Forever With You

CHAPTER 25

"Tara na, ate, please? Pumasok ka na sa loob..."

Alex keeps forcing me to go with her inside their house. They are having a celebration. It's Paulo's birthday.

"May kailangan pa akong puntahan, Alex. Sorry." I said as an excuse.

"Mas importante pa po ba kay Kuya Pau?"

I sighed heavily as I lowered my head a little. No...

I get something on my sling bag. I stared at that small envolope where my letter for Paulo is. I wrote it. I've decided to just write the things I want to say to him na hindi ko magawang sabihin sakaniya ng personal.

I gave it to Alex. Kinuha ko ang kamay niya at inilagay iyon sa palad niya. Napatingin naman siya roon ng nagtataka.

"Gave that to your Kuya Paulo. Please tell him to read it before this day ends. Tell him that it's from me." I said.

"Why don't you give it to him personally? Mas matutuwa po 'yon kapag nakita ka niya at ikaw mismo ang nagbigay nito." Alex insisted but I just smiled at her sadly before shaking my head a bit.

"Baka mainis o mairita pa 'yon pag nakita ako. He should be happy today dahil birthday niya." sabi ko nalang. Tsaka naalala ko rin yung huling kita namin talaga na aware kaming isa't isa, noong pumunta ako sa bahay nila, eh inis nga 'yon sakin. "I'm going now. I really have to go. Please greet him a happy birthday nalang for me ha? Thank you." I said in a rush dahilan para wala na siyang magawa.

After Alex finally accepted my letter for his brother on her hand ay agad na rin akong nagpaalam na sakaniya at umalis.

Wala naman talaga akong pupuntahan. At nung tinanong niya kung mas importante pa ba sa Kuya niya? Ofcourse no. Actually right now, I'm willing to set aside all the things I am doing even my work para lang makausap siya. If he will let it. Kung magsabi siya sakin na gusto niya akong makausap, papayag ako kaagad noh! Siya lang naman ang hinihintay ko. But I guess not now...

Sumaglit din pala si Mommy doon sa kanila dahil pinapunta siya ni Tita Grace. Nalaman ko iyon pag-uwi niya. She even asked me why I didn't go to Paulo's birthday kaya nagsinungaling muna ako bilang palusot. Kagaya ng sinabi ko kay Alex, sinabi ko rin kay Mommy na may importante lang akong pinuntahan kaya di ako nakapunta.

This is the first time in the two decades on his life that I didn't get to attend his birtbday celebration. I never thought of this happening...

PABLO's POV

I'm busy talking with my friends here at the house when suddenly, Alex went near me with an envelope on her hand. She handed it to me and I looked at her comfused.

"It's from ate Bianca. It's for you raw."

My brow immediately raised lighlty as I accepted the envelope na obviously, letter ang laman.

From Bianca, huh.

"She went here? Ba't hindi pa tumuloy dito sa loob?" ani ko sa kapatid ko.

"May importante siyang pupuntahan. And she's also in a hurry kaya di gumana yung pamimilit ko sakaniya." Alex said.

I just nodded my head at her.

Importante... Eh dati parang mas importante pa nga sakaniya kaysa sakin 'tong araw na 'to. Siya pa nga yung nagpupumilit noon sakin na 'wag na muna kaming pumasok sa school dahil birthday ko naman daw. But now what happened?

Napailing nalang ako't napabuntong hininga. Why am I even expecting her to be here today? Eh ilang buwan ko siyang hindi kinakausap at may ibang mga pinagkakaabalahan na rin siya ngayon. Baka nga mas importante na ang mga 'yon para sakaniya...

Nilagay ko muna sa kwarto yung letter na 'yon dahil baka mawala ko pa at mamisplace. I went back talking with my friends. They're here, we actually went outside earlier then decided to go here since gusto ni Mama na dito nalang sa bahay muna i-spend yung birthday ko.

This is my twenty-fifth birthday but the first time na hindi kumpleto yung mga mahahalaga sa buhay ko na kasama ngayon.

It was already eleven in the evening and I was about to go to sleep dahil may kailangan pa akong gawin bukas nang maalala ko yung letter ni Bianca. I get it from my side table where I put it earlier.

Ano na bang naisip niya at naisipan niyang gumawa ng letter? First time, ah, at para sa akin pa.

"Sorry. What the hell?"

Agad na kumunot ang noo ko nang sorry agad ang first word na nabasa ko sa letter niya. I paused as my mind load for a second tsaka ako tumingin ulit sa letter. This time, I sighed as I decided to read it.

Letter lang naman 'to.

I feel uneasy as I started to read it. She said sorry at first when in fact, I should be the one saying it to her. Looks like I made her feel unimportant now, which I didn't mean to. Masyado lang ata akong nadadala ng emosyon at damdamin ko kaya nakalimutan ko na yung nararamdaman niya...

The letter was a bit long. After reading it, I then realized what did I just do.

"Akala ko ba mamaya ka pa aalis? Ang aga pa, 'nak." sabi ni Mama nang magpaalam na akong aalis na ako kinaumagahan. Sabi ko kasi ay alas nuebe ako aalis pero halos seven thirty palang.

"Pupunta ako kay Bianca, Ma." sabi ko.

I took a glance at her and I saw her smile. Pagkatapos ay agad na rin akong umalis nang makapagpaalam ulit sakaniya.

I'm sure Bianca wouldn't resist me this time. Ako pa ba?

I was confident while I'm on my way at their house. Hanggang sa makarating na ako. Malapit na sana ako sa may bahay nila nang may nauna nang kotse ang huminto sa tapat nila.

My brows furrowed as I saw Jeff went out from the car. Sunod din ay nakita ko ang paglabas ni Bianca mula sa gate nila. I saw how they smiled at each other as Jeff assisted Bianca to his car.

Humigpit ang kapit ko sa manibela habang nakatingin sa paalis na sinasakyan nila.

I was shocked a bit for a moment. Pero ba't ba ako nagulat pa? Nanliligaw nga pala yung lalaki na 'yon sakaniya, at ngayon, mukhang sila na nga. I smiled faintly at that thought.