Chapter 1: Amber and Auburn (years earlier)
(Amber’s POV)
“Mommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy!!!!”
I shouted at the top of my lungs. Ang dahilan ay ang saraling kuting sa may back seat ng kotse! Issss! Nakakainis! I hate cats or any kind of animals except for dogs.
“what is it honey? Ba’t ka ba sumigaw?” mommy said worried.
I didn’t answer, alam ko naman na ang saralin kung sino mang hudyo ang naglagay ng kuting na yon sa backseat and worst on top of my things!
“it must have been my cat mom. Amber’s always like that, parang di na kayo nasanay…” Auburn said habang papalapit sa amin ni mom—my twin sister.
Yes you heard me right? I have a twin sister and her name is Auburn Laine Villaroman.
I glared at her but what she only did was to shrugged.
“Will you just take that stupid cat outside? I really don’t mind about your pet but it’s on my things. They’ll get dirty. Mukhang kung saan-saan mo rin lang napulot yang pusa na yan! Yuck! So mabaho! Mommy tell Auburn to throw that cat!” I said sabay ng pagpadyak ng paa ko.
Kahit kelan talaga tong si Auburn! Issss!
To tell you, yeah we’re the EXACT opposite! Mind you! Exact as in exact opposite!
I like girlish things and stuff while she don’t, mahilig siya sa sports, she loves to play soccer. Varsity nga siya sa girls team sa school sa totoo lang. ako naman, I like ballet feel na feel ko pag nakasuot na sa akin ang tutu ko while I’m dancing to my heart’s content.
Kumbaga, babae ako tong kapatid ko ahmmmm, panu ko nga ba siya idedescribe?
Tomboy?
Haist!... Ewan ko sa kanyang may sariling takbo ang brains!
“akin na nga ipapasok ko na lang sa loob, papapaliguan ko kay yaya para maging mabango.” She snorted, at agad na kinuha ang kuting sa mga gamit ko.
“Whatever!” I said and rolled my eyes.
“arte-arte…”
Narinig kong bulong niya.
“Hey, I’ve heard that! Tomboy!” I shouted back.
“Hey, hey, you two! Stop that.”
It was Mom, nakita ko siyang napailing while me and Auburn stop and look at her.
“Will you quit arguing for nonsense stuff?” mom said then she looked at me.
“And for you young lady stop making fuss on things. We can settle things just by talking, you don’t have to shout Amberlynn.” Mom retorted
As usual ako na naman ang masama… what’s new?
Sa inis ko pumasok na ko sa backseat at umupo. I ignored Mom. Lagi naman ganyan. I’m always the bad one.
Auburn’s good, while I’m not.
Auburn’s active in school, while I’m not.
Auburn’s kind while I’m a bratt.
Auburn’s obedient while I’m not.
Auburn’s like this and like that, while I’m not.
I hate it! Kung bakit ba naman kasi pinanganak pa kami bilang kambal! Pwede namang nagging lalaki na lang talaga siya. Para walang comparisons. It’s choking na kasi.
“auburn hurry! You’ll be late for school…” I heard Mom calling her. Pinabayaan ko na lang sila and look again on the book that I was reading.
Actually it’s a children’s story book, The Little Match Seller. Napangiti ako sa hawak ko. I do believe in fairytales, kahit na sad ang story nito, at least the young girl was able to fulfill her longing—to have her family back.
Kaya ko to kinalkal sa mga gamit namin ni Auburn nung mga bata pa kami sa basement kasi I’ll be using it for my book report. This is actually my favorite children’s tale.
Minutes passed and Mom is driving us towards school now.
“kanina ka pa tumatawa dyan ng mag-isa? Nagmumukha ka na tuloy baliw…what’s so funny actually?...” painosenteng tanong sakin ni Auburn. She was seating at the passenger seat of the car kaya pumaharap pa talaga siya para lang maka-usap ako dito sa may backseat.
“you…” I answered uninterested.
“ha-ha! Funny!” she said then umayos na siya ng upo.
“ok, where here.” Mom said. Nasa may gate na nga kame ng Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Academy. Dito kami nag-aaral ni Auburn, third year high school na kami. But we don’t belong to the same section. Wala rin naman kasing section A B C D, etc. dito sa school namin, all of us has the privilege for the ranking, neutral sectioning dito kumbaga.
Bumaba na kami sa kotse. Then we kiss Mom and bid our goodbyes.
Sabay kaming pumasok ni Auburn sa loob, that’s when I came to see him again…
