Fourth of October (Juntarsiego Series #1)

Chapter 10

I was born without having any privilege to anything in life. My family has no access to anything that will make our life easier. We are used of having the simple life in this province without engaging ourselves to the modernity of the world, being content with what the life have given us.

Hindi humiling na sana ay makaranas ng marangyang buhay. Hindi rin humiling na makakain ng mga pagkaing tipikal na kinakain ng mga may kaya. We are blessed up until now with our life. Ni minsan ay walang tumulong sa magulang ko kahit na naghihirap kami. Pinunan lahat ng pangangailangan ko at pinag-aral ako sa eskwelahan. I am lucky to have them as my parents.

Though sometimes they says that my mother looks like a rich man's daughter because of her features. My mother is a fair-skinned woman with a thick, long brown hair and like me, she got a bit of freckles on her nose that can only be seen when looking at her in a near distance. Her lip is reddish, close to the color of an apple that suits her. Maamo ang mukha pero marunong siyang magalit kapag gustuhin niya. Unlike my father, she's not looking calm when her anger is about to burst.

Napagkakamalan siyang anak mayaman pero ang totoo ay hindi. Kahit si Papa ay ganoon din. Nang dahil sa mga katangian nila ay mali ang nagiging tingin sa kanila ng mga tao. Ganito lang ang buhay namin pero hindi kami mayaman. Sapat lang para matugunan lahat ng pangangailangan.

Do we look like we can afford those expensive things? Hindi ko rin naman maitatangging parehong may itsura ang magulang ko. They both got the looks. I don't know if they got it from their mother or father. Hindi ko pa naman sila nakikita.

I was lucky enough to be accepted as Jaeden's parents' scholar. Sa sobrang tuwa ko ay nakalimutan kong umakto ng maayos noon sa harap ni Jaeden. My happiness covered me, not minding anything on the background.

Walang pinaglagyan ang saya ko noon kung kaya't nawalan ako ng pakialam sa ibang bagay. Sobra-sobra ang pasasalamat ko kay Jaeden pagkatapos no'n kung kaya't bilang pasasalamat na rin, gumawa ako ng painting ulit. Iyong mukha niya naman ang ipininta ko at malugod na ibibigay sa kanya.

I have the first one to ma'am De Jesus. Dahil nasaulo ko ang bawat detalye ng kanyang mukha, sinubukan ko ang panibagong kaalaman. I painted him just like how I painted him the very first time. I am still improving in this case. Naging satisfied naman ako sa naging resulta kung kaya't binigay ko iyon sa kanya pagkatapos ng klase namin nang hapon.

Carrying the canvas from our house, I saw him already sitting outside his house, having his afternoon coffee while staring at the garden of white daisies far from him. Nakangiti ako ng malapad habang papunta sa kanyang gawi.

Hindi naging maingay ang bawat hakbang ko ngunit nagawa niya akong lingunin kaagad. He sat still while sipping his coffee and I took the chance to go and sit with him. Hinayaan niya akong umupo roon dahil nasanay sa akin.

For month, we've been talking to each other normally like we're best of friends. Iyon nga lang, nanatili ang pagiging seryoso niya. We're not friends. We're just close. Nasasanay na siya sa presensya ko sa labas ng kanyang bahay kung kaya't hindi na bago ito.

Feels like yesterday since he occupied this empty house.

"What brought you here?" His attention is still intended for the wide garden. Nilapag ko ang dala sa tabi ko saka itinukod ang braso sa magkabilang gilid.

He's not sounding so rude. It's his way of being formal and that's normal for me. Nasasanay na rin ako sa ganoong trato niya sa akin.

"Wala naman. May ibibigay lang sana ako sa'yo," saad ko saka kinuha ulit iyong dala kanina. His eyes went to me as I carried the canvas for him. Tumayo pa ito upang tulungan sana ako pero tumanggi ako.