Fidelity

42nd

Wala na ba talaga?

"Sa Garden lang ako, Manang.." wika ko habang nakaipit sa pagitan ng braso at tagiliran ang sketchpad.

"Osya, ipaghahanda kita ng meryenda.. Anong gusto mo?"

"No, need.. I'm not hungry,"

I'm surprised I'm not feeling any jet lag even though I just came from a 13-hour flight yesterday. Wala sa plano ko ang pag-uwi na ito. For the past four years, I've only been coming back to the Philippines when it's for something really really important. Halos once a year lang. Ngayong taon ay balak ko na lang sanang sulitin ang nalalabing sandali sa London dahil graduation ko na rin naman in five months. But my parents urged me to come home for what they said to be an urgent business matter last night.

Umupo ako sa wooden patio swing at binuksan ang sketchpad. It was almost halfway full of my raw designs. I really didn't expect to have a start-up business while I'm still in Fashion School. Ang goal ko lang ay makapagbukas ng sarili kong Fashion Brand kapag nakapagtapos na ako. But when I started thinking about it more realistically back when I was in second year, particularly while we take supplementary management courses, I realized that it won't be possible with just as a snap. Kung gusto kong makapagbukas na agad ng sarili kong shop pagkagraduate, kailangan ko nang magsimula nang maaga. Kahit maliit at paonti-onti basta't may tiyaga.

And that's what I did. I launched an online store in secret. Nagsimula ako sa pag-aalter at pabebenta ng mga sarili kong damit na hindi ko na nagagamit. Then when I had enough funds to keep the business going, I started thrifting in bulk and altering them according to my designs. Hindi ko inaasahang may bibili ng mga gawa ko.

"Thanks, Manang.." Kahit sinabi kong wag na ay dinalhan pa rin nila ko ng juice at mixed nuts.

Now, I'm 27 and ready to open my first physical store in five months. Walang kaalam-alam ang pamilya ko tungkol dito dahil mas pinili kong ilihim at sarilihin na lang muna. Ika nga eh people can't ruin what they don't know.

I took a sip from the melon juice using my left hand. Inilapag ko sa coaster ang baso pagkatapos. I was just about to continue what I was sketching when a pair of palm covered my eyes.

"Guess who?" a familiar voice asked from behind. I could almost imagine him with a grin just by the way he said that.

Amoy pa lang ay alam ko na kung sino. Napairap ako kahit nakapikit.

"Hmm..." sinadya kong tagalan na para bang nag-iisip. "Theo?"

Mabilis pa sa alas kwatro na kumalas ang nakatakip sa mata ko. Pagmulat ay kunot-noong si Davion ang sumalubong sa paningin ko.

"Who the hell is that?" maktol niya.

Napangisi ako bago muling inabot ang juice. Parang tanga lang. Ilang beses na atang nangyari to pero nauuto pa rin siya sa acting ko at ganyan parati ang reaksyon.

"Kaibigan ko," sagot ko bago inilapit sa bibig ang baso. Ngunit bago pa man ako makainom ay inagaw niya yon at inisang lagok.

"May iba ka pang kaibigan bukod sakin?" aniya pagkalapag ng baso saka padabog na tumabi sakin sa swing. I almost thought the support would break. "Akala ko ba ako lang best friend mo?"

"Sino naman nagsabi niyan?" tanong ko, ngayo'y ibinabalik na ang atensyon sa pagssketch. "Mga boses sa utak mo?"

Hindi ko alam kung matatawa o ano nang masulyapan ang reaksyon niya. Medyo matagal na rin nang mapatawad ko si Davion. We decided to remain friends. It's impossible not to have him around lalo pa't business partners sila ni Mommy. Yes, business partners. He literally came from an apprentice to an associate. From being just an intern in his dream company to being the boss of his own.