How Love Grows (Completed)

Kabanata 05

Kabanata 05

Graduation

"Fely!"

Napalingon ako sa likod ko ng may tumawag sa 'kin. Lumapad ang ngiti ko ng makita si Eve na kumakaway habang tumatakbo papunta sa 'kin. Kumaway din ako sa kaniya. At hinihintay siya na makarating sa kinaroroonan ko.

Kumaway ako sa kaniya.

"Eve!" Pagkatapos tumakbo para salubungin siya.

Gosh, this girl!

Kaagad ako ng yakap sa kaniya. Hinigpitan ko ang yakap ko na parang hindi kami nagkita ng walong libong taon.


Isang linggo na ang nakalipas ng nangyari ang prom night namin. I tried to tell my mother about it, but I only got harsh words from her. They are actually right; a prom night isn't that totally important, at isa pa wala akong pera na pambayad diyaan.

"Ma…"

One afternoon in our house, I tried to ask my mother about our prom night. Hindi ko pa talaga nasabi sa kaniya 'yon. Dahil natatakot ako na baka magalit siya, at napaisip ako na sobrang gasto kapag sumali. Pero naisip ko rin na isang beses lang to mangyari sa buhay ko. Maybe I should try, right?


"Pwede ba akong sumali sa prom night namin? Kahit simpleng dress lang po, ma?" I hear my voice and how desperate I am.


Na ikwento sa akin ni Eve kahapon na hindi siya sasali kapag hindi ako sasali. Ate Che wanted her to join, but Eve was pretty determined not to attend if I was not there.


Lumingon sa akin si Mama. Kumunot ang kaniyang noo sa akin. I see how annoyed she is while looking at me.


"Sasali ka na naman? Gasto na naman? Alam mong nahihirapan na nga akong magbabayad sa mga gastusin sa bahay tapos may gana ka pa na sumali sa mga ganiyan? Ay tsaka importante ba 'yan ha, na kailangan talaga na sumali ka pa?" galit niyang sabi.

Napayuko ako. I wanted to pin myself, kung bakit sinubukan ko pa na sabihin kay Mama, eh sa alam ko namang magagalit siya. I tried to stop myself from crying in front of my mother. 'Yan ang lagi kong iniiwasan ang umiyak at maging mahina sa harap ni mama. I don't know, but if I am in this house, I feel brave and independent.


"Bakit ayaw mong mag trabaho para man lang makatulong ka dito sa bahay? At puro ka nalang gala! May makukuha ka ba sa mga ganiyan mo! Kahit kailan wala kang pinagkaiba sa ama mo!" dagdag pa niya.


Here we are again. I feel so low about myself every time my mother compares me to someone who left me at Ate Melds when I was young. I don't know much about my father because I was too young back then to know much about him. But based on my mother's perspective on him, he is kind of evil and very ruthless. Hindi ko alam kung totoo ba 'yon, but my mother is really pushing the bad side of my father. Now hearing it again, it feels like there is a knife stabbing my internal wounds. Like it wasn't healed yet, but more like it was bleeding again.


I love my mother, and ever since, her hurtful words have never cut off my love for her. I'll truly accept every word she throws at me until I can't take it anymore.

It's a good thing there's one soul who always showered me with love and saved me from drowning.


"I miss you!" I said.


Ramdam ko ang pag-angal niya. Kaya tahimik akong natawa.


"Kahapon lang tayo nagkita, Fely. Tsaka, nagkita tayo kagabi noh," she complains.




Natatawa akong kumalas sa yakap niya. Nakangiti siyang tumitig sa 'kin. I smiled widely at the girl who always saved me from something that would drown me. Kahit ano pa 'yan, her presence became the medicine for my wounds.


I hope the future will align with us. Kahit wala nang dumating na biyaya basta, hindi lang kami magkakahiwalay ni Eve.


Please, God, make it happen.


"I miss every hour I don't see you!" I whispered, so it could be more meaningful to her.

She laughed at me and shook her head because of my craziness. She pinched a bit of my cheek. Nakasimangot ako sa kaniya.

"Anong nakain mo ngayon?" she asked.

"I ate a lot of chocolate today. Then I ordered this!" Pakita ko sa kanyang ice coffee.


Her smile slowly grows as if she wanted it, but truly, she doesn't. Gotcha, Eve! You don't like coffee. I know.


"I know you don't like coffee, but I ordered this. You need to drink it!" ngumuso ako.


But later on, binawi ko 'yon. "Wag na pala, baka magpalpitate ka!" Binawi ko sa kaniya ang ice coffee.


Umiling siya. At binawi ulit sa akin ang kape. She pouted her lips at me.


"No! Walang bawal sa akin o di ko gusto basta ikaw ang bumili."


"But you'll have palpitations after drinking that?" Now I am worried.


Bakit pa kasi ako bumili ng kape? It should be tea!


"You bought it for me; I must drink it." Buong puso niya sabi.

Napangiti naman ako doon. Kinuha niya ang kamay ko, then we started walking to find some seats. She suggested we sit near the bench in the right part of the school field. Tumango naman ako doon. While we are busy drinking our coffee since it is still lunch. Maraming mga estudyante sa field nagtatambay. Walang laro ngayon, kaya medyo hindi maingay.

I saw Kent's group walking in our direction. Nanlaki ang aking mata, kasama niya sina Lurd, Nice, Vone, at Reg. Ang tingin ay naka deritso sa 'kin. His eyes met mine. Ang malapad kong ngiti ay dahan-dahan na nawawala habang tinitignan ang matang titig sa akin. I look away from his stares and nervously hold my coffee. I feel Eve's gaze on me.

"Are you okay, Fely?" She sounds worried. She immediately knows how I feel.

I nodded. "Yeah…"

Hindi ako nag-angat ng tingin sa kaniya. I can feel her brows furrowing as she looks at the person in  front of us. Hindi namin namalayan na nandito na sila sa harapan. Tumingin lang ako sa gilid. I can feel someone staring at me, but hindi ko alam kong sino sa kanila. Dahil doon ginawa niya, hindi ko malilimutan 'yon. Kapag tumitingin ako sa kanya naalala ko kung paano niya punitin ang bagay na pinaghirapan ko. Kapag tumitingin ako sa kaniya ramdam ko pa rin ang boses niya sa akin. Kung gaano siya ka galit noon!

"May after party raw pagkatapos ng graduation, Eve. Wanna come with us?" si Von.


Naramdam ako ng saya nang marinig na si Von 'yon.

I saw Eve's body shift.

"I don't know, Von. Lahat ba ng batchmate natin ang kasali?" tanong niya.


"Hindi. May after party din sila doon sa mansyon ni Vienz. Nakauwi na daw 'ang kapatid niya, girlfriend ni Ronald," paliwanag niya.

Tumango naman si Eve. Naramdaman ko ulit na lumingin si Eve sa 'kin. Kaya na palingon silang lahat. Nagtataka akong lumingon kay Eve at tinignan din sila. I saw how maliciously Eve stared at me. Kumunot ang noo ko sa kaniya, hindi ko alam kung nang aasar ba siya sa akin o nagtataka sa kinikilos ko. I avoided Kent's stares because of what happened last time. Kaya nakaupo lang ako. Ramdam ko rin ang titig ni Reg sa 'kin sabay tingin din kay Kent. Alam kong alam nila bakit ako ganito. They know because they were there, and I know Everlyn. Madali lang siyang makiramdam.




"Sumama ka, Felicity. I heard sasama si Leana at Ethel," untas ni Lurd, he broke the silence in between.



Napalingon ako sa kaniya. I saw how everyone alerted as I raised my head to look at Lurd. Reg said something to Kent, while Von zipped his mouth as if he wanted to grin. Nahihiya akong ngumiti kay Lurd. Gusto ko sanang mang-asar kay Eve dahil nandito ang crush niya, kaso naiilang ako kay Kent.



"You want to come to the after party, Fely?" Eve asked.