After Daylight

2. When Yllak Kissed a Girl

YLLAK

Pogi is my middle name next to Orpilla.

Kidding.

I promise to love you with all of my heart

With all of my soul

For the rest of my life

They were at it again, my parents. Dancing around the living room as they embraced each other. My mom was smiling and giggling like a teenager and my dad acting like he was some sort of a jock. 

I grew up watching my parents that way. I never saw them fight in front of me unlike what my other classmates would tell me about their parents. I asked my granpa Bong about it and he told me that I was lucky.

"That would be me and Alexander in the future." My younger sister Naomi chirped beside me. For a twelve-year old, she has such a strong imagination.

"Kaka-regla mo lang Naomi. Magtigil ka nga." I spat at her. She's been crushing on Alexander, ninang Dani's son who is like ten years older than her.

Naomi made a face. "Great grandma Meldy and great grandpa Ferdinand the first were eleven years apart. It can happen. Naomi and Alexander are a match made in heaven. I will make sabi to ate Iris na magpakita sa panaginip ni Alexander so she can convince him to fall in love with me. Kuya can't you see how bagay we are? Alexander-Alexandra!" She spat at me.

I rolled my eyes. "You need to stop reading teen romance Naomi."

"And you need to stop meddling with my love life Ferdinand." She replied back.

"Please don't call me Ferdinand and you don't have a love life Naomi. You only have you, yourself and your imaginations that will never happen."

Naomi widened her eyes and hit my shoulders. "I will sumbong to mama you have a girlfriend named Patti na you kissed two blocks away from our house!" She spat. I covered her mouth and looked at our parents. Busy pa rin sila sa pagsasayaw nila.

"I did not kiss her!" I hissed.

She removed my hands. "I saw it with my own two eyes. Celestine did too kuya but she is too mabait to let it slip. I am not mabait when it comes to you so it's either you palit rooms with me or I will tell mama." She threatened.

I rolled my eyes. "Ano bang meron at gustong-gusto mo makipagpalit ng kwarto sa akin?" I asked. She has always been nagging me to switch rooms with her ever since. 

"Because your room is across Alexander's." She said dreamily.

I made a face. "Kuya Alexander doesn't even come home a lot Naomi. He is in Manila for college and probably even have a girlfriend na taga Manila who is more mature than the brat you are." I replied.

Naomi's face was mad. "Mooooom!!!! I saw kuya Yllak kiss a girl!" She shouted.

"I did not!" I denied. Mom and dad were already walking towards us. Oh hell.

"Mom! Yllak kissed a girl in an empty lot two blocks away from our house! Nakita namin siya ni ate Celestine. He was even holding the girl's boobies!" She ranted me out. Great. Just great.

Mom's eyes widened. "Yllak is it true?" She asked.

I was torn between wanting to say the truth and lying in front of my parents. I looked at dad to plead for help.

He sighed. "I'll be the one to talk to him." He spoke.

"Kapag iyan nagka-anak ng wala sa oras. Papauwiin ko yan sa Baguio." Mom spat at dad. I made a face. That wouldn't happen because I still have dreams on becoming an Economist and a lawyer.

Dad just scratched his nose as he watched mom walk away. Naomi clung her arms on our mom's with a victorious smile on her face. I only rolled my eyes. Dad and I went to his study room to talk. We sat on the sofa set in front of his study table. Dad looks like my grandma Liza a lot and sometimes he scares me.

"So, you kissed a girl." He spoke.

I didn't know if he was asking or just saying.

"Yeah I did." Was the only answer I could give him.

He looked at me. His eyes seeping through my soul. I gulped.

"Was it your first kiss?" He asked.

I nodded slowly. "Opo."

Dad leaned on the couch with a smug look on his face. "Is she your girlfriend Yllak?"

"Uhh. Yeah." I mumbled.

"Do you love your girlfriend Yllak?"

"I think so?" I answered.

Dad laughed. "Yllak you don't even have feelings for the girl. Were you the one who courted her?"

I shook my head. "No. She just came up to me during history class and asked me if I can be her boyfriend."

He even laughed more, shaking his head. "Tapos umoo ka lang?"

"Opo."

"Why?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess I was just curious on the feeling of having a girlfriend."

"And did it answer your curiosity?"

"Maybe. I mean. I am not really into dating dad. But with Patti, she makes me do things I am not even doing like kissing or holding hands. If I don't do it, she will throw tantrums and complain na hindi ko daw pinaninindigan ang I love you ko sa kanya." I shared. I guess he needs to know at least since he already knows about me having a girlfriend.

Dad chuckled. "Yllak. Fifteen ka pa lang. A fifteen year old doesn't know anything about love, romantically speaking. You are still at the age of exploring what things are like such as relationships. You would say I love you back to that person because you feel it's a responsibility as a boyfriend."

"Is it not?" I asked.

"No Yllak. But then you are young. The best thing to learn is through experience. As long as you know what you are doing, I am fine with you having a girlfriend. If you are going to do it, use protection. Your mom and I would freak out once our eldest is a dad at a young age."

I made a face. "Was mom your first?" I asked all of a sudden.

"No Yllak. She wasn't." He replied.

"Oh." So it wouldn't be a sin if ever I decide to break things off with Patti. 

He smiled. "I will talk to your mom about you having a girlfriend. Invite her to our house for dinner sometime. We would love to meet your girlfriend Yllak."

That put a smile on my face. "Thanks dad."

"Papa!" Someone exclaimed before he can even answer me.

Ate Reika in her senior high school uniform. She ran to dad and kissed his cheeks.

She turned to me after. 

"Hey Yllak. Bakit ang panget mo?" She asked.

I made a face. "Calling me panget is like calling my mom panget."

She snorted. "Ew hindi mo kamukha si Mama Louise."

I rolled my eyes and stood up to leave the study room. I looked at them. Ate Reika shone beautifully as she sat beside my dad and told him about her day.

Sometimes, there was something about her whenever I looked at her. Something different. 

---

goodnight!