paraan ng pakikipag-usap niya sa'kin nang gabing 'yon. Akala talaga niya ay kayamanan ang hanap ko, eh, hinahanap ko lang naman si Kuya kasi sabi niya ay ipapakilala daw niya ako sa mga kaibigan niya. She was so cute. Kahit na hindi ko pa masyadong kita ang mukha niya nang mga oras na 'yon ay kinausap ko pa rin siya.

Nalaman ko nalang na kapatid pala siya ni Kuya Adrian, ang best friend ni Kuya mula pagkabata.

I got to memorize every detail of her face so easily because I couldn't stop looking at her when I saw her face clearly with more lights on. She's got that long dark brown wavy hair, brown upturned eyes, soft arched eyebrows, celestial nose, pink heart shaped lips and fair complexion. She looks like an angel.

"Mukhang natamaan ka na nga, eh! At talagang iba pa ang gusto mong itawag niya sa'yo? Sa halip na Azi, eh, Dylan pa talaga?"

I did that because I want her to stand out. Everyone calls me Azi. So if someone calls me Dylan, I'll know that it's her.

When we had dinner with her and her family, I wasn't that happy. I didn't want to act like nothing's wrong.

"Ayos ka lang, kapatid?"

Tumingin ako kay Kuya Derrick nang tanungin niya 'yon. Magkausap sila ni Kuya Adrian. Nasa veranda kaming tatlo.

"Hindi." Kuya Adrian sighed heavily.

"What happened?"

"Just some family problems."

"Alam ni Andria?"

"Hindi. At ayokong malaman niya 'yon. I don't want her to worry."

Nag-alala ako para kay Andria dahil baka nakakahalata na rin siya sa kanila pero nang magtagal ay na-realize ko rin na hindi dapat ako nakikisali sa mga ganoong klase ng usapan kasi masyado 'yong personal. Depende nalang kung magsabi sa'kin si Andria o si Kuya Adrian patungkol sa bagay na 'yon. Nang magtagal na rin naman ay wala na rin akong narinig na problema mula kay Kuya Adrian kaya inabala ko nalang ang sarili ko sa ibang bagay.