[Xylandria's POV]
"Ma'am, may nagpapabigay po."
"Salamat," nakangiting tinanggap ko yung maliit na box na nilahad sa akin ni Kuyang Guard at dumiretso na sa office ko.
"Mukhang napapadalas na ang pagtanggap mo ng regalo ah. Sa pagkakaalala ko ay matagal pa ang pasko," pagtukso sa akin ni Mr. Agapay na isang mathematics teacher. Nakangisi ito sa akin habang nagkakape.
"Ganun po talaga, Sir, pagmaganda," I chuckled.
Nung makaupo ako sa swivel chair ko ay agad kong binuksan ang maliit na box. Hindi ko pa nakikita ang laman ay napapangiti na ako.
Do great at work. Love you!
Ayun nakasabi sa maliit na papel sa loob ng kahon. Pagkakuha ko ng sulat ay napaawang ang labi ko dahil sa kwintas na nasa ilalim. Inangat ko iyun at hindi makapagsalita dahil sa sobrang ganda.
It has an anti-allergic black string and a white gold ring is tied by it. I looked at the ring up close and I gasped when a name is engraved inside.
Angela Rosemarie Montivano
"Xylandria," napaangat ako ng tingin nung marinig ang boses ni Mr. Gutierrez.
"P-po?"
"May naghihintay sayo sa lounge."
"Sino?"
"You'll know it once you get there."
Binalik ko ang kwintas sa box bago tumayo. The sudden enthusiasm came as because i'm sure it's Walter. I guess he's going to surprise me again, knowing that he didn't called before showing up.
I walked inside the lounge and there's only one person inside except from the janitors and school employees. He stood up as soon as he saw me.
"Xylandria."
"D-dave, nice to see you again." Gulat kong nilahad sa kanya ang kamay ko. Nahihiya niya naman itong tinanggap at nakipagkamay sa akin. He's Dave Advincula, kinakapatid at partner ko noon sa modeling pero sa New York na ito nag-aral pagtungtong ng high school. Halos hindi ko na nga matandaan ang mga pangyayari noon and I honestly almost forgot about him. It's been a decade since i've seen him.
"You look good. Coffee?" Pagyaya niya. Tiningnan ko ang oras sa phone ko at nakitang hindi ko pa-out.
"Mr. Gutierrez said you're available onwards." Turo niya kay Mr. Gutierrez na nakahilig lang sa may lounge desk. Tinaas nito ang kanyang hinlalaki at tumango. I guess I don't have any choice then.
.
"Can I order something for you? I heard that they have the best ice cream cake in town."
"Sure."
I still have an hour to spare, but I know that Walter is already in the Sky Autumn, waiting for me.
Nag-order si Dave ng dalawang ice cream cake at hindi ko mapigilang mailang nung makaalis na ang waiter. He brought me to the Alicia's, a bakeshop that I was never a fan of. Kung alam lang niya na ang Sky Autumn talaga ang may pinaka-the best na ice cream cake which is ang Opera Deluxe ay tiyak kong mapapahiya talaga siya, but I don't want to invite him there. Mas gusto kong pumunta ng Sky Autumn na si Walter lang ang kasama ko.
"It's been... I don't know, 12 years?"
"Too long to remember. Kamusta ka na? How's New York?"
"Philippines is a home that I can't compare. I'm working now as a newscaster, graduated from Southern American University with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communication. After graduating from college, I undergone the basic citizens military course training that made me part of the Navy Reserve Unit."
"I'm impressed. I see you've quit modeling."
"Modeling was never for me. Napilitan lang ako noon dahil kay Mom. She wants me to be part of the fashion and show industry, but I was never into those kind of things." Binasa ko ang pang-ibabang labi ko dahil sa sagot niya. I can quite remember that Dave was always been amazing in a lot of ways.
"Kamusta sina Tita Melchor at Tito Reagan? Nandito rin ba sila sa Pinas? Si Chelsea pala?"
"Si Dad ay kasama ko rito. He's staying in the hotel while Chelsea and Mom are still in New York. Susunod din daw sila rito, maybe next week or within this month."
Minsan hindi ko maiwasang mainggit sa mga kaedad ko na successful na sa buhay. I'm already 24, but my parents are still holding me back from my dream kaya work-work muna para makapag-ipon.
"Ikaw? Kamusta ka? Madami sigurong umaaligid sayong mga lalaki. You're still the most beautiful, Xy." Nahihiya akong napangiti.
Dave is an attractive-looking guy. He has a messy dark brown hair and he's 6'4 tall. Dave has a fascinating lavendelblau pair of eyes that pulls anyone into his own-kind of blackhole.
"I'm currently working as the Araneta University Dean's secretary. I'm a commerce student graduate. Nag-iipon ako ng pera kasi pinaplano kong pasukin ang modeling ulit."
"That's great, pero wala bang nag-ooffer sayo? Like, managers are everywhere, i'm sure na may makakapansin sa ganda mo."
"I stopped because of Mom and Dad, so I thought of continuing it abroad. Kaya ako nag-iipon."
"You should be practical in this new modern world, Andria. Life is too short, you should avoid risks." Nagulat ako sa suhestiyon niya. After 12 years ay ngayon lang kami ulit nagkita at paparangalan niya ako?
Bigla naman siyang nataranta at parang gulat din sa kanyang nasabi nung mapansin niya ang pagkunot ng noo ko.
"Sorry about that. Nasa sayo pa rin niyan. I'm just concerned." Kumibit-balikat siya at sumimsim ng kape.
"Thanks for that, but nothing can change my decision." Napatingin ako sa ice cream cake na nasa harapan kong kakalapag lang ng waiter at wala akong gana. The cake doesn't look appetizing to me at all. Hayst, parang nangangati na akong pumunta ng Sky Autumn.
"So do you have a boyfriend or a suitor?"
"I have a boyfriend," sagot ko.
"As expected. So what's his job?"
"He's a business man." I confidently answered and grinned.
"Really? Anong business niya?"
"Yung Helix Quantum, isa sa mga kompanyang pagmamay-ari niya."
More like, pag-aari ng family niya. He owns 42% of it kaya masasabi kong co-owner din siya.
His jaw dropped and was speechless. It took seconds before he finally spoke.
"H-helix Quantum? Yung pinakamalaking coliseum dito sa Pilipinas?!"
BINABASA MO ANG
Teardrops on a Sketch Pad
Romance[COMPLETED] Xylandria Rodriguez, the most gorgeous woman alive who consider things worthy if it possesses beauty. Her ideology took a huge turn after picking up a forgotten sketch pad owned by a world-class athlete, Walter Holloway, who is now stuck...
