The Day Before You Came (Raynald's Thoughts)

Part 1

LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME
SIDE B

꧁ THE DAY BEFORE YOU CAME ꧂

    BLUE — that is Raynald’s favorite color. Any shade of it. Well, it was kinda associated with his quirks. For him, the blue color made him remember things more than any other hue. It was a distinct palette for him.

From grade school to taking up masterals degree, the color of the pen he'd used was blue. Doon kasi mas nare-retain sa utak niya ang mga bagay na dapat tandaan kapag nagsusulat siya ng to do notes o kahit anong importanteng bagay. Since he has this mild short-term memory loss, writing things with blue ink helped him remember things effectively. That's his secret only his family know.

Even his bedroom was colored blue. He remembered that when he was reviewing for the board exam, he really cooped up inside his room memorizing and internalizing sample questions to pass the exam and it worked somehow.

Well, based on research staying inside a room painted with blue color helps up with memorizing. And for Raynald, that's true.

That's why when he met a person named after a shade of color Blue, he was at awed. He really thinks it's cool.

That person is Cyan - one of the employees of the company where he's also working. Tumatak ang pangalan sa kanya ng lalaki dahil para kay Raynald, kakaiba iyon.

Bakit nga ba hindi iyon ginawa ng nanay nila? Iyong ipangalan ang kulay sa kanila? But Raynald also thought that what if his mom really did that and named him Red while his favorite color is Blue, that's would fúck him up. Ah, no. His name is alright.

Going back to Cyan, the first time he really met him was not at work. Mas matagal na niya itong kilala ngunit sa tingin niya, hindi siya nito maaalala.

Cyan was a child from the orphanage Raynald's really fond of going. Iyong bahay-ampunan na malaki ang ambag sa buhay nila dahil doon nanggaling ang kanyang ina. Kaya kapag may libreng oras ang pamilya nila, lagi silang nasa orphanage para magbigay ng mga gamit sa mga bata roon.

And that's the first time he saw the teenage Cyan. But at that time, Raynald didn't know his name. Since Cyan was reclusive and taciturn, Raynald didn't approach him lest he made him afraid by a sudden talk from a stranger.

Palihim niya lang itong pinagmamasdan kapag naroon sila sa bahay-ampunan dahil para kay Raynald, cute ang batang iyon. Even though he was so silent, the child likes to help people around him without a word of complain. Hindi tulad ng mga kapatid niya na parang mga nakawala sa koral. Ang gustong kapatid ni Raynald, tahimik at magalang. Just like Cyan.

No, don't get him wrong, he loves his siblings but they're really love to give him headache. Mag-away pa lang ang kapatid niyang si Raysen at Raymond, napapagod na siyang panoorin. Sasama pa ang ingay ng Kuya Raymark niya na naninita sa dalawa na madalas, tumatakas na lang si Raynald dahil naiingayan siya.

And watching the teenager he saw at the orphanage, naisip ni Raynald na sana ganito ang mga kapatid niya. Kaya nga kapag pupunta sila, lagi niyang inaabangan na makita ang batang iyon at iyon nga ang nangyari sa loob ng ilang taon.

But then, when the teenager turned eighteen, he got out of the orphanage.

Iyon ang narinig ni Raynald noong dumalaw siya sa ampunan. Gusto pa man din niyang alamin ang pangalan ng bata pero hindi niya na nagawa. Kung tutuusin, pwede naman niyang itanong. Pero para kay Raynald, privacy kasi ng isang tao ang pangalan at mas gugustuhin niyang malaman mula mismo sa tao ang pangalan nito.

So he was so surprised to know that the teenager he was watching at the orphanage in the past was now working with him.

And his name is Cyan. It suits him.