Summertime Sadness (The Lost Souls on Tour: The Third Tour)

Stage 14

Stage 14

Masaya ang naging salo-salo sa kaarawan ni Mommy. Ang pinaka naging tagpuan talaga ng ingay sa gabi'ng 'yon ay ang regalo ni Ryzen na nililok niya. It was a small figure of our mother. Half-body iyon at matamis ang ngiti ni Mommy roon. I was so mesmerized, too while staring at it. The every details looks like the figure was made by a professional carver. 

Pagkatapos naman ng kaarawan ni Mommy, hindi ko na napigilan na makaramdam ng lungkot dahil papalapit na ang Hunyo. Hudyat na ang pasukan ay papalapit na rin. 

I looked at Suriel who is now walking back after he got received a call from his friend that he calls 'Theo'. Hindi ko basta matawag sila ng basta-basta sa kani-kanilang mga pangalan dahil hindi naman kami magkakilala. That is why whenever I am saying his friends' names, I am saying it with respect and emphasis. 

Suriel sighed heavily as he sat beside me while putting his phone in his back pocket. Banayad ang bawat pagnguya ko ng pagkaing dala namin habang pinapanood si Suriel at bahagyang nag-aabang ng kaniyang sasabihin. 

With the usual huge cloth on the grassland, the Taal scenery in front of us, the sunset from the west, the orange sky, me and him on this hill spending our usual day together...this is where we always go whenever we get tired of strolling around this huge hacienda. Kumbaga kapag nandito kami tila ba pahinga. At mas lalong pahinga dahil magkasama kaming dalawa...

I cleared my throat. "T-Tara bisitahin bukas 'yong maliit na taniman ng mga tubo! I feel like you would like to taste the sugarcanes!" I said when he didn't speak after the long silence. Kanina ko pa talaga ito gusto sabihin sa kaniya pero dahil nga naantala ng pagtawag ang pag-uusap namin, ngayon lang ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataon.

The hacienda has always been so huge to me. Dahil sa iba't ibang plantation na narito, hindi ko na halos naiikot nang buo ang hacienda dahil dami na puwedeng pupuntahan. Every year, our hacienda gets expand more and more. Bukod doon ay ang pagpapatayo ni Daddy ng expanded sugarcane plantation sa iba pa'ng lugar dahil balak niya iyong palawakin ang produkto namin ng asukal. Dad just recently tried the sugar product if it will click. And it did, not really eventually yet still it was successful, dahil hindi pa naman iyon naibebenta sa buong Pilipinas at dito pa lang talaga sa Cavite iyon sumisikat. Kaya iyon ang isa sa mga bagay na pinagkakaabalahan ni Daddy nitong taong ito. 

Actually, that is what I really want to visit in the first place. But then I realized that I couldn't. Sa Alfonso pa raw kasi ang nahanap na lupa ni Daddy. Ang unang akala ko nga ay sa Indang siya makakahanap dahil marami rin doon mga tagong lugar na malalawak at puwedeng-puwedeng pagtayuan ng plantation. 

My father is really a business-minded person. Sa paglipas lagi ng taon, nag-eexpand nang nag-eexpand ang plantation ng hacienda at pati na rin ang aming negosyo. The Espinozas are really known for their conglomerate businesses. Kaya isa rin sa bagay na hinahangaan sa amin dahil likas na magaling ang pamilya namin sa larangan ng negosyo. 

Sometimes, it surprises me upon thinking that we are that...rich. I grew up living a simple life. Kahit na ang ideya na mayaman kami at hindi lang basta mayaman, kung 'di mayaman talaga ay hindi naging basehan ng kilos namin. Our parents raised us humble and simple. We never complained for not getting what we want or even acted irrationally just because we are rich as hell. Lumaki na nakikisalamuha sa mga nagtatrabaho sa aming pamilya. 

Suriel looked at me sadly as he tried to give me a smile. 

"Sure..." 

Kumunot ang noo ko. "M-May nangyari ba?"

He sighed heavily as he shook his head. "Wala naman. I just have...uh...to..."

"To?"

Hirap siyang napalunok bago nag-iwas ng tingin sa akin. "W-Well, I have to go back to Manila..."