Cupid Series #8: I Fell, My Valentine

「60」

It was fourteen of February when I said to my self, I fell for her.

Simula nang makilala ko si Valentine, I've been seeing her all over the school. Si Clint at Freya ang dahilan kung bakit ko siya nakilala.

She's beautiful and has a beautiful smile. Her name suits her personality. She looks so lovable.

Nalala ko, una kaming nagkakilala sa booth. Para sa kanya. Pero para sa akin, kilala ko na siya.

“Bro, who's your girlfriend now?” Clint ask me one time while we were clubbing.

I drunk the scotch. “None.” I coldly respond.

He chuckled. “Fling? F-buddies?”

I raise my middle finger. “Fuck you. I don't do that.”

“Mukha mo. Akala mo 'di ko naabutang may babae sa condo.”

“Tangina ka. Gumagawa ka na naman ng kwento.”

It wasn't true. Yes, I've been not serious with girls. It was just fling and I don't have f-buddies. I'm not into that.

Problema ko lang talaga si mommy. Two years ago, we talked about arrange marriage. At dahil hindi naman ako seryoso sa babae at wala pa talaga akong minahal, pumayag ako. For a reason that it can help the company.

“When you turn twenty one, son. You'll be engage and you'll met your fiance next year. Hinihintay lang namin mag debut.”

I lazily nodded and close my eyes.

“Hey Archer? Are you listening son?”

“Yes mom.”

“Okay, good. I'll go now.”

We don't have much interaction with my mother dahil minsan lang ako umuwi sa Bicol. I've been living in Manila for years now, I have my own condo unit but I also leave in my father's house.

By the way, I have a broken family. Dad and mom chose to end their ‘arranged marriage’. It wasn't a successful marriage.

Masakit lang dahil mahal ni Mommy si Daddy habang si Daddy may mahal na iba. It was for the sake of the company kaya sila nagpakasal.

That's why I rarely go home to bicol because I don't want to see my mother at her state. Kaya ginagawa ko lahat ng gusto niya.

At first the set up wasn't okay. Ayaw kong tumira sa daddy ko dahil galit ako sa kanya. He's fucking asshole. I was fucking mad at him. For breaking the family. But as I grow up, I realized that it was a better decision to separate. Dahil hindi pwedeng ipilit ang pagmamahal.

I was an obedient son, not until I met the love of my life.

It was fourteenth of February. I thought wala akong pag asa.

“Gusto mo pinsan ko pres 'no?” Freya teased me.

I look at her coldly, acting like I don't even though I am madly in love with her cousin.

“Nope.”

Tumawa siya. “Lokohin mo na ang lahat, 'wag lang ako kasi baka nakakalimutan mong girlfriend ako ng kaibigan ko.”

Umigting ang panga ko. Tangina talaga ng lalaking 'yon. Pati sa girlfriend sinabi lahat ng sinabi ko.

“Tsk...”

“Bakit pa kasi nag deny, e halata mo naman sa kilos pa lang. 'Yang mata mo nga biglang nagiging matang lawin kapag dumadaan 'yang pinsan ko.”

I shook my head. Shit. Gano'n ba ako kahalata?