Moonage Daydream (Ciudad de Escalante #4)

Phase 42

"Cameras, backdrops, lighting, lenses, tripod, reflector, photographic filters, light grip, battery grip, memory cards, external drive, and everything is already complete!" Fuchsia Sebastian, one of my business partners, exclaimed happily.

Hindi ko rin mapigilan ang mapangiti habang pinapasadahan ng tingin ang photo studio namin na pinaghirapang buuin sa loob ng dalawang taon. Finally, this is it! We really have an official workplace. We have almost the complete equipment to thrive much better.

Starting today, our small business will gonna make a mark in this industry to get bigger and bigger. I'll really claim it.

"Perfect Pixel was brought to life after long months of dreaming about it," sambit naman ng mababang boses na umakbay sa akin.

I grinned sweetly at my other business partner. Well, I guess, we aren't only business partners. Aside from having Fuchsia Sebastian by my side, Night Iverson Monteviaje didn't also fail to help me endure the difficulties of chasing my dreams.

I elevated my head a bit to see Night. He is just too tall for me. He smirked upon meeting my eyes. He's also expressing genuine happiness too for our other achievements as a team.

"I can't believe we made it," I whispered, still can't process that I'm inside our photo studio.

Ilang oras na lang, magaganap na ang grand opening kinabukasan. Ewan ko ba kung uuwi pa ba kaming tatlo dahil parang hindi namin maiwan-iwanan itong studio. I thought, we'll took us five years to make it.

"Guys! Come here, let's take a photo!" anyaya ni Fuchsia. She's smiling sweetly while setting the timer in the camera. Ginulo ni Night ang buhok ko bago hilahin palapit kay Fuchsia.

Pumwesto na kaming tatlo para sa larawan. Nasa gitna ang nag-iisang lalaki sa amin at kapwa kami inakbayan parehas. Ngumiti naman ako ng malapad sa camera. After that, Fuchsia set the timer again and we took a lot of photos.

"Congratulations to us. Thank you for helping me to make it through," naiiyak ni pahayag ni Fuchsia at niyakap kaming dalawa ni Night.

I chuckled and hugged them back.

"Thank you too for making everything possible," bulong ko at mas hinigpitan ang yakap sa kanilang dalawa. Hindi ko na alam kung paano pa magpapasalamat sa dalawang naging kaagapay ko sa nakalipas na taon.

Fuchsia and Night are my classmates. The three of us took the same course. Si Night ay nagtatrabaho na talaga as part-time photographer. When I was in my second year, he recruited me to join him, and that's where our friendship blooms. Sumunod sa amin sa Fuchsia kaya nagkasundo kaming tatlo.

I didn't even imagine that we'd be able to establish a small photography business at the age of twenty-one. Graduating na kami next year kaya diploma na lamang ang kulang, mas mapapalago na namin itong studio. I'm excited to be a full-time photographer.

"Congratulations, baby!" sigaw ni Kuya Zeren na nakapagpadilat ng aking mata. Kakauwi ko lang ng bahay at hindi ko inaasahan na ganito ang madadatnan ko.

"Kuya..." naiiyak kong tawag nang makita silang lahat sa dining area.

Tila nawala ang antok, pagod at pagkalasing ko habang pinapasadahan ang paligid. May mga dekorasyon sa dining area at mga pagkain sa mesa. Mommy and Daddy are here too, mouthing their congratulations at me again. Gabing-gabi na ah, hinintay talaga nila ako? Sana pala inagahan ko ang pag-uwi.

"I miss you, Kuya," I sobbed and hugged my eldest brother.

Siya ang unang nilapitan ko dahil ilang buwan ko ng hindi nakikita. He's studying in a medical school in States. Amoy airport pa siya! Nakaka-konsensya tuloy na kailangan niya pang umuwi para lang sa akin.